your eye health
is in sight
Most us gym to look fit and healthy or as the gym-bunnies like to say, “shredded”. We have become hyper-aware of our diets – veganism is the “new normal” – and we take hours in front of the mirror grooming ourselves to perfection so that our social media followers rate us with a like!
But what about our eye health?Often, its simply ignored!
We may occasionally munch on a few carrots hoping that the old wives’ tale that beat carotene improves our eye health is true, but without a proper glaucoma test from Vision Works Optometrists, we all just playing a game of eye health roulette!
shine the light on healthy eye sight
So, let’s first find out what glaucoma is?
According to an article published in Medical News Today, “Glaucoma refers to a build-up of pressure within the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve. The front part of the eye contains a clear fluid, the aqueous humour, and it’s this fluid that nourishes the eye, giving it its shape. The eye constantly produces this fluid and drains it away through a drainage system.
If a person has glaucoma, the fluid drains too slowly out the eye and when this happens, fluid builds up and pressure inside the eye rises”.
It’s then safe to say that if we don’t manage this delicate pressure, the optic nerve may become damaged, leading to complications in other parts of our eyes, which ultimately lead to vision loss.
Glaucoma, the Rubik’s cube of optometry!
Have you ever tried solving the vintage Rubik’s Cube puzzle? As a child, I smashed it, then reassembled it and showed off my skills to my friends. To this day they think I’m a genius (not)!
As hard as it is to solve the cube, glaucoma is a puzzling and complex condition that has many underlying factors like age, race, diet, lifestyle choices, etc, and not only one type, but several:
- Open-angle glaucoma
- Closed-angle glaucoma
- Low-tension glaucoma
- Pigmentary glaucoma
Improving your eye health
Ok, we know this may all sound scary, but maybe we need to take a deep breath, strike a yoga pose and take a reality check on what we do and don’t do in the future to improve our eye health. Besides going for regular glaucoma tests (because early detection is vital), being the “fast-food” generation that wants instant results, here are a few tweaks we can all make today. Yes, today!
- Don’t smoke.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Keep your blood pressure at a normal level (this varies in adults according to age, risks, etc.
Ask your doctor for more info). - Limit caffeine intake.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Try to do moderate exercise daily – walking, swimming, light workouts.
- Prevent overexposure to sunlight by wearing sunglasses.
- Get regular, comprehensive eye exams.
At Vision Works Optometrists, your eye health is our top priority and we want you to feel that no matter if you are healthy or have experienced some changes to your vision, our warm and friendly professionals are just a booking away.
So, instead of using all your energy on what you look like on the outside, it’s time to focus on what’s happening on the inside and visit vision-works.co.za to book your eye test online or find your nearest Vision Works Optometrists to book an appointment in-store today, because seeing is believing!
