Essential Eye Care Tips for Summer.

AD. Summer is well and truly upon us! Whether you're melting in the office, basking in the paddling pool or jetting off on holiday, it's important to keep on top of your eye care. In collaboration with Thea Pharmaceuticals I've compiled a super concise list of ways you can combat dry eyes and keep them in tip top condition for Summer.

Introducing Thea Eye Care.

With over 150 years of innovation and dedication to eye care Thea Pharmaceuticals are the ones for keeping our peepers in shape. Their extensive range includes products that help manage dry eye disease and maintain healthy vision.

What is Dry Eye Disease.

Dry eye disease is a common condition which affects one in four of us. It happens when our eyes don't make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly. There are a number of different causes of dry eye disease such as a high screen usage, heating and air conditioning. Unfortunately awareness of dry eye disease is pretty low. Common symptoms include the following:

• Eye pain
• Blurring of vision
• Foreign body sensations
• Redness
• Excessive watering
• Tired eyes
• Photophobia
• Contact lense discomfort
• Dryness
• Irritation from wind or smoke

Blepharitis is also a common trigger for dry eye symptoms. Over 40% of adults show some signs of the disease with symptoms including:

• Crusty eye lashes
• Redness around lid margins
• Heavy or puffy eyes
• Eyelids stuck together in the morning

Ways To Combat Dry Eye Disease.

Thea pharmaceuticals have something to suit everyone when it comes to combatting dry eye disease. Eye drops, gels, ointments and allergy medicines are all readily available. Let's take a closer look at what Thea Pharmaceuticals has to offer.

Eye Care Products From Thea Pharmaceuticals.

I've been trialing the following products from Thea Pharmaceuticals in the hope to tackle my dry, irritated eyes. Here's how I got on.

Blepha EyeBag

With approximately 200 uses this reusable eye bag is designed to relieve your sore, gritty and uncomfortable eyes. The eye mask is a flaxseed filled bag sandwiched between sheets of silk and moleskin. When heated it draws meibomian secretions out from the eye onto surface giving instant relief to your peepers. I've used the Blepha EyeBag numerous times and love the rapid relief it brings. It's recommended to use twice daily for the first couple of weeks before going down to once a day thereafter.

Thealoz Duo Drops

Suitable for both contact wearers or not, these eye drops are what you'd commonly expect to see when it comes to keeping up with eye care. The uniquely designed bottle is easy to use and the comfort the drops provide are pretty long lasting. Only one drop need to be applied to each eye at a time, although this can be done up to six times a day. It's only upon using the Thealoz Dup Drops that I've noticed just how dry and tired my eyes previously were.

Zaspray

Zaspray is ideal for allergy sufferers. The 3 in 1 solution should be applied to closed lids to sooth itchy, irritated eyes. The fine mist is really lovely to use and would make a great alternative for those who don't like using drops. It's a great little product to give your peepers a refresh, although it should only be used in moderation and for no longer than 30 days.

BlephaClean

BlephaClean are handy little wipes which have been clinically proven to help relieve symptoms of blepharitis. They're super gentle. So gentle in fact they can be used on babies from 3 months old. The pack of twenty sterile wipes remove dust, dirt and pollen, making them ideal one again for allergy sufferers.

Essential Eye Care Tips For Summer.

As we reach warmer Summer months it's important to keep up a good eye care regime. The following tips will help combat dry eye symptoms and keep your peepers in tip top shape.

1. Wear Sunglasses With Complete UV Protection.

Not all sunglasses are equal. You'll find that a lot of sunglasses offer very little UV protection. This Summer look out for sunglasses that offer both UV-A and UV-B protection. There should be a sticker on the glasses which states their protection level. It's also worth noting that once you have picked a protective pair of sunnies, they shouldn't just be worn on sunny days. Sunlight may not penetrate clouds, but UV rays can! Protect those peepers and keep up with your eye care this summer with a fabulous (and protective) pair of sunglasses.

2. Keep Your Eyes Moisturised.

Your eyes should be well lubricated in Summer especially. Thealoz duo drops and Zaspray from Thea Pharmaceuticals are the perfect tools for doing just that.

3. Wear Eye Protection When Necessary.

Summer months are a great time to do jobs around the house. Eye protection can so easily be forgotten about when doing DIY even though it's important we wear it. Summer's also a great time for swimming, whether thats at an indoor pool or wild swimming. It's important to wear goggles to protect your eyes against any nasties in the water.

4. Attend Regular Eye Care Appointments.

It goes without saying, but the best way to keep up to date with eye care is by attending regular appointments. Regular appointments can help identify any issues before they become worse.

5. Eat Foods to Feed The Eyes.

Who'd have thought there were specific eye friendly foods? Tomatoes, peppers, melon and peaches are all great examples of eye friendly foods. Not only are they good for you, but they're the perfect foods to eat during warmer Summer months too. Omega 3 fatty acids are really good for your eyes too, so foods such as nuts and seeds should be added to your diet to sustain your eye care.

6. Stay Hydrated.

A lot of people are aware of the impact good hydration has on your skin. But it also has a massive impact on your eye health too. We should be drinking a minimum of two litres of water a day to prevent dehydrated skin and eyes.

7. Rest Your Eyes.

It's recommended that you take a break from your screen every hour for 5-10 minutes. You could also adopt the 20-20-20 rule. This means that for every 20 minutes you should look away at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Overdoing screen time can cause eye strain, blurred vision and dry eye symptoms.

Thea Pharmaceuticals Eye Care Discount Code

Thea Pharmaceuticals are offering my readers 10% discount across their products with the code CLAIREMAC10

How do you keep up to date with your eye care? Is there anything from Thea Pharmaceuticals which appeals to you?