Save Your Vision Month

Save Your Vision Month in March is a reminder to take a look at what you are doing to protect your eyesight.

Here are 5 top tips for protecting your eyesight:

Use UV protection

Light from the sun contains invisible harmful types of ultraviolet (UV) light; UVA and UVB rays, which can hurt your skin and your eyes.

Just as we protect our skin from this with sunscreen, we must also remember to protect our eyes.
Harmful UV light can hurt your eyes and may increase your risk of developing eye conditions, in particular cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside your eye which makes your sight cloudy and misty.

The best way to protect our eyes is with SUNGLASSES – even on overcasts days! They reduce the amount of UV light that enters your eyes, protecting your eyes and visual comfort

A good way to check the sunglasses have adequate protection from UV light is to find the CE quality mark or British Standard (BS EN ISO 12312-1). This information is generally printed on the inside of the arms of sunglasses.

Don’t forget the kids

Children have larger pupils and clear young lenses – making them more sensitive to UV and absorbing more than adults. So encourage that eyewear and practice keeping safe outdoors in the sunshine!

Stop Smoking

Research has confirmed the harmful effects of smoking on eyesight, particularly in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)  one of the UK’s leading causes of sight loss – and cataracts
Smokers double their risk of developing AMD and tend to develop it earlier than non-smokers. Stopping smoking can reduce the risk of macular degeneration developing.

https://www.macularsociety.org/support/daily-life/practical-guides/healthy-living/smoking/

Have a Healthy Diet

Some foods such as spinach, kale, red pepper and egg yolk contain high levels lutein which is known commonly as ‘the eye vitamin’. Lutein is one of two major carotenoids found in the human eye (macula and retina). It is reported to have several beneficial effects, including to improve or even prevent age-related macular disease which is the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment

The government recommends five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. These are full of antioxidants and remember to select a variety of colours.

https://www.macularsociety.org/about/media/news/2022/july/eat-your-eyes-how-food-important-our-sight/

Wear Appropriate Safety Eyewear

Make sure you are wearing appropriate eyewear while doing any activity that could cause harm to your eyes: DIY, gardening, sporting activities and/or in the workplace if required.
By doing so you can significantly reduce the risk of injury.

Regular breaks from screen time

A good way to encourage regular breaks is to use the 20-20-20 Rule. Every 20 minutes spent using a screen, try to look away at something that is 20 feet away for a total of 20 seconds.

While all of these tips will support you in your protecting your eyesight and health you must not forget the most important: Regular Eye tests!

A regular eye examination is an important health check for everyone. You should have an eye test every two years or as often as recommended by your optician. An eye examination can often detect the early signs of many eye and general health conditions, these include glaucoma, diabetes, and raised blood pressure or cholesterol levels.