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National Eye Health Week

National Eye Health Week

17 September 2018

National Eye Health Week

Did you know?

Our eyesight is often something we take for granted. National eye health week isn’t just about making sure you attend your regular check-up with your optician (although that is very important) it’s also about all the other protection our eyes need to cope with the environment around us in our day to day lives that we often disregard or don’t think about.

Keeping your eyes fit and healthy goes beyond wearing glasses if you need them. To keep our eyes in tip-top condition we need to: eat healthy, exercise, not drink over the daily guidelines, avoid smoking, and wear sunglasses or some type of protection for our eyes such as visors or hats when the sun is out.

Avoiding screen time also helps protect your eyes, this can be difficult when we’re surrounded by so much technology or work at a computer all day. Try and practice the 20 20 rule, 20 minutes of screen time and 20 minutes away from the screen on something else.

Eye Health Facts:

  • 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss, that is severe enough to have a significant impact on their daily lives. Half of this sight loss is avoidable.
  • ​A sight test can detect early signs of conditions like glaucoma, which can be treated if found soon enough.
  • During a sight test, other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure may be detected.
  • For healthy eyes, eat well, don’t smoke and wear eye protection in bright sunlight.

Get your eyes checked today:


See below a list of all the places you can get free eye tests and discounts on glasses if you need them.

https://www.specsavers.co.uk/free-eye-test Enter your post code for a list of stores closest to you offering free eye tests

https://www.visionexpress.com/eye-health/nhs-eye-test/ See if you are eligible for an eye test on the NHS

https://www.boots.com/opticians/opticians-offers/eye-health-test Free eye test vouchers and money off glasses if you need them

 

Volunteer

National eye health week is also an opportunity to lend some spare time to helping organisations dedicated to people who struggle with sight loss. As our eye facts stated 2 million people in the UK have some level of sight loss.

You can view current vacancies at The Royal National Institute of Blind People https://www.rnib.org.uk/volunteering

Local charity in Birmingham, Birmingham Vision also have volunteering opportunities https://www.birminghamvision.co.uk/about/volunteering/ as do Coventry Blind http://www.coventryblind.org.uk/page/volunteering-coventry-resource-centre-blind 

You may find you have an independent centre local to you like Beacon click the link to find out about people in the west midlands suffering with sight loss, what beacon do and how you can help https://www.beaconvision.org

 

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