Five tips to keep your eyes healthy…

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Did you know that your overall health can impact your eye health as well? That’s why maintaining a healthy vision includes much more than going for a regular vision screening.

Leon van Vuuren, Founder of Optique Optometrist shares five tips of advice to keeping your eyes healthy and promoting good eye health.

  1. Wearing sunglasses protects your eyes – but they have to be the correct sunglasses.
    The right pair of shades will help protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays which will not only protect your eyes but prolong your eye health. Too much UV exposure boosts your chances of cataracts and macular degeneration. Choose a pair that blocks 99 per cent to 100 per cent of UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound lenses help protect your eyes from the side as well. Polarized lenses reduce glare while you drive, but don’tOptique necessarily offer added protection. If you wear contact lenses, some offer UV protection, but it is always a good idea to wear sunglasses for an extra layer of protection, plus they offer a sense of style and fashion as well.
  1. Stop rubbing your eyes.
    Eye rubbing is a common, seemingly harmless habit that often goes unnoticed. It is a response to irritation, but it has serious implications on your eye health and vision. Keratoconus is probably one of the most serious consequences of eye rubbing. Eye rubbing causes the thinning and misshaping of the front eye structures(cornea) which results in severe visual abnormalities. Itching and burning eyes are also not always caused by tiredness. Those uncomfortable eyes can be a symptom of allergies, blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids) or Dry Eye Syndrome. All of these conditions need to be treated by an eye care professional to prevent any damage to your eyes.
  1. Practise good eye makeup hygiene.
    Eye make-up can be an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause unsightly and sometimes dangerous eye infections. All damp eye make-up like mascara and liquid liner should be thrown away three months after opening, to prevent germ build-up. Making sure all make-up is properly removed before you go to sleep is something you can do to prevent eye-makeup from blocking important glands in your eyelids. Those glands are responsible for helping your tears to function and if they are blocked, blepharitis and dry eye disease are some of the expected consequences.
  1. Take care of your contact lenses and wear as instructed.
    Contact lenses are safe and easy to use, but they do carry a large risk of infection. Wearing old contact lenses, lenses that do not fit properly or sleeping in your lenses can cause swelling and scratches on the structures of your eye. These scratches make it easier for germs to enter your eye. If you use monthly lenses, be sure to replace your contact lens solution every day, and throw away your lenses as prescribed.
  2. Know your risk factors.
    It is incredibly important to know which conditions (inherited or acquired) could impact your eyes sooner or later so that you can take precautions if necessary. Systemic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and even tick bite fever can have a big influence on your eye health. When these conditions start affecting your eyes, it is important to treat them early to ensure the best possible outcome later. Medications can also have mild to severe effects on the eye, thus it is important to educate yourself when you are starting new medication. Know what could affect your eyes and vision, and remember that prevention is better than cure!

Getting a new pair of glasses should be as simple as ordering a cup of coffee, and with Optique, it’s as easy as doing just that with their in-store Costa Coffee kiosks.

Whether it is glasses, contact lenses or simply an eye health check-up, Optique is really your one-stop-shop for all your eye care needs. When it comes to their services and products, they have one price and it includes any lens or prescription that their optometrist has prescribed, and you can choose any frame in the whole practice. No limitations, no hidden costs, clear and simple. They offer their “famous R99 eye-test” at a fixed price for everyone!

Details: optique.co.za, or follow them on Facebook and Insta.

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