People without vision issues often don’t prioritize their eye health, according to optometrist Dr. Sarah Rowe of Brevier Optical in Excelsior. However, keeping this important organ healthy goes beyond vision correction. So check out these important eye care tips.
Everyone Should Get Examined
“We don’t just look at people with poor vision, we look at all people. A lot of things can get missed if you’re not coming in,” says Rowe.
Subtle prescriptions can be missed, as well as focus and eye alignment issues. Eye health can be related to headaches, and proper eye function can impact mobility and tracking words across the page, especially among kids.
Other eye health concerns such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts are screened during a regular exam.
“The eye is a direct connection to the brain, so sometimes if there is something going on like swelling, you can detect that through an eye exam,” says Rowe.
For other eye conditions such as allergies or dry eye, Rowe says it’s important to consult an eye doctor before purchasing over-the-counter medications.
The Eye Diet
A proper diet and maintaining an ideal body weight not only keeps your major systems healthy, but also helps maintain good eye health.
“Lutein and zeaxanthin found in green leafy vegetables and broccoli are linked to eye health,” says Rowe.
Rowe adds that examining the vasculature in the eye can also provide a good picture of your overall health, including detecting conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or stomach issues.
Protect Your Eyes
Rowe says that adults and children should wear sunglasses to block harmful UV rays that can damage the eye and cause premature cataracts.
Another way to protect your eyes is to consider how much exposure your eyes have to blue light emitted from electronic devices and indoor LED lights, which has been shown to be harmful to the eye. Consider checking out occupational lenses.
“These glasses aren’t sunglasses, they are clear everyday glasses, but they protect your eye from blue light,” says Rowe. “They are helpful if you have a lot of computer use or high exposure to blue light.”
Occupational lenses can also be given a little power to help ease eye fatigue, redness and tired eyes.
Style Your Eyes
If you do need vision correction, or need sunglasses or occupational lenses, the team at Brevier can help you do it in style.
Owner Jason Trucano suggests starting with your face shape to maintain the proper balance of eyeglasses to your face.
“Right now, the trend for women and men in frames is bigger. Bigger is better. For women, an uplift on the brow is in right now,” says Trucano.
“From a materials perspective, we are doing a lot more metals. Precious metals, especially titanium, is really popular because it is strong, sturdy and light weight,” he says. “You can infuse color into the metal, which is really nice.”
Brevier specializes in higher-end, independent and handmade lines for stylish frames, including brands such as Oliver Peoples, Orgreen, IC-Berlin, Tom Ford and EyeBobs for readers.
