Specsavers urge people to look after their eye and ear health
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JANUARY often signifies a fresh start, with many Scots adding in the additional challenge of New Year's resolutions. These are frequently focused on improving overall health and wellbeing and getting rid of last year's bad habits.
Pat Taylor director for Specsavers Elgin said many common resolutions such as healthy eating and quitting smoking can also have the important added benefit of improving eye and ear health.
Fruit and vegetables like spinach, kale and kiwi fruit all contain lots of vitamins that are great for eye health and oily fish like salmon are full of omega-3, which helps maintain healthy cells and tissues in the eyes.
Exercising more is also often at the top of people's resolution lists and can provide lots of benefits to the eyes.
Mr Taylor said: "Research indicates that our lifestyle also has an impact on our vision. Good cardiovascular health could be associated with lower risk of eye disease, which means staying active and eating healthy could stave off eye conditions."
Quitting smoking can also provide benefits to eye health by reducing risk of developing eye conditions. Studies have shown that smoking can double the risk of developing eye conditions like cataracts and triple the chances of developing age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease that causes blurred vision.
Smoking can also damage your hearing, with smokers being as much as 70 per cent more likely to suffer with hearing loss than non-smokers.
With working from home also set to continue for many in 2022, Pat Taylor also recommends that people remember to take some time away from screens too.
Mr Taylor added: "Our eyes are not designed to be fixated on a single object for a long period of time which is why they can often become strained when we sit at a computer all day. However, the ‘20-20-20 rule’ where you look at something 20ft away, for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes, can help."
Specsavers recommends everyone has a sight test once every two years.
