Our eyes are a vital part of our overall health and wellness. For the majority of our patients, we find their eyesight helps them sense the world. However, without maintaining healthy habits along with routine eye checks, our eyes and vision can become damaged.
Prevention and early diagnosis remain your best weapons for the treatment and management of eye conditions and disease. At Envision Optical, our #1 priority is to help you protect and maintain your eye health and vision for the future.
How Can I Best Care for My Eyes?
So, there are several things you can do to help keep your eyes healthy:
Eat a healthy, balanced diet. A healthy diet should include a variety of vegetables and fruits, with green leafy vegetables a top choice. Consuming foods with omega-3 fatty acids - fish such as tuna, sardines and salmon are good sources - is great for your overall eye health. Also, think nuts and seeds along with good sources of lean protein, legumes and wholefoods. Eat the rainbow, and fresh IS best!!
Maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you avoid several health issues, including eye conditions. For instance, being overweight can increase your risk of diabetes, which can then lead to glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy.
Exercise regularly. Exercise can help prevent high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. These diseases can lead to numerous eye or vision issues, but with regular exercise you can lower your risk. Plus, exercise is great for giving you energy, and relieving stress which can be detrimental to all areas of your health.
Wear sunglasses and protective eyewear. Our Australian sun allows us to enjoy our Goldy and Tweed coastal lifestyle but can damage your eyes, also increasing the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Using sunglasses can protect your eyes from the harmful effect of UV rays. The best protection comes from wearing polarised lenses. Other types of protective eyewear, such as goggles and safety glasses, help prevent eye injuries from sports, construction and factory work.
Avoid smoking. Smoking raises the risk of developing certain eye diseases, like macular degeneration, as it can damage the optic nerve.
Give your eyes a rest. Spending excessive time staring at a mobile or computer screen can lead to eye issues, such as dry eyes and eyestrain. Our eyes need a break from heavily focusing on near objects. We recommend following the 20-20-20 rule to avoid this: take a break every 20 minutes by looking about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. It's even better if you can pop outside to take your breaks!
Eye Exams in Tweed Heads & Burleigh Waters
People in all stages of life greatly benefit from routine eye exams, as these visits allow us to monitor for eye and vision problems. At Envision Optical, we offer comprehensive eye exams to all members of the family, including the kids. Guided by the latest in diagnostic technologies and treatment options, when we detect certain eye diseases in their earliest stages, they are much easier to treat and control.
Are you ready to ensure the eye health of the family by arranging your next eye exams? Please reach out to the team to book your appointment with one of our friendly optometrists at our Tweed Heads or Burleigh Waters clinic. We are local, independent and passionate about all aspects of eyecare and vision correction, so come in and see us soon!