10 things to remember if you love your eyes

1. DON'T smoke.

According to research published by the RNIB smokers are twice as likely to loose their sight in later life as non-smokers.

2. DON'T shower with your contacts in.

ALWAYS remove your lenses before showering. If you don't you risk contamination from acanthamoeba, which is present in tap water. A contaminated lens can be very painful and lead to blindness.

Remember:

• Never use tap or bottled water to rinse lenses or lens case.
• Remove lenses whilst swimming or using a hot tub.
• Dry hands thoroughly before touching lenses.
• Don't wear contacts past the indicated usage.

3. NEVER do DIY without safety goggles.

Unbelievably in the UK, every 25 minutes someone injures their eye doing DIY.

4. NEVER give your child toy sunglasses

(Or perhaps imitation designer ones for yourself). They can cause eye damage because the tinted lenses make the pupil dilate allowing more UV light into the eye. Look for the CE or BS EN 1836:1997 marks. This ensures that they offer a safe level of UV protection.

5. NEVER rub an irritated eye.

Instead gently pull your eyelid down over the lower lash. This induces tears and should naturally flush your eye. You may have to repeat this a few times if you have something in your eye. If an object won't come out, seek medical attention.

6. Remember - to drive- you have to be able to see!

It is a legal requirement that motorists can see properly every time they get behind the wheel. If you require prescription vision correction for driving you have to wear it - no matter how short your journey!

7. DON'T Share!

Use someone else's stuff: Face-cloths or cosmetics can be sharing eye infections.

8. NEVER leave your make up on when you go to bed.

Leaving your eye make-up on over night could potentially lead to you waking up with sore or irritated eyes so it's always advisable to remove your make-up before falling into bed - no matter how tired you're feeling!

9. ALWAYS check the expiry date.

Don't use cosmetics or eyecare medicines after their expiry date. Recent EU legislation requires cosmetic packaging to carry a symbol to indicate how long a particular product can be used after opening. Mascara will typically last three - four months.

10. TAKE an eye examination.

We recommend you have an eye examination at least every 2 years unless your optometrist recommends more frequent examination. An eye test will not only analyse your sight it can also find underlying health problems.