Eye Care Guide: Do’s and Don’ts

Your eyes are the delicate windows to your soul; they are amazing gifts that are made up of many divisions that all play a part in focusing and inevitably enabling us to see. Can you imagine not having proper eyesight? All the pleasures that we take for granted will be affected such as admiring the scenery, driving, writing, reading, work or play.

Eyes?are?made?up?of?the?following?parts:

• Cornea?is?the?window?of?your?eyes?where?light?passes?through.
• Sclera?is?the?non-transparent?white?tissue,?which?surrounds?the?cornea.
• Iris?is?the?colour?part?of?the?eye.
• Pupil?is?the?black?centre?of?the?iris,?which?allows?light?into?the?eye.
• Lens?is?the?internal?focusing?element,?which?is?curved?on?both?sides.
• Retina?is?a?layer?that?is?found?at?the?back?of?the?eye,?which?allows?the?image?to?be?transmitted?and?interpreted.
• Aqueous?humour?is?the?clear?liquid?found?between?the?cornea?and?lens.
• Vitreous?humour?is?the?clear?liquid?between?the?lens?and?retina.

Causes?of?eye?problems?include,?but?are?not?limited?to:

• Diabetes
• Family?history
• Hypertension
• Viruses
• Bacteria

Do?you?constantly?suffer?with?any?of?the?following?

• Blurred?vision,?eye?redness,?headaches?or?squinting
• Eye?pain,?fatigue,?irritation?or?excessive?eye?secretions
• Foreign?spots?or?seeing?spots
• Visual?distortion?of?straight?lines
• Difficulty?in?reading?or?problems?with?focusing?on?objects

If?you?do?have?any?of?the?above?symptoms,?you?should?discuss?this?with?your ophthalmologist.

Prevention?is?better?than?cure.?A?well?balanced?diet?can?help?you?maintain?good?and?healthy?eyesight.

The?following?list?contains?eye?protecting?nutrients?from?various?sources:

• Vitamin?A?such?as?cod?liver?oil,?carrots,?sweet?potatoes,?squash?etc.
• Lutein?and?zeaxantthin?such?as?spinach?etc.
• Vitamin?B?such?as?cereal,?bread,?legumes?etc.
• Vitamin?C?such?as?strawberries,?green?or?red?peppers,?broccoli?etc.
• Bioflavonoids?such?as?cherries,?citrus?fruit,?grapes?etc.
• Vitamin?E?such?as?sunflower?seeds,?hazel?nuts,?almonds?etc.
• Selenium?such?as?seafood,?brazil?nuts?etc.
• Zinc?such?as?oysters,?wheat,?nuts?etc.
• Fatty?acids?such?as?salmon,?trout?etc.

In?general?you?should:

• Avoid?direct?exposure?to?bright?light
• Wear?sunglasses?or?hats
• Avoid?continuous?close?range?activities?eg.?knitting
• Avoid?smoking
• Control?your?hypertension?(high?blood?pressure)?and?diabetes
• Eye?protection?is?important?if?your?occupation?or?sport?warrants?it
• Follow?instructions?given?if?you?wear?contacts
• Always?ask?your?doctor?if?your?prescription?or?non-prescription?medication?affects?your?vision
• Try?not?to?rub?your?eyes?as?this?may?lead?to?infections
• Use?allergen?reducing?agents?during?allergy?seasons