View Optometry’s Eye Care Tips & Tricks this Fall Season

September saw the return of children and students to school and university. For some of those in the workforce, this meant that it was time to return to the office again. It is also that time of year again where the weather makes a notable shift from warm, sunny days to cooler and cloudier periods. Whether you are indoors working, studying, or just hiding out from the rainy downpours outside, we have all the best solutions for you this Autumn so that you can protect and care for those peepers!

1.     REDUCE YOUR SCREENTIME AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: 20-20-20!

Part of the transition from summertime into fall is where we find ourselves opposite a screen more frequently. If it isn’t work obligations or scholarly responsibilities keeping you in front of the computer, the less appealing weather is enough to have you stuck in front of the television and glued to your devices in your downtime. It is important to take breaks from the screen where you can, no matter if you are working or just unwinding with your favorite series on Netflix.

The overuse of devices, mobile or otherwise, can cause eye strain and fatigue to occur and will often bring about headaches, dry eyes and blurry vision.

Our recommendation is that you remember to follow the 20-20-20 rule. This is where you are encouraged to look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes for at least 20 seconds. Doing so will help reduce fatigue brought on by the overconsumption of blue light through our screens.

2.     COMBAT DRY EYES

A common issue that people face around this time of year is dry eyes. As the air gets cooler and drier, our eyes react to these changes. The weather is the biggest culprit for dry eyes – as little as an autumn breeze is enough to bring this on. This does not mean that you are safe from this while indoors though. If the room you are in is too warm or heated too high you may also find yourself experiencing dry eyes.

The usual symptoms that pop up in response to this are burning and stinging sensations, as well as watery eyes.

To combat this issue, we suggest that you avoid sitting in rooms where the heat is very high and feels heavy. This may not be feasible going into the later autumn/early winter period so in the event of this, our team recommends that you use humidifiers at home. This will help to cool you down and cleanse the vapors in the room, alleviating any symptoms of dry eyes.

3.     STAY PROTECTED DURING OUTDOOR MAINTENANCE

During this fall season, typical housekeeping duties include outdoor maintenance for many of us. As the winds begin to pick up, you may find yourself having to tidy up the lawn more often. If you are raking leaves or using a wind blower to clean up outside, there is a chance that you could end up with plant debris in your eyes. In some cases, this produces an infection referred to as fungal keratitis. This is when the plant debris causes trauma to the eyes and a fungus forms which triggers an infection of the cornea.

To avoid picking up this fungal infection while maintaining your outdoor space, we advise that you always wear protective eyewear – this can be in the form of protective goggles or sports/outdoor eyeglasses.

The team at View Optometry can help pick out a pair of protective eyeglasses for you today! Come and talk to a member of our team at the clinic and we can put through an order for you in your own prescription.

…and if you are a contact lens wearer, just be sure to disinfect them immediately after working outdoors!

4.     EAT TO BEAT EYE-RELATED DISEASES

When it comes to eye care and health, eating right and maintaining a well-balanced diet is essential for keeping everything in check. As we know, having a proper diet can help keep our weight down to a healthy size but in doing this it also lowers our chances of bringing on obesity and diseases related to it, such as diabetes. Why this is important with regards to eye health is because diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

Diseases like diabetes can be prevented by eating healthy, balanced meals consistently. Fall is an excellent season for this as there are many great harvest foods that you can enjoy!

Some examples of these foods enriched with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are:

o   Apples

o   Pomegranates

o   Pears

o   Cauliflower

o   Squash

o   Turnips

o   Pumpkin

o   Brussel sprouts

5.     STAY SAFE WITH PRESCIBED COSTUME CONTACT LENSES

As the fall season progresses, we get closer and closer to that spooky time of year where we all love to dress up in our best costumes – Halloween!

Some of us like to use colored contact lenses as part of our costumes for added effect. Where this becomes a problem is when we do not purchase contact lenses as prescribed by an eye-care professional. It is necessary for your doctor to examine your eyes first before you go to use any kind of costume contact lenses. Doing this will ensure that you do not end up with an eye infection. Many costume contact lenses that you would purchase from a retail store or online without any form of prescription will not fit you correctly and are unlikely to be germ-free.

Call into View Optometry and talk with a member of our team about what type of colored contact lenses we can offer you!