Specsavers Opticas (Columnist)
WORLD Sight Day (WSD) will be celebrated this Thursday October 11 to focus global attention on blindness and visual impairment.
To support this important initiative Specsavers Opticas is offering this important information about impaired vision and how to protect your sight.
Visual Impairment Facts
There are approximately 285 million people worldwide who live with impaired vision and blindness. Of these, 39 million people are blind and 246 million have moderate or severe visual impairment, yet 80% of visual impairment is avoidable through treatment and protective measures.
The leading causes of avoidable blindness are:
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Age Related Macular Degeneration
• Diabetic Retinopathy
All of these conditions and many others can be easily identified with a complete eye test and early diagnosis is crucial to effective treatment and avoiding permanent vision loss.If necessary, the optometrist will refer you directly for further medical examination to an Ophthalmologist or doctor.
How to Protect Your Sight
• Get your eyes tested regularly – every year for children, over 70s and people with family history of eye complaints and every two years for those with no issues
• Eat a healthy diet – A diet full of the following foods has been shown to help reduce the occurrence of Age-related Macular Degeneration; chicken, saffron, dark green leafy vegetables, peppers, broccoli,pumpkin, yams, squash and sweet potatoes,apricots and citrus fruits, sardines and nuts.
• Know the signs – Being aware of the symptoms of these common conditions will help you identify them quickly.
• Take action – Don’t delay in seeking professional help if you do notice any changes, the quicker any condition is identified the easier it is to treat.
Specsavers Opticas have stores in Marbella and Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol. To book an eye test, or find out more about eye health visit www.specsavers.es
