Back to school - take the (eye health) test

We’re back to school, it’s a fresh term, a new season and the perfect time for an eye health MOT. With National Eye Health Week happening 23-29 September, there’s no better time to book in for your eye exam. Pencils sharpened, collars starched… this is one test you can’t fail.

eye health

Over half of all sight loss is due to preventable or treatable causes: One million people in the UK are living with sight loss that could have been prevented. Here’s our top tips on keeping your peepers tip top…

by Marina Vitale

Regular eye tests can identify any early indications of diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. It also picks up other problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Get your eyes tested at least every two years, so if yours has lapsed, make that call.

Wear sunglasses Ultra violet light from the sun can damage your eyes...even during the winter months. Wear your 100% UV protected sunnies all year round.

Eat the right food Foods containing either lutein or zeaxanthin help prevent eye conditions like age-related macular degeneration. Found in many fruit and vegetables including: mango, squash, broccoli, green beans, kale and spinach - mama said to eat your greens and darnnit she was right.

Know your family eye history Glaucoma is a condition which if detected early can be treated and controlled. It can be hereditary, so if family members have the condition you need to get your eyes tested more regularly.

Don some safety goggles: Cleaning, DIY or gardening can be hazardous to your eyes as chemicals, garden debris, nails and splinters can all cause injury... it’s a jungle out there.

screen time

Are our daily routines damaging our eyes?

chloe-amaya

Worryingly many of us spend more time looking at screens than sleeping. As our world becomes more digital the average person is spending 3-9 hours online, from computer screens at work to updating social media during down time.

Smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions and GPS devices all emit blue light. Blue light is natural though, it’s present in daylight and helps us stay awake, but over exposure can cause eye strain, eye fatigue and sleeplessness. Blue light suppresses the brain’s release of the hormone melatonin a sleep-inducing hormone so always switch off a couple of hours before bed.

When we’re screening and scrolling we blink less, which can cause eyes to dry out. Computer Vision Syndrome has been coined to describe symptoms of sore eyes, dry eyes, teary eyes, blurry vision, double vision, light sensitivity, difficulty focusing on images, neck pain, headache or a combination of all of the above.

Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Taking regular breaks is important for resting the eyes, blinking, and limiting eye strain.

If you experience a lot of glare, you can try a matte screen filter over your computer screen

 Open windows and let in the air to combat dryness.

let your lenses do the work

Fear not… alongside taking breaks and switching off before bed, we can offer some extra help with your glasses lenses. Go for our Blue Control lenses which contain a blue filter that helps neutralise blue light and reduces glare, giving more comfortable and relaxed vision.

We can also add on a Multi Anti-Relective treatment coating to your lenses which eliminates reflections on the surface of the lens, enhances contrast and helps to reduce eye fatigue. If you go for the Blue Control it comes with the Multi Anti-Relective coating too.. I know it’s like Christmas right.

Let us help ease you back to school with our range of lenses that take the strain out of eye strain.

Jo

Eyes wide shut - healthy eyes

It's National Eye Health Week and Self-Care September peeps - we need to open our eyes and read the writing on the wall. I'm talking about the Optician's wall and why we all need to start staring at it.

We all go regularly to the dentist for check ups (yawn) otherwise we'd lose our pearly whites. So why aren't we applying the same self-care to our eyes and getting our peepers checked? 

sight tests

It's not just to check your vision and see if you need glasses or contact lenses. A sight test is a vital check on the health of the eyes and can detect eye conditions, some of which show no symptoms, avoiding sight loss.

A sight test can also detect other health conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes. It's once every 2 years people - let's get to it.

diet

What we eat affects our vision and studies have shown antioxidants can help to prevent retinal damage. One hugely beneficial antioxidant we need in our lives is lutein, found in...

Broad leaf greens such as kale and spinach
Brightly coloured fruit and veg such as corn, carrots, orange sweet peppers and oranges
Oily fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel
Broccoli
Eggs

Eat your greens

smoking

After ageing, smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing macular degeneration. It also increases your risk of developing cataracts - toss those ciggies in the bin - it's no longer the 80s!

The sun

Never look directly at the sun. You need to protect your eyes, all year round, by choosing sunglasses with 100% UV protection (UV400). Cumulative UV exposure can increase your risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration.

Protecting your peepers never looked so good.

Jo