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Cold winter winds and central heating can play havoc with your eyes leaving them feeling dry, gritty, and sore - especially at the end of the day when symptoms are often at their worst. Cranking up your central heating can also trigger conjunctival hyperaemia (blood shot eyes).

Beat dry eye this winter by reducing the setting on your central heating, protecting your eyes from the wind; avoiding car heaters, particularly at face level and sitting away from direct heat such as gas or electric fires.

Cutting back on your coffee consumption and using therapeutic drops can also help reduce symptoms of dry eye.

Respiratory infections such as common colds and flu can inflame your conjunctiva (the clear membrane that covers the whites of your eyes) leaving your eyes feeling sore and irritated.

Prevent cross infection from bacteria in coughs and colds by washing your hands thoroughly before touching your eyes.

Don't put away your sunglasses just yet! Sunglasses provide valuable protection for your eyes all year-round, not just in the hot summer months.

Cumulative damage caused by unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can increase your risk of suffering sight-threatening conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Eye Health UK advises that you wear sunglasses whenever the UV Index rises above three. This can occur even on a cloudy day, so keep an eye on the Met Office's UV forecast.

Snowy conditions can also reflect more UV radiation into your eyes so sunglasses are particularly important after snow or when enjoying winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding.

Leafy greens provide vital nutrients (lutein and zeaxantin) to help keep your eyes healthy so now that salad days are over make sure you eat plenty good green winter veg like kale, chard and spinach.

Winter is also a great time to get your sight tested as poor light conditions can mean your eyes have to work harder, making them more susceptible to fatigue and eye strain.

Published : 5 December 2019

Eyesight is a key factor in road safety, but one that is often ignored. Visual acuity, field of vision, night vision, contrast sensitivity and other visual functions can all compromise safe driving.

We estimate there are nine million drivers on the Britain’s roads with vision that falls below the legal standards of vision for driving [1]. More than 90% of information a driver uses is visual so ensuring your eyesight is up to scratch is crucial. Research [2] shows drivers with vision that falls below the legal standards struggle to stay in lane, read road signs or keep a consistent speed. Poor eyesight also hampers your ability to react to unexpected hazards.

Road crashes involving a driver with poor vision are estimated to cause 2,900 casualties and cost £33 million in the UK per year [3].

Having regular sight tests – once every two year’s unless advised otherwise by your optometrist – and wearing your prescription eyewear every time you get behind the wheel is essential to improve road safety and reduce the risk of injury to you and other road users.

Take a look at our Clear Vision, Safe Driving leaflet for info on how to keep your vision roadworthy.

[1] Based on roadside checks data collected by the charity in conjuntion with West Mercia Police

[2] Fit to Drive driving simulator assessment conducted at Brunel University

[3] Fit to Drive: a cost benefit analysis of more frequent eyesight testing for UK drivers, RSA Insurance Group plc, overview available on the Road Safety Observatory

Every year 10 people in the UK lose their sight and 300 people suffer serious eye injuries as a result of accidents caused by fireworks. And, its not just children larking about that are at risk – three quarters (73%) of serious ocular traumas are sustained by adults and most (45 per cent) occur at private parties (1,2).

Rockets take first place in the danger stakes accounting for more than a third (36%) of all serious eye injuries, but also flying high on the dangerous firework list is the innocent sparkler. Although sparklers are often thought to be one of the safest fireworks, they burn at temperatures up to 2000ºC – hot enough to melt gold.

Follow Eye Health UK’s SPARKLER code for a safe and injury free Bonfire Night:

Shield your eyes with protective eyewear when lighting fireworks

Plunge sparklers into a bucket of cold water as soon as they have burnt out

Attend organised displays wherever possible. (This year there are many online events planned so you can watch a display from the comfort of your own armchair. Check your local press for details)

Read the instructions on the fireworks with a torch and follow them carefully (ensure your fireworks comply with the British Safety Standard (BS EN 15947) or have a CE Mark.

Keep all fireworks in a closed metal box and only light one at a time

Leave fireworks that fail to go off – never return to a lit firework

Ensure everyone stands a safe distance away – AT LEAST 25 metres from Category 3 fireworks

Remove all debris and flammable objects (including plants and trees) from your firework display area

David Cartwright, Chairman of the charity Eye Health UK says: “Eye damage caused by fireworks is so often avoidable and can lead to permanently reduced vision or even blindness, so this year the charity is urging people to take extra care of their eyes and follow the SPARKLER safety code.”

