The Ultimate Guide to Vision and Eye Care
THE ONLY GUIDE TO VISION AND EYE CARE YOU NEED
Want to protect your eyes? You believe that your vision is going bad and you want to know what you can do about that? Whatever reason you have, Vision Enhancers is more than happy to find answers to all your questions.
WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?
This guide is for everyone who wants to protect their eyes and maintain a good eyesight.
In general adults should follow this schedule regarding eye exams:
- Every five to 10 years in your 20s and 30s
- Every two to four years from 40 to 54
- Every one to three years from 55 to 64
- Every one to two years after age 65
You must have your eyes checked more often if you:
- Wear glasses or contact lenses
- Have a family history of eye disease or loss of vision
- Have a chronic disease that puts you at greater risk of eye disease, such as diabetes
- Take medications that have serious eye side effects
It is important to note that children should have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months of age.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF OUR EYES?
Proper care of the eyesight can also benefit your overall health. Diabetes, poor hearing, heart problems, high blood pressure, lower back pain and stroke, as well as have increased risk for falls, injury and depression are only few of the problems people with vision problems are more likely to have rather than those with good vision.
EYE CONDITIONS
Astigmatism | Dilated pupils | Iritis | Optic neuritis | Retinitis pigmentosa | |
Blepharitis | Double vision | Keratoconus | Pinguecula | Scratched eye | |
Cataracts | Dry eye syndrome | Lazy eye | Photophobia | Snow blindness | |
Chalaion | Endophthalmitis | Long-sightedness | Posterior vitreous detachment | Squint (strabismus) | |
Cloudy vision | Eye twitching | Macular hole | Presbyopia | Stye | |
Colour blindness | Feeling of something in the eye | Macular Oedema | Ptosis | Subconjunctival haemorrhage | |
Computer eye strain | Floaters | Myopia | Pterygium | Swollen eyelid | |
Conjunctivitis | Glaucoma | Night blindness | Puffy eyes | Tunnel vision | |
Corneal ulcers | Hay fever | Ocular hypertension | Red eye | Uveitis | |
Diabetic retinopathy | Itchy eyes | Ocular migraines | Retinal detachment | Watering eyes |
WHAT IS AN EYE EXAM?
A comprehensive eye exam typically lasts about an hour and includes a series of vision tests that the doctor will perform in order to determine your vision needs and current eye health.
TYPICAL EYE EXAM
An eye exam involves three different parts:
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Before the exam / History
The optometrist will ask you a series of questions related to your general health, medications you are taking, past treatment on your eyes, or if there is a family member with certain eye conditions. During this discussion you can state any concerns that you have regarding your eyes, vision or glasses/lenses. This information will determine what specific eye examination will suit your needs.
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The actual exam
To asses the your eye health and vision variety of tests and equipment can be used. The most common eye test that indicates how clearly you can see is the letter chart. Other tests can be performed for further investigation of the health of your eyes.
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After the exam / Summary and advice
After the eye exam, your optometrist will discuss the results and will give you any advice. The results could be 'all clear' or the doctor can talk you through certain lens options. If necessary, speific treatment will be discussed at this point as well.
WHERE YOU CAN GET CHECKED?
TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR EYES
Everyone should be responsible for maintaining good health of their eyes. It is very easy to follow those tips to protect your eyes:
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Eat healthy - good food is important of your overall health. Fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens are important for maintaining the tissue in your eyes. In addition, foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, vitamin C & E also support the ocular health.
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Quit smoking - smoking is linked to cataracts, optic nerve damage, macular degeneration and other health problems that can lead to blindness.
- Wear eye protection - safety goggles and glasses should be worn during activities that poses a threat to the eyes.
- Wear sunglasses - sun's ultraviolet rays can cause serious eye problems. They can boost the chances for macular degeneration and cataracts. A proper sunglasses can block 100% of the UVA and UVB rays.
- Let your eyes rest - the computer screen can be as harmful as the UV rays. Spending a lot of time in front of the screen can damage your sight. The 20-20-20 rule will be a good solution against eye strain: every 20 minutes, look at something that is 20 meters away, for 20 seconds.
- Keep your eyes clean - to prevent infections, make sure you properly wash your hands before touch or rub your eyes, or handle your contact lenses.
- Regular eye checks - eye exams can find diseases that have no symptoms, thus make sure you visit your optometrist or ophthalmologist on a regular basis.