Health & WellbeingEyecareWatch out for your eyes: World Glaucoma Week
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Watch out for your eyes: World Glaucoma Week

By Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor Mar 9, 2015

You rely on your eyes every day and if you knew there were a couple of simple things you could do to help them out, you’d do them – right?

In celebration of World Glaucoma Week from 8 – 14th March, we’re sharing tips about promoting good eye health and protecting your eyes against harmful blue light.

Keep an eye out for glaucoma

Glaucoma is a progressive group of eye diseases that attacks the optic nerve that carries information to the brain and if it’s not treated, it can cause visual problems and eventually blindness. However, with early detection, medication and surgery can stop vision loss in its tracks. Be sure to have a professional eye exam every year, especially if you’re over 60.

Wear the right sunglasses

Much more than a simple fashion accessory, sunglasses are actually a fantastic way to protect your eyes from damaging ultraviolet rays. When choosing a new pair, make sure you choose a brand that offers 99 to 100 per cent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation protection.

Be wary of blue light

The sun isn’t the only light you should be worried about, many of the digital screens we spend so many hours looking at daily emit a blue light that can damage eye health. Protect your eyes by limiting the time you use your devices before bed – switch to a book rather than an iPad for reading before sleep – and speaking to an eye care professional about lenses that filter out blue light. These improve contrast and help eyes relax.

Let your eyes recuperate

If you do spend a lot of time in front of the computer, you may also be at risk of eyestrain. To stop your eyes from becoming fatigued, make a conscious effort to blink often and remember to build breaks into your day. The 20/20/20 rule is a good one – after 20 minutes of work, look at something around 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 

Eat an eye-friendly diet

Eating well is a great way to give your body, and your eyes, everything needed to stay strong and healthy. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens, as well as plenty of food high in omega-3 fatty acids, like tuna, salmon and halibut.

Say no to smoking

The health benefits of giving up smoking are numerous and cigarettes are as bad for your eyes as they are for the rest of your body. Stub them out and lower your risks for problems like age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage.

Give your eyes the respect they deserve and do everything you can to keep them happy and healthy – all year round.

 

 

 

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Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor

Hello there! I’m Rachel and I’m the Assistant Editor for Silversurfers. I work behind the scenes to bring interesting, informative and entertaining subject matter to the Silversurfers community. I hope you enjoy the features we have shared with you. Please feel free to comment below and share your thoughts with us, we love to hear from you!

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