Today marks the beginning of National Eye Health Week (NEHW), which has been set up to highlight the importance of looking after eye health and having frequent eyesight tests.
NEHW is taking place between September 19th and 25th, with many eye care charities and organisations around the country getting involved in the event to promote good eye health.
Each day addresses a different theme, including children’s eye health (Tuesday), diabetic retinopathy (Wednesday), sight after sixty (Thursday), and smoking and sight loss (Sunday).
Throughout the week, general eye health will also be discussed, with the event hoping to boost the number of people having regular examinations.
The Generation Eye Report, released by NEHW together with Specsavers opticians, found that nearly 14 million people do not have eyesight tests every two years, despite 75 per cent of Brits saying they have had poor eye health in the last year alone.
According to the findings, 22 per cent stated their poor eyesight has restricted their daily life and more than half (55 per cent) claimed it was their biggest fear about ageing.
Dr Nigel Best, clinical spokesperson for Specsavers, said: “Half of all sight loss cases are preventable – and a simple eye test can be the first step in prevention.”
He added that regular examinations and lifestyle choices are “absolutely vital to addressing the nation’s eye health problems”.
According to NEHW, as many as 1.8 million people in Britain suffer from sight loss, despite an eye test being able to help 53 per cent of these cases.
If you’re a lens wearer, make sure you keep yours protected when you take them out with a good-quality contact lens barrel case.
