National Eye Health Week

The second National Eye Health Week will take place this week.
Once again, eye care charities, organisations and health professionals from across the UK are joining together to promote the importance of eye health and the need for regular sight tests for all.
The week, which has been established to communicate the importance of good eye health under the banner, 'Vision Matters', encourages people from every walk of life to take better care of their eyes and have regular sight tests. This is one of the three priority outcomes of the UK Vision Strategy launched in 2008 by Vision 2020UK.
Regular sight tests are essential for maintaining healthy eyes but there are other things you can do to look after your eyes:

• Studies show that what we eat can affect our vision. Antioxidants can help to prevent retinal damage. One anti oxidant which is hugely beneficial is lutein.
• Lack of exercise contributes significantly to several eye conditions, particularly amongst people aged 60 and over. Exercise may reduce the risk of sight loss from narrowing or hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and diabetes
• Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health conditions which can have a detrimental effect on your eye health
• After ageing, smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing macular degeneration. Smoking also increases your risk of developing cataract
• Protecting your eyes from the sun is very important. Your sunglasses should have the CE mark on them which ensures that they are giving you the right level of ultraviolet protection

Are there any optical companies contributing to National Eye Health Week? Please let us know.