Sheffield optometrist boosts awareness drive for Glaucoma Awareness Week

14th June 2017

A Sheffield optometrist is asking residents whether they have had their eyes checked recently as National Glaucoma Awareness Week begins.

In a bid to show his support behind the campaign, Alex Gage is working alongside the International Glaucoma Association (IGA) to educate people about the importance of a regular eye health check as it allows testing of raised eye pressure - an indicator of the condition. National Glaucoma Awareness Week runs from June 12-18 as an initiative run by the UK charity IGA that provides help for those affected by sight loss from glaucoma and people interested in glaucoma. Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that causes patchy vision and can lead to blindness when the optic nerve is damaged where it leaves the eye. It is incredibly important to educate people about the importance of having a regular eye examination, not just for glaucoma detection but many other eye and vision conditions, said Alex, who owns practices in Woodseats and Crosspool. "It might shock some to hear that the only way to know if you have glaucoma is to have your eyes examined at your local optometrist," he added. "You may think your vision is fine but this is not an indicator of eye health and so we are taking this current opportunity to inform residents of the importance of looking after their eyes. "There are three routine examinations to see whether a patient is at risk of the condition. These include looking at the appearance of the main nerve in the eye, called the optic nerve; measuring the pressure in the eye and checking the field of vision." The focus for National Glaucoma Awareness Week 2017 is on the importance of eye pressure during a regular eye health check. If the condition is detected early, it can be managed and patients can retain useful sight for life. Chief Executive of the IGA Karen Osborn said: "People have such a limited knowledge about the health of their eyes. All too often we hear that people do not have an eye health check until they realise that something is wrong with their vision. This is too late for glaucoma as a significant amount of vision will be lost, and it can never be recovered." According to the IGA website, from this year onwards, many optometrists will undergo training for additional qualifications to allow them to better detect and monitor those living with glaucoma in the community. If you have any further questions, concerns about glaucoma or wish to find out more about the services available at Alex Gage Family Optometrist, please contact Alex Gage at 857 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats on 0114 274 8582 or at 48 Sandygate Road, Crosspool on 0114 266 7066.