lions eye health programme: the facts about eye disease

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The Facts   Since many people are unaware that they have a problem with their sight until a significant amount of sight has already been lost, there is an urgent need to educate people about eye health. With early detection and timely treatment sight loss can be avoided. However, once lost to these conditions, sight cannot be restored. People with diabetes are 25 times more likely to suffer from sight loss than the rest of the population and the longer a person has diabetes the greater the risk of retinopathy. There are approximately 1.8 million people in the UK (3% of the population)with diabetes and about half again are undiagnosed and unaware they have the disease. About 2% of the diabetes population will become blind each year. Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the UK and Ireland. It affects about half a million people in the UK but it is estimated that as many as 2.2 million people are at increased risk of developing the condition. Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored and glaucoma can not be prevented. However, if diagnosed and treated early, it can be controlled. Low vision is a term to describe visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery. As the population ages it is estimated that the number of adults with low vision is likely to double over the next 30 years. Age-Related Macular Degeneration is the most common cause of poor sight in people over a 60. It is estimated if affets up to 500,000 people in the UK. Cells in the macula, a small area at the back of the retina, break down and this leads to a gradual loss of central vision, however side (peripheral) vision remains. This loss of detailed vision affects tasks such as reading, writing and our ability to see colours. A Cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the lens of the eye. This affects the passage of light into the eye and as a result your sight will become blurred. The most common type of cataract is related to aging. Cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens is one of the most effective treatments with most people experiencing an improvement in vision. Early diagnosis, proper treatment and medication are the best defence against vision loss.Those most at risk of developing glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are people over the age of 40, those with a family history of glaucoma, diabetics, people of African Caribbean origin and those with high myopia (very short sight). Only people with diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. For those people who have lost their sight, there is a range of visual rehabilitation services to help them make best use of remaining eyesight.