A close look at ‘eyeritation’

Look here: Did you know that not a lot of Filipinos are aware of the importance of basic eye care?

You do care about your eyes, don’t you?

I guess a lot of us do, judging from the huge turnout at an event hosted by LF Asia to relaunch Eye Mo. But of course, who doesn’t know Eye Mo? You and I probably grew up with it. I remember my mother squeezing some drops of Eye Mo into my eyes everytime they got irritated (which was often). But other than this magic eye care product, it was my mother’s tender loving care that did the trick.

Did I say relaunch of Eye Mo? Did it leave the Philippines? Not really, but there was the problem of supply or product constraints, says Weitarsa Hendarto, vice president, Consumer Healthcare and Wellness, Combiphar. FYI, Eye Mo is now owned and manufactured by Combiphar Group of Companies, a leading multinational Indonesia-based consumer healthcare company, and distributed by LF Asia Philippines, Inc., a leading healthcare distributor.

As we stop, look, and listen, we enjoy our lunch at Cafe Naya at The Palace in Bonifacio Global City, which cooked up an eyeful of dishes especially designed for us to have healthy eyes (think tomato and basil soup, watermelon and kesong puti salad, chimichurri grilled chicken, soy pineapple pork belly, herb baked salmon, chorizo baked penne pasta, steamed rice, amaretto cheesecake/carrot cake for dessert, and sweetened lemonade to wash it all down.

To make us more aware of the state of our eyes and help us take better care of our eyes, Eye Mo launched a new campaign named “Eyeritation.” 

“Eye Mo EyeCare National Awareness Campaign, a first in the Philippines, is a nationwide initiative with the primary objective of informing the Filipino people about the importance of clear eyesight in their daily lives,” says Glenda Arceno, general manager of LF Asia Philippines, Inc., Healthcare Division. “Eye care is one of the grey areas in the healthcare system. The campaign basically intends to teach us about the common minor eye irritations that the typical Pinoy faces every day.”

The campaign identifies the top five signs of eye irritation, as follows:

1) Red eyes.  Usually caused by allergy, dirt, pollution, smoke or common eye infections, which are most common among people who are mostly exposed to outdoor activities such as motorcycle riders and commuters.

2) Watery eyes. Excessive tearing that is not caused by normal crying (or from watching a tear-jerking Korean telenovela) may be a sign of an underlying health condition. When too many tears are being secreted, it is often because of irritation or inflammation of the surface of the eye that can be caused by external elements as well.

3) Sore eyes. Usually caused by staring into a computer screen or a book for too long.

4) Itchy eyes. Often caused by allergies; can also occur when there’s constant exposure to household elements such as mold and dust. Take double note: As much as you want to do it, rubbing your itchy eyes won’t help.

5) Dry eyes. Common among people who have high exposure to gadgets, laptops (more on this a bit later), TV, and those working in air-conditioned rooms. Also common as we age is lack of tears or moisture.

Eye Mo’s EyeCare Awareness Campaign Caravan initially hopes to reach the urban communities with direct access to water services. 

“Eye Mo can be used to combat uncomfortable eye irritations,” shares Earl Jayona, marketing manager, LF Asia Philippines, Inc., Healthcare Division. “It comes in two variants: Eye Mo Red Eyes Formula and Eye Mo Moisturizing Formula. Eye Mo Red Eyes Formula contains tetrahydrozoline HCI (indicated for red eyes, watery eyes, sore eyes, and itchy eyes) for quick relief of eye redness and minor discomforts caused by irritants. On the other hand, Eye Mo Moisturizing Formula contains hypromellose (indicated for dry eyes) which lubricates and soothes the eyes, easing them from eye strain and dryness.”
Glenda gives us these top tips on how to take care of our eyes:

• Eat healthy for good vision. Start taking care of your eyes with good food. To protect your vision, eat foods that provide nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and vitamins like C and E. Research shows that eating these foods will help take care of the eyes. You don’t believe me? Ask your mom. 

• Visit an eye care professional. Prevention is better than cure. You might think your eyes are healthy because your vision is okay, but visiting your eye doctor for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to really be sure. Getting your eyes regularly checked is the way to determine if your eyes are healthy and if you’re seeing your best.

• Know your eye history. It is important to know if anyone in your family has been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition since many of these are hereditary. Knowing your family health history will help determine if you are at risk of developing an eye disease or condition. Again, prevention is better than cure.

• Quit smoking. Smoking damages the optic nerve and causes macular degeneration. To ward off all eyes and health problems, quit smoking. Or if you haven’t been smoking, don’t even start. 

• Keep your weight in check. Obesity and overweight have been linked to an increased risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions, which can lead to vision loss. Eat a balanced diet to keep you away from these risks. 

• Be cool and wear your shades. More than a fashion accessory, sunglasses protect your eyes. Wear them whenever you’re outside. They protect the eyes from the sun’s UV rays, which are harmful for both the eyes and the skin. If you wear lenses, they also protect your eyes from UV rays but still, you should wear sunglasses for more protection. Unless the sun is out, keep your cool and take your glasses off. 

• Give your eyes a break. You spend a lot of time on the computer and mobile devices that sometimes you forget to blink and your eyes can get tired. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. This can help reduce eyestrain and also help you notice that there’s more to life than your devices.

• Observe hygiene. Cleanliness goes a long way. Always wash your hands. You don’t want to scratch your eyes or remove your lenses with dirty hands and increase your chance of infection, do you?  

• Keep a first-aid solution handy. Sometimes you can’t avoid eye irritation like redness, watery, sore, dry, and itchy eyes. Make sure to have a trusted eye drops solution that relieves you from these minor eye irritation.

• Love your eyes. Naturally, your eyes are capable of protecting themselves, but when they are forced to an unfavorable environment, they might start giving you trouble. Hence, taking care of your eyesight, especially as you grow older, is an essential part of your healthcare.

And here’s something not to be overlooked: It’s important to remove eye makeup every night before going to sleep. Eye makeup, if not removed on a daily basis, may result in possible allergic reaction to the eyes. In worst cases, allergens irritate the eyelids that can cause abrasions and later infections.
“Like other parts of the body, we should take care of our eyes. Eye dryness is a sign that your eyes need to rest. There are possibilities of visual impairment if the signs or symptoms are not treated or managed,” goes Glenda’s friendly eye care advice.

Say eye do to proper eye care!