Dr Sarah Jarvis
There comes a time in everyone’s life – usually in your early to mid 40s – when your eyesight isn’t as sharp as it was. The lens in front of your eye which focuses light just isn’t as flexible. In the past glasses were the only solution. These days,y, contact lenses can treat this effectively. But what else should you look for and how can you protect your eyes?
Cataracts, caused by clouding of your eye lens, are also common as you get older. You may notice poorer eyesight in bright light, spots in your vision, halos round brightg lightsg and washed-out co olours. Surgery is ef ffective, but to protect ag gainst cataracts always wear w sunglasses with good g UV protection and a don’t smoke.
The surface of your eye e is very sensitive and a needs to be kept constantly c moisturised. You Y don’t produce tears just when you cry – your tear film has three layers, of which one is watery tears.
But the surface of your eyes and eyelids makes a mucus layer and your eyelids an oily layer that stop the watery layer from evaporating.
Dry eyes can affect anyone, although they do get more common with age. A dry environment makes them worse – try turning your heating down or using a humidifier. To protect your eyelids, which produce part of your tear film, use hypoallergenic eye make-up and gentle remover.
If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer or TV screen, follow the 20-20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break, focus on something 20 feet away and blink 20 times. This will relax your eye muscles and increase lubrication of your eyes. Your pharmacist can advise on options to replace moisture.
Glaucoma is a treatable but potentially sight-threatening condition, where pressure builds up inside your eyeball. You often won’t know you have it unless you have regular eye checks. Fluid is constantly made and drained inside your eyeball. If the drainage channels are partly blocked, the result is a build-up of pressure. At first it won’t cause symptoms, but the pressure damages your optic (seeing) nerve and can result in permanent loss of vision. Fortunately, regular eye drops can prevent it progressing.
Acute glaucoma happens if the pressure inside your
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eyeball builds up to a critical level. It leads to a medical emergency – symptoms include sudden severe pain, red eye and sometimes headache and feeling sick. There are other causes, but any red eye needs urgent medical attention.
So too does sudden change in vision or loss of vision. Causes include a blockage to the blood vessel carrying blood to or from the retina – the inner surface of the eyeball, packed with “seeing cells” that transmit light signals to your brain. Another is a stroke. Your retina can also come loose from the layers beneath it – flashing lights in one eye is a warning sign. Again, emergency diagnosis and treatment can save your sight.
A sore pink eye is often due to conjunctivitis, an
inflammation of the outer surface of the eyeball. This layer can also get inflamed due to allergy, in which case itching rather than soreness is the norm. In either case, your vision is not affected and there’s no severe pain. Your pharmacist can offer effective treatment.
Not everyone gets free eye checks, but they’re a crucial part of keeping your eyes healthy. Your optician can pick up early signs of glaucoma, cataracts or high blood pressure or diabetes. As a rule, you should get your eyes checked every 5 years, every 2 years over 50 or more often if your optician advises. You can get free eye tests if you’re over 60; over 40 and have a family history of glaucoma or have diabetes. NEXT ISSUE: Avoiding festive tummy troubles.