World Sight Day - 10 October 2013

A valuable gift
Sight is the sense that we probably value the most. It allows us to experience the world in all its multitude of colours and configurations and marvel at the beauty of creation. But did you know that about 285 million people worldwide have limited or no vision? And were you aware that 80% of visual impairment is avoidable?

Regrettably, good eye health is something we seldom think about as the symptoms of eye disease are often not as immediately noticeable as signs of other ailments like getting a sore throat, suffering from a fever, or finding a lump in your breast, for example. Thus, to highlight the problems of blindness and vision impairment, the World Health Organization (WHO) marks World Sight Day on the second Thursday of October every year. For 2013, the theme of World Sight Day is ‘Universal eye health'.

World Sight Day is part of the Vision 2020 plan to eradicate treatable blindness. Cataracts are the primary cause of blindness in South Africa and the world, yet a cataract operation is one of the most cost-effective procedures.

Eye care tips
At GEMS, we believe in arming you with information so that you can make wise, informed choices about your health. As with many diseases, early detection of eye problems is key. That is why it is important to go for regular eye tests, even if you are not experiencing problems with your vision.

Here are some helpful tips to help you to continue to see the world clearly:

• Visit an optometrist or doctor regularly to have your eyes tested and ensure you don't ignore problems with your eyes. This way you can detect and treat eye conditions early on.
• Protect your eyes from damage, scratches and infections by wearing protective eyewear when working with equipment that may cause shards to get into your eyes.
• To make sure your eyes are properly protected from the sun's harmful rays, wear good quality sunglasses.
• To minimise eyestrain from your computer, ensure you take regular breaks.

Avoiding eye strain due to modern technology
In our fast-paced world, where many of us make considerable use of cellphones, computers and tablets on a daily basis, we often neglect to consider what effect overuse of these technological advances can have on our eyes. If you are suffering from headaches, blurred vision, dry or scratchy eyes or neck or shoulder pain, you could have eyestrain caused by prolonged use of these devices.

If you have to spend many hours at a time in front of a computer screen, then try these tips to reduce eyestrain:

• Your computer screen should be slightly below eye level. Adjust your chair height if necessary.
• Position yourself so that you are facing into open space beyond the screen and not facing a wall.
• The background lighting must be brighter than the screen.
• Clean your computer screen regularly as it attracts a lot of dust.
• Avoid glare and reflections with a special anti-glare screen or simply by using blinds and curtains.
• Ensure you glance away from the screen from time to time and focus on distant objects.
• Take a ten-minute break every few hours.
• Adjust the size of the text on your screen if you are squinting to read it.
• If your eyes feel dry, use eye drops.
• Should you wear contact lenses, you may want to consider glasses as an alternative when working at the computer for increased comfort.

Fast facts
Below are some more global facts and figures on blindness and visual impairment:

• Of the 285 million visually impaired individuals, 39 million people are blind and 246 million have moderate or severe visual impairment.
• 90% of blind people live in low-income countries.
• The number of people becoming blind from infectious causes has significantly reduced in the past 20 years.
• Approximately 19 million children are visually impaired.
• About 65% of all people who are visually impaired are aged 50 and older, although this age group comprises only 20% of the world's population.
• Increasing elderly populations in many countries mean that more people will be at risk of age-related visual impairment.
• Restorations of sight, and blindness prevention strategies are among the most cost-effective interventions in health care.

References
1. Global facts:  http://www.iapb.org/vision-2020/global-facts
2. How can I combat computer eyestrain?:  http://www.sancb.org.za/frequently-asked-questions/Your%20eyes
3. It's Eye Care Awareness Month!:  http://www.sancb.org.za/article/its-eye-care-awareness-month
4. SA eye specialists do free cataract operations during Eye Care Awareness Week (8 to 12 October 2012): http://www.ossa.co.za/images/EYE_CARE_WEEK_2012.pdf
5. World Sight Day:   http://www.iapb.org/advocacy/world-sight-day
6. World Sight Day 2013:  http://www.iapb.org/advocacy/world-sight-day