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Useful Eye Care Tips

Optometrist in  Toronto

Optometrist in Toronto

Your eyes don’t only help you navigate in your daily life. They are often the first to signal problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Taking simple steps to keep your body and eyes healthy can help prevent serious physical and ocular conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts and retinal detachment. 

But looking after your eyes involves a lot more than just getting the right pair of corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. Read on to learn ways to safeguard your vision and eye health for a heightened quality of life. 

Reasons to Look After Your Eyes

By routinely getting your eyes examined and eating a healthy diet, you diminish your risk of developing AMD — especially the ‘wet’ form — and cataracts. Furthermore, by wearing the right eyewear for your lifestyle, you can avoid injuring your eyes.

Once you begin taking steps to care for your eyes, you might become more aware of changes to your vision. If you notice vision abnormalities like sudden blurriness, flashing lights, halos, glare, black spots in your vision, wavy or distorted vision or red, sore eyes, visit Dr. Vakani for a comprehensive eye exam to get to the root of the issue and find solutions.

How to Care for Your Eyes

There are many ways to protect your ocular health.

  • Have comprehensive dilated eye exams on a regular basis. This is the single best thing you can do for your ocular health. It's simple and painless. Even if you're convinced that your eyes are healthy, you may have an undetected problem that could worsen over time, as many serious eye diseases don't show any symptoms or warning signs in their early stages. These diseases can only be detected through a dilated eye exam, and the earlier they're identified, the easier they are to treat.
    Getting frequent eye exams ensures that your visual acuity and physical health remain in check.To schedule an exam, contact Corktown Eyecare today. We're just a click away!
  • Wear the right eyewear for your activity. Wearing blue-light glasses when using the computer or wearing UV-protective sunglasses while outdoors can protect your eyes from harmful UV or blue light rays. Blue-light glasses help reduce or prevent digital eye strain, while UV-blocking sunglasses limit your exposure to harmful sunlight.
  • Give your eyes a break. Aim for at least eight hours of shut-eye per night. In addition to sleeping, you can give your eyes a much-needed break by frequently looking away from the screen and staring at things in the distance.
  • Follow contact lens hygiene protocols. Because debris and proteins can accumulate on your contact lenses, it’s important to regularly disinfect and clean them to prevent an eye infection. If it's too arduous to follow a cleaning routine, you can opt for disposable daily wear contacts.
  • Eat a balanced diet. For your eyes' sake, make sure to get the right amount of nutrients and eat a healthy and balanced diet. In fact, certain antioxidants have been shown to effectively reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration and other serious ocular conditions. These include Lutein and zeaxanthin, Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamins C and E, and Zinc.
  • Don't smoke. Smoking doesn't just harm your lungs. It can also heighten your risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts, and even damage your optic nerve — potentially leading to vision loss.
  • Exercise. Being physically active helps you not only feel great, but also lowers your risk of developing health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol — all of which can lead to eye problems. For example, people with diabetes run the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to vision loss and blindness.

Experiencing Vision Changes or Problems? Don't Wait!

It's not uncommon for people with vision problems to wait far too long before getting their eyes examined. If you're experiencing vision problems, such as blurred vision, halos, blind spots, and floaters, or any ocular pain or other worrying symptoms, have your eyes checked as soon as possible. 

Here's the takeaway. Protecting your health by eating well, not smoking, exercising, wearing the proper eyewear and getting annual eye exams can go a long way toward keeping your eyes happy and healthy!

Get in touch with Corktown Eyecare in Toronto to set up your next eye exam to make sure your eyes are healthy and that your prescription is up to date.

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The April 8th solar eclipse is a celestial spectacle not to be missed! But did you know looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, can cause permanent eye damage?

Ensure you’re prepared by viewing this helpful resource: Solar Eclipses and Eye Safety (OAO)