Tips for Keeping Your Eyes Healthy

Like the rest of your body, it’s important to invest a little time and energy into the health of your eyes. Fortunately, maintaining eye health isn’t complicated, and there are a number of simple adjustments you can make to your routine and lifestyle to preserve the health of your eyes.

Read on below for some simple rules to follow to look after your eye health.

Your diet and eye health

A good diet can contribute to the health of your eyes, and making sure you consume a range of nutrients is key.

When it comes to eye health, colour truly matters, which is why nutrition experts often encourage us to “eat the rainbow.” Different pigments in colourful fruits and vegetables correspond to a range of vitamins and antioxidants that support vision. For example, carrots and other orange produce contain beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that’s essential for proper eye function. Similarly, leafy greens are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin (antioxidants) that reduce the risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration.

Try to ensure you regularly eat oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, which contain omega 3 fatty acids that help the retina, and eggs, which contain zinc and vitamin A. You can boost your diet further by snacking on nutrient-rich almonds and berries too.

Smoking and eye health

The risks of smoking are well documented, but many people don’t realise it can also affect your eyes. Smoking increases your risk of developing eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and optic nerve damage. These conditions can impair vision and, if left untreated, may lead to serious visual impairment over time. The good news is, this can be avoided by quitting smoking – and if you’re a non-smoker, don’t take it up.

Have regular eye tests

If you’re taking steps to look after your eye health, one of the simplest things you can do is to have regular eye tests.  Eye tests can identify problems with your vision, eye health and overall health, as they can even help with diagnosing problems with blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. Those that have pre-existing eye conditions such as glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy are recommended to have an eye test annually or sooner. For those that do not have any pre-existing eye conditions, an eye test once every two years is recommended, but according to the Vision of Britain report published by Optegra and Boots, only 38% of adults do this.

In fact, the report also found that one in ten people discover they need glasses or treatment when they didn’t even think there was a problem, whilst 15% of patients are diagnosed with an eye condition when it’s already too late for treatment to work. This can be prevented with regular eye tests. For more information, take a look at our blog post on how often you should have an eye test.

Protect your eyes from the sun

Prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays (Ultraviolet (UV)) radiation can cause damage to eye tissues over time. The RNIB has reported that UVA and UVB rays in sunlight can be a factor in a number of eye diseases, such as cataracts. This risk can be minimised by having UV filters in glasses (ask your optometrist if you’re not sure) and wearing sunglasses.

When buying sunglasses in the UK, they should be CE or UKCA marked and ideally have UV400 protection. Sunglasses also fall into different categories depending on how dark they are, so it is important to check what category your sunglasses are before purchase.  Those that fall in category 0 have clear or light lenses, while category 4 is very dark, for intense sunlight. Category 4 is not legal for driving. If in doubt discuss with your local dispensing optician and optometrist as tints on your windscreen may have an additive effect to how much light is coming to you your eyes and will also need to be considered. It is important to note darker lenses do not mean better protection, if the UV protection is there, tint is a personal choice.

Take a screen break

One of the biggest strains on our eyes is caused by the large amount of time we spend using screens, including tablets, laptops, smartphones and television. According to the Vision of Britain report, on average British adults spend over four and half hours on computers, three hours on smartphones and an hour and three quarters on tablets a day.

Optometrists have been noticing an increase in eye strain reported by patients, with 57% of patients believing this increase has been caused by advances in technology. The best way to reduce eye strain is to take regular breaks from your screen, following the 20-20-20 rule for guidance: look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. Taking a break from technology is also a great approach, so if you use computers for work, make sure you try and reduce your screen time when able.

Concerned about your eye health?

If you need help to improve your vision, a free virtual consultation with Optegra can help assess your suitability for vision correction treatment like Laser Eye Surgery, and Lens Replacement.