Category: Eye health

A recent Optometry Australia survey reveals some startling facts about the difficulty drivers have seeing road signs.

The 2020 Vision Index report revealed that 19% of drivers, aged 35 to 54, struggle to see road signs when they’re driving during the day. At night the problem gets worse, with 25% admitting that they find it hard to read signs. This is a very startling fact and shows that the dangers of poor driver eyesight, especially at night, is a very concerning issue.

The serious dangers of poor driver eyesight

Not being able to see road signs obviously has serious safety issues.

Optometrist Sophie Koh, the national professional services adviser for Optometry Australia, is not surprised by the high figures. She believes there is “a myriad of reasons why people experience blurry vision when driving”.

Although many people struggle to see because they either need glasses, or are updating their existing ones, there are non-glasses related reasons for blurred distance vision when driving home after a long day in the office such as “dry eyes and eye fatigue due to prolonged near work during the day,” says Koh.

People age 35 to 54 also start to develop common preventable eye diseases, such as early cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

“Cataracts, for example, at its early stages, causes increased glare sensitivity when driving at night. People in this age group may complain of more glare from car headlights, which affects their clarity and confidence when driving.”

Eyesight requirements to attain a driver’s license

Australian drivers in most states need to read an eye chart to pass the vision test in order to receive a driver’s licence. They also need to disclose if they have vision problems that could affect their ability to drive safely.

Eyesight issues must be listed as a condition on your licence in NSW, Victoria, SA and WA. If you have a condition listed on your licence and are found to be driving without glasses or contact lenses you could be fined or may receive demerit points.

“I think the public needs to be more aware that good vision for life is not just about how far down you see on an eye chart,” says Koh.

If you’re having trouble seeing road signs or you’re squinting to “see better”, like 22% of people do at night or 15% during the day, you need to book an eye test with your local optometrist to have your eyes checked.

Don’t risk it on the road, book an eye examination for a piece of mind

A visit to your optometrist will help you understand why you are struggling to see clearly when you’re driving. It is recommended that people under 40 have their eyes tested every two to three years, while people 40-65 should see their optometrist every two years and those over 65 should be tested annually.

If you are having troubles seeing roads signs visit your local Eyecare Plus practice to book your next eye test.

In the middle of a vacant oval, a person is wearing a surgical mask, jogging. At the airport, a security guard is wearing a mask, black around the mouth and nose from having it on continuously for the week. A guy at the shops wears a bag over his head to try to protect himself from the coronavirus (COVID-19) whilst another person wears grapefruit rind for a mask.

Because of some of the messaging around the coronavirus, people are fearful and will go to extreme lengths to fight this disease.

There is a lot of fear about the coronavirus and fear acts as a core driver that fuels concern, misinformation and ultimately, panic.

How the Coronavirus may impact your eyes

One concern many people have is whether you can contract coronavirus through your eyes.

This discussion emanates from a Peking respiratory physician who believed he may have contracted the virus because he wasn’t wearing sufficient eye protection while treating patients.

Although he was vigilant and wore an N95 mask, he said he developed conjunctivitis, then fevers, and felt this was because he wasn’t wearing protective glasses.

Medical officials say that whilst this is possible, it is very unlikely the virus entered his body through his eyes.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology there are “anecdotal reports” suggesting that “the virus can cause conjunctivitis and possibly be transmitted by aerosol contact with conjunctiva”.

It’s “plausible but unlikely” that the disease could spread this way says Dr. Stephen Thomas, Chief of Infectious Diseases at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York.

How the Coronavirus spreads

The coronavirus spreads from person-to-person through airborne “respiratory droplets,” via the mouth or nose and enters the respiratory system much like the flu virus.

The surgical mask people wear provides some protection, but it should only be worn for 30 minutes to two hours at the most. The longer you wear a mask, the less effective it becomes and as soon as it’s wet from your breath it needs to be thrown away and replaced.

The coronavirus virus is spreading quickly. As of 24 February, 2,500 people had died from the virus out of a reported 79,000 confirmed cases in more than 30 countries and territories. In Australia, 22 people had tested positive.

