Blog
21 October 2021
What is the impact of screen time on children’s vision?
Since the start of the pandemic, many children have turned to virtual learning during lockdown to continue their schooling, leading to a heavy increase in their amount of screen time. Children in the UK aged between 5 – 16 years old now spend an average of 6.3 hours using screens per day. With all the extra time spent focusing on screens (whether for virtual learning or leisure), it makes sense that you might be concerned about your child’s vision and eye health. To help ease your worries, we’ve put together some top tips on how to keep your children’s eyes healthy, and what potential symptoms you should be looking out for.
Read more14 October 2021
Driving eyesight rules: is your vision good enough to drive?
Having good eyesight is an essential part of road safety, and it’s also a legal requirement to meet the ‘standards of vision for driving’ set out by DVLA. Despite this, research by National Eye Health Week estimates that there are nine million drivers in Britain with vision that does not meet the legal standards for driving. Due to the sheer number of people on the roads with poor vision, accidents involving a driver with bad eyesight cause around 3,000 casualties and cost the UK £33 million per year.
Read more08 October 2021
Heterochromia: Can your eyes be two different colours?
Heterochromia is the medical term used to describe someone who has more than one eye colour, and it affects less than 1% of the world’s population. The term itself is derived from Ancient Greek, as ‘heteros’ meant different and ‘chroma’ meant colour. In many cases this means that each eye is a different colour – for example, one eye is brown while the other eye is blue. However, it can also mean that there are two separate colours in different parts of the same eye, and this can even occur in both eyes.
Read more05 October 2021
Autumn recipe to boost your eye health
As the nights draw in and the weather grows colder, we begin to look forward to the hearty warm meals that make us feel cosy while the weather outside remains chilly. Autumnal treats and meals can be warming and delicious, and good for your diet too. However, did you know that some seasonal ingredients can also benefit your eyes? These foods are packed full of vitamins that promote good eye health and vision, so why not have a look at our autumnal recipe below that your eyes would love (just as much as your stomach would!)
Read more30 September 2021
The short and long term impact of COVID-19 on your eyes
Over the past 18 months, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the world and has affected all of us in many different ways. Some of the most common COVID symptoms are now widely well known, such as a fever, cough, shortness of breath and the loss of smell and taste. How COVID can affect the eyes, however, is less well known – nevertheless, studies have shown that COVID does have some form of impact on the eyes. In this piece, we will explore how COVID affects the eyes and what impact it can have in the short and long term.
Read more23 September 2021
National Eye Health Week 2021: 4 habits to follow for healthy eyes
This week (20th – 26th September) is National Eye Health Week in the UK! Here at Ultralase, we understand how important it is to keep your eyes healthy. In honour of National Eye Health Week, we will be exploring a few healthy habits you can incorporate into your lifestyle that promotes good eye health. Here are our 4 tips on how to look after your eyes:
Read more16 September 2021
Fresher’s Week 2021: What impact does alcohol have on your eyes?
Fresher’s Week 2021 is almost here! With many universities starting the new academic year either this week or next week, hundreds of thousands of students will soon be setting off for a new chapter in their lives – ready to start their degree, make life-long friends, and party a little too hard (!). Speaking of partying, we all know that excessive alcohol consumption can be detrimental to both our physical and mental health. However, did you know that alcohol misuse can also harm your eyes too? Read on to discover how alcohol can affect your eyes, and why you should cut down on your alcohol intake for the sake of your eye health.
Read more09 September 2021
What is long-sightedness (Hyperopia)?
Long-sightedness (known in medical terms as hyperopia or hypermetropia) is a common refractive error that makes distant objects appear clearly, but nearby objects appear blurred. It’s one of the four main types of refractive errors: long-sightedness, short-sightedness (myopia), age-related long-sightedness (presbyopia) and an unevenly curved cornea (astigmatism).
Read more02 September 2021
How does the weather in Autumn affect your eyes?
The nights are getting longer, the days are getting colder, and we’re bringing out the jumpers from the back of our wardrobes… Autumn is almost here! It’s time to get a lot cosier as the seasons start to change, and soon we’ll be bundled up indoors with a warm mug of hot chocolate in our hands. However, the changing weather can have a negative impact on our eyes. Read on to discover some tips and tricks you can follow to prevent any possible eye irritation this autumn.
Read more25 August 2021
Is bad eyesight genetic? Do you inherit your eyesight problems?
Many of our characteristics – our hair, skin, and eye colour – are passed down to us from our parents. Our parents can also pass down certain illnesses and diseases through our genes, and this can include our eyesight. Eyesight can be heavily influenced by genetics, while there are also environmental factors that can determine how good our eyesight will be. We may not be able to challenge our genetic predispositions, but we can follow a healthier lifestyle to ensure we prevent certain eye diseases as much as possible.
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