Glaucoma Awareness Week - 9th to 15th June 2014

Action for Sight: Book an eye health check

This year’s National Glaucoma Awareness Week 2014 is urging people to take Action for Sight, and have regular eye tests.

Were you aware that people of African-Caribbean origin are four times more likely to develop the condition, and are more likely for it to appear earlier and for it to be more severe, when compared to people of European origin ?  However,  that does not mean that those of European origin should ignore their eyes, Glaucoma can strike anyone.

Early detection and treatment literally saves sight, as over 90% of individuals who are diagnosed early will retain useful sight for life. Despite such promising results, it is estimated that over 50% of cases of glaucoma remain undetected in the UK.

Awareness and regular eye health checks are critical. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness.

There are no early symptoms for the patient to be aware of and it isn’t until the condition is fairly advanced that people recognise that there is something wrong with their vision. Once vision is lost, it cannot be recovered. However, a simple eye health check can pick up the condition in it’s early stages and treatment, which most commonly includes taking eye drops, means most people will maintain sight for life.

Here at James Doyle Opticians in Wilmslow Cheshire, our visual fields tests and eye pressure tests are carried out as part of the standard eye examination, so the symptomless vision changes in early glaucoma are identified.

In addition to these tests, the more detailed process of laser scanning tomography can reveal the earliest and most subtle changes, for those with a family history of glaucoma.

So book your eye test today and make sure that you save your sight.

If you're on Twitter, you can search for National Glaucoma Awareness Week news with the hashtag #Glaucoma2014.