Dear YMEC family,
As promised, here is part 2 of our eye care updates.
Eating Your Way to Better Eye Health
What we eat has a major impact on our eye health and there is strong evidence that the Mediterranean diet is much more beneficial for our eyes than a typical Western diet, especially as we age.
The Mediterranean diet is abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, plus flavourful herbs. Healthy fat like olive oil is commonly used while fish, seafood and poultry – lean sources of protein – are emphasised instead of red meat. Studies have shown that moderate consumption of red wine – one glass a day maximum for women, and two a day for men – is acceptable.
The Mediterranean diet creates a positive nutritional symphony and works synergistically to promote greater wellness. It’s not easy to explain how it works, but we know that it does.
Is Blue Light Good or Bad?
The answer is both. Blue light emitted from the sun is essential to your body’s ability to maintain circadian rhythm. However, laboratory studies have shown that artificial blue light can damage human cells and negatively impact our sleep patterns.
Get outside and enjoy the natural light while wearing sunscreen and sunglasses to protect you from UV exposure. Stop using your digital devices 2 hours prior to going to bed and invest in new technology blue filter lenses.
Shorter Days and Longer Nights = DriveSafe Lenses
Ask yourself: is it hard for you to see objects quickly when driving in low light conditions like rain, twilight or night? Are you bothered by glare from oncoming headlights? Do your current glasses give you problems when scanning the road, mirrors and dashboard? Benefits of Zeiss DriveSafe lenses include better vision in low light conditions, reduced glare from oncoming car headlights and streetlights and clearer viewing of the dashboard, rearview and side mirrors and the road ahead. I was impressed with my real-life experience with these lenses. There was less glare from the road surface, LED street lighting and headlights. The specialized coating Zeiss has put on their DriveSafe lenses helps prevent glare, as they proved through vigorous testing with headlight manufacturer HELLA. Night-time driving and pedestrian safety is in the news. Try these lenses. If you are not 100% satisfied with them, I will refund you the purchase price of the lenses.
The Use of Glasses in Managing Myopia Progression
Myopia prevalence, or nearsightedness, in the Western world is on the rise. We now know that myopia increases the risk of eye diseases, including glaucoma, cataract and retinal detachment. Both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the progression of myopia.
A study at our own University of Waterloo showed that indoor artificial light can cause myopia progression. The solution – spend at least one hour per week outdoors in natural light.
Special myopia management lenses, like the Zeiss MyoVision Prolens, are designed for treating the progression of myopia in children and are probably the most comfortable solution for a young patient.
