Do you know the difference between the three types of eye care professionals?

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (MDs or DOs) who specialize in eye care. Not only do they prescribe eyeglasses and contacts, they also perform eye surgery and treat medical conditions of the eye.

Optometrists have a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. They diagnose vision problems and treat medical conditions of the eye, prescribe glasses and contacts, etc. With a few exceptions, optometrists typically are not trained or licensed to perform eye surgery.

Opticians are eye care professionals who fit, adjust and repair glasses and teach patients how to apply and care for contact lenses.

‘Floaters’ are the little dots and shadows that float across your vision.

Sometimes floaters will go through your eye and you won’t even notice, because your brain is hard-wired to adapt your vision to environmental changes.

Other times, floaters can be quite alarming. Dots and lines going across your vision might make it difficult to concentrate and cause confusion, and the rest of your vision can become blurry if you’re worried and focusing on the floaters. 

Generally, floaters are nothing to worry about – even if they are a hassle. They are caused by debris floating into your eyeball.

The eyeball is coated in a jelly-like substance which the debris floats on top of, so having floaters in your eye shouldn’t do you any harm. 
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What they will do is cast a shadow on your retina by blocking out a section of the light that is going into your eye – this is what causes the dark spots. 

How healthy are you? A survey reveals a disconnect - or gap - between how healthy Canadians think they are and their actual nutritional habits. According to the Centrum National Supplements Survey, while fruits and vegetables should make up the biggest portion of a healthy diet, well above caffeine, Canadians' daily caffeine consumption is actually on par with fruit and vegetable intake. In addition, Health Canada reports that more than 10 million Canadians aren't getting all of the vitamins and minerals they need from diet alone.

Nutritional consultant Theresa Albert says it's important to take control of these nutritional gaps early.

“It takes a long time for nutrient insufficiency to show up. I like to compare it to wear and tear on your favourite sneakers. When you use cells over and over again without replacing the building blocks, it will eventually lead to holes that can, in turn, lead to other problems. A simple thing like an eye twitch, for example, could be the result of stress, but it could also mean your body is too low in magnesium, the nutrient that helps release muscle tension. Prevention of little warning signs like these are much easier to manage before they become a deficiency.”

Vitamins and minerals are essential for good health—supporting everything from maintaining immune function and muscle function to eyesight and bone health. While there is no magic bullet, Albert says a multivitamin, like Centrum, can help counteract these shortcomings and help ensure we are getting the small but crucial nutrients missing from our diets.

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