Seeing Is Believing

Seeing Is Believing

Worldwide it is estimated that around 253 million people have some sort of visual impairment which can vary from a moderate condition which is aided by the wearing of spectacles to those who are blind. Keeping a close eye on sight health is important, however sadly vision does deteriorates naturally over time due to aging and in cases, illness, however, there are some ways in which you can support your eye health.

Sight loss affects people of all ages, but as we grow older, we increasingly lose our vision which is due to four factors commonly, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy – for most people, cataracts can be corrected, however, the other conditions can, if untreated lead to serious, irreversible, long-term damage and in cases, ultimately sight loss.

How To Support Your Eye Health

Regular Sight Tests
How often do you get your eyes examined? It is important to book an eye test regularly, and most eye health clinicians would recommend a visit every two years, or sooner should you feel that your sight has got worse. Visiting a optician is much more than an eye test – it is a general health check of all things optical, including a test for common eye conditions such as glaucoma. Therefore, regular thorough sight tests are important as any abnormality picked up can be treated immediately.

Protection From Sunlight
During the summer, did you look after your eyes? In fact, do you look after your eyes the rest of the year? It is important to protect your eyes from prolonged periods of extreme sunlight, and although you run greater risk in the summer, there are UV rays throughout the year. In the summer you might wear suntan lotion to protect your skin, but do you protect your eyes from the sun? In the summer, always wear sunglasses to protect you from rays, and remember to never look directly into the sun.

Eat Well & See Well
For generations children have been told by their parents that by eating carrots they will be able to see in the dark. Although, the old saying is somewhat not strictly true, carrots do contain vitamin A, and deficiency in vitamin A does affect night vision. As a result, a diet rich in vitamin A is welcome as is a healthy dose of omega 3 which is considered to be a building block of good eye health, therefore look to include in your diet food stuffs like tasty leafy greens, and seeds such as chia, flax and hemp.

Eye, Eye!

How else can you keep your eyes in tip top condition?

Avoid smoking

It is believed that smoking can double someone’s risk of developing AMD

Maintain A Healthy Body
Maintaining a healthy body weight can reduce the risk of diabetes and poor eye health