Snoring can be annoying for your bed partner or others in next door rooms but it can also be a sign of a very serious medical condition.

Snoring is associated with a condition called sleep apnea.  

There are 2 types of sleep apnea - central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  

OSA happens when the soft tissue of the throat collapses and causes the airway to become blocked.  This happens on and off during sleep and causes a decrease of oxygen in our blood flow.  There is a pause in the person's breath and then the brain tells them to breathe again and the person gasps.  Despite all this happening, the person doesn't wake up.  

As you can imagine, the lack of oxygen in the blood flow can have an impact on the way our body's organs work and keep healthy.  Heart disease, stroke and even cancers have been associated with people with sleep apnea.  But also the eyes are one of those structures affected. Some conditions such as retinal vein occlusion and non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy can be associated with OSA.  These conditions can cause significant sight loss which can be permanent.  Other conditions of the eye related to OSA are glaucoma, keratoconus and floppy eyelid syndrome.

Wondering if you may have sleep apnea?  Here are some of the risk factors
🌜Age
🌜Male
🌜Snoring
🌜Neck circumference of over 19 inches
🌜Obesity
🌜Smoking
🌜Daytime sleepiness
🌜Morning headaches
🌜Others seeing you stop breathing when sleeping

Treatments for OSA include devices to wear in your mouth and/or using a breathing machine called a CPAP when sleeping. Even playing the didgeridoo can strengthen the throat muscles and help make them less likely to collapse when sleeping.  

If you are worried about your snoring and having sleep apnea, contact your GP and make sure to let you optometrist know of your condition when you visit for your eye exam. 

We have all heard the eyes are the window to the soul.  But you should know they are also a window into our body.  How healthy our body is doing or how UNHEALTHY our body is doing can show in our eyes. Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, brain tumour, cancers, high cholesterol are just a few things that can be picked up at a routine eye examination.

So if you are one of the lucky ones who sees great. without the need for glasses or contact lenses, you may not feel the need for having an eye examination - with an optometrist not Dr Google.  

​Just remember even those with great vision can go on to develop health problems with the eyes.  And for many eye related diseases and disorders, vision loss happens.

Want to keep your eye healthy and keep good vision?  A routine eye exam at least every 2 years is something you should do.  

Some other things you can do to keep healthy eyes...
👁 Eat a diet that is rich in colourful vegetables
👁 Don't smoke
👁 Protect your eyes from the UV from the sun - even on cloudy days
👁 Maintain a healthy weight 
👁 Exercise routinely
👁 Take breaks when working on the computer or reading
👁 Protect your eyes and play it safe at work, home and doing sports

If you have great vision,  you still can book in - it's ok - go on.  Click BOOK ONLINE or give us a call on 01635 528844.

Want to check your vision before coming in for your eye exam?  Complete your online vision screening at ​https://visionscreening.zeiss.com/en-GB

Not all varifocals or progressives are made the same.  It's not a one size fits all sort of lens for most people.  And golfers are one of those who need special attention to their glasses. For many, every day varifocals or work glasses just don't work on the golf course.

Sports like golf require that you switch your gaze between close up and distance.  To keep you vision as comfortable as possible with golf when you wear varifocals, the spectacle lens design needs to be tailored to your particular sport needs.  Extra large and balanced distance vision combined with great near vision is needed to help your golf game.  From hitting the ball to tracking the ball to keeping the score - all need to be in focus to keep you performing your best.

Once you have your best prescription and tailored spectacle lenses, choosing the right frame is important.  Light weight and good fitting is key for any sportsman or sportswoman.  In addition, particular care must be made to get the correct tint and anti reflective coating to improve the contrast in all weather.  Great UV protection is needed as well to protect your eyes from the sun's harmful UV which can increase the risk of macular degeneration.

For more information, give us a ring on 01635 528844.  

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