The importance of having an eye test
National Eye Health Week is an annual event that aims to bring awareness to the importance of good eye health and the requirement for regular eye tests. Sight is one of our most precious senses and something that we should never take for granted, so it is incredibly important that we look after the health of our eyes, just as we would any other aspect of our general health.
Just like annual medical health checks with a GP or specialist, or check-ups at the dentist, sight tests are incredibly important in maintaining healthy eyes. Did you know that there are 2 million people in the UK currently living with sight loss that is severe enough to have a significant impact on their daily lives? Half of this sight loss is actually preventable with early diagnosis and treatment. [1]
In addition to saving your sight, an eye test can also save lives. Thanks to advanced technology, not only will an eye test determine your prescription, but it can also detect a number of diseases including diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts, brain tumors and much more. With many diseases showing little or no obvious symptoms, they can be spotted during a routine eye examination which in turn can lead to the early diagnosis and treatment of many life threatening diseases. For most people, the general advice is to attend an eye test every two years, however, for some patients, these visits to the optometrist are required more frequently if you suffer from certain health or eye conditions including glaucoma or diabetes.
[1] Future Sight Loss UK (1): The economic impact of partial sight and blindness in the UK adult population, Access Economics PTY Ltd, June 2009
How to keep your eyes healthy?
There are small, simple things that you can incorporate into your everyday life that can help to keep your eyes in good shape. These include:
- Eating a healthy and balanced diet full of leafy greens and foods enriched with Omega-3 fatty acids which have been proven to boost eye health.
- Maintain a healthy weight by staying active and eating well. This will help to reduce your blood pressure and avoid conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all of which can be bad for your vision.
- Protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays by wearing sunglasses that offer full UVA and UVB protection.
- If you are a smoker, consider giving up the habit as not only will this improve your general health, but can also stop you developing serious eye conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Don’t risk your eye sight – Act now
Your vision matters, so don’t put it at risk. If you have noticed a change in your vision, or it has been over two years since your last eye test, it is important that you book a test with your local optometrist as soon as possible. At ACES we work in partnership with thousands of optometrists across East Anglia who are able to refer you to ACES for timely treatment if you are experiencing issues with your eye health.
Sight saving treatment available at ACES
At ACES we are extremely proud to offer our patients high quality services focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of a range of eye conditions and vision problems that can help to restore your eye health and save your vision. Many vision problems are minor and require regular monitoring over time, however for those patients who suffer from more serious, sight threatening conditions, we can provide specialist assessment, advice, and treatment plans for a variety of eye care issues including cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye, blepharitis, macular degeneration and many more.
The sooner that an eye condition is diagnosed and treated, the easier it is for vision to be saved and that is why at ACES we pride ourselves on offering timely care, so our patients can avoid lengthy NHS waiting lists. Find out more about getting a referral to ACES for treatment today.
