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A new map produced by Eye Health UK, the charity responsible for running National Eye Health Week (24 – 30 September), highlights areas of UK – including Barking and Dagenham, Reading, Swansea, Nottingham and Newcastle ­– where poor lifestyle habits and inadequate health screening are putting residents at serious risk of sight loss.

There are a million people in the UK currently living with ‘avoidable’ sight loss – leaving them unable to do things such as drive. Forecasters predict this figure could rise by a third by 2030, if action isn’t taken now^[1].

Prevention and early diagnosis of common eye conditions are key to reducing the number of people suffering sight loss unnecessarily” explains David Cartwright Chairman of Eye Health UK “however, in towns and cities like Bristol, Liverpool, Luton and Manchester we are seeing a worrying number of people failing to take up their entitlement to free NHS sight tests and displaying high levels of smoking and obesity – two lifestyle factors linked to sight loss.”

Lifestyle habits impact your eye health regardless of your genetic predisposition.^[2] Being physically active has been shown to reduce your risk of visual impairment by 58 per cent versus somebody with a sedentary lifestyle^[3]; whilst a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30+ has been linked to the four most common causes of sight loss: macular disease, glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy. ^[4]

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.^[5] Making smoking directly responsible for around 120,000 cases of AMD in Britain today.^[6]

Poor uptake of regular eye tests is another big risk to the nation’s eye health. Almost 14 million (13.8) of us fail to have our eyes checked once every two years, as recommended, and one in 10 of us have never had our eyes checked.^[7]

Cathy Yelf, CEO of the Macular Society said: “Age-related macular degeneration is the biggest cause of blindness in the UK, affecting 600,000 people. By 2050 this number is expected to double. It is an urgent public health issue. Regular eye tests can detect Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) early, which is crucial in preserving vision and the quality of life of patients.”

“If you are told you have early AMD, there are some things you can do to reduce the likelihood of the disease progressing.” says Yelf. “If you smoke, stop. Smokers are four times more likely to develop AMD than non-smokers. Smoking kills the cells of the retina, reduces the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the eye and damages blood vessels. Smoking causes AMD to progress faster and makes treatment less effective.

“Take moderate exercise to maintain a healthy weight and normal blood pressure and eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables. These contain nutrients that are thought to be important to eye health.”

The introduction NHS funded eye tests for everyone in Scotland in April 2006 has helped reduce the risk of avoidable sight loss north of the border where uptake of eye tests has risen by around 30 per cent over the last decade. However, health inequalities still exist here with high prevalence of poor lifestyle habits linked to poor eye health.

^[1] State of the Nation’s Eyes report 2017 [http://rnib.org.uk/state-nation-2017]

^[2] Kristin J. Myers et al. Ophthalmology Journal Vol 122

^[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4047137/

^[4] The body mass index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. The BMI calculation divides an adult's weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared.

^[5] British Medical Journal, Vol. 328, S. 537

^[6] Calculated using Macular Society AMD prevalence data

^[7] Generation Eye Report, Eye Health UK sponsored by Specsavers

* This map was created for Eye Health UK by Experian. It correlates key factors (eye test uptake, smoking, exercise, obesity, healthy eating and alcohol consumption) associated with avoidable sight loss. Factors were weighted as follows: eye test uptake (50%); lifestyle behaviours (50%) (smoking - 20%, exercise - 20%, obesity - 20% healthy eating - 20% and alcohol consumption – 20%). Data sources include lifestyle variables from the Experian’s Mosaic geo-demograhic segmentation tool, Health and Social Care Information Centre statistics; Information Services Division, NHS Scotland data; NHS ophthalmic statistics from Welsh Govt plus Health and Social Care Northern Ireland data. For a full list of citations contact rachel@visionmatters.org.uk

Published : 24 September 2018

The National Eye Health Week supplement published in The Sunday Times today (23 September) takes a look at the state of the nation's eye health and explains why eye health can not be ignored. Read it again here

All Rights Reserved

Published : 23 September 2018

National Eye Health Week has teamed up with the Central Optical Fund to publish Vista, a 56-page consumer lifestyle magazine designed to raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests and how lifestyle choices can affect eye health.

Edited by experienced consumer health journalist, Rachel Symonds, with contributions from leading healthcare experts, Vista brings together an inspiring mix of important eye care advice including features on the importance of regular eye tests, recipes rich in eye-friendly nutrients, celebrity interviews, true life stories recounting people’s experiences of living with poor eye health, tips on how to be screen smart, caring for your eyes on the ski slopes and a guide to family-friendly ski resorts and so much more.

David Cartwright, Chair of Eye Health UK, the charity responsible for National Eye Health Week comments: “Vista is an exciting concept in public eye health promotion. By presenting important health messages in a stylish magazine format we hope to encourage more people to have regular eye tests and inspire them to make healthier lifestyle choices that reduce the risk of avoidable sight loss.”

Copies of Vista are available at National Eye Health Week supporter events nationwide and online.

Click on the cover to read Vista online.

Published 14 September 2018

Did you know the link between smoking and sight loss is as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer? To mark National Eye Health Week 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 #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

Say #eyequit today. For help to stop smoking visit quitnow.smokefree.org.uk

Published: 30 Sept 2018

The 2017 National Eye Health Week campaign was the most successful to date. Click on the Spreading the Word on Eye Health cover below for a summary of key activities and outcomes from the campaign.

Published : 28 February 2018

Royal Mail and Eye Health UK, the charity responsible for National Eye Health Week, are joining forces to promote the importance of good eye health to millions of households across the UK, with a postmark.

The special National Eye Health Week postmark will appear on all stamped mail delivered by Royal Mail between 21 – 23 September 2017.

It’s hoped the postmark will not only be seen by millions, but also encourage people to think about their eyes and how much they rely on good vision to do everyday things like reading their mail!

Commenting on the collaboration David Cartwright, Chairman of Eye Health UK said: “One million people in the UK suffer with avoidable sight loss that makes doing things like reading difficult, or even, impossible. We hope that when this message drops through people’s letter boxes and raises awareness of the Week it will prompt them to take action to ensure their eyes and vision stay healthy.” 

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are really pleased to be joining the campaign to encourage more people to consider the health of their eyes. We hope that this postmark will help spread the message.”  

The last posting date for National Eye Health Week postmarked mail will be 22 September 2017.

Published : 20 September 2017

Channel 4 will mark National Eye Health Week this evening when it presents a very special ad break, giving viewers the chance to watch TV through the eyes of somebody living with sight loss.

This unique campaign was produced with the support of RNIB and Eye Health UK (organisers of National Eye Health Week) alongside five advertisers and aims to raise awareness of the importance of looking after your eyes.

The five advertisements will be broadcast during Channel 4’s The Undateables at 9.15pm and 9.30pm. Each ad uses different filters that mimic five common eye conditions in the UK – macular degeneration, cataracts, eye conditions caused by diabetes, hemianopia and glaucoma.

Published : 18 September

Eye Health UK, the charity responsible for running National Eye Health Week, has teamed up with the NHS and West Midlands Local Eye Health Network to produce a video animation to help people look after their eyes.

The video highlights how your lifestyle can affect your eye health and why regular sight tests are important for us all.

For more information and to download the animation click here

Published : 18 September