4 minute read
Member Spotlight with Adelaide United Head Coach Carl Veart.
Carl Veart
Head Coach, Adelaide United
Membership status: National Pharmacies Member for 15 years
Local Optical store: Henley Beach
What is your favourite thing about being a member of National Pharmacies? My favourite part about being a member are the discounts and benefits, as well as the service you get from National Pharmacies employees. Members like me receive free health checks, have exclusive access to equipment hire, receive member benefit on vaccinations, and we also get regular promotions providing greater value. It’s also good for other things like my pets because members receive discounts on pet products and pet prescriptions. Can you tell us a bit about your eye health and why you use the services at National Pharmacies Optical? My eye health is generally quite good, but I do need glasses for reading. I like to use the services at National Pharmacies Optical because it's local and very easy to go and see. With the optical care, I also receive benefits on glasses and my kids do as well, which is also a plus.
How long have you been wearing prescription glasses and what made you realise you needed them? I have been wearing my prescription glasses for three or four years and noticed that I needed them because I had to keep increasing the text size on my phone to be able to see anything on the screen. Day to day what do you do to care for your eye health? I need to use glasses for reading, using my laptop and, at times, my mobile. Making sure I use my glasses for those types of things is definitely important.
How important is eye health to you in your career? Eye health is very important for everyone. For me, it doesn’t matter if it's work related or even personal life because without my glasses I can't really read anything effectively. It’s also important because wearing glasses reduces my risk of getting any eye conditions which would affect my career.
Do you carry your glasses with you all the time? I do try to carry my glasses with me all the time because when I forget I cannot see what I am reading so it’s vital that I have them with me for example, when I go to a restaurant and forget my glasses, I find it hard to read the menu and it’s quite frustrating.
Top 5 Tips for Taking Care of Your Eyes During The Winter Months
By Optometrist, Peter Dixon
Wash your hands
Winter is a time of year when people are more susceptible to viral infections such as conjunctivitis or pink eye which is spread through direct contact. Protect your eyes from cross infection by washing your hands regularly throughout the day and do not rub your eyes.
Wear sunglasses in winter
It is important to wear sunglasses all year round, particularly in winter as the sun can still be damaging. Wearing sunglasses in winter is important to protect your eyes from harmful effects of UV rays. The sun sits lower on the horizon and can be as damaging as in summer. Prolonged exposure to the sun can damage your eyes slowly over a lifetime resulting in serious eye conditions such as photo keratitis, cataracts, pterygium and macula degeneration.
Use artificial tears eye drops for dry eyes
With more time spent indoors in air conditioning and in front of the fire your eyes can become dry and irritated. If you suffer from dry eyes in winter, try to sit further away from heat and use recommended artificial eye drops to relieve the soreness that comes from having dry eyes.
Apply the 20 20 20 rule
To give your eyes a break when using a screen for extended periods of time, apply the American 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes you spend in front of a screen, look at an object in the distance, 20 feet away (or 6 metres away), for 20 seconds. This will give your eyes a break and help alleviate dry eyes.
Get your lighting right
With the reduced daylight hours we rely a lot more on artificial lighting. Poor lighting conditions can cause unnecessary eye strain, redness, and fatigue headaches. Use multiple light sources in a room to increase the amount of light without relying on a super bright overhead light.
If you have further questions about how to best care for your eyes this winter, contact your local National Pharmacies Optical Optometrist.