If anyone in your party does suffer a firework eye injury:
• Seek medical attention immediately. Quick action can minimise long-term damage.
• Do not rub or rinse the injured eye, or apply any ointments to the eye area. If you do, it could increase any damage and make it more difficult for a specialist to provide treatment.

Take a look at the Vision and Eye Health supplement published in today's Guardian newspaper for news and information about caring for your eyes.

Read it again here

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24 September 2019

Eye Health UK[1] is calling on opticians to include lifestyle advice on their optical prescriptions in a bid to cut the number of people in the UK living with avoidable sight loss.

The appeal, which coincides with the launch of National Eye Health Week (23 – 29 September), has already received backing from the UK’s biggest opticial group and independent practitioners.

David Cartwright Chairman of Eye Health UK, said:

“A million people in the UK are living with avoidable sight loss severe enough to make everyday activities like driving a car impossible. Your lifestyle can have a serious impact on your eye health regardless of your genetic predisposition and is linked to all four major causes of sight loss: macular degeneration, the UK’s leading cause of blindness, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts, yet people are unaware that there is an association.”

Reaching out to people with lifestyle advice that encourages them to make simple changes to their diet, smoking habits and activity levels will play a critical role in saving people’s sight in the future.”

Optometrists are perfectly placed to deliver general health advice and support the Government’s mission to ‘put prevention at the heart of the nation's health’[2]. Public trust in advice given by opticians is high. Eighty-eight per cent of UK Adults say they trust health advice from opticians  either a ‘great or ‘fair’ deal[3].

According to new research just 15 per cent of Brits think your exercise regime can affect eye health[4], despite evidence that being physically active can reduce your risk of visual impairment by 58 per cent versus somebody with a sedentary lifestyle[5] .

Whilst research published in the British Medical Journal reveals as many as one in five cases of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the UK’s leading cause of blindness, are caused by tobacco consumption[6], making smoking directly responsible for around 120,000 cases of AMD in Britain today[7].

Lifestyle advice on optical prescriptions and eye examination summaries would not only increase public awareness of the link between lifestyle habits and eye health but also signpost people towards the support they need to make lifestyle changes and improve their general well-being[8].

Commenting on why they are giving the initiative their backing:

Giles Edmonds, Clinical Services Director at Specsavers said: “Sight is the sense people fear losing the most, so whatever we can do to help our customers maintain the health of their eyes and see better for longer is always our priority.”

Tushar  Majithia from Lunettes Opticians which has practices in Sleaford, Grantham and Ruskington said: “We usually provide eye health advice as part of the eye examination but patients often don’t remember all the information given to them. It is important to reinforce the message by including this information on the optical prescription, as well as providing information leaflets.”

The charity hopes that the lifestyle prescription initiative can be rolled out in optical practices over the next 12 months.

[1] Eye Health UK is a register charity [registered charity number 1086146]
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevention-is-better-than-cure-our-vision-to-help-you-live-well-for-longer
[3] https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/sites/default/files/gphc_public_perceptions_report_-_final.pdf
[4] Eye Health study conducted by OnePoll amongst 2,000 UK adults, August 2019
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4047137/
[6] British Medical Journal, Vol. 328, S. 537
[7] Calculated using Macular Society AMD prevalence data 
[8] Illustration of what advice might look like on a prescription “Smoking causes sight loss. It significantly increases your risk of common eye diseases and impairs colour vision. For help to quit visit www.nhs.uk/smokefree.”

Published: 23 September

Organisers have announced the daily themes for this year's National Eye Health Week.

Monday 23 September Importance of regular eye examinations

Tuesday  24th September Nutrition and the eye

Wednesday 25th September Sight after Sixty with a focus on the role good vision plays in falls prevention

Thursday 26th September Diabetic Retinopathy

Fr-eye-day 27th September The Big Blink (screen fatigue) plus charity fundraising

Saturday 28th September Kids’ eye care (including myopia control)

Sunday 29th September Smoking and sight loss

Social media graphics will be posted in the electronic resource centre every day to help supporters share important eye health messages relating to the daily themes.

Published: 8 September 2019

UK parents are concerned about the dangers of UV. A recent poll of 1,000 mums and dads with children aged 4-12 showed that over half (54%) wanted sunglasses to become an official part of the school uniform.

