World Sight Day 2017
World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment, held in October. This year, World Sight Day 2017 was held on Thursday 12 October with the theme being Make Vision Count.
According to the National Eye Health Survey, 51.93 % of Australians have undiagnosed eye conditions. These may include eye conditions such as:
- Glaucoma
- Cataract
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
To protect your eyes and reduce the risk of vision loss, here are a few ways to protect your eyes:
Understanding your health risks – Many general health conditions can ultimately influence your eye health. These include obesity, diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, autoimmune disorders, and thyroid problems increase your risk of eye disease. Having good knowledge of your family history to identify possible inherited conditions and regular eye examinations can help early detection and management.
Wear Protective Eyewear – It is important to protect your eyes from UV light exposure. Especially from our harsh Australian sun. Sunglasses can block up to 100% of both UVA and UVB exposure which can reduce the risk of your eyes developing eye conditions such as pterygia. Our eyes are extremely delicate, so it’s essential to protect your eyes from excessive UV exposure, accidents and other damage. You should also wear protective eyewear to avoid eye injury while playing sports, swimming, cleaning with strong chemicals, or working with sharp tools.
Care for Contact Lenses – Many people wear contact lenses for either functionality or comfort. If you are one of these people it is important to exercise proper hygiene when cleaning and wearing your contacts. Corneal infections or scarring can result which can have a negative affect your eyesight. Opting for refractive laser eye surgery can help you rid of these risks.
Be aware of any changes to your vision – it is important to ensure that you get your eyes examined should you notice any changes in your vision. There can be many reasons which can explain these changes with some being very serious. Importantly if you ever notice any shadows, light phenomena, double vision, black spots or visual field loss you should seek advice immediately.
Get an Eye Exam Regularly – A comprehensive eye exam can help you prevent eye disease, eye infection and even vision loss, since early detection and treatment keeps minor problems from turning into serious health concerns. Dilated eye exams may help with early detection of diabetes, high blood pressure and other medical conditions as well. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, get an exam every 1-2 years, and annually after the age of 50.
Head to George Street Eye Centre for a comprehensive eye exam today!