10 tips for eye hygiene
The eye is the second most complex organ in the human body behind the brain, yet it’s easy to take eye health for granted. These practical tips will help ensure your eyes remain in optimal condition, minimising any risk of infection or diminished vision...
Use hayfever wipes to remove pollen after being outdoors in summer. Antihistamines also minimise itching and irritation.
Goggles keep chemicals out of your eyes while swimming. Upgrade to prescription goggles to deliver crystal-clear vision – even underwater!
Handwashing before inserting or removing contact lenses. This minimises the risk of germs/bacteria being transferred into your eyes.
Always follow our expert advice on contact lens maintenance. For example, safe disposal, effective cleaning etc.
Nightly face-cleansing routines remove oil and dirt. Otherwise these could leach or be rubbed into your eyes, causing discomfort.
Similarly, always remove make-up before bed. This prevents lids and lashes being coated in bacteria-retaining chemicals overnight.
Wear protective goggles, visors or safety glasses. These are necessary to prevent fragments, particles or dust causing corneal abrasions during DIY.
Eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. A balanced diet gives your eyes the nutrition needed to fight off infection.
Ensure you are getting enough sleep. Our bodies heal quicker while asleep, giving our eyes valuable time to rest, repair and recuperate.
Share your love for independents
#loveyoureyeslovelocal
Your face in the frame
As well as making important decisions about lens types, choosing frames is another crucial part of ensuring you leave our practice with comfortable, practical and durable eyewear. Our qualified dispensing optometrists are ideally placed to provide expert guidance and assistance.
Your facial features often influence optimal frame choices. People with round faces may benefit from rectangular frame designs, while anyone blessed with perfect eyebrows and cheekbones should avoid thicker frames which might draw attention away from these standout features. Your personality might dovetail with certain materials and colour schemes – extrovert tortoiseshell designs or discreet rimless frames – while skin tone and eye colour should also be considered.
Always ensure frames provide effective peripheral vision correction. Smaller frames may leave gaps around the edges, which isn’t ideal for sporting activities or UV-resistant sunglasses. Some frames may not fit snugly across your nose; we can adjust the bridge and arms in-practice, but certain frame designs will fit more naturally than others. Stronger prescription strengths usually require thicker or smaller rounder frames, potentially steering you away from fully or semi-frameless designs.
The evolution of eyecare
This is the 60th edition of our patient newsletter, and a great deal has changed in optometry since the first edition back in 1996.
The topics we covered back then (including sun protection and safe driving tips) are equally relevant today, but the science underpinning our industry has evolved considerably over the last thirty years.
Our independent practice has moved with the times, introducing cutting-edge technology and the latest patient-oriented services. The frames on our display racks capitalise on decades of design improvements which have maximised their longevity, practicality and sustainability. Lens manufacturers are producing slimmer lenses than ever before, offering patients a greater choice of compatible frames. Also, lenses can be treated with an array of coatings, helping to prevent reflections, resist scratches or reduce fogging.
Eye examinations have always been sophisticated, but technological advances have brought notable improvements. Retinal photography has existed since the late 19th century, yet today’s imaging cameras capture the human eye in unprecedented detail.
This gives our optometrists a detailed historic record that ensures both emerging conditions or changes in eye composition are instantly noticeable. Eye pressure tests have also evolved, helping to identify the potential onset of conditions like glaucoma at an earlier stage, and with less patient discomfort.
Our dispensing optometrists and optical assistants have amassed huge experience through the daily delivery of eyecare and eyewear. We look forward to using this knowledge to maximise your sight levels and comfort over the coming years...
Life through a lens
As we reach middle-age, the naturally occurring phenomenon of presbyopia makes it harder to focus on nearby objects, even among people who have previously enjoyed perfect vision.
Achieving both sharp and comfortable vision correction for different activities like reading or driving may require bifocal or varifocal lenses – but how do they differ?
Bifocal lenses contain two different lens powers, with a line where the two levels of magnification meet. The main section supports comfortable distance viewing, while the lower section’s different magnification makes reading easier. From your perspective, this eliminates the need to hold objects at arm’s length or peer over your glasses – which can be particularly annoying!
Varifocals replicate the seamless focus your eyes delivered in your youth. Initially, they can take more getting used to than bifocals, but by supporting wider variations in lens prescriptions for wear-and-forget practicality, a single pair of glasses can provide crisp all-distance vision for any activities.
As independent opticians, we can offer tailored personal solutions to any vision queries or concerns.