AD // Our eyes are one of the most critical parts of our body to help us process the world around us. Yet we don’t take near enough are of them as we really should. Eyes are such intricate and delicate things, that it takes special care and attention to ensure they’re always in tip top shape. So let’s talk about our eye health today.
When I was a kid, I always wanted glasses. But up until I was around 18, I had 20/20 vision and never needed them. Since I started wearing reading glasses as a teenager, my eyes have deteriorated quite a bit. I’m now short-sighted (can’t see things which are far away), suffer with severe dry eyes and also blurred margins of my optic disk in my right eye, which can cause sensitivity to light and headaches.
I also suffer with really bad hay fever – and have done ever since I was a kid – so I’m extremely familiar with the discomfort your eyes go through in the Spring and Summer when hay fever season is upon us. So whilst I’ve not always needed glasses or always had something wrong with my eyes, I’ve ALWAYS been aware of how important it is to take really good care of them.
Today I’m sharing some amazing products with you to help you take better care of your eye health and including some helpful tips below that you can follow. Funny enough, the Thealoz Eye Drops were prescribed to me during my last opticians appointment, so I’ve already been using those for some time before I was sent this package.
Using Thea to help with dry eyes and hay fever:
Dry Eye Disease is a common condition that affects one in four people and occurs when the eyes do not make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly. The causes of Dry Eye Disease include, screen use, heating, and air conditioning.
Awareness of the condition remains low meaning that many of us are suffering needlessly with itchy, sore, gritty, red, blurry and watery eyes. Yet Dry Eye Disease can be effectively managed with eye drops, gels, ointments, or allergy medicines, and Thea have something to suit everyone.
I was sent a month’s supply of Thea eye products to help me manage my dry eyes and help with those annoying symptoms of hay fever. Let me show you which products I was sent and how I got on with them:
- BlephaEyeBag (RRP £19.99): A reusable eye warming mask to relieve symptoms of eye conditions. All you do with this is heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, place it on your eyes and relax. I absolutely love this mask; it’s particularly useful after a day of using the laptop for work.
- Thealoz Duo Drops (RRP £13.99): A normal eye-drop to use in your eyes throughout the day when you need a refresh or if you feel hay fever symptoms cropping up. I didn’t realise until I received this package but this is the drop that was prescribed to me by my optician back in January for dry eyes, so I’ve already been using this regularly and can confirm that it’s brilliant. It’s nice to have another one now!
- Zaspray (RRP £13.99): A spray alternative to drops, that helps soothe, hydrate and lubricate your eyes. This one can be used up to 4 times a day and is sprayed over the TOP of your eyelid, not in the eye itself. I’ve never used one of these types of sprays before but I really do love this. It’s insanely refreshing.
- BlephaClean (RRP £8.99): Containing a gentle, micellar solution, clean your eye area before you go to sleep or in the morning, much like you would with your skin! These cloths were lovely to use and an addition to my bedtime skincare routine. They felt really refreshing on my eyes.
If you suffer with dry eyes, then I would HIGHLY recommend Thea products. I’ve loved using all of these; particularly the drops and the spray, which I’ll continue to use for the foreseeable. If you fancy getting 10% off, head to the Thea website and use code JENNY10.
Concerned about some eye symptoms and wondering which product and course of action is for you? Head to the Symptom Checker to find out!
8 ways to take care of your eye health:
Attend your regular opticians appointments
One of the most important and easy ways to keep on top of your eye health is to attend your regular appointments. You will be sent a letter through the post when your appointment is due and eye tests can determine a whole range of conditions – not just your vision.
You might also be entitled to a free eye test, if you fall into one or more of the criteria highlighted on the NHS website.
Go and see an optician if you feel there’s something unusual going on with your eyes
Just like you wouldn’t wait for your next cervical screening if you were having symptoms, you don’t HAVE to wait for your next eye appointment if you feel like there’s something unusual going on with your eyes.
If you experience symptoms of dry eyes, use an eye drop
One in four people suffer with dry eyes and over 21 million people in the UK live with one or more allergies. Eye drops, like the Thealoz Duo that I use are a wonderful option to keep on top of dry eyes.
Rest your eyes from screens regularly throughout the day
Being self-employed and working from my laptop, I can DEFINITELY tell when I’ve spent too long looking at a screen. If you work from a computer (which let’s face it, most of us do), it’s worth taking regular breaks and even have a digital detox every now and again.
Use the 20/20/20 rule
The 20/20/20 rule states that for every 20 minutes you’re using a screen, look away at something that is 20 feet away for a total of 20 seconds. This gives your eyes a quick break and is easy to implement during the day.
Take eye make up off before bed
Take ALL make up off before bed! This is a great way to take care of your eyes AND your skin at the same time. The BlephaClean Wipes are great for this!
If you have hay fever, try to not rub your eyes
This is SO HARD. So, so hard. I feel you. But it’s so important to try and avoid. You’re just irritating your eyes even more and likely rubbing even MORE pollen in them.
Wash your eyes whenever you come in from outside
And if you can, wash and bathe your eyes when you come in from being outside during hay fever season to sooth your eyes and relieve the itchiness. You should try and avoid cotton wool if you can, the BlephaClean Wipes are a great alternative!
I hope this post will encourage you to take better care of your eyes and prioritize your eye health perhaps a bit more than you’re currently doing. And if you suffer with hay fever, it’s highly worth investing in some quality eye products like those featured in this post to help relieve itchiness, soothe your eyes and keep on top of your allergies more than ever.
Thanks for sharing, I have had problems with my eye sight since I was a child, I have poor sight in my left so I relay a lot on my right eye and have worn glasses for years and have hayfever as well which can making my eyes itchy so these lot great 🙂
Thank you!
Eye health and eye care is so important, I wear contact lenses so it’s important for me to have regular opticians appointments when I am due to have them! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Absolutely! I’ve never been able to wear contacts, I wish I could!
Amen to this!!! I never thought of taking care of my eyes until my eyesight significantly got worse after falling Ill. I suffer with severely dry eyes so I’m defiantly going to be checking out this product to see if it helps. I 100% agree with everything you’ve written, it’s just so important to take care of such a sensitive organ! Thank you so much for sharing with us lovely Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
They’re SO good! Take advantage of the discount code if you do use them. Initially I was actually prescribed this brand by my optician, so I knew it was going to be good!
I do have a bit of dry eye disease so I will have to see if these products are available here. Thanks for sharing Jenny.
They are available in the US I believe!
I don’t have Dry Eye Disease (fortunately) but I do suffer from hay fever as well, which can be incredibly debilitating. I haven’t come across the Zaspray before but that sounds really good, perfect for sore eyes!
Yes it absolutely is and it’s SO soothing!
It’s nice and comforting to hear that I am not alone with my dry eyes, and same time sad, because it really hurts. I have been tested to have no tears at all, which means without special drops containing tear lipids I am useless. I have been using Systane so far, but they are really expensive lately. Will check out your recommendations for sure!
You’re definitely not alone, it’s fairly common!
Thank you, Jenny. Eye health is important, especially if you wear glasses. 😊
Yes absolutely:)