National Eye Health Week

This week is National Eye Health Week and it is an ideal opportunity to once again raise awareness about eye health. In particular, the importance of getting your eyes tested regularly. Around 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss. However, much of this sight loss could be avoidable. The key for eye health and prevention of sight loss is early detection of conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and cataract.

Nowadays the treatments available in eye health are better than ever with respect to cataract and glaucoma visual recovery and controlling the further progression of the disease is achievable.

One thing I have noticed in more recent times, with the advent of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery is that patients are reporting stability of their eye pressure and glaucoma preventing further visual field loss.

Patients are also reporting that the quality of their day to day life as well as the comfort of their eyes is improving after these surgeries, which is often combined with cataract surgery. 

As a result, I am focusing much of my clinical research on these two areas. Preliminary results from this research have confirmed what I have seen anecdotally in the clinic on multiple occasions. Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery is improving the quality of life in glaucoma patients as well as the ocular surface and comfort of the eye.  I hope to publish these results in the upcoming months and look forward to sharing this exciting news with you in future blogs.

Please take the opportunity of National Eye Health Week to get your eyes tested if you have not had your eyes tested for over 12 months.