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• Eat well – Eating plenty of vegetables and fruit will benefit your overall health and may help protect against some conditions such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
• Wear sunglasses with UV filter– strong sunlight can damage your eyes and may increase your risk of cataracts. 
• Quit smoking – smoking can increase your chances of developing conditions such as cataracts and AMD.
• Stay a healthy weight – being overweight increases your risk of diabetes, which can lead to sight loss.
• Use good lighting – Increase the daylight in your home by keeping windows clean and curtains pulled back. 
• Exercise – good circulation and oxygen intake are important for our eye health. 
• Sleep well – as you sleep, your eyes are continuously lubricated and irritants, such as dust or smoke that may have accumulated during the day are cleared out. ​​

• Difficulty reading – eye muscles start to weaken from the age of 40. You'll probably need separate reading glasses or an addition to your prescription lenses. 
• ​​Floaters – these tiny specks or spots that float across your vision are normally harmless. If they persist, see an optometrist as it may also be a sign of an underlying health condition.
• Cataracts – easily detected in an eye test, this gradual clouding of the eye's lens is very common in adults aged over 60.
• Glaucoma – this is related to an increase in pressure in the eye that leads to damage of the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. If it’s not treated, glaucoma leads to tunnel vision and ultimately, blindness. 
• Macular degeneration (MD) – Painless loss of central vision, affecting the ability to see fine detail, drive, read and recognize faces. The earlier the disease is detected, the more vision you are likely to retain.

An eye test is not just good for checking whether your glasses are up to date. It's also a vital check on the health of your eyes.

An eye test can pick up eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts, as well as general health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure. It is recommended that children and seniors have their eyes tested once a year and adults every two years. Routine eye exams are the best way to prevent eye disease and preserve your vision health. 

Age Group

• First eye exam should be between the ages of 6 and 9 months 

•  At least one eye exam between the ages of 2 and 5 years

•  An eye examination annually

•  An eye examination every 2 years

•  An eye examination annually

Primary eye care provider (Ontario, Canada). Trained to assess and diagnose all eye-related diseases, and refer to specialists (ophthalmologist, neuro-ophthalmologist, Oculoplastics, Vision Therapy, retinal surgeons).

In Ontario Canada, this can refer to an optometrist (primary eye care provider) or an ophthalmologist (surgeon)

In Ontario Canada, Reduce eye strain and improve sleep with our selection of blue light glasses. Choose from a variety of stylish frames that will keep your eyes protected while working on your computer or phone.

It is caused by the elongation of the eye. This condition results in light being focused in front of the retina. Myopia causes your vision to be out of focus when looking at things far away, but still clear up close. 

This is the opposite of nearsightedness. It is a shortening of the eye, causing light to be focused behind the retina. Farsighted people typically can focus through the prescription. However, it can cause eye strain, tiredness, and even blurry vision. It can affect your distance vision and your near vision but may affect your near vision more. 

It is a refractive error caused by an irregularly shaped eye. This can cause glare or shadowing of images. This is easily correctable through glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. 

This is an age-related deterioration of the natural lens inside the eye, leading to a more rigid lens. The onset of this issue is usually around forty years of age and leads to a blurred near vision. You can correct this with reading or progressive glasses, but multifocal contact lenses and surgery are becoming more popular options. 

This refers to the clouding of the natural lens inside the eye. It is mostly age-related as it typically occurs for individuals from sixty to eighty years of age. Besides age, cataracts can also be caused by certain medications, trauma, or can even arise at birth. Treatment for cataracts at this time involves cataract surgery, although there are promising clinical trials of a medicated eyedrop that can reverse the degenerative effects of cataracts. 

 This is the tissue in the back part of the eye that detects light. It is similar to the “film” on a vintage camera. It processes light from the outside world and sends that information to the brain (or computer chip inside the camera). It is one of the most important structures inside the eye. 

This is the clear tissue that acts as a protective barrier over the eye. It is the structure that most contact lenses sit upon. The cornea is one of the most innervated parts of the body, yet it is the only part that does not have any blood vessels. 

Bi (means two) focal (focus points) glasses allow for two different prescriptions on one lens. This allows the wearer to see at two different distances (i.e., far and near). Previously, bifocal lenses would have a window on the lens for near prescriptions. But, these days, most bifocal lenses are also known as progressive lenses. Progressive lenses do not have any lines or windows, as the prescription “progresses” from distance to near as you move down the lens. 

An optician is a licensed, regulated salesperson who dispenses eyeglasses or contact lenses. They have to complete a two to four-year college degree to practice this profession.