Latest News

The hay fever season runs from sprint to autumn and affects around 18 million people in the UK. As one of the most common allergic conditions, hay fever is triggered by an allergic reaction to different types of pollen, causing inflammation and symptoms such as sneezing, itchy, runny or blocked nose and difficulty in breathing. Pollen can also set off an allergic reaction in the conjunctiva (the transparent membrane covering the white of the eye) which becomes inflamed causing watery, red and itchy eyes. This may cause your eyes and eyelids to swell and you may also experience a gritty feeling in your eyes.

Managing your hay fever:

• Stay indoors – keep windows and doors closed and keep surfaces clear with a damp duster. Avoid going out in the early evening and midmorning when the pollen count is at its highest.
• Wear sunglasses when you are outdoors – wraparound styles offer more protection from pollen.
• Wear glasses rather than your contact lenses – especially when the pollen count is high.
• Change your clothes and shower regularly – if you have been outside for a while, you may have pollen on your clothes, skin and hair. Taking a shower and changing your clothes can help.
• Rinse your eyes regularly – use a dedicated eye wash to remove any dust and pollen from the surface of the eyes.
• Use a cold compress – if you develop eye symptoms, the cooling sensation can help reduce inflammation and swelling.
• Apply petroleum jelly to your nostrils – this will trap pollen.

Treating your hay fever:

• Anti-allergy eye drops – can be used to help treat eye symptoms, as they target the site of inflammation directly
• Antihistamines are another options with a more immediate effect. These work by blocking the action of histamine released from mast cells during the allergic reaction, they can’t prevent the allergic reaction, they can reduce the severity of symptoms
• Steroid eye drops can be prescribed in severe cases. These are powerful anti-inflammatories but can have serious side affects, such as glaucoma, cataracts and damage to the cornea. They are only available on prescription and monitored to ensure they are safe to use.

If you have concerns, speak to your optometrist.

In the UK, sport is the leading cause of hospital admission for serious eye injuries. The most common sports related eye injuries are corneal abrasions and orbit fractures.

In Scotland, football is the most common cause of ocular injury from sport. Other sports that cause eye injuries include squash, rugby, paintball, and motocross.

Here are some safety tips that keep eye safety first:

• If you wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, speak to us about prescription glasses protective eyewear.
• All prescription sports glasses should be made from polycarbonate material because it resists shattering and provides UV protection
• If hiking or mountain biking is more your sport, UV protection is just as important as impact resistance, consider polarized lenses to reduce glare or tinted lenses that improve contrast, so you can see better terrain changes

April is Woman’s Eye Health and Safety Month. Woman are more likely to develop eye diseases related to aging, such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts because they love longer than men. Early detection of vision conditions can help minimise vision loss. Here are some tips to maintain good eye health:

1. Attend regular eye exams. A dilated eye exam can detect vision conditions in their earliest condition
2. Eat a healthy diet. Lower your risk of eye disease by eating plenty of fresh fruit, dark green leafy vegetables, salmon, tuna and other oily fish. Also include eggs, nuts and legumes
3. Maintain a healthy weight and manage chronic conditions, such as diabetes
4. Don’t smoke. Smoking is linked to AMD, Cataracts and Glaucoma
5. Know your family history and share any information with your optician, as many eye conditions are hereditary.
6. Use protective eyewear when doing yard work, sports or working on anything with flying debris, sparks or chemicals
7. Wear Sunglasses. Sunglasses help protect your eyes from ultraviolet rays. Prolonged exposure can increase the risk of cataracts and AMD.

Eye Health and the Menopause

The menopause can cause eye problems including dry eye, glaucoma, cataracts and changes in eyesight and eye shape, making contact lenses less comfortable and increasing the need corrective lenses for reading.

Dry Eye – around 60% of women experience dry eye during menopause, which can cause itchy red or tired eyes that feel scratchy or gritty. Other symptoms include blurriness, sensitivity to light, blurry and watery eyes.

Cataracts – the prevalence of cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye) is higher in postmenopausal women than in men of the same age. Symptoms develop slowly and painlessly and often begin after 60. Visual problems include glare sensitivity, cloudy vision, difficulty seeing at night, double vision, and loss of colour intensity.

Glaucoma – is another condition for which age is a leading risk factor, regardless of sex. Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damages the optic nerve, from increased pressure in the eye. It can permanently damage vision and lead to blindness if untreated.

As a woman going through menopause, this brings the risk of several eye conditions, therefore regular eye exams are vital in finding eye disease early, so we can start treatment as soon as possible. Any concerns speak to us.

We are closed Monday 1st April 2024. We will re-open tomorrow 2nd April, 9am.