Eye Health

If there’s one thing we care about more than anything at Hanson Opticians, it’s the health of your eyes. From what’s involved in an eye examination through to answering questions about your eyes and vision, we’re firm believers in explaining everything clearly.

Here are Hanson Opticians top tips on looking after your eyes:

• Diet & Nutrition
  If the old adage of ‘you are what you eat’ is true for your general health, it is certainly true for your eye health. Eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, packed with vitamins and minerals to keep your eyes fit and healthy. Vitamins, A, C, E and the mineral Zinc have been shown to promote eye health in particular.

• Beat dry eyes with Omega-3
  Omega-3 has become a byword for healthy eating in recent years as people start to appreciate how important this essential fatty acid is in a healthy diet. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-3 rich fish could significantly reduce the risk of developing age related macular degeneration by 40%.
  Omega-3 can also help in the prevention of a condition known as dry eye. Dry eye syndrome, also known as keratoconjuctivitis sicca (in some cases), is a condition where the eyes do not make enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly, resulting in the eyes drying out and becoming sore and inflamed. If you suffer from this condition, including plenty of oily fish in your diet such as sardines, mackerel and tuna will ensure that you get a plentiful supply of Omega-3 and 6, which can help to preserve your eye sight. Flax Seed oil is also a good source for Omega-3 & 6.

• Hydration
  The eye is surrounded by fluid, which protects it by washing away debris and dust every time we blink. In order to maintain a healthy balance of fluid in the eye it is important to stay well hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can prevent both your body and your eyes from becoming dehydrated. Try to limit the amount of alcohol you drink, as this affects your liver and causes a drop in the level of glutathione, an antioxidant that helps protect against eye disease.
  If you are following a balanced diet to help you watch your weight, you are benefiting your eyes as well. Obesity has been directly linked to the development of type-2 diabetes and one of the side-effects of this debilitating disease is the development of diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina).

• Exercise
  A healthy body regime will promote good eye health. Regular exercise and outdoor activities will get your heart pumping and circulating the blood around your entire body. As with all aspects of your body, being as fit and healthy as possible will promote good eye health.

• Sleep and Rest
  Your eyes need rest so a good night’s sleep in a well ventilated room will rejuvenate your eyes overnight. If you work for long periods of time on a VDU or screen it is important to rest your eyes, move away from the screen area, look over longer distances and take some fresh air if possible.

• Get Regular Eye Examinations
  A regular eye examination does a lot more than check what you can see, and can pick up early signs of eye conditions such as glaucoma, as well as detecting underlying general health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure.
  At Hanson Opticians, our Optometrists are committed to listening to you and understanding your precise needs. They have at their disposal state of the art equipment not found in every Opticians, such as Fundus Cameras.
  We recommend that everyone has an eye examination every 2 years, or more often if recommended by their Optometrist. Children and people aged over 70 should have an eye examination every year, or more often if recommended by their Optometrist.

• Wear UV Protection Lenses and Sunglasses
  Just as the sun’s ultra violet rays can damage your skin, they can equally harm your eyes. It is vital to shade and protect your eyes from bright sunshine, especially in sunny climates and during outdoor activity, such as skiing.

• Wear protective/safety glasses
  Always protect your eyes from injury. Wear top quality, shatterproof glasses and sunglasses. Wear safety glasses for hazardous work and always follow work safety rules.

• Don’t Ignore Warning Signs
  Any changes in your eyes including dryness, itching, ‘flashes’, redness, blurred images or lack of focus etc… should be quickly checked out by your Optometrist. At Hanson Opticians, we have invested heavily, so that we can examine every aspect of your eye health and changes to your vision.

• Know your family’s eye health history
  Talk to your family members about their eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with a disease or condition since many are hereditary. This will help to determine if you are at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.

• Stop smoking
  Smoking can promote eye diseases as it reduces blood flow to the eyes and can increase the amount of toxic substances (like tar and nicotine) your eyes absorb. If you’re at risk for diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration, exposure to toxic substances in cigarettes can increase that risk significantly.

• Maintain a healthy weight
  Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions, which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma.