July 2016 - Vision Care

Although it is nice to get out in the sun, and thrilling to weave down the piste, both of these weather conditions pose threats to your eyesight. The damage to your vision is accumulative, i.e. the more you partake the more likely your risks of developing conditions such as cataracts. This checklist will make it easy to see what precautions you should adopt given the weather.

eyesight-eye-care-checklist-optician-health — **Ensure you schedule your eye tests regularly for you and your family**

Summer

Sunlight carries UV radiation straight to your eyes, causing deterioration and increasing risks from conditions such as glaucoma. (For more details on summer eye care, read out blogs, Take care of your eyes this summer, and Top tips to protect your eyes from the sun). With this in mind always:

Wear UV resistant sunglasses: These block the UV rays that cause the damage, and if you’re doing outdoor activities such as sports or boating, consider polarised lenses to prevent damage caused from reflective light.

Swim Goggles: Always wear swimming goggles when swimming. If you wear glasses or contact lenses you can obtain prescription swim goggles which help you see as well as protecting your eyesight. Never wear contact lenses without goggles when swimming.

Autumn

Ensure you get outside during the autumn months and exercise. Exercise is good for the whole body including your eyes. Also, ensure you:

Protect from Computer Vision Syndrome: Always follow the 20-20-20 rule. When using a computer, take a break every 20 minutes and look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Get Ready for the Rest of the Year: Renew eyewear for the family, ensuring eye tests are carried out by an optician. Consider buying low vision aids such as magnifying glasses as this can change someone’s life for the better. Don’t forget to purchase back-up glasses!

Exercise Outside: Exercise is good for your eyesight so get out there and get fit!

Drink Plenty: Drink plenty of water as this is good for your eyesight. If your eyes suffer from redness, dryness, or puffy eyelids, it could be a sign you need to drink more liquids.

Winter

With the onset of the cold months ensure your diet is especially healthy. Also, ensure you:

Stop Smoking: Smoking causes damage to your eyesight as well as your lungs. Ensure you knock the habit on the head.

Gifts at Christmas: Consider donating to vision charities and giving reading aids as Christmas presents.

Vision Insurance: If you have insurance on anything vision related it will probably expire in December, ensure you renew it.

Spring

Spring is a good time to upgrade sunglasses and other visual aids to new models. As well as this, ensure you:

Replace Sports Eyewear: Replace sports eyewear as necessary. It is a good idea to speak to your optician about your requirements.

Safety Goggles: As you’ll be out in the garden for the next few months doing plenty of outdoor DIY projects, speak to your optician about the best form of eye protection for these projects, especially if you wear glasses or contact lenses.

Upgrade Eyewear: Use spring to get ready for the summer and upgrade your existing eyewear. Why not donate your old eyewear to charity?

And Don’t Forget Eye Tests

Ensure you schedule regular eye examinations for you and your family. This should be added to your back to school checklist. It will catch the onset of early conditions and make treatment more effective.

Click here to schedule your eye test if you are in the London area.

Swimming

In the summer it tends to get warm and having a dip in the pool or sea is often appealing, especially if you have children and it is the school holidays. Chlorine in the swimming pool is pretty harmless, but if one of the family complains their eyes are stinging get out of the pool. This could indicate an imbalance in the chemicals.

Rinse eyes out with normal water, and if they are still irritated a few hours later, seek professional advice.

Similarly, if you are swimming in the sea and experience irritation, follow the same steps. Wherever you swim your contact lenses should be removed.

DIY

Summer is great time for doing DIY, especially jobs outside. As well as damage from the sun’s UV rays, we can also be prone from flying splinters, insect bites, getting chemicals in our eyes (think paint, wood preserver etc), and let’s not forget spitting fat and smoke from barbeques.

Ensure you wear suitable eye protection for the activity you are doing, and keeping insect treatments to hand is a good idea too.

The Beach

Most of us are fully clued up about sunburn and splash the suntan lotion on like there is no tomorrow, but what you might not know is that you need a good pair of UV resistant sunglasses to go with it. UV rays cause constant damage to our vision, like the way it causes constant damage to unprotected skin. It is a good idea to wear a hat in the heat to give further protection.

Children are especially vulnerable so make sure the whole family has good quality sunglasses. Not only will you be protecting your eyes but you will all look cool at the same time.

Sports

Summer is a good time to get outside and play ball. That said, a cricket or tennis ball in the eye is no fun and can cause damage. It is fair to assume that many of us won’t be wearing a mask to bat a ball around, but at the very least wear protection suitable to the level being played.

Again, take the heat into account.

Enjoy the sun but protect your eyesight.

Sources

Month: July 2016

Seasonal Precautions Checklist to Keep your Eyesight Healthy