16 February 2012
People have been given advice on how they can ensure they sight does not deteriorate to such a level that they may then have to seek corrective eye surgery.
Clara Eaglen, policy and campaigns manager at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, admits that vision does often get worse as individuals grow older.
However, she believes that "sight loss isn't an inevitable consequence of ageing" and measures can be taken to help people to see clearly well into their retirement years.
"Wearing the right prescription glasses or contact lenses is essential and regular eye tests, at least every two years, can pick up conditions such as AMD or glaucoma," Ms Eaglen recommended.
The expert went on to note that smoking can double the risk of someone suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as increasing the chances of the condition manifesting itself at an earlier stage in their life.
Recent research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology predicted that cases of AMD are set to jump by a third in the next decade.
Posted by Philip Briggs
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