Nichola Kennedy Optometrist in Kilcullen
Summer is behind us now and Autumn is well and truly here. And this can be a difficult time for our eyes. Most of us work indoors, which is environmentally challenging for eyes anyway, but when autumn and winter set in, central heating is added to the mix along with air conditioning, and prolonged use of computers and screen devices and usually poor visual habits can lead to dry eyes. Some experience dry eyes as being gritty and others find their dry eyes sensitive or even watery.
Another culprit in Autumn is tree pollen and the hay fever season now extends well into November in relation to eyes. We can assess your irritated eyes in our practice to determine the possible cause and recommend a possible management plan.
With winter only around the corner, the days are already visibly shorter. External causes of glare include the low autumn/winter sun, particularly in Northern Europe, and highly reflective surfaces such as wet roads. This continues from autumn through to late Spring and so the need for good quality sunglasses is high priority all year round. Tints of varying colours are available as are polarised lenses and lenses that adapt to varying light levels depending on your visual needs and environmental conditions. Other glare sources may come from your eyes internally such as dry eye and cataracts.
Driving at night — Deep-six the Dazzle
Anti-reflective lenses are an essential nowadays, they significantly cut down the glare from oncoming car lights as well as reducing glare from artificial light sources such as screens, devices, fluorescent lighting. Additional benefits include the lenses looking more transparent, thus allowing your beautiful, precious eyes to be seen in all their glory! It is unusual now to have glasses that do not have anti-glare lenses, even for reading glasses it is beneficial as they allow much more light into the eyes and therefore give much better vision.
Wraparounds — Keeping the UV at bay
Large, wraparound sunglasses not only look great but they serve a very practical purpose by protecting the eyes and the skin around the eye area from harmful sunlight that can cause eye and eyelid lesions and cancers. They also can slow the progression of cataracts and macular degeneration, as well as reducing the amount of reflected light getting in to the eyes from the sides. There’s also nothing worse than flickering light shining through trees in the side of your vision, which can trigger migraine for some people.
Monitor screen-time — Take a Break
When you’re working on screens it is vital to take regular breaks for the benefit of your eyes as well as your body, back, and neck! Our recommendation is the 20:20:20:20 rule — every 20 minutes look up and away to a distance of approx 20 feet for 20 seconds and blink fully and completely 20 times. This will help to reduce eye strain and symptoms of mild dry eye. I would also advise that you should get up and stretch or take a short walk also, preferably out in to the fresh air and natural daylight.
Keep it Clean
Remember to keep your glasses clean and in good repair and free from scratches. There is no point looking at your lovely HD smart TV if your glasses are scratched or dirty. With heating and aircon in offices and at home, your glasses can get quite dusty and smudgy, so make sure to invest in good quality reflection-free lenses. Try our environmentally friendly lens-cleaning spray to maintain them in good condition. I would recommend cleaning glasses 2-3 times a day — mealtimes is usually a good time to introduce this new habit. The increased visual clarity when lenses are cleaned can be impressive.