8 Top Tips For Healthy Eyes

We all know that it can be difficult to cover everything when it comes to taking care of your health and wellbeing, but looking after your vision doesn’t need to be scary or complicated. We’ve put together some tips for taking care of your eyes.

Have regular eye tests
It is recommended that you should have an eye test every two years. Eye tests are an important health check, as they can help detect signs of non eye-related health issues such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Regularly Rest Your Eyes
When you are working on something close up, such as a computer, your eye muscles are being continuously used. This can cause headaches and tiredness. It’s best to use the 20/20/20 rule – which means every 20 minutes look at something at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. You should also make sure that your computer screen is about 25 inches away from you and just below eye level.

Prevent Dry Eyes
Heating systems, air conditioning and using computers can cause dry eyes, but many people also suffer with dry eyes as a result of health conditions or medication. Some eye drops can reduce irritation and general discomfort. Make sure to stay hydrated, and a blink often.

looking after your vision doesn’t need to be scary or complicated.

Eat Healthily
Did you know that a healthy, well balanced diet can help reduce your risk of developing eye disease? Make sure that your diet includes plenty of omega-3 fats, which are found in oily fish, and leafy greens such as spinach and kale, which contain lutein. Vitamins A, C and E are also important to include, so carrots can actually benefit your vision as they’re a great source of vitamin A!

Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses not only make it more comfortable to see in the sun, they protect your eyes from UV light rays which can be very damaging to your eyesight! When you are looking to buy a pair of sunglasses make sure that they carry the CE or British Standard marks, or ask your optician if you are buying prescription sunglasses.

Stop Smoking
Smoking can be very damaging to your eyesight. Smoking increases the risk of developing eye diseases, such as cataracts or macular degeneration. If you are a smoker, it is never too late to give up from smoking to improve your overall health and well-being.

Caring For Your Contact Lenses
If you wear contact lenses make sure that you are taking good care of them. Always make sure that you wash your hands before handling your contact lenses and only use cleaners and drops that have been approved by your optician. Each time you remove your contact lenses from their case, clean, rinse and dry them – and make sure that you change them every three months. If you wear daily lenses, make sure that you remove them before going to sleep!

Understand Your Health History
Make sure that you tell your optometrist of any current health issues that you have. It is also important that you let them know about any family members who have eye problems or serious illnesses, as they can check for signs of some non eye-related health issues during a routine eye test.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your vision, give Clare Griffin Optometrists a phone call on 01242 508 800 to request your eye test today!