Early detection and treatment is the best defence against eye disease. Have your eyes tested every two years by an eye health professional.

Top Tips for Looking After Your Eyes

• Early detection and treatment is the best defence against eye disease. Get your eyes tested every two years by your family doctor, optometrist or ophthalmologist. If you notice any change in your vision, you should see your doctor, optometrist or ophthalmologist immediately.
• Stop smoking. Smoking kills healthy cells and can make you more susceptible to developing eye diseases.
• Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese you could be at risk of developing diabetes which could lead to vision loss such as diabetic retinopathy.
• When in the sun, wear sunglasses with a UV filter to protect your eyes from damaging UV rays.
• Eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and yellow vegetables such pumpkin and carrot, to help keep your eyes healthy.  Adding fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and tuna, and nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts, to your diet can help too.
• Teenage Eye Health Tips (PDF)
• How to care for eyes for over 40s (PDF)

Eye Care Team

The eye care team plays an important role in examining and treating our eyes.

• Ophthalmologist. An ophthalmologist is a medical eye specialist, a doctor who specialises in eye and vision care.  Ophthalmologists are specially trained to provide the full spectrum of eye care, including complex and delicate eye surgery.  Many ophthalmologists specialise in a certain area of eye care, such as retinal surgery, diabetic eye disease, paediatrics or glaucoma.
• Orthoptist. Orthoptists specialise in the assessment and management of eye movement disorders, and rehabilitation to prevent vision loss. Orthoptists work as part of the eye-care team in the areas of neonatal and paediatric eye care, rehabilitation after eye injury, geriatrics, neurological impairment, community services and ophthalmic technology.
• Optometrist. An optometrist performs eye examinations, prescribes glasses and contact lenses, and may use drugs to treat some eye conditions.