How to Protect your Eyes from Injuries

How to Protect your Eyes from Injuries

Compared to other areas of your body, your eyes seem relatively small and not as vulnerable to injury. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Your eyes will be a small part of your body, sensitive, and vulnerable to damage from the sun, smoke, injury and illness. An overwhelming amount of eye injuries occur when playing sports. The increasingly common occurrence of eye injuries has led to the awareness that eye protection is important in the same way as other areas of your body, like your head. Many people partake in sports that involve fast movements and flying objects. Whether you are playing sports or lounging around, small dust particles can get in your eye and damage your cornea. The best way to protect your eyes is to wear protective glasses. In order to be fully protected when playing sports, you should wear sports glasses. They are made from polycarbonate lenses, which are stronger than standard lenses, which means that they won’t shatter in the event that they come off. In fact, sports glasses are up to ten times more resistant to impact than their plastic counterparts. Eye Injuries and Playing Sports The majority of eye injuries related to sports are caused by blunt trauma from an objecting hitting your eye area. The severity of the damage is dependent on the object’s size, and the speed that it was travelling when it came into contact with your eye. The muscles that control the movement of your eye can be fractures, which can impact your ability to shift your eyes up and down or back and forth. Aesthetically, when your eye...
How Do I Care for My Eyes in the Warmer Months?

How Do I Care for My Eyes in the Warmer Months?

As there’s no sunblock application for your eyes, you’ll need to use other methods to protect your vision during the summer. If you don’t know where to start, here are seven tips that are sure to help you care for your eyes this season. Wear UV Protected Sunglasses Wearing sunglasses with the necessary protection can protect them from sun exposure and future vision problems. Grabbing a pair of sunnies with 100% UVA and UVB protection will best protect our eyes in the summer, even on cloudy days. Wear Pool Goggles Whether you’re swimming around in the ocean or a private pool, it’s important that you wear goggles during your time in the water. This is particularly true if you haven’t been in a body of water for the past few months, as the chemicals and natural contaminants can hurt your eyes. Keep Your Hands Out of There Several studies have shown that the best way to protect your eyes from diseases is to consistently wash your hands and keep them out of your eyes. Bacteria from your hand can easily get into your eyes after rubbing them for even a few seconds. Your eyes are especially sensitive to bacterial infection after such eye surgeries as Lasik, cataract surgery or glaucoma shunt surgery. Wear a Hat Regardless of whether or not you wear sunglasses, your eyes and eyelids are still exposed to the sun’s UV rays. Lower your risk of sun damage even more by wearing a hat with a brim that’s a minimum of three-inches wide. Drink Lots of Water Particularly in the summer months, it’s easy to become...
Dry Eye Symptoms and Treatments

Dry Eye Symptoms and Treatments

A common condition that can lead to more serious vision problems, dry eyes typically occurs when you aren’t able to produce enough moisture for your eyes. This can be extremely uncomfortable with little to no relief depending on the severity. If you’re someone suffering from dry eyes, here’s everything you need to know. Symptoms Dry eyes will usually affect both eyes, displaying symptoms that include scratching, stinging or burning sensations within the eyes, mucus in or around the eyes, light sensitivity, redness, feeling like something’s in your eyes, blurred vision, fatigued eyes, and/or watery eyes. You might also experience difficulty wearing contact lenses or driving during the nighttime. It’s time to see your optometrist when these symptoms continue for a prolonged period of time. Causes The general cause for dry eyes is when there’s a lack of tears present. A mixture of tears, mucus and fatty oils are what keeps the surface of your eyes clear and protects against infection. Dry eyes can either be the result of low tear production or increased tear evaporation. Ageing, certain medical conditions, medications, tear gland damage or laser eye surgery could be the reason you’re experiencing dry eyes. Risk Factors and Complications A larger group of people than most would assume are at a higher risk of developing dry eyes in their lifetime. Those who are over 50 years of age will experience a decline in tear production. Women, especially those who are pregnant, are using birth control or are going through menopause, don’t produce as many tears. Individuals who are deficient in vitamin A or omega-3 fatty acids will also experience...
Facts About Contact Lenses You Should Know

Facts About Contact Lenses You Should Know

While there are many benefits to wearing contact lenses, it also comes with many risks if you’re not careful. They can be an extremely safe eyewear option if properly taken care of. If you’re thinking of switching over to contact lenses or have been wearing them for a while, here are seven facts you should know. Avoid water at all times No matter where your water supply comes from, it all contains amoeba, tiny organisms that can cause an eye infection. While treatable, the Acanthamoeba keratitis condition that results can cause permanent vision loss if left untreated. You should also avoid wearing your lenses in the shower, while bathing or when swimming. If you need to wear them during a swim, make sure you’re wearing airtight goggles. Always rub them when cleaning Whether you’re using a no-rub solution or a standard one, rubbing is still necessary in order to properly remove deposits on the lenses. It’s also important that you don’t reuse solution, as it can carry bacteria that fresh solution is free of. Don’t sleep with them on There’s a reason why optometrists tell you not to sleep with your contact lenses on. Because lens wearers are more prone to eye infections thanks to less oxygen reaching the eyes, you’re more vulnerable to irritation, bacteria, and pathogen growth when you’re eyes are closed overnight. While some lenses are made for extended wear time due to their breathability, it’s still not recommended you sleep in them. Always wash your hands Your hands are coated in layers of bacteria at any point in the day, which is why it’s essential...
Simple Eye Exercises for Computer Geeks

Simple Eye Exercises for Computer Geeks

You only get one pair of eyes, so it’s important that you take good care of them for as long as you can. As you spend so much time staring at a computer screen, whether it’s for work or play, it can do serious damage to your eyes if you’re not careful. It’s likely you’re already suffering from eye strain, headaches or blurry vision. To keep your eyes healthy and functioning efficiently, here are a few things you can do to save your vision. The 20-20-20 Rule To deal with eye strain that commonly occurs from staring at a computer screen or reading for too long, this is a quick exercise that takes less than 30 seconds. Focus your gaze on an object about 20 feet away from you. Do this for 20 seconds every 20 minutes and your eyesight will thank you. Palming An exercise that requires very little effort on your part and works to help your eyes relax. Just rub your hands together until they’re warm and place your palms over your closed eyes. Leave them there for a few minutes as the heat radiates through your eyes. Rolling Your Eyes You can perform eye exercises anywhere, so there’s really no excuse. An easy exercise to do is briefly crossing or rolling your eyes every few seconds. This is very helpful to release tension felt from staring at a monitor for too long. Adjusting Text Size and Colour Both the size and colour of your font have a major impact on your vision, particularly if you’re staring at them for a long time. You ideal text...