You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone – that’s an idea that rings true when it comes to our sense of sight. Our sense of sight plays a massive role in our daily life. Imagine what life would be like if you lost it? Sadly this is a reality for many people in Ireland. In fact, approximately five people go blind in Ireland every single week and, according to the National Council for the Blind Ireland (NCBI), 75 to 85 per cent of blindness is preventable. So how do we ensure our continued sight? The answer is by becoming aware of eye care and taking note of our own personal eye health so we can be proactive if we notice any changes in our vision.

“It’s really important [to care for our eyes] because our sight is so important to us, and a lot of people just take it for granted so they fail to look after their eye health,” explains Triona Culleton, an optometrist and NCBI board member.

“Unfortunately that can lead to some people having sight impairment or even vision loss. Now that’s on a bad scale, but I really think the main message is to have a regular eye examination. That’s essential for maintaining healthy eyes.”

When it comes to eye tests, so many of us are guilty of ignoring the reminder that comes through the letterbox or the annoying text that flashes up on our phones, but how often should we really be getting our eyes tested?

“I would say every two years unless there is a family history of an eye condition such as diabetes in your family, or glaucoma, that sort of thing,” says Triona.

“If there’s a family history of glaucoma then you should be aware of that and have your eyes examined more regularly, or if you have had a problem in the past yourself.”

Figuring out if you have a problem with your eye health can be a tricky thing because, as Triona notes, sometimes there are very obvious symptoms which affect an individual and sometimes there aren’t. This is the reason why it’s so important to check in with your optometrist on a regular basis.

“Sometimes there are symptoms and sometimes there aren’t. Things like changes in your vision, if you’ve got any sudden spots [in your vision]. If you’ve got any flashes of light or lightning streaks. Sometimes it can be like a camera flash type of light. Sometimes there can be wavy or watery vision or you’ve got some distortion. If you’re seeing halos around lights. If you’re getting double vision. If you’re getting shadows in your vision or a curtain-like loss of vision. Or, just obviously, sudden loss of vision, you wake up one morning and you can’t see out of one eye. They’re the serious sort of stuff.”

If you begin experiencing any of the above symptoms or are worried about your eye health in any way, your first port of call should be your optometrist. Don’t delay and book that appointment as soon as you can.

“You should go to your optometrist and if the optometrist finds that there’s something they cannot deal with, then they would refer you to the most appropriate person, in the most appropriate time,” says Triona.

Part of maintaining good eye health involves being a proactive patient. So when it comes to your eye exam, is there anything that you should prepare before you arrive?

“You should know your family eye health history because certain conditions can be hereditary, say, for example, glaucoma. If you’ve got a family history of glaucoma then you’re more at risk of having something like glaucoma than the next person. You should know what your family history is,” says Triona.

“You should also be aware of how you use your eyes, and you should think about how your eyes feel doing certain tasks. [Know] if you’re comfortable with them or if you’re not comfortable with them before you get in.”

As we get older, we’re more likely to develop eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and more. Triona says that when you’re seeking to improve your eye health it’s important to look at your lifestyle and your diet.

“There are certain foods that are good. They’re particularly high in antioxidants and they have to prevent rental damage and certain eye conditions. There’s one antioxidant which is very beneficial and that’s called Lutein. It’s found in many fruits and vegetables such as kale, spinach, brightly coloured fruits and vegetables like corn, carrots, oranges and peppers. Oily fish is good as well – salmon and tuna, and eggs and nuts. They’re all very good nutritionally,” says Triona.

“You should also be thinking about exercise because exercise can reduce sight loss from narrowing or hardening of your arteries. High blood pressure and diabetes can cause problems so the exercise helps with that as well. Excess alcohol consumption can lead to serious health conditions and that can have a detrimental effect on your eye health. Smoking is a big risk factor for developing macular degeneration and it also increases your risk of developing cataracts and also diabetes, which is an issue.”

In modern day life, few of us can avoid screens. We stare at screens on our computers at work and home, our televisions and our mobile phones, and many of us are aware of the impact these screens can have on our eye health. But how can you lessen the damage of screen-staring?

“I would say it’s important that you take frequent breaks from your computer screen. At least once an hour would be an easier way. Some people say you should take it more frequently than that, but I think that’s probably not very practical, so I would say at least once an hour to allow your eyes to rest. Look away into the distance. This can help to avoid problems such as eye strain and headaches.

“If you’ve a long document to read, you’re probably better printing them off and using them to work alongside your computer rather than having to read it from the screen. A lot of people find it a little easier to do that instead of looking at a screen.”

Before we end our conversation, I ask Triona what advice she has for anyone who is concerned about their eye health and is maybe a little anxious about booking an appointment.

“You shouldn’t ever be afraid to come in. It’s not a scary proposition or even a visit. Optometrists are there and they have time to talk over any of your concerns, any worries that you may have about your eyes and about how you’re using your eyes. You should never, ever be worried about asking questions. Just make the appointment, and an awful lot of people are covered for an eye examination through, if people have a medical card, or if they’re paying PRSI, you’re probably covered for an eye examination. You have nothing to lose.”

For more information about vision loss and the National Council for the Blind Ireland log on to www.ncbi.ie