Healthy Vision Month comes around every May and was created to stress the importance of our eyes and keeping them healthy. Back in 2003, the National Eye Institute established this month to spread awareness and educate people on maintaining good eye health. Organisations and individuals spend May spreading the word via social media, hosting events, and promoting via their organisation channels and networks.

Therefore, it’s the perfect month to get the word out there and share how we can all maintain healthy vision. So, what are some of the main things we can do to look after our eyes?

1 – Of course, the top tip is to have regular eye examinations with your optometrist. Often, some conditions can go unnoticed or even have no symptoms at all so it’s vital to get your eyes checked by an eye care professional. An eye exam will pick up any irregularities so make sure an eye exam is top of your priority list once every 2 years!

2 – Smoking is a big no-no when it comes to looking after eye health. This is because as well as influencing your general health, it can double the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK (RNIB).

3 – Paying attention to your diet and eating healthily is a good way to look after your eyes. According to Healthline, some serious eye conditions can be avoided if you include foods that contain a range of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals known as antioxidants. For a full list, visit the Healthline website, here.

4 – Protect your eyes from the sun; UVA and UVB rays can be harmful to your eyes and could increase the risk of cataracts and AMD. You can avoid this risk by wearing sunglasses that are CE marked and have been made to the standard requirements to allow for maximum protection.

There are various ways we can ensure our eyes stay healthy as you can see from some of the tips above. It’s important that this month we keep sharing what we can do with our networks to ensure we’re spreading the news effectively.

Accessibility is key in providing eye exams and that’s where IbisVision comes in. Our tele-optometry platform ensures optometrists can examine patients anywhere at any time. This supports them in carrying out routine eye examinations, triaging and aiding in the early detection of eye conditions. Find out more about our platform, here.

*Healthy vision tips based on guidance issued by RNIB.