Many products that protect the eye can benefit all patients, but are particularly helpful to those that have lower levels of natural protection.
A lower score on the MP-eye can often be the motivation that patients need to go the extra mile to protect their sight.
Sunglasses / Photochromics
Significantly reduce the amount of blue light reaching the retina.
Dietary Supplements
Improve macular pigment levels over time to protect the retina and provide antioxidant support.
Blue filtering lenses
Reduce blue light reaching the retina enough to make a difference over the long-term.
TRACK over time
Tracking your patients over time can help them to focus on managing their eye health.
Sunglasses and Photochromics
Sunglasses and photochromics aren’t just a fashion accessory, they are also an important tool in our arsenal against exposure to harmful radiation.
By almost completely filtering out UV light they protect the cornea and lens, and by removing the majority of blue light they protect the retina.
While everybody will benefit from the protection that sunglasses and photochromics offer, it’s those with low natural defences that will benefit most.
Blue filtering lenses
Blue filtering lenses offer increased blue light protection with minimal impact to style and practicality.
Blue filtering lenses differ, but they generally let through “good” blue light (455-500 nm) that we need to regulate our circadian rhythms, while filtering out around 20%-30% of the “bad” blue light (380-455 nm).
While some argue that 20-30% is not a large reduction, lens manufacturers have found a balance by not altering colour perception noticeably while still providing a benefit against long-term accumulation of photochemical damage.
Think of it like setting aside 20-30% of your income for your pension.
Dietary Supplements
A person with high levels of macular pigments can reduce the harmful violet-blue light reaching their retina by as much as 90%.
While increasing dietary intake of foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin is the healthiest way to increase a person’s natural levels of protection, it is not always easy for people to change their diet.
Macular pigment dietary supplements offer an easy and convenient way to increase macular pigment density. In 6-12 months, patients will see measurable increases in their macular pigment density (MP-eye score), and many people that have been using supplements for over 3 years score 10/10 on the MP-eye.
Track over time
The sooner a person’s macular pigment density is assessed, the greater the opportunity to prevent damage. This means that all patients, young and old, should be tested and tracked.