IMPORTANCE OF GOOD EYE HEALTH

Dr. Bharti Sharma

Head Consultant & HOD Ophthalmology, Tata Main Hospital

Sight is man’s most highly developed sense. It is important for learning, using tools and devices, moving about, and enjoying human endeavour. Vision stems from the eyes and brain functioning as an integrated system of awesome complexity. 

An image focused on the back of the eye is sensed by over a hundred million visual cells in each eye, processed in the retina and transmitted through more than a million fibres in each optic nerve to the centres of vision in the brain. Each second the eyes and brain perform about a hundred billion “floating point logical operations” to change the two-dimensional image formed on the retina of each eye into symbols that encapsulate the solid reality of the original object”.

Eyes are the windows to the soul and also true windows to one’s heath. By protecting your eyes, you will reduce the odds of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma.

 Here are few smart ways to help keep your eyes healthy-

1. Eat a balanced diet-

 Eating assorted fruits and vegetables, especially deep yellow and green leafy vegetables, provide vitamins essential for good eye health. And fish high in Omega 3 fatty-acids, like tuna, salmon and halibut, supply key eye vitamins and nutrients.

2. Wear sunglasses that block UVA and UVB light.

Exposure to sunlight can damage your eyesight and increase your risk of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, inflammation of the cornea (keratitis) or corneal growths, such as pterygia and pingeculae.

3. Limit your exposure to digital screens.

Most of the people spend hours using digital devices like cell phones, tablets and laptops every day. These devices emit high energy blue light waves that can damage your eyes over time. Taking lutein and zeaxanthin supplements can help your eyes filter blue light. Also, keeping your computer screen 20 to 24 inches away from your eyes and adjusting lighting to minimize glare will help. Because we blink less when looking at screens, it’s important to make a conscious effort to blink often. Lastly, rest your eyes by taking a break every 20 minutes and focusing on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds (20-20-20 rule)

4. Wash your hands before touching your eyes.

 This is because germs and bacteria inserted in your eyes by your fingers can cause eye infections like pink eye.

5. Remove your contacts before showering, swimming or wetting your face.

While most contact lens wearers know that they shouldn’t sleep with contacts, many don’t know that they shouldn’t get their lenses wet. That’s because your contacts act like a sponge that absorbs bacteria and parasites that may be in pools, lakes or shower water which can cause eye irritation and even severe sight-threatening corneal ulcers.

6. Wear safety glasses for even the simplest tasks.

We see eye injuries from people doing something simple like hanging a picture, and a piece of a nail or the frame breaks off and ends up in their eye. 90 percent of these accidents could have been prevented by wearing protective eyewear.

7. Pamper your eyes with a warm compress every day.

As we age, the oil glands in our eyelids get clogged and don’t secrete enough oil into our tear supply. This leads to dry eye. Placing warm compresses on our lids helps to liquify the oil so that it flows freely into our tear supply and helps to keep our eyes lubricated.

8. Stop smoking.

Among the many ways that smoking harms your health, it also damages the blood vessels that supply blood and nutrients to your optic nerve. Smoking also increases your chance of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Eye Exams: Preventative Maintenance

You can think of regular visits to the eye doctor as “preventative maintenance” for the rest of your body. Eyes are the only place where your blood vessels can be viewed in their natural state without a surgical procedure. With this visual inspection of the blood supply, doctors can spot many health conditions and vision problems just by taking a glance into your eyes.

Many eye diseases like glaucoma have no early symptoms. They may develop painlessly and you may notice the changes in your vision until the condition is quiet advanced and much of the visual fields have been lost. In one quick eye examination, Ophthalmologists can spot diseases such as diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy, liver diseases, glaucoma, cataract, macular degenerations and even brain tumours.

What to expect during an in-person, comprehensive eye exam

 During your visit to your doctor, be prepared to answer questions about your eye and general health history, medications and personal practices. Your doctor will use a variety of sophisticated instruments, often aided by diagnostic eyedrops, to thoroughly examine your eyes.

Department of Ophthalmology, Tata Main hospital, Jamshedpur is well equipped with advanced diagnostic machines like autorefractometer, Digital lensometer, photo slit lamp, IOL MASTER 700, Humprey visual field analyser, OCT ,YAG LASER , Argon green laser, B scan and Non-contact tonometry.

Please remember that good vision contributes to improved athletic ability, better driving skills, improved learning and comprehension and better quality of life. Your future can be colourful and full of life just by making sure you see your ophthalmologists as recommended. The experienced eye doctors at Tata Main hospital are ready to help you preserve and protect your vision.