Hospital group embraces National Eye Health Week and says skipping opticians’ appointments puts you at risk of sight loss

It urges people with eye health concerns to visit their optician regularly as part of its National Eye Health Week (23-29 September) awareness drive to ensure eye concerns are dealt with quickly to avoid potential sight-loss.

Two million people in the UK are living with sight loss that is severe enough to have a significant impact on their daily lives. A sight test can detect early signs of conditions like Adult Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Cataracts which can each be treated if found soon enough.

Patient Story: Nazia Kauser, 41, who works as a nurse at Practice Plus Group Ophthalmology Centre at Croft Shifa Health Centre, Rochdale, didn’t hesitate to have eye surgery after hearing from her optician that she had cataracts in both eyes. Fortunately for Nazia she knew exactly where she wanted to have her surgery – at her place of work! She expresses the importance of having regular eye screening this National Eye Health Week and if it wasn’t for her regular trips to the Optician she may be none the wiser on why her eye sight was failing.

She explains: “I didn’t hesitate when my eye sight began deteriorating. As a nurse in an operating theatre and seeing patients everyday with eye conditions, I knew how important it was to have my own eye health concerns addressed as quickly as possible. You don’t mess about with eyes as putting things off can mean your condition can get worse quickly and cause long-term damage. It’s best to be seen as soon as you can. When my optician told me I’d need cataract surgery at 40 I was quite surprised, but didn’t hesitate for a moment to enquire at my place of work for private surgery as I have excellent colleagues and our patients are always delighted with the care they receive. I could have waited for an NHS appointment at the centre, but wanted to get treated as soon as possible. It also meant I could upgrade to premium corrective lenses which are made to measure for each patient. They tackle near vision, as well as distance, which meant I could throw away the glasses I’d hated wearing since my teenage years. I see it is a great investment.”

Nazia says her cataract surgery has been incredible and made such a difference to her life, “Colours are brighter and everything is so much more detailed: it’s like life in HD. I thought my kitchen was cream, but its white! Driving is safer and I can enjoy days out again. I was able to see my parents clearly, even after having one eye done, and that meant a lot to me. I could not recommend the treatment highly enough”.

Practice Plus Group Consultant Ophthalmologist, Charles Kanavati, said: “You should regularly monitor your vision - looking for blurry, distorted, or blank spots in your field of vision, and get regular eye exams with an optician or ophthalmologist. The good news is that cataract surgery is straightforward and has a number of other benefits.

“The risk of falls reduces, it helps hearing, improves mobility, enables driving and promotes independent living, quality of life and life expectancy. And if you don’t seek help, other eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration could be hidden behind cataracts, lying undetected.”

Practice Plus Group is a specialist eyecare provider offering a range of eye care services and is a specialist in treatment for different types of Macular Disease. It offers NHS patients (referred via their GPs) sight-saving treatments at its mobile sight units located at sites in the North West and South East of England – including Doncaster. The group is also able to offer cataract surgery both via NHS referral and privately under its Wellsoon service.