AM urges constituents to ‘look after eyes’

NEIL Hamilton, AM for Mid & West Wales, and Leader of UKIP Wales, is backing a national campaign to promote the importance of good eye health.

Mr Hamilton is supporting this year’s National Eye Health Week which runs from Monday September 23 until Sunday September 29.

He said:

“I am delighted to back such a worthwhile campaign and urge everyone to make sure they get their eyes tested.

“Most people think a sight test is just about checking whether your vision needs correcting with glasses or contact lenses. However, there are other important reasons to get them checked regularly.

“It is a vital test so eye conditions can be found sooner and treated and other health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, can also be detected through an eye test.

“Figures show two million people are living with sight loss which has a significant impact on their daily lives.   Half this number is avoidable by looking after your eye health.

“It is easy to take eye health for granted, until it goes.  Regular tests are important.  Visions matters.”

This year’s National Eye Health Week, under the banner ‘Vision Matters’ is promoting the importance of good eye health and the need for regular eye tests for all.

Sight is the sense people fear losing the most, yet many of us don’t know how to look after our eyes and the campaign aims to change all that.

Apart from urging people who have not had their eyes tested in the last two years, to have them checked, NEHW is also calling for help to highlight eye health.

They are also seeking donations for researchers in the UK to find new prevention methods and better treatments for all types of eye disease.

Research is the only way that new treatments for eye disease, sight loss and blindness can be discovered yet, of all the money that is spent on medical research in the UK, only 2% is directed at eye disease.

Other ways to help during National Eye Health Week include spreading the word with friends and family, raise money for research, sign up for a challenge and join forces with a local optician to hold an awareness event.

For more information go to www.visionmatters.org.