How does high blood pressure, sunshine and screen use affect your eyesight?
In the aftermath of National Eye Week, there has been increased research into how our lifestyle and general health affects the efficiency of our eyesight.
Last month, we reviewed how nutrition, obesity and diabetes can affect your eyesight. In this month’s article, we will outline how blood pressure and cholesterol, sunshine and screen use can have a negative impact on your vision.
High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol
It is well documented that a combination of hypertension (high blood pressure) and high cholesterol can increase your risk of having a stroke, but what is less known is that they all increase the risk of a blood vessel at the back of your eye bleeding or become blocked.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in your brain bleeds or becomes blocked. This can affect your vision if it is in the part of the brain that you use to see with. It can cause blind spots in your vision which may mean that you develop problems reading, are no longer able to drive, and you may bump into things.
High blood pressure also increases your risk of developing glaucoma. Glaucoma causes pressure inside your eye and thus damages your optic nerve.
Exposure to the Sun
Links between exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light and certain eye conditions such as cataracts have long been correlated, but there is also research to suggest that there is a link between UV light and age related macular degeneration (AMD).
It goes without saying that if you spend lots of time outdoors, you should protect your eyes from harmful sunlight. This can be done by wearing well-fitting sunglasses that carry the CE mark. The CE mark is the manufacturer’s assurance that the sunglasses have been made according to the appropriate safety standards.
Screen Use
In an age where technology controls everything we do, there is a major worry that looking at a screen, such as a computer, tablet or mobile phone can damage your eyes. At present, there is no evidence to suggest that looking at screens will cause harm to your eyes.
However, some people find that looking at a screen for a long time can be tiring. To give your eyes a rest we recommend applying the 20:20:20 rule. This means that every 20 minutes you should look at something about 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. Although this is only a guide, it does remind you to take regular breaks from screen use.
Looking at a screen for a long time can be quite demanding for your eyes, you may find that even if you don’t need glasses for regular use, you may need to wear glasses for prolonged screen use.
If you are concerned with your eyesight and want to have a consultation with your local optometrist, please visit the practice to make an appointment or call to speak to one of our staff members on 0115 933 2999.