Have you ever stopped to think about how you use your vision in your daily life? Without it, there is a lot you would no longer be able to do. If you have a family, when it comes to enjoying the delights of family life, your eyes play a vital role. It’s the same for parents and children alike. From taking your child to their first eye exam, to changing your prescription as you age, taking good care of your eyes is vital for ensuring you and your family’s eyes are as healthy as they can be. To keep you informed, the experts at Optimax are here to explain why family eye care is so important and what you can do to take care of your eyes. Eye Exams Can Tell You a Lot Taking good care of your eyes should involve regular eye tests for the whole family. Regular eye tests are essential for young children because children that have problems with their eyes which go unnoticed can begin to struggle or feel isolated in school. They can fall behind simply because they cannot see the teacher or the whiteboard properly. This can cause them to lose the desire to learn and socialise with their peers. Regular eye exams are also important for adults because of how much they can tell you about your health, not just relating to your eyes. Your eyes are the only place on your body where you can see the blood vessels in their natural state, without having to undergo surgery. Your eye doctor can, therefore, examine the blood vessels in your eye, where they can spot signs of eye disease such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts An examination of the blood vessels in your eye can also show signs of high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease and even brain tumours. This shows why it is so important to make sure your whole family is receiving regular eye tests. Good Vision Is Important In addition to the fact that eye exams can reveal a lot about your health, taking care of your eyes is also important because good vision gives you a better quality of life. When you think about all the countless ways in which you use your eyes, it is evident that without them, you wouldn’t be able to take part in many activities. So, ensuring you make the care of your eyes a priority can help you maintain healthy vision. Healthy vision can lead to improved capability at school, work and for any hobbies, you may have. If you’re a sporty family, an adventurous family, or a studious family, you can improve your performance in those areas with good vision. What Can You Look Out For? Your family’s eyes will change over time, and there are signs you can look out for to ensure you’re monitoring your family’s eye health carefully. For children, look out for difficulty reading, frequent eye-rubbing, closing one eye to see things, trouble reading at a distance, sitting too close to the TV and sensitivity to light. For the grown-ups, look out for any changes in your vision or around your eyes. If you are unsure about anything, it is always best to seek help from your eye doctor. How to Look After Your Family’s Eyes As well as looking out for signs of problems, there are many habits and practises which you can adopt to help your eyes stay as healthy as possible. Here are a few of them:
- Maintain a healthy diet - foods that are high in antioxidants, lutein or omega-3 are good for your eyes. For this, eat plenty of bright fruit and vegetables, leafy greens and cold-water fish.
- Get enough sleep - whether or not you are getting enough sleep will have an effect on your overall health and, in turn, your eyes. So, be sure to make sleep a priority in your household.
- Wear protective eyewear - if you’re working around the house or playing certain sports, protect your eyes from debris by wearing protective eyewear.
- Get enough exercise - maintaining a healthy lifestyle will be beneficial for your eyes, and getting enough exercise is part of this.
- Maintain good hygiene - making sure you and your family wash your hands regularly and maintain good standards of hygiene will prevent you from getting harmful bacteria into your eyes.
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