Take Care of your Eye: Ignoring eye health can lead to bigger problems in the long run

Oct. 12 is World Sight Day, and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society wishes Canadians to know just how important their eye health is.

According to Dr. Setareh Ziai, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute, vision is one part of the body many people take for granted.Eye health, Ziai says, is important to keep on top of because it can be an indicator of other health issues.

Ziai suggests to prevent eye issues from developing ---wear protective eyewear when outdoors, prevent projecting objects (like removing rocks before mowing the lawn) and practice proper contact lens care if you wear contacts.

CNIB – a Canadian agency and organization dedicated to assisting those who are blind and live with vision loss says that few people realize that about 75 per cent of vision loss is preventable. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, puts that number as high as 80 per cent.

-