Keep your eyes on the family this Christmas

If you’re coming together with your parents and grandparents this Christmas time, it could be the perfect opportunity to make sure their eye health is in tip top condition. It’s inevitable that our eyesight will worsen with age, but it’s important to be able to spot the signs of deteriorating eye sight. It’s important to have regular check-ups to keep your eyes in the best condition as possible. Optician Mark Blankstone has some signs of poor eye health that we should consider.

If you’re parents are starting to hold their books or newspapers further and further away in order to focus correctly, they could be suffering from a condition called presbyopia.  Mark said: “This condition affects everyone as they age, making it harder for them to focus on objects close up”. Another tell-tale sign of this condition is when people screw their eyes up trying to read something. He also notes that it’s nothing to worry about but its important to keep their prescriptions up to date.

Another reason to get them to take a trip to the optician is if they’re becoming clumsy. Mark stated: “Hand-eye coordination and vision are closely linked. If you’re picking up a cup, for example, you need to be able to clearly see it”. It’s easy to just ignore it or pass it off if they’re acting a little doddery but it could be a sign of impaired vision.

“If a person is finding that straight lines in their peripheral vision appear curved or that they become wavy when they move their head, they should book an appointment right away” Mark encourages. This could be a sign of macular degeneration which is an age related condition that can effect their central vision.

If they keep rubbing their eyes, you shouldn’t pass it off as them being tired. It’s a subconscious impulse to rub your eyes when your vision is unclear but there could be an underlying problem that is causing this.

If any of these signs seem familiar then call your optician today and book an appointment.