Although the risk of a coronavirus infected patient presenting to an optometry practice in Australia is extremely low, optometrists will continue to routinely ask patients before their appointment and on arrival at the practice if they have returned from China in the previous couple of weeks.

The discussion around protecting yourself from the coronavirus is important because it causes people to be more vigilant about protecting themselves from potentially life-threatening viruses.

Don’t be alarmed, simply apply best hygiene practices

Whilst it’s good to be mindful of the coronavirus, it’s important not to be alarmed.

The things people are doing to protect themselves from the disease are the very things you’d do against the flu (outside of getting the flu shot): wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, use hand sanitiser, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed fingers and, if you’re sick, stay home.

The seasonal flu is of greater concern to health authorities which the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates has resulted in up to 61,000 deaths from between nine million to 45 million cases each year for the past 10 years.

If you are concerned about your eye health, contact your local Eyecare Plus optometrist to book an appointment.

Excessive eye rubbing can be highly dangerous in any given situation. Think about this, we wouldn’t be rubbing our eyes up against a keyboard but that’s basically what we’re doing when we touch our eyes without washing our hands.

We use our hands to do just about everything, from picking up and scanning our phone, using a keyboard, preparing and eating food, touching our hair, going to the bathroom, emptying the bins, and, well, most things we do in a day.

At any one time there are hundreds of thousands of tiny bacteria, and potentially viruses, living on our skin.

Then, our eyes get itchy, and before washing our hands, we instinctively take the same hand that we were using on the keyboard, up to our eyes and we rub them, without thinking about what we’ve just used our hands for. This is a severe problem.

Temporary relief after eye rubbing

We experience temporary relief when we rub our eyes because we stimulate our lacrimal glands which produce tears that lubricate and soothe the eyes resulting in them not feeling irritated.

By bringing our fingers up to our face we also transfer bacteria living on the hands like pseudomonas and staphylococcus which can increase the risk of eye infections.

Most of us have experienced itchy eyes. When we rub them, we get temporary relief, but it can actually make the itching worse and end up damaging the eyes.

Eye damage caused by excessive eye rubbing

If we rub our eyes too hard, we can break the tiny blood vessels around the eyes which causes those dark unwanted circles that we try to get rid of with homemade remedies or makeup.

If they keep feeling itchy, and we keep putting pressure on our eyes with our fingers, they will feel even more irritated, which can result in redness and puffiness.

After the temporary relief, they may feel even itchier and more irritated than before. Rubbing the eyes continually can also cause some people thinning of the cornea.

Excessive eye rubbing, whether due to chronic dryness, itchiness, or merely habit, should be addressed to avoid unpleasant consequences.

What to do when you have itchy eyes

If you have something stuck in your eye, clean your hands for at least 20 seconds, using soap and clean water and dry them with a clean towel, then, wash your eyes out with sterile saline or a lubricant eye drop.

When you feel tempted to touch your eyes, instead of itching them, reach for an eye drop to help soothe the irritation.

Artificial tears imitate natural tears. They can help stop the itch that makes you want to rub your eyes and will keep them hydrated.

If eye itchiness is a persistent problem, contact your local Eyecare Plus optometrist to book an appointment.

Australians regard their eyesight as their most important sense.

This was one of the main findings highlighted in the 2020 Vision Index Report released by Optometry Australia, the peak body for optometrists in Australia.

An apt year for the report to come out, with 2020, known as a term synonymous with perfect vision.

The report surveyed 1,000 Australians exploring their habits, beliefs and attitudes towards their eye health, and covered topics such as glasses, contact lenses, eye conditions, disease, nutrition, workplace, driving, sport and digital behaviour.

With 76% of us regarding our eyesight as our most important sense, 60% are worried about eyesight quality and more than half of us (57%) know we need a regular annual eye examination.

These key findings illustrate just how important Australians value their eyesight. For many, however, there is still a level of complacency about our sight, as more than a third of us (35%) don’t have regular eye checks and, incredibly, 12% of Australians have never seen an optometrist in their life.

In most cases we will only see an optometrist if we have problems seeing things, either; far away (82%) or up close (81%).

Nearly a third of us (31%) still believe the myth that if we eat carrots our eyesight will improve. And, whilst it originates from WW2 propaganda which popularised the notion that carrots help you see better in the dark, it doesn’t mean there isn’t an element of truth to it.

