Top tips for looking after your eyes

Here are our top eye health tips to make sure your eyes stay in excellent condition all year round: 

1. Visit your optician for an eye test every two years – eye tests are a great way of determining whether you need glasses or not, establishing the overall health of your eyes and detecting other health conditions that may otherwise go unnoticed. 
2. Book an appointment with your optician as soon as you notice a change in your vision – early intervention means there’s a better chance of successfully treating degenerative eye conditions like glaucoma and wet AMD.  
3. Eat a healthy diet and try to keep your weight within recommended guidelines. Foods like green, leafy vegetables and oily fish contain some excellent nutrients, which can help ward off age-related eye problems.  
4. Wear sunglasses – even during winter. During the winter months, the sun can be very bright and is lower in the sky. It can reflect off snow and water and potentially cause damage to your eyes. Invest in a high-quality pair of sunglasses that meet EU standards and filter out both UVA and UVB rays. 
5. Take regular breaks from looking at your computer, mobile phone or tablet – every 20 minutes, look an object 20 metres away for 20 seconds to help avoid eye strain.  
6. If you’re using central heating during the winter months, invest in a humidifier. Having central heating constantly cranked up to high can cause a negative impact on your eye health. Eyes often become dry and uncomfortable. To combat this, use a humidifier in areas of the home which are particularly warm. This will ensure there is some moisture in the air, even when the heating is on. 
7. Check your family history for conditions like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration – lots of eye diseases are caused by hereditary factors. 
8. Remember your lifestyle plays an important part in your eye health, too. If you smoke or regularly drink more than the recommended units of alcohol, studies have shown you’re more likely to develop eye disease. 
9. Don’t forget to wash your hands, especially before applying eye make-up. This helps to prevent any germs from entering your eyes.  

Related links 

• Why you should have regular eye tests 
• Technology and the impact it has on our eyes 
• Cataract Awareness Month 

• Why you should be wearing sunglasses all year round 
• Glaucoma Awareness Week 
• Five ways diabetes can affect your eye health