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24/01/2006
Two million people 'risking their sight'
More than two million people in the UK are at risk of needlessly losing their sight through treatable eye conditions, according to a new report.
The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) said that 1.9 million people with diabetes and 250,000 people with early-stage glaucoma are unknowingly risking blindness.
A further half a million people are also risking losing their sight by not seeking treatment for cataracts or by wearing the wrong prescription glasses, the RNIB said.
In addition, two million people in the UK already suffer from sight problems.
However, the RNIB said that more than half of all sight loss is avoidable and it has called on the government to invest in a large-scale public eye health awareness campaign, to make the public aware of the importance of regular eye tests.
The RNIB found that nine out of ten people fear losing their sight above any other sense, but one in three people have not had an eye test in the last two years.
Steve Winyard, RNIB's Head of Campaigns, explains: "Ignorance is quietly robbing people of their sight every day. Unless action is taken now thousands of people in the UK will this year needlessly lose their sight from conditions that could be treated if caught early."
The RNIB has launched 'Open Your Eyes', advertising and poster campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests in preventing sight loss.
(KMcA)
The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) said that 1.9 million people with diabetes and 250,000 people with early-stage glaucoma are unknowingly risking blindness.
A further half a million people are also risking losing their sight by not seeking treatment for cataracts or by wearing the wrong prescription glasses, the RNIB said.
In addition, two million people in the UK already suffer from sight problems.
However, the RNIB said that more than half of all sight loss is avoidable and it has called on the government to invest in a large-scale public eye health awareness campaign, to make the public aware of the importance of regular eye tests.
The RNIB found that nine out of ten people fear losing their sight above any other sense, but one in three people have not had an eye test in the last two years.
Steve Winyard, RNIB's Head of Campaigns, explains: "Ignorance is quietly robbing people of their sight every day. Unless action is taken now thousands of people in the UK will this year needlessly lose their sight from conditions that could be treated if caught early."
The RNIB has launched 'Open Your Eyes', advertising and poster campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests in preventing sight loss.
(KMcA)
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