Visual symptoms you should never ignore

The standard advice given to us by our optician is to get our eyes tested every 2 years, but just how seriously do most of us take this recommendation? Just like having regular dentist appointments, people often become complacent about such health checks, justifying it by saying ‘my vision is fine’ etc. The problem with statements like this is that often your vision changes so slowly, you wouldn’t actually realise it and you could consequently be driving below the legal visual driving requirements. If you can’t be convinced to...

Children’s Vision Neglected

Many parents will be familiar with the importance of immunisations, routine screenings such as hearing tests, weight, and growth charts for their new born not to mention dental health when the time arises, but what about their vision?

The Eye Care Trust has warned that one in five children before the age of 12 has an undiagnosed visual problem, which could interfere with their ability to learn.

It is recommended for children eight years or younger to have an annual eye examination. Children aged nine and upwards, generally would...

New approach for assessing drivers vision

Being a motorist myself, it makes me feel uneasy knowing, that one in ten motorists who require glasses in order to drive have admitted being lax about wearing them at all (Survey of 5.3 million motorists conducted by LV insurance). Driving without your glasses or contact lenses is a criminal offense, you are not only endangering yourself but other road users and pedestrians by doing so.

Currently all drivers are required to read a number plate at a distance of 20.5 meters in order to pass their...

Eye Test may detect Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms develop.

Research currently underway by scientists from the University College London believe Alzheimer’s and other diseases could be detected by a simple and inexpensive eye test that could be available from high street practices within the next five years.

The non-invasive method uses fluorescent markers, which enable early indication of brain cell death by attaching to dying cells on the retina. The dying cells absorb the fluorescent dye which show up as green dots. (Image Below)

These experiments are currently being tested on mice, but the first human trials could...

Eye Health Awareness Week 2010 – Day 2: The importance of regular Eye Testing

Eye Examinations

An eye test is both painless and inexpensive – it may even be free – and could literally save your life, but not nearly enough people are getting themselves checked on a regular basis. Everyone knows they should go to the dentist once a year but the same awareness is yet to apply to a visit to the optician every two years, as recommended.

Just because you can see OK – or think you can – it doesn’t mean you don’t need your eyes examined. The eyes...

Want a long and healthy life? See your optician!

While looking for any interesting eye / glasses related news today I came across an interesting article on the Daily Mail website looking at 5 individual cases of people who took a simple trip to their local optician only to be told they have potentially life threatening health problems.  Here are the 5 cases with a brief snippet of the conditions that were uncovered thanks to a visit to their optician:-

Juliet, 32, went to a laser eye clinic to see if her eyes were suitable for treatment...