10 Ways to Love Your Eyes

Drinking plenty of water is also important for eye health, as well as general physical and mental health.  But most adults and children are chronically under-hydrated.  We don’t drink enough, and the good fluids we do drink, we don’t consume steadily enough throughout the day to be of real value.  Many of our favourite drinks also contain caffeine, a diuretic that leaches water from our system.

The eye needs water to stay lubricated, comfortable, and functioning effectively. Dry Eye occurs when the eye doesn’t produce enough tears, or the right kind of tears for lubrication, causing irritation, inflammation, and pain.  Dry eye is a particular risk for people who have received treatment for retinoblastoma.

Aim for at least 2 litres (8 glasses) of water per day.  Caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, sports drinks, sodas etc.) are dehydrating, and should not be included in this total. Water, whether plain or flavoured, is best.  If your diet is very high in fruit, vegetables, soups, and smoothies, you may want to adjust your total daily water goal down a little.  Be mindful though that fruit smoothies can be high in calories due to the natural sugars in fruit, and the density of fruit in the smoothie.

Put a glass or bottle of water beside your bed, so you can drink it first thing in the morning, before you get up.  Take a few quiet moments to drink slowly, so your brain has time to make the connection that you are drinking and reap the full benefit.  Pay attention to it, and set the intention to drink regularly throughout the day.  You will be more aware of the need to drink water in the busy hours ahead, and respond.

If you find yourself craving snacks, check in with your body to identify whether you need a drink. Dehydration can feel like hunger pangs, and a glass of water can often settle the discomfort of endless cravings.

Exercise can help us focus, lose weight and tone our muscles, and it can also help to protect precious eyes.  Over the last decade, several studies have found a link between regular exercise and reduced risk of common eye diseases like cataracts, wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma.

Cataract is a clouding of the lens that focuses light into the retina.  Blurring vision worsens over time, like looking through a dirty window.  Without surgery, cataract can cause serious vision loss.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the macula, part of the retina that controls central vision and enables the eye to see clearly.  Central vision is vital for activities such as reading, driving, focusing on objects, and recognizing faces.  AMD is a progressive condition, and treatment options are limited.

Glaucoma causes a build-up of fluid and increased pressure in the eye that damages the optic nerve, leading to impaired vision and potential blindness.

Cardiovascular exercise specifically has been shown to lower intraocular pressure, and increase blood flow to the optic nerve and retina.  Exercise can also prevent or help control other medical conditions, like diabetes and high blood pressure, which have vision-threatening complications.

Research also indicates an alarming rise in myopia (near-sightedness) among children, requiring corrective glasses.  The trend suggest that almost 50% of the global population will be neart-sighted by 2050.  Outdoor play is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of your children needing prescription glasses, and also to slow the increasing rate of myopia in children.

Playing in natural sunlight helps children use their eyes in different ways, focusing at distance rather than on objects close up such as a screen, art project, book or game.  Experts recommend 1-2 hours of outdoor play per day in natural sunlight to support eye health, visual development, and overall health.

Exercising for your eyes doesn’t require a great investment of time or resources.  A brisk 30-minute walk will get your blood flowing.  Do this five days a week, and you’ll easily reach the 150 minutes of weekly exercise recommended by the World Health Organization.

How about cycling, swimming, running, dancing.  Even active gardening or housework is quality exercise.  So put on your favourite music or an engaging book and clean those cobwebs away, knowing you’re looking after yourself in the process.

Make exercise a priority, for your eyes and your overall wellbeing.  Many people say they don’t have time to exercise, but taking care of our eyes, body and mind should be one of our top priorities every day.  Schedule time for regular daily exercise that you will enjoy.  Find the best activity and the best time for your schedule, and commit to exercising at least 3 to 5 times each week.

The negative health impacts of smoking tobacco are well documented.  Cancer, heart and lung disease, are widely recognized effects, but smoking damages tissues throughout the body, including the eyes.  Smokers are at significantly increased risk for serious vision loss or blindness.

Smoking can worsen the effects of conditions like diabetic retinopathy, Graves’ disease, and dry eye, and increases risk of developing sight-threatening conditions.   Two of the most common causes of blindness, cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), occur more frequently in people who have a history of smoking.  Smokers are twice as likely to develop AMD, compared with non-smokers, and they are more likely to develop it at a younger age.

Smoking also alters the body’s ability to extract or absorb micronutrients from food.  So a smoker or passive smoker will likely have lower amounts of the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain overall eye and general health.