Carrots are high in antioxidants beta carotene and lutein; which a recent study showed has several beneficial effects on our eye health, including being able to improve or even prevent age-related macular disease, the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment.

Research has shown that a variety of vegetables containing lutein, and zeaxanthin, will help improve our eye health more than carrots, including spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, kale and corn.

The 2020 Vision Index report also shows the link between good eye health and preventable chronic diseases, highlighting that overall good eye health impacts our general health and wellbeing.

A regular appointment to see your optometrist covers much more than a prescription for your glasses. It also provides you with a comprehensive eye examination which can help identify eye conditions and diseases that, most of the time, can be treated if picked up early.

Visit your local Eyecare Plus practice for your next comprehensive eye exam.

As a result of worsening bushfire conditions across Australia, a thick dense smoke haze has smothered parts of the country for weeks on end resulting in people suffering from severe eye irritations, such as burning or itchy eyes. As a result, it has never been a more important time to stay on top of your eye health and take immediate steps to protect your eyes from hazardous bushfire smoke.

With the Air Quality Index pushed to record levels – beyond 500, over 2.5 times the ‘hazardous’ rating – in many cities and a suffocating 5,109 in Canberra on New Year’s Day, optometrists have seen an influx of patients with increased eye discomfort and irritation as a result of the extra particles in the air from the bushfire smoke.

Luke Arundel, Optometry Australia’s Chief Clinical Officer, suggests the following tips to help mitigate the burning and stinging effects of smoke to the eyes.

Protect your eyes from bushfire smoke by applying these simple 7 tips:

• Lubricate – One of the best ways to alleviate irritation in your eyes is to lubricate them with eye drops or artificial tears which you can buy over the counter. People with underlying conditions already using eye drops may wish to double their application until the smoke dissipates.
• Don’t rub – Be careful to NOT rub your eyes which can worsen the irritation.
• Take a break from contacts – Contact lens wearers may find smoke particularly problematic and should give their eyes a break from contact lens use if their eyes are experiencing irritation.
• Cool your eyes – Lying down with a cold compress over your eyes can be soothing.
• Stay indoors – particularly if you have an underlying condition that makes you more sensitive to smoke, such as dry eye, it’s best to stay indoors as much as possible.
• Wear glasses or goggles – Specialty goggles that are often prescribed to patients with dry eye can be an effective option for people experiencing sensitivity to smoke in the air. And close-fitting glasses or sunglasses will provide at least some barrier to particle pollution.
• See your optometrist – If your symptoms persist, make an appointment to see your optometrist who may be able to prescribe a more specific treatment.

If you need help because you’re suffering from burning or stinging eyes, contact your local Eyecare Plus optometrist to book an appointment.

Just two hours in front of a digital screen can cause your eyes to feel strained. The average Australian spends 10 hours a day staring at some form of screen. This is not surprising given the increased dependency on computers, tablets and mobile devices for work and school.

Digital eye strain can be caused by:

• Poor lighting
• Screen glare and blue light
• Improper viewing distance from devices
• Not blinking enough
• Poor posture

Digital eye strain affects all age groups but can be relieved by following a few easy steps.

1. USE THE 20-20-20 RULE

Each time you use your digital device, take a 20 second break from the screen every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away.

2. POSITION YOUR COMPUTER MONITOR

Keep your computer monitor at arm’s length for proper viewing distance and have the top of the monitor near or below eye level to avoid straining your eyes and neck.

3. BLINK OFTEN

Remind yourself to blink frequently to prevent your eyes from drying out.

4. GET REGULAR EYE TESTS

Unattended eye conditions may worsen digital eye strain. Make sure you have regular comprehensive eye tests every year, regardless of whether you are a heavy digital device user or not.

5. CONSIDER BLUE LIGHT LENSES

Wearing glasses with blue light lenses is a popular way to decrease symptoms of digital eye strain. They look like regular glasses but feature a protective lens coating that helps filter out harmful blue light from reaching your eyes, keeping your eyes relaxed.

Visit your local Eyecare Plus to find out more about blue light glasses available.