Eye health – articles and advice

We all know the importance of wearing sunscreen and protecting our skin from the sun in the summer, but did you know your eyes also need looking after as well? It's not just the sun you need to protect them from - there'...

By Andrea Downey

It is recommended that you get your eyes tested every two years - even if your vision seems fine. Your test will check for your vision and eye health, and check for any emerging issues. Here we talk about what changes an...

By Gillian Harvey

The days are getting sunnier, and let’s be honest - while many of us reach for sunglasses to shield our eyes from the sun’s glare, we’re also drawn to them for their style. All too often, we sacrifice eye health in favou...

By Victoria Raw

One of Britain’s most beloved actors has spoken candidly about living with a condition that has affected her ability to go outdoors alone. Dame Judi Dench was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) 14 year...

By Victoria Raw

If you’re finding it harder to drive at night, there may be a reason. While external factors can affect night-time vision, this article explores other possible causes - and what you can do to support your eye health and...

By Victoria Raw

It’s a fact of life that, as we age, certain bodily functions naturally change - and eyesight is one of them. While many factors affect eye health and not all are within our control, simple healthy habits can help keep y...

By Victoria Raw

Dry eyes during winter are not uncommon, especially as the temperatures change and most of us crank up the central heating. While we can't control the weather, it is possible to prevent dry eyes or ease the often uncomfo...

By Emily Bashforth

Dry eyes happen for various reasons. While not usually serious, they can be uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to treat dry eyes and find relief from symptoms.

By Victoria Raw

The same things that can cause eye strain and discomfort often also result in neck and back pain. What are these activities, and when can eye discomfort be a symptom of neck and back muscle tension - and the other way ar...

By Amberley Davis

Astigmatism is a common condition which is usually easily corrected with glasses, contacts lenses or, sometimes, surgery. Here we look at what it means if you have the condition, and what you can do about it.

By Simon Berry, MCOptom

If you've ever experienced irritated eyes, blurred vision, or headaches while watching TV, you may be one of the many people who encounter eye strain. This common but temporary eye complaint can be soothed or avoided if...

By Amberley Davis

Eye strain has become increasingly common following advances in technology. 95% of households now own at least one mobile phone - yet just a generation (25 years) ago, more than 5 in 6 households didn't have a single mob...

By Emily Bashforth

Many of us spend a disproportionate amount of our time in the office, and this can have a detrimental impact on the health of our eyes. We ask an optometrist for advice on how best to protect our vision in the work envir...

By Julian Turner

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) has issued a warning that millions of smokers are risking their eyesight by continuing to smoke.

By Ashwin Bhandari

Eye floaters are usually thought of as a nuisance rather than a chronic condition. But for some people they can significantly affect quality of life. So how do you learn to live with them - and what are the treatment opt...

By Elizabeth Sulis Kim

They're your windows to the world, and we rely on them for almost everything we do. Eye problems become more common with age, but there are lots of steps you can take to cut your chance of sight-threatening problems. And...

By Sarah Jarvis

It was the poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox who wrote: 'Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone.' This aphorism is only partly true. Although laughing is more infectious than crying, crying is almost as wide...

By Laurence Knott

When you look at an object you see it because light reflects off the object and enters your eye. Your eye focuses this light into an image on the layer of the eye called the retina.

By Mary Lowth, FRCGP

Everyone knows that carrots make you see in the dark but what about the role of peppers, kale, almonds, kiwi fruits and seafood in making our eyes healthier? Scientists have discovered that several nutrients help to guar...

By Carrie Ruxton, PhD, Child Nutrition

This leaflet gives general advice on how to use most eye ointments. However, you may be given specific instructions which may vary from the advice below. Ask your pharmacist if you have any queries.

By Mary Harding, MRCGP