Read more about the article Protect Your Eyes From The Sun

Protect Your Eyes From The Sun

Just like we need sunscreen to protect our skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, sunglasses play an important role in protecting our eyes from the the damaging effects that UV rays can have on our eyes!

Check out this Sun Protection Tip Sheet from Doctors of Optometry Canada:

To help reduce UV radiation damage to your eyes, consider the following tips:

1) Be conscious of the daily UV index and the many sources of UV radiation, including direct sunlight and reflections from snow, water, sand and pavement.

2) Wear sun protection such as sunglasses, UV-blocking contact lenses and a wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap, when outdoors.

3) Never look directly into, or stare at, the sun.

4) Keep out of direct sunlight between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest.

5) Keep children younger than six months out of direct sunlight. Use a canopy or umbrella as a sun-shield when outdoors.

6) If you require prescription glasses, consider:

  • Variable tint or transitions lenses that darken when exposed to UV light
  • A separate pair of glasses with tinted lenses and UV400 protective coating for outdoor use
  • Contact lenses with UV protection in combination with non-prescription sunglasses (check out the selection of high-quality prescription and non-prescription sunglasses offered by your Doctor of Optometry)

7) If you do not require prescription glasses, choose over-the-counter sunglasses with:

  • A close-fitting, wrap around style frame
  • 100% UVA and UVB blocking lenses
  • Impact resistant lenses
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Read more about the article Retinal Imaging for Brain Disease

Retinal Imaging for Brain Disease

We already know that checking your eye health can tell us a lot about general health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, thyroid disease, and more – but it’s possible that a retinal scan could one day help detect early signs of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease!
The eyes really are a window to your health 🙂

Read more here: Retinal imaging could provide window into brain disease (The Globe and Mail)

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Read more about the article Underlying Health Conditions Visible In The Eyes

Underlying Health Conditions Visible In The Eyes

During a comprehensive eye exam, Dr. Lee does much more than just determine your prescription for glasses or contact lenses. She will also check your eyes for common diseases, assess how well they work together as a team, and look for indicators of potentially serious health conditions that affect your whole body. A number of underlying health conditions can be detected through a comprehensive eye exam, ranging from high blood pressure and diabetes to certain forms of cancer. Because the eye is the only part of the body in which blood vessels can be viewed without invasive techniques, it can be the first place that conditions like high blood pressure is detected. Other health conditions that may show signs in the eyes include tumours, aneurysms, autoimmune disorders, thyroid disease, sickle cell disease, liver disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological or brain disorders.

A comprehensive eye exam includes tests of peripheral vision and eye muscle function and can often be the first line of detection of a brain tumour. The eye and its surrounding tissues are one of the most common areas of the body where skin cancer is first diagnosed. The muscles attached to the eye that are responsible for coordinated eye movements are controlled through nerves that arise directly from the brain. Several neurological conditions, which affect the brain, including Parkinson’s disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, can affect eye movements and even cause double vision.
A comprehensive eye exam can detect problems with eye movement, and vision training or spectacle (eyeglass) therapy can improve the ability of the eyes to track and work together.

Continue ReadingUnderlying Health Conditions Visible In The Eyes