5 things every optometrist in Singapore wants you to know

Having good vision is crucial for maintaining a high quality of life. This is why it’s so important to take care of our eyes at every stage of our life, regardless of age.

But with the volume of eye health information and advice available, it can feel overwhelming to adhere to all of them. To make things a little easier for you, we’ve come up with the 5 most essential things you need to know about eye care.

1. Don’t underestimate the impact of UV damage.

Although it’s common knowledge that UV rays are harmful to us, it may be a lesser-known fact that UV damage can lead to permanent eye damage that accumulates over time. Among the eye conditions you’d likely be more at risk of include, cataracts, eye cancer, and developing inflamed cornea.  

Think you can avoid UV rays by looking towards the ground? The bad news is that UV light can still be reflected from surfaces such as soil, grass, sand, and even water.  

While the effects are not immediately felt, prevention is always the best form of protection. Make sure to arm yourself with UV-protected sunglasses and spectacles. All you have to do is look for eyewear with UV400 lenses, which will provide you with nearly 100% protection against UV light. 

2. Optimise your workstation. Elevate your eye health. 

With work-from-home arrangements now a common aspect of corporate life in Singapore, we have to ensure our home desk setups are ergonomic – not just for our physical health, but also for our eye health. 

Optimising your at-home work environment doesn’t have to be complicated either. Here are some basic steps that you can take:

• Ensure that your workspace is well-lit. 
• Position your computer screen about 50cm to 60cm away from your eyes. 

• Adjust your screen’s brightness to avoid straining your eyes.  
• If you wear spectacles or contact lenses, get those with a blue light filter or anti-fatigue properties, so that your digital devices are gentler on your eyes. 
• Take frequent breaks from your computer screen. A 5-minute break after 30 minutes of work is recommended. 

3. Glaucoma is mostly asymptomatic during early stages.

Glaucoma is a condition where an abnormality occurs in the eye’s drainage system, leading to increased pressure within the eye and damage to the optic nerves – the bundle of fibers that connects our retina to our brain. 

Known as the silent thief of sight, it’s infamous for being difficult to detect. It usually starts with the loss of peripheral vision. But this happens slowly – often too slow for most people to perceive. It may take months to years for clearer symptoms to appear. What’s more, the damage is irreversible and permanent. 

This disease is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and about 3% of Singaporeans over 50 years of age suffer from this condition. How do you protect yourself from this condition? Our next tip says it all.

4. Make regular eye examination appointments.

Everyone knows that health and dental check-ups are important, but so few of us place the same level of significance on our eye examination appointments.  

With Singapore known as the “myopia capital of the world”, we should pay more attention to our vision. While it’s good to practice healthy habits on our own for our eyes, there’s no overstating the importance of seeing an optometrist too. 

It’s crucial for detecting early signs of eye conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and more.  

In terms of frequency, comprehensive eye examination with an optometrist in Singapore should be scheduled at least once every two years for adults. For seniors above the age of 65, this should be conducted at least once a year.  

Once you’ve set this routine, you’ll have a peace of mind, knowing that your eye health is in good hands.

5. A comprehensive eye exam may reveal other health conditions.

If you need more reasons to get a comprehensive eye examination, here they are. Besides allowing you to correct your vision, and get ahead of various eye conditions and diseases, it has another surprising benefit.  

Through an eye exam, an optometrist is also able to detect symptoms arising from general health issues such as:

• Cardiovascular disease 
• Diabetes 
• High blood pressure

These 5 tips may be the most essential ones, but they’re certainly not exhaustive. Different folks may have different needs too. That’s where our optometrists at Chew’s Optics step in to provide you with thoughtful, personalised care and eye health recommendations. 

Simply walk into our optical store or book an appointment with us to arrange for a comprehensive eye examination.  

We’re located at 144 Teck Whye Lane, #01-211, Singapore. And we’re open daily except Mondays and Fridays. You can also reach out to us directly on WhatsApp at +65 8314 7093.