How good is your Eye Health? A new survey says the UK may not be getting their eyes tested regularly!

Welcome to our latest guest blog from Eye Love My Local Independent Optician.  How often do you get your eyes tested?  Do you think you are at risk from computer use?  Please use the comment box to answer the questions.

Britons are in serious danger of neglecting their eyesight: leading independent opticians are “staggered” by a new survey that revels one in twenty people in the UK have never had their sight tested.

The new survey by the Eye Love My Local Independent Optician campaign has discovered that millions of office workers are putting their eyesight at risk by spending too long in front of computers and ignoring advice to get their sight tested regularly – even though by law they are entitled to free eye care subsidies from their employers.
Independent practices are urging people to book an eye examination to maintain the health of what 75 per cent of those surveyed regarded as their most valued of all the four senses.
Paul Surridge, a spokesman for the Eye Love My Local Independent Optician campaign that commissioned the survey, said: “Spring is a key time in the calendar for us to take stock of the situation and do something about it, be it scrubbing the house from top to bottom or making sure that you are fighting fit. The research is staggering and confirms what we, in the optical profession have thought for a while, people are neglecting their eye health. Many people today put their eye heath at risk by falling into the habit of visiting an optician only when encountering problems with their sight. We recommend and encourage everyone to have an eye exam at least every two years to maintain prolonged eye health and more regularly for children.”
Half of those surveyed did not know that tension in their head, neck or shoulders could be a sign that they need an eye test, a similar number didn’t recognise dizziness as a visual cause for concern, while nearly two thirds did not associate fatigue with eye problems. Of concern, one in ten people surveyed, had not considered the inability to see clearly as a sign that they might need an eye exam.
Polly Dulley of Aves Optometrists, explains why getting your eyes checked is so important “Many general health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and raised cholesterol, can be identified as part of a routine eye examination. In addition, regular eye tests help in early diagnosis of common eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Treatment of these conditions in the early stages can be vital to help prevent sight loss. We wrongly assume that if we can see, then our eyes must be healthy. However, many eye conditions do not have a serious affect on vision in the early stages. The sooner a condition is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated and good sight can be maintained.”
To find out more about the Eye Love My Local Independent Optician campaign, visit www.eyelovelocal.co.uk to access tips and advice on taking care of your eyes and to locate your nearest independent optician.