Eyes Are for Life

Eyes Are For Life - Vision Health for Canadians.

Preventing Eye Diseases

There are things to do to prevent eye infections and common diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, watery eyes, visual disturbances, and others. Diseases that are more common later in life include retinal tear detachment, flashers, floaters, watery and dry eyes, lid problems, and presbyopia. Self-care is very important to prevent sight problems before vision starts to deteriorate.

Comprehensive dilated eye exams help identify common vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, astigmatism, and farsightedness. The exam tests your vision to help safeguard your sight. Your doctor will dilate the pupils and check for signs of disease and damage and to examine your internal and external eye. To this, it is also important to learn more about your family's eye health history and inform your doctor. If a family member has been diagnosed with some condition or disease, you might be at risk as well. It is also important to learn more about specific symptoms and risk factors to keep your eyes healthy for as long as possible.

Your Diet and Lifestyle

Proper nutrition is essential for your vision and overall health. There are certain foods to consume to help prevent vision problems and protect your sight. Consume more vegetables and fruits such as collard greens, kale, spinach, and dark leafy greens. You can also have foods rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids. Consume more halibut, tuna, salmon, and other types of fish meat high in omega-3. Foods that are highest in fatty acids include radish seeds, flaxseed oil, cloves, basil, broccoli, and grape leaves. If you smoke, then it is time to quit smoking for good to protect your eyesight. A number of studies have linked nicotine to vision problems such as optic nerve damage, cataract, age-related macular degeneration, and others. Sleep is also essential for your sight and health. Spending a lot of time in front of the TV, at the computer or laptop, or focusing on something is bad for your eyes. This is because you may forget to blink. There are some exercises for healthy eyes that help reduce strain and vision problems. Protective eyewear also helps, especially if you spend a lot of time at the office, and don't forget to wear sunglasses that block harmful UV-B and UV-A radiation. Make sure you buy glasses that block ultraviolet rays.



Financial Aid for Eye Care Canada

There are different ways to get financial aid if you have vision problems and need services to treat or assess eye problems. Canadians benefit from provincial insurance plans that offer access to comprehensive physician, medical, and hospital services. Insurance plans cover eye problems such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, and other conditions and eye injuries.

Financial Aid and Eligibility

Low income families need financial aid because of their more limited income to cover medical expenses. There are certain requirements to meet, one being a prescription from an optometrist, optician, or another vision provider. Applicants are asked to provide proof that they have been examined by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist. Canadians with low income are often struggling with bad credit and benefit from a comprehensive array of covered services and products, including eye prosthesis, eyeglass repairs, and examinations available to diabetic patients, the elderly, children, and adults. Certain services and products are excluded, for example, laser surgeries, occlusion procedures, and vision exams for sports activities, driver’s license requirements, and job applications. Some services are covered under territorial and provincial insurance plans. Low income persons with credit card debt (https://www.lifeoncredit.ca/top-6-secured-credit-cards-for-canadians/) find it more difficult to cover medical expenses and benefit from insurance coverage under territorial health plans. Services vary from province to province, and there may be age limitations, i.e. persons with medical problems who are 20 to 64 years old are entitled to a major eye exam once a year. Travel grants are also available to Canadians living in certain locations and cover the cost of transportation for patients travelling long distances. Under many plans, long-term services, ambulance transportation, home care, and prescription drugs in other territories and provinces are not covered.

Canadians are offered financial aid through different plans, one being the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program under which eye exams are covered based on the age of patients. For example, patients aged 18 years and over are entitled to an eye exam every 24 months while those who are younger can have an exam every 12 months. Persons with diabetes and other medical conditions are entitled to a comprehensive eye exam once a year. The cost of eyeglass replacements as well as minor and major repairs is also covered. There are certain exclusions to keep in mind, for example, implants, safety glasses, esthetic products, and others.

You can pay for your eye care with a credit card, and if you don’t have one you can get one from RBC https://www.creditcardsforbadcredit.ca/credit-cards-offered-by-rbc/. In case you have a poor credit you can apply for a credit card for bad credit https://www.creditcardsforbadcredit.ca/credit-cards-for-bad-credit-canada/ from a smaller financial institution.

There are supplemental and optional policies to cover additional services and expenses, including vision corrections through elective laser surgeries, frames and eyeglasses, contact lenses, eye examinations, and others. Some services and treatments are only partially covered, even by optional policies. In addition to health coverage under different plans, some consumers are forced to resort to other sources of financing to cover the cost of treatment and services. If you only need a small loan, you may want to consider options such as cash advance (https://www.lifeoncredit.ca/cash-advances-on-credit-cards/) and payday lenders that offer small, short-term loans (https://www.lifeoncredit.ca/the-most-popular-bad-credit-lenders-in-ontario/). Payday loans are offered to Canadian consumers with stable incomes and job, regardless of their credit profile. One of the main benefits for customers is that they get access to emergency financing to cover essential services they would otherwise be unable to take advantage of. Taking out a payday loan is an expensive way to cover health-related expenses but it is sometimes the only option for debt-ridden borrowers. Those who have a track record with some payday lender benefit from larger loans, and finance providers gradually increase the amount available to regular customers. Finally, those who are looking for alternatives may contact different non-for-profit organizations that are committed to providing eye care services in low income communities.