The importance of regular eye tests

Did you know that there are 2 million people living in the UK with vision loss that is significant enough to have a severe impact on their daily lives? And what’s more, around half of that sight loss is avoidable.

Some of the most common eye problems include:

• Age-related macular degeneration
• Myopia (short-sightedness)
• Hyperopia (long-sightedness)
• Presbyopia (ageing of the eyes affecting reading focus)
• Glaucoma
• Cataracts

… and how to prevent them

Vision Matters recommends a healthy lifestyle and sensible choices for vision loss prevention, including:

• Stopping smoking
• Eating healthily – discover some of the best foods for great eye health
• Wearing eye protection in bright UV light
• Limiting screen time – and using the 20-20-20 rule
• Getting enough exercise
• Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water
• Limiting alcohol consumption

Get tested

But of course, the best way to detect early vision loss and get advice to help prevent the worsening of any eye problems is to have regular eye tests.

For example, glaucoma can be treated and cured if found early enough by a sight test. While prescription glassed can be offered to those to prevent further worsening of myopia or hyperopia, and improving any related symptoms such as headaches and sore eyes.

Eye tests can also detect other serious health issues, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Why choose Leightons

When you book an eye test at Leightons, you’ll benefit from the latest technology to monitor your eye health as closely as possible for the highest level of care.

We offer Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanning as part of our Leightons Ultimate Eye Examination. This gives a 3D scan of every layer of your retina, detecting any abnormalities up to five years sooner than a traditional eye test!

Most of our branches also carry Optomap technology as part of our Leightons Ultimate Eye Examination. Optomap can take detailed images of more than 80% of the retina – compared to the traditional method which only sees around 10-15%!

Book an appointment

Whether you think your eyes are totally healthy, or you’re worried about vision loss, it’s important to get your eyes tested regularly. Book an appointment with one of our friendly, expert optometrists online, over the phone on 0800 40 20 20, or by visiting your local branch.