Top Eye Care Tips from your Opticians

Prioritise Hygiene

With some care, eye infections and other diseases can be prevented. Avoid touching your eyes with dirty hands, and refrain from rubbing them when you have a cold or hay fever. Wash your hands regularly and, if you wear contact lenses, ensure your hands are clean before putting them in and taking them out. If you wear glasses, remember to clean them regularly, frames included.

Protect your Eyes from the Sun

Exposing your eyes to the sun without the necessary protection can cause permanent damage to your sight. This is why our opticians always recommend to protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses. You might not know it, but not all sunglasses offer the right protection. You should always ensure that your sunglasses lenses are made specifically to block out UV-A and UV-B radiations. If you are in doubt which lenses you should choose, ask your optician.

Keep your Prescription Up-to-date

Outdated prescriptions put more strain on your eyes, causing unnecessary pain and damage. If you experience eye fatigue, headaches and blurry vision, it’s definitely time to update your prescription and change your glasses. Even when your vision seems still clear, you should never postpone your next eye test. Visiting your optician regularly is the only way to ensure that your eyes are still healthy.

Have Regular Eye Examinations

Besides checking potential prescription changes, an eye test can help detect severe eye conditions (such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy) at their earliest stage – when they're easier to treat. In fact, many sight-threatening eye conditions do not show symptoms at all in their early stages, and you might not notice that there is a problem with your eyes. Unless otherwise specified by your optician, you should have an eye test every two years.

Follow a Healthy Diet

Following a balanced diet is crucial to keep your eyes in good health. Vegetables rich in beta-carotene, such as carrots and pumpkins, and greens (e.g. kale, spinach), which are a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin, are known to reduce the risk of developing eye health problems. Foods containing Omega-3 are also extremely beneficial. These include walnuts and certain fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel.

Remember the 20-20-20 Rule

If you spend a long time in front of a screen such as computers, tablets and mobile phones, your eyes can get really tired. Our opticians recommend to follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. Taking regular breaks from digital devices will help reducing eye strain and can prevent dry eye syndrome. You can also try HOYA Sync III lenses for the best protection from screen blue light.

Sleep Enough

Lack of sleep prevents your eyes from getting enough circulation of fluid, which is essential to their optimal functioning. This is why lack of sleep makes your eyes dry and tired. Another problem associated with sleep deprivation is the formation of dark circles and eye bags, which results from an increased retention of blood and fluid in the area around the eyes. To stay and look healthy, ensure you give your eyes enough sleep every day.

Ask your Optician

If you are in doubt with anything concerning your eyes, eye care, or eye care products, speaking to an expert is always the right choice. You can call or visit your local Eye Emporium practice and our staff will be pleased to assist you with any question or concern you may have.