NICE guidance[1] recommends schools adopt a Sun Safety Policy and share advice on UV protection with parents, but new research shows two fifths of parents (40%) questioned within the poll have no idea whether their child’s school even has such a policy.

Around a quarter of those parents (23%) even claim their child’s school does not allow them to wear sunglasses on school grounds.

There is still unawareness among parents, with nearly one in five (17%) of the 1,000 parents questioned claiming they don’t think it’s ever sunny enough to warrant sunglasses in the UK.

Even when the sun isn’t shining, UV rays are still present and doing damage, which is why children’s sunglasses brand monkey monkey is raising awareness of the importance of protecting children’s eyes, as well as their skin, all year round.

The charity Eye Health UK warns even with all the sun protection kids already use, without sunglasses kids’ eyes are still at risk.

Eye protection from the sun can be achieved with sunglasses that are wraparound lenses or wide arms (to provide side protection) that have the CE Mark (an indication that they meet the relevant European Standard[2]).

To mark National Sunglasses Day on Thursday 27^th June, monkey monkey and Eye Health UK are encouraging parents and schools to become more aware of the risks the sun poses to young eyes.

Eye Health UK’s TOP TIPS FOR KEEPING KIDS EYES SAFE IN THE SUN

1. Protect your eyes whenever the UV Index rises to three or more. Visit the Met Office or BBC Weather websites for information on UV levels.

2. Make sure your eyes and the area around your eyes is fully covered. Large lenses and wrap-around styles provide the greatest protection.

3. Wear sunglasses with a CE; UV 400 or British Standard Mark as this ensures they provide adequate UV protection.

4. Never wear toy sunglasses. These offer little UV protection and can actually cause more damage because the tinted lenses dilate the pupil allowing more UV to enter the eye.

5. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, check your lenses provide UV protection.

6. Wear a hat, cap or visor for added protection.

7. Sit or play in the shade.

8. Stay out of the sun between 12pm and 3pm when the sun’s rays are strongest. Up to 50% of the total daily UV is emitted between these times!

9. Never look directly at the sun.

10. Remember the shadow rule... If your shadow is taller than you are your eyes are at greatest risk from UV exposure as your brow bone no longer offers natural protection.

[1] https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng34/chapter/implementation#implementation

[2] https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng34/chapter/implementation#implementation

*Research of 1,000 UK parents with children aged 4-12 conducted by OnePoll in June 2019.

Published  : 27 June 2019

Click on the Seven Days to Focus on Eye Health cover below for highlights of the 2018 National Eye Health Week campaign.

Published:  23 March 2019

Did you know the link between smoking and sight loss is as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer? To encourage people to say #EyeQuit we're highlighting twenty ways smoking can affect your vision and eye health.

#1 Tobacco smoke causes biological changes in your eyes that can lead to vision loss

#2 Cigarettes contain toxins that enter your eyes & increase your risk of sight loss by up to four times

#3 Tobacco chemicals damage blood vessels inside your eyes

#4 Tobacco chemicals interfere with the production of your tears

#5 Smoking causes oxidative stress and damages your retina

#6 Tobacco reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your macula

#7 Smoking is a key risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the UK’s leading cause of blindness

#8 Research published in @bmj suggests 1 in 5 cases of AMD are caused by tobacco consumption

#9 On average smokers develop AMD 5 years earlier than non-smokers

#10 Smoking is a major risk factor in the development of cataracts

#11 The risk of nuclear cataracts is 3 times greater in smokers

#12 Smoking is a significant risk factor for developing diabetic retinopathy

#13 Smoking increases your risk of dry eye syndrome – the leading cause of eye irritation in over 65s

#14 Smoking is associated with the development of thyroid eye disease

#15 Smokers have increased prevalence of colour vision deficiency

#16 Nicotine poisoning can make it difficult to clearly distinguish colours with a red or green hue

#17 Smokers are twice as likely to suffer Uveitis than non-smokers.

#18 Smoking increases the risk of contact lens wearers suffering corneal ulcers 

#19 Smoking in pregnancy increases the risk of your child having a squint 

#20 Smoking around loved ones increases their risk of suffering sight loss

Get your free Personal Quit Plan at http://www.nhs.uk/smokefree to help you stop smoking for good.

Will you say #EyeQuit?

Stuart McMillan MSP led a National Eye Health Week debate in Scottish Parliament on 25.09.18

You can listen again to the whole debate here

Published 26 September 2018