Eye Care We Care - Love your eyes
One in five of us will experience sight loss in our lifetime, but did you know that over 50 per cent of sight loss is avoidable?
What is the #EyeCareWeCare campaign?
We’re working with the NI EyeCare Network to reduce preventable sight loss, by: ensuring regionally integrated planning, commissioning, delivery, performance management, and funding of eyecare in Northern Ireland.
We’re raising awareness of the causes of sight loss and ways sight loss may be prevented, through personal health improvement, to ensuring timely treatment.
We also want to share stories of people who have experienced sight loss and ensure the voices of people with a condition affecting their sight are heard by key decision makers and planners.
Sight loss in Northern Ireland
There are 57,500 people estimated to be living with sight loss in Northern Ireland. This is projected to increase by over 27 per cent by 2032, to 73,200.
This is largely due to an aging population, with a higher prevalence of sight loss. However, waiting times and other lifestyle factors will also play a part.
For further information our Sight Loss Data Tool provides a wealth of key statistics on sight loss, including prevalence of different eye conditions and uptake of screening appointents and more.
What’s it like living with a condition affecting your sight?
Watch our Youtube video series to hear from people with various eye conditions across the UK – including ‘what to expect during cataract surgery’ and ‘managing diabetes with your diet’.
Below you’ll find our five top tips on keeping your eyes healthy, and information on services and support available for anyone who is experiencing difficulties with their sight, including our Eye Care Liaison Officers.
Our five eye health top tips:
1. Regular eye tests
Sight is the sense people say they fear losing the most, yet an eye appointment is the one they’re most likely to miss, cancel or avoid.
Most people should have their eyes examined at least once every two years - even if there is no change in your vision, as an eye examination can often pick up the first signs of a range of eye conditions that can cause sight loss before you notice any symptoms, including glaucoma.
Did you know a routine eye test can also detect a range of life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease?
We also encourage anyone with diabetes to attend all screening appointments. If you cannot attend your prescribed appointment, please call the Diabetic Eye Screening booking office on 028 96 157600 to rearrange.
Help towards eye test and glasses costs
To check if you’re eligible for help towards eye test and glasses costs, call the free Health and Social Care Information Line on 0800 587 8982 or visit nidirect.gov.uk
2. Get help to stop smoking
Age-related macular degeneration is the UK’s most common cause of sight loss and smoking doubles that risk.
3. Eat healthy and watch your weight
Obesity can increase the risk of developing diabetes, which in turn can also cause sight loss.
Eating a diet low in saturated fats but rich in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli may help delay the progression of conditions such as cataracts and AMD.
4. Wear sunglasses
UVA and UVB rays in sunlight can harm your eyes and may increase the risk of cataracts and AMD. Wearing sunglasses, glasses or contact lenses with built in UV filter will protect your eyes. Only buy sunglasses that have a CE mark or carry British Standard BS EN ISO 12312-1.
If you are particularly sensitive to sunlight, RNIB provides a range of eyeshields in our online shop
5. Safety first
DIY and sport cause thousands of eye-related injuries each year. Always wear safety goggles (European Standard BS EN 166) or sports goggles to keep your eyes protected.
