Eyecare Tips

Eyecare Tips

10 Reasons for Having an Eye Examination

The eye examination is a vital health check and should be part of everyone's normal health regime. Here are 10 important reasons to have a regular examination:

1. You only have one pair of eyes. Once lost, your eyesight may never be replaced.  

2. Unlike your teeth, your eyes do not usually hurt when there is something wrong.  

3. The eye examination can pick up early signs of potentially blinding eye conditions, such as glaucoma.  

4. The earlier a problem is detected the greater the chance of successful treatment. This is particularly true for young children and the elderly.  

5. The eye examination can also detect a number of other underlying health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.  

6. An examination checks whether your eyesight needs correcting with spectacles and determines the best form of correction for your vision.  

7. Good vision means working and playing better and safer - in fact it means a better quality of life.

8. For young people, good eyesight is vital for learning. An eye examination will detect any problems in sight which may be affecting school performance.

9. Failing eyesight is often taken for granted as people get older. However, by having an eye examination and remedying problems in eyesight, older people can improve their quality of life significantly.

10. Poor eyesight is dangerous. Make sure that you meet the legal requirement for driving.

Looking after your eyes - Five Top Tips

1.  Visit an optometrist regularly.- Optometrists are professionally trained not only to test sight and prescribe glasses and contact lenses; they can also spot eye problems and treat infections.

2.  Be "eye aware" - make sure to check each of your eyes one at a time, and if you notice any changes, consult your optometrist.

3.  Parents, keep an eye on your children - don't forget, they don't know what "normal" vision is, so watch out for signs that there may be problems. These include instances where children's eyes appear not to work together, if they rub their eyes often or if they seem to shut one eye to see more clearly.

4.  Contact lens wearers - never wear anyone else's lenses, wash them in tap water or sleep in them (unless your optometrist says you can).

5.  Buy good quality, dark sunglasses - Sunlight can damage the retina and the lens of the eye, and we risk causing long-term damage to our eyesight. Good sunglasses don't need to be expensive: you can purchase perfectly adequate protective sunglasses from high street stores.