Maintaining healthy eyes is essential for the longevity and lasting quality of your eyesight. But this begs the question: how exactly do you know if your eyes are healthy?
The signs of unhealthy eyes aren’t always instantly noticeable, but there are ways of assessing your own eye health to determine if they are performing optimally.
Make an effort to keep your eyes healthy
Your first port of call should be to ensure you’re doing everything you can to keep your eyes healthy. Doing everything you can to maintain them is the best thing you can do – and many of these points have health benefits beyond your eyesight:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Get enough sleep each night
- Exercise regularly
- Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your eyes unnecessarily
- Wearing sunglasses in bright conditions is especially important for keeping your eyes healthy in the summer
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid excessive blue light, and rest your eyes regularly when sitting at a computer for extended periods
Beware of sudden dips in your eyesight’s quality
It may sound obvious, but simply being aware of your eyesight in the day-to-day is a good habit to keep up. This will help you notice any sudden dips in your eyesight that require closer attention.
It doesn’t have to be for something as inconsequential as simply having blurred vision when there’s a logical reason (e.g. you’re feeling tired), but frequent hindrances to your vision are a good reason to get in touch with your optician to assess your eye health.
The appearance of your eyes can say a lot about their health
A good way of determining your eye health is by taking note of the appearance of your eyes.
If they’re frequently bloodshot and dry, take steps to combat this by treating your dry eye symptoms.
If the whites of your eyes are a yellowish hue, this could be a sign of a deeper issue, so be sure to see a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
Are your eyes overly sensitive to light?
If you frequently find your eyes struggling under well-lit conditions, you may be suffering from light sensitivity. We know this can be especially annoying and unpleasant, so speak to your optician to get to the bottom of it.
Of course, it can take a while for our eyes to get used to the lighter months after the colder seasons of the year, so this isn’t necessarily anything to worry about if it’s not persistent.
Frequent headaches can be a sign of eye strain
Headaches aren’t necessarily a sign of eye strain, but if you frequently suffer from acute, unexplained pain behind your eyes, this is likely a result of eye strain.
With many of us looking at screens for most of the day, eye strain has become increasingly common. Thankfully, there are ways to combat it, including by adding a blue light filter to your lenses or making an effort to prevent computer eye strain.
Get a regular eye test at your optician
The most reliable way to assess your eye health is by getting an eye examination once a year, or seeing your optician if you have any concerns about your eyesight.
Reynolds & Slater Opticians is based in Cornwall, with practices in Penzance and Falmouth. We’d love to welcome you to one of our practices if you’d like to book an appointment.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
You can also read our blog on what to expect at an eye exam for more information.
