Did you know that over 75% of vision challenges are avoidable? Reduced eyesