One thing to never take for granted is your eyes. It is the eyes that help you perform well in all aspects of life, at home, work or on the road. They are of course needed for vision but also help you maintain a high quality of life. Sometimes you may think you are seeing your best and your vision is healthy without any noticeable symptoms. But, this is not always the case. Your eyesight may not be as healthy as you think. As we go for an annual health check-up for our entire body, we have seen that eye checkups are often missed out. To maintain a good quality vision, it is important to visit your Optometrists once a year to keep your eye health in check.
Besides, visiting your doctor there are few other things you can do to keep your eye and vision issues at bay and eyesight at its best. You can begin by stacking basic eye essentials from online chemists for daily needs and emergencies.
Before getting into ways to maintain eyesight and ocular health, let us first explore factors that affect eye health.
Carrying out eye care does not mean doing it superficially. Every part and organ of the body is a reflection of what you put inside your body. Things that may affect eye health could be influenced by the following reasons –
- Balanced diet – The eye is dependent on micro-nutrients to keep them safe from blinding illnesses such as age-related macular degeneration and/or glaucoma. Include vitamins, minerals and antioxidant-rich foods. Leafy vegetables, fruits and fishes should be a part of the diet. Fatty fishes are excellent to consume as they have higher levels of omega-3-fatty acids that are essential for the macula’s health which is responsible for central vision. The pharmacies online provide Vitabiotics Visionace omega-3 dual to promote its consumption. Deficient intake of antioxidants, high intake of alcohol and excess consumption of saturated fats can cause a free radical attack, all of which can harm the macula. High fats diets are a big no to prevent your vision. The excess fats deposit and constrict the blood flow to the arteries. In the case of eyes, they are more sensitive due to the small size of the blood vessels feeding them.
- Exposure – Eyesight can be damaged due to constant exposure to the ultraviolet radiations of the sun. This is why sunglasses are not considered a fashion commodity, they perform a decent task of protecting the eyes from the harmful rays of the sun. Exposure to other chemicals at home or work can be harmful as well.
- Smoking – Although science has not yet backed this up, smoking exposes the eyes to high levels of oxidative stress. Smoking not only affects the lungs but also causes harm to the eyes.
- Health conditions – High blood pressure, diabetes and stress has long term effects on vision. You may already have these illnesses, but certain lifestyle changes may put you in a better position to manage eye health.
- Trauma – This may not happen to all but professionals like sportsmen, athletes, working at a welding site, etc may be prone to irreversible damage to their eye.
- Eye infections – Like any other part of the body, eyes are heavily prone to infections as well. This could be due to unwashed hands, poor quality water, contact lenses or viral and bacterial conjunctivitis. The pharmacy online UK offers Clinitas eye drops to relieve redness.
- Family history – Having immediate family members with eye diseases put you at higher risk of contracting one. Be extra cautious if you belong to this category.
- Age-related eye problems – As you age problems like cataract, low vision, macular degeneration, glaucoma and dry eyes may develop. Visit an online pharmacist to grab your soothing drops to relieve dryness.
Here is why we urge you to visit your doctor annually.
- To test your visual acuity – This is the checkup that needs to be conducted after regular intervals. It is a way of checking if you are seeing properly. Complaints of frequent headaches, fatigue could be due to over or under correction of the prescription.
- To check for any eye diseases – Many of the eyesight illnesses come to no symptoms. Hence, in some cases, years may pass and you won’t know you have been suffering all this while. A good example of this is a cataract. It develops so gradually that the patient ceases to notice a reduction in vision. The earlier diseases are detected, the better for the individual’s well being.
- To reveal developmental issues – If vision problems in children remain untreated it can cause learning and reading disability. In aggravated cases, this may lead to dyslexia and ADD. If eyesight problems remain untreated for a longer duration in children, they may develop into amblyopia or strabismus.
Keep your doctor updated on any family medical history and take the annual appointment as an opportunity to update information.
Common eye conditions –
The most common eye conditions are refractive errors. It is the abnormality of the shape of the eye which prevents the focusing of the light on the retina. In some instances, the ageing of the lens can also lead to refractive errors. There might be blurred vision, need to squint, headaches and strain on the eyes. This condition can be corrected by glasses, contact lenses or laser operation.
Some common refractive errors include –
- Nearsightedness
- Farsightedness
- Presbyopia
- Astigmatism
Some other eyes conditions are as follows –
- Age-related macular degeneration – These typically begin with no symptoms. They can be detected during dilated eye check-up wherein yellow deposits are seen beneath the retina. This may sometimes cause complete loss of vision.
- Cataracts – It is clouding of the lens. This causes blurred visions, poor night vision or faded color vision. It can be corrected with surgery.
- Glaucoma – It is the damage caused to the optic nerve due to an increase in pressure. It begins with no symptoms, but over time, the person can lose sight.
- Dry eye syndrome – This is common now as we all spend most of our time in front of the screen. The eyes start to produce fewer tears and cause the eye to scratch and burn. It may also give you blurred vision. UK pharmacy offers plenty of eye-soothing drops to help you cope with dry and red eyes.
- Pink eye – Conjunctivitis is the inflammation or infection of the membrane that covers the white part of the eyeball. It may be contagious due to bacteria or virus. Chemical exposure can also cause pink eyes.
- Diabetic retinopathy – Diabetes also has the potential to damage the eyes. During the early stage, there are no symptoms, but later it can cause blurred vision, poor night sight and even haemorrhage in the eyes. Use online chemist to help you keep your diabetes in check and protect your eyesight.
- Posterior vitreous detachment – There is a sudden appearance of cobwebs or floaters as the vitreous separates from the retina. This can be caused by trauma or ageing. This can cause retinal tear or detachment.
- Retinal detachment – This is a severe condition that needs immediate medical attention to prevent permanent blindness. The person can see spots or blurred vision.
Let’s come to the part we are all here for, tips to maintain a healthy eye.
- Enjoy a healthy balanced meal. Go for leafy vegetables, fishes and fruits and nuts. Anything packed with antioxidants is your best friend. Online chemist is available to fulfil your omega 3 requirements which are essential to maintain a healthy vision.
- Always wear sunglasses to block the harmful UV-A and UV-B rays from the sun.
- Quit smoking to reduce oxidative stress.
- Keep your body weight in check.
- Exercise daily.
- If your job puts your eyes at risk, use protective eye wears to cover them up to prevent hazards.
- Wash hands before touching your eyes and use clean hands and contacts to prevent infections.
- Keep your blood pressure and diabetes in check.
- Do not forget the 20-20-20 rule. Look away from the screen after every 20 minutes, look at least 20 feet ahead of you for 20 seconds.
Parting words –
Many live a long life without any issues with their eyesight. But, not all are so lucky. We recommend frequent eye examinations to check your vision. Be mindful of what you eat as it will reflect in your eyes as well as in the body. You may not see any symptoms now, but that does not mean everything is fine. It is better to be sure than to assume.