What do you do to look after your eyes?

I've taken to

wearing UV filter

sunglasses and

taking a food

supplement

containing Lutein -

which seems to keep

my eyes from going

dry and blurry

particularly in the

evening. It also

noticeably sharpens

my vision.

 

So, I was wondering

if anyone had any

tips for eye care?

I try to avoid lots of pointy sticks while out (literally) in the field. I'm really not jesting, here. I have - to my ongoing amazement - still got a bit better than 20/20 here in my mid 40's. And I usually wear a brimmed at for some shade outdoors. But as much as I hate photographing while wearing glasses of any sort, I've had far too many close calls (thorny branches whipping into my face, birdshot from a shotgun 100 yards away raining down on me, etc) to be cavalier about protecting my eyes from physical onslaught. I usually carry some little saline eyedrop capsules with me when I'm shooting in dusty environs, just in case I get some windblown crud in my viewfinder eye.

 

And of course, lots of anti-oxidants in the form a red wine. I mean, you can't be too careful.

I'll go with the red wine treatment.

 

I don't go out of my way to protect my eyes these days. When I used to play sports where eye injuries could be expected, such as cricket, field hockey and especially squash, I used to wear spectacles with large plastic lenses.

 

In the end it was my knees that gave the problems.

I do wear safety glasses when working with the lathe and mill. And my regular glasses are photosensitive ones so I can't forget my sunglasses.

Hugh, while I don't know how old you are wearing UV filter sunglasses and taking Lutein doesn't sharpen your vision, there is nothing that can do that. The older you get the more they will deteriorate, in one person more progressively than in another.

 

Unlike Matt, I'm not too often in the field so I don't need any protection (20/20 in your mid-forties is exceleent btw, good genes I guess) If your eyes regularly go dry and blurry you really should see a doctor.

 

Matt, while red wine does tast a whole lot better you'd get more out of tomatoes. Besides, your eyes won't get dry and blurry as well ;-)

Usually, Ton, I make sure that my tomatoes are served WITH a glass of red wine. I'm nothing, if not thorough.

Interesting answers. Well, that's the point really, Ton - I'm 56 and while I still only need reading glasses, my eyes do seem to have had enough by early evening. Thanks for the tip - I'll get them checked.

I bought Flash Focus for my Nitendo DS. Really does help exercise your eyes and help you focus your vision in a number of ways. Other than that, a healthy dose of Vitamin A loaded carrots to maintain. Eating carrots doesn't improve our eyesight, but it does prevent degradation.

Hugh, I don't know what kind of camera you have but you might want to consider a magnifying eyepiece. They are available in varying strengths for different cameras.

I am with the Luiten on this one :)

These days I keep out of bright sun but as above, I stick to a diet rich in vitamin A, plus plenty of tomatoes, good quality olive oil, walnut oil etc. I'm long sighted but my doctor, opthalmologist and dentist all tell me I'm in good shape for my age (why the hell do they have to qualify it with 'for your age' !?).

I am 76. I have some issues with my eyes that may have been brought about by 8000 hours peering into the sunfilled sky

from the cockpit of an airplane without dark glasses.. Glasses do not allow correction any more at all distances although I

can see to drive my DOF is about a hundred yards before things blur a bit.. Enough to pass a driving exam. However, I can

see at any distance through my 70-200 2.8L. or my 100-400L. Autofocus is great. My retrospective advice.is too protect

your eyes with the best UV polarizing glasses you can find. It may help get to my advanced age in better visual condition

than I am. However, right now, I am about go swim a 2400 meter workout training for an age group swimming meet next

month. I have done that part of it right by staying in good physical conditon all my adult life. Won't help me see any better

though.

I eat a balanced diet, and take the RITE AID brand of Large Multi-Vitamen/Mineral Supplement.These are practically equivalent to more expensive Centrum brand. I wear my normal prescription lenses from LensCrafters, even while shooting, and just live with the light inconvenience that poses. I do wear a pair of vintage Bolle (very dark grey) ski sunglases when outside driving. I also have a pair of prescription Polarized sunglasses, also from LensCrafters. I wear these occaisionally as well. I have 'normal' mid-40's male eyes. I do have to 'tip the lenses' down a few MM, when I want to settle down and do some reading. 20 years of being on the recieving end of CRT radiation has not done my eyes any good. But they are OK and normal by the population age group. I also put a UV filter on any lens I'm using, so that acts to filter out some of the UV light.

Nothing wrong with you all taking care of your diet, that's just sensible. It doesn't do a lot, if anything, for your eyesight. Nor do all those vitamines. Your body can just take up so much, the rest goes right out via your kidneys. The effect of food supplements is at best debatable.

 

Still, a bit of thouroughness like Matt demonstrates won't hurt either.

 

I regularly take photo's of beautiful women which keeps my eyes in prime working order ;-)

Try a drop of real rosewater once a week, one in each eye.

My number one is to get medical information from doctors, not from photography forums.

 

So, I go to my carefully chosen optometrist at least once a year for a complete eye exam. I listen carefully to everything she says and try to follow her advice.

 

I also go my internist once a year for a complete exam. I also listen carefully to him and try to follow his advice.

 

Directly related to the advice of those two professionals is wearing good sunglasses and taking the lutein supplement.

I agree with what Bob said. If your eyes are tired toward evening, it could be eyestrain brought upon by a number of causes - correction for one. See your opthalmologist for a complete exam. Correction may be appropriate. If your eyes are normally dry the doctor may recommend a moisturizing agent such as Thera-Tears, or similar stuff.

Age may be a factor with cataracts coming on. After being very nearsighted all my life, cataracts were removed and intraocular lenses implanted. Vision improvement is miraculous. However, there are different types of those as well. (single focus or multifocus, depending on needs and lifestyle).

 

My thoughts.

 

Jack

BTW everyone who lives long enough gets cataracts as they age according to my ophamologist and according to

everything I have read on the subject. Mine are incipient i.e. just beginning and they do not appreciably effect what's wrong

with my vision. I go through a two appointment process for my annual exam and and just had an appointment with a

macular expert. No macular degeneration but some other stable issues with the macula. The exam includes tests for

peripheral vision which indicates incipient Glaucoma before it shows in intraocular pressure and some other sophisticated

stuff. None of this makes me any better nor improves what my prescription can do for me. However, I can live and

photograph with what I have. It's fait accompli.