Image shows our Services Coordinator, Dan, having his regular eye health check.
Having a regular eye check is quick and easy. It isn’t just about having your ‘sight’ checked, it is about the general health of your eye and other medical conditions that it can detect too.
National Eye Health Week 2022
We provide support and specialist information to blind and sight impaired residents throughout West Sussex and we are delighted to be lending our support to National Eye Health Week (NEHW). This will be held from 19th – 25th September with the theme for this year being ‘Your Vision Matters’, promoting the importance of good eye health and the need for regular eye tests for all.
Sight is the sense people fear losing the most, yet many of us don’t know how to look after our eyes – National Eye Health Week aims to change all that! Two million people in the UK are living with sight loss, that is severe enough to have a significant impact on their daily lives, yet half of this sight loss is avoidable.
Regular sight tests can detect early signs of conditions, including glaucoma, which can be treated if found soon enough. In addition, during a sight test, other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure may be detected. Those with vision loss should continue to do so as checking for further changes in the eyes can help make the best use of remaining vision and prevent any unnecessary further sight loss.
One 4Sight Vision Support supporter shared her first-hand experience of the importance of sight checks. “My mother was diagnosed with Wet Macular Degeneration and with support from Adult Social Services and various local charities, she managed to live an independent life.
One day she said to me, while looking at the horizon, “If you see a wiggly line where you would expect to see a straight line, get your eyes tested”. As the years went by this did start to happen – my doctor referred me to the ophthalmologist who confirmed that I had macular degeneration in my right eye. While there is no cure, a regular course of eye injections can hold it steady and, hopefully, offer some improvement. To date, I have had 46 eye injections which are not as scary as they sound. My eyes are also scanned to check for any changes. I have experienced some minor deterioration, but if I had left it until the problem was obvious, I could now be classed as partially sighted.”
We will be raising awareness with a focus on prevention and the importance of getting things checked out. Anyone is welcome to contact the us if you would like to learn more about what to look out for/signs or to help us promote the national campaign.
Find out more:
To find out how 4Sight Vision Support can support you or someone you know living with sight loss, or more more information about how you too can support our fundraising effort, call our friendly team on: 01243 828 555 or email enquiries@4sight.org.uk
