Ten tips for good eye health
In relation to World Sight Day, held on the second Thursday of October, our Miranza specialists have prepared a list of 10 tips that will help promote your well-being and eye health.
- Protect your corneas
As the eye’s “window”, the cornea is particularly vulnerable to contact with external factors. We recommend the use of UV-certified sunglasses and protective eyewear for sports or activities that entail risk of eye injury. Additionally, as Miranza Virgen de Luján specialist Dr María Gessa explains, “You should wash your hands thoroughly before touching your eyes in order to prevent infections such as conjunctivitis and to minimise contagion of COVID-19 in high-risk situations”.
- Monitor your intraocular pressure
“Have your eyes examined regularly from 40 years of age onwards or earlier if you have a family history of glaucoma”. Dr Elena Arrondo, an IMO Grupo Miranza professional, gives us this advice due to the importance of keeping intraocular pressure under control, which is the main risk factor of glaucoma, a disease that progresses without evident symptoms, gradually damaging the optic nerve and potentially leading to irreversible blindness.
- Have your eyes’ fundi and retinas examined
Another reason for regular ophthalmic check-ups, especially if you experience presbyopia or eyestrain, is the examination of your eyes’ fundi and retinas. According to Dr Borja Corcóstegui, another IMO Grupo Miranza specialist, “Ageing increases the risk of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and AMD (age-related macular degeneration)”.
- Keep an eye on refractive errors
If you suffer from myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, monitor your evolution and make use of appropriate correction, depending on the evolution of your prescription. If you are considering refractive surgery, entrust your care to expert hands and “explain in detail your needs and expectations to find the right treatment for your eyes and lifestyle”, says Dr José Alberto Muiños, of Miranza Clínica Muiños, on World Sight Day.
- Don’t wait to seek cataract treatment
Our specialists recommend not postponing surgery until a cataract reaches an advanced stage and significantly impairs your vision. “Modern techniques, which fracture and aspirate the lens, provide the best results when applied at early stages of the disease”, indicates IMO Grupo Miranza professional Dr Daniel Elies.
- Use contact lenses with extreme caution
Limit your use of contact lenses, wearing them only as long as indicated, and with great precaution. Maintaining strict hygiene and using only specific liquids (never water) are among the keys to the prevention of infections and severe corneal disorders. This is the advice of Miranza Ókular and Miranza Begitek specialist Dr Jaime Aramberri.
- Take measures to treat dry eye
En caso de ojo seco, con síntomas como lagrimeo, cansancio o escozor, la Dra. Begoña Ortiz de Zárate, de Miranza IOA, alienta a consultar con un especialista que pueda indicarte tratamientos, cada vez más avanzados y personalizados, que mitiguen los síntomas de este síndrome, cada vez más extendido.
- Breaks from screen time
The use and abuse of up-close vision and of electronic screens leads to fatigue and damages eye health and well-being. Dr Jorge Alió del Barrio of Vissum Grupo Miranza gives the following advice: “Take breaks, look away and focus on the most distant visible point for a moment, alternate work with outdoor leisure activities and hydrate your eyes with preservative-free artificial tears”.
- Cosmetic surgery must be safe
“Plastic surgery and cosmetic treatments performed on the upper part of the face may affect eye structures and vision”, warns IMO Grupo Miranza expert Dr Ramón Medel. For this reason, it is advisable to entrust such procedures to ophthalmologists specialising in aesthetics and oculoplastics.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle
In relation to World Sight Day, Miranza Begitek professional Dr Javier Mendicute concludes, “eating healthy, getting exercise and giving up smoking are healthy choices that also favour eye health”. Some eye diseases, especially those affecting the retina, are related to diabetes, high blood pressure and other general diseases of the organism.
Remember these tips provided to you by Miranza in relation to World Sight Day, and try to follow them in your everyday habits.