Smoking risks your baby’s vision too.  Babies born to women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to:

• Be born premature, which increases risk for retinopathy of prematurity, a serious eye condition that can cause permanent blindness or loss of vision.
• Develop bacterial meningitis in childhood. Meningitis is a swelling of tissues around the brain that can cause eye infections and other vision-threatening complications.

Secondhand smoke also threatens children’s vision.  Research suggests children’s eyes can show passive smoking damage by 6 years old.

Avoiding tobacco smoke of all kinds, including secondhand smoke, is one of the best ways to protect your eyes and your overall health.  If you are already smoking, quitting is one of the best ways to invest in your long-term health, and the health of your loves ones around you.

A healthy lifestyle can help prevent some eye diseases, and maintain overall good health, but it also important to protect our eyes.  Sunlight, infection, and prolonged exposure to screens all have a cumulative effect, and accidents can unexpectedly damage the eye.  Take daily steps to minimize the impacts and love your eyes.

If you wear make-up, it’s vital to maintain good hygiene and safety.  Poorly maintained products, or incorrect use of eye cosmetics can cause problems such as drying out the ocular surface and allergic reactions. Give your eyes a break from cosmetics whenever they feel or look irritated, and always seek advice from an eye care professional.  Here are some key tips for make-up safety and hygiene.

1. Choose the right products:

1. • Avoid powder eyeshadow that is more likely to get into your eye and cause irritation. Instead use cream eyeshadow, and carefully clean your applicators regularly.
   • Avoid pencil eyeliners as they can scrape the rim of the eye, leading to infection.  Opt instead for gentle liquid eyeliners.
   • Avoid fiber lash mascara as the tiny fibers can irritate eyes.
2. Never use in-store testers as they increase the risk of infection, and never share make-up for the same reason, even with your sister or best friend.  Bacteria can be transferred unseen on brushes and applicators, and on the product itself.
3. Don’t use eye make-up beyond the expiry date as preservatives become less effective and bacteria may begin to grow.  This is especially important for products with a creamy formula, such as concealer, mascara, and eyeshadow.
4. Clean your make-up brushes regularly and thoroughly: many products are available, but a simple, low-cost approach is to sanitize your brushes with 99% isopropyl alcohol and wipe them clean with a paper towel.
5. Put contact lenses in before applying make-up, to ensure make-up particles do not contaminate your tear film – this increases risk of infection.
6. Don’t apply make-up inside the lash line: applying make-up along the inner eyelid, or “waterline” blocks the oil glands that secrete fluid to protect the cornea – the clear front part of the eye. You also risk introducing bacteria directly into the eye. 
7. Never apply make-up while moving, whether walking, as a passenger in a vehicle, or when driving – even when sitting in traffic.  The risk of accidental trauma to the eye is high, and when driving, the risk of distraction causing injury to others is also high.
8. Remove all make-up before going to sleep, especially eye make-up. Make-up can become transferred to your eyes while you sleep, causing irritation and infection.
9. Remove contact lenses before removing your make-up, to avoid damaging the lens and causing unnecessary discomfort.

The sun’s intense ultraviolet rays can damage the eyes over time, leading to conditions like cataract and glaucoma. To shield your eyes from this harmful solar radiation, wear sunglasses providing 100% UVA and UVB protection, and/or a broad brimmed hat.  Don’t be guided only by the sun’s brightness, or by how stylish the sun protection looks with your outfit.   Here are some points to consider:

• Everyone’s eyes need sun protection, regardless of age. Children are most at risk as they spend more time outside but few wear sunglasses, and the damaging effects of sun exposure are cumulative.
• UV rays can penetrate through clouds, and cloud can also create glare, increasing eyestrain. So our eyes need sun protection on cloudy days just as much as when the sky is clear.
• UV rays can reflect off snow, sand and water, so sunglasses are especially important in these environments.
• Larger lenses and wrap-around glasses offer greater protection than smaller lenses and open frames.
• Not all sunglasses give 100% UVA and UVB protection – check the label carefully before you buy, and ask the seller if you are unsure.
• Ask your eye care professional for advice If you are unsure about what sunglasses are right for you, or when you should wear them to protect your eyes.

Invest in a good pair of sunglasses, keep them handy in your bag, or with your front door keys, and wear them with pride every day.  They will help protect your eyes from the strain and harmful effects of UV light, and reduce your risk for vision-damaging conditions later in life.

Eye injuries are a major cause of preventable sight loss around the world, especially among children.  Protecting sight is especially important when vision has already been lost to retinoblastoma or another eye condition.

There are many simple things you can do to prevent eye injury, and protect your children’s eyes, and your own.  Follow these practical tips to protect eyes and sight while enjoying everyday and festive activities.

The eye is a very delicate organ, and requires special care.  Accidents can happen unexpectedly, even when we diligently take precautions to prevent them.  Be prepared for the unexpected to reduce the risk of permanent vision damage – learn how to treat eye injuries correctly and confidently, and always seek prompt professional medical care.

Screens are now ubiquitous in our lives, but it’s important we reduce our daily screen time, and take regular breaks to avoid Computer Vision Syndrome.  Symptoms include eyestrain, headache, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain.

Excessive gadget use and close work have shown to increase the risk for myopia (nearsightedness), particularly in children. So, it is especially important to raise awareness of good visual hygiene among children, to work with them to reduce their screen time as much as possible, and give them engaging alternatives that promote far focus use of their eyes, such as imaginative and exploratory outdoor play, and sport.

To work efficiently, and minimize the symptoms:

• Take regular breaks to rest and refocus your eyes.
• Practice the 20-20-20 rule: for every 20 minutes spent using a screen, focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
• Create an ergonomic environment to maintain good posture and reduce musculoskeletal symptoms. Pay attention to the position of your screen in relation to your seating so you can work in comfort without straining your eyes or you neck and back.
• Adjust screen brightness, contrast and text size settings to view content more clearly and comfortably, and reduce eyestrain.
• Carefully select and position lighting to reduce glare on the screen.
• Reduce the symptoms of dry eye by blinking more often and using supplemental lubricating drops if needed.
• Use exercises to reduce eyestrain. Try these exercises for eyestrain, or the exercises demonstrated in this video, which also covers the points avoic.

When was the last time you had your eyes, or your children’s eyes, checked? 

Plan for regular vision screening and comprehensive eye examination, and understand the difference between them.

A vision screening is a relatively short process that can indicate a vision problem or potential problem that needs further investigation by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. A vision screening cannot diagnose specific conditions.

A comprehensive eye exam involves your eye care professional taking a detailed medical and family history to understand your risk factors, followed by checking your vision, eye power, and eye health.  Dilating eye drops will be used to ensure the professional has a clear view of your eye.

Comprehensive eye exams aren’t just about eye health and vision.  The eye care professional can identify early signs of potentially serious problems hiding deep in the body. Here are 20 health problems a comprehensive eye exam can catch. 

Ensure that eye examinations are a part of your routine medical examination, and that of your loved ones.  Everyone should have regular eye exams throughout life.  Due to changes in lifestyle and increase in near work among today’s children, it is important for children and teenagers to also have regular routine eye exams.  Leading eye care organizations recommend the following.

Children should have regular eye exams and vision screening from birth.

If you have an existing eye condition, it is important to:

• Attend all eye exams as advised by your eye care professional.
• Establish a regular schedule for eye examination if this is not clear.
• Request a comprehensive eye exam whenever you have concerns about your eye health or vision.

If an adult’s eyes are healthy, plan for:

• Vision screening:
  • Every 2 years to age 40.
  • Annually after age 40.
• A comprehensive eye exam:
  • Once in the 20s.
  • Twice in the 30s.
  • Every 2 years after age 40.
  • Annually after age 65.

Plan for an annual eye exam if you:

• Have a family history of any sight threatening conditions.
• Have diabetes or hypertension, or a family history of these conditions.
• Have a history of chronic smoking.
• Already wear spectacles.

Some red flags for an emergency eye exam include (but are not limited to):

• Seeing floaters or flashes of light,
• Sudden blurring or loss of vision.
• A blurry spot in your central vision.
• Seeing coloured rings around light.
• Straight lines appear wavy.
• A red, inflamed eye.
• Eye pain.

12 signs your child may have an eye condition needing an urgent eye exam:

• A white glow in the pupil of the eye.
• Eye turning outwards or inwards.
• Different coloured irises.
• Misshapen pupil.
• Red, painful, swollen eye.
• Watery, itching eyes.
• Visual complaints such as squinting, squeezing, or constant rubbing of eyes.
• Moving closer to the television, or bringing objects closer to see them.
• Holding the head in an awkward position to see objects.
• Clumsiness; walking into things, particularly on one side.
• Complaints of headache, eyestrain or seeing double.
• Reluctance to walk up, or particularly down, stairs.

We hope these tips inspire you to take action to love your eyes today and every day.  To celebrate World Sight Day this year, why not pledge to have a sight test!  The IAPB aims to inspire one million people to have their eyes tested.  Pledge to #LoveYourEyes today, to help them towards the million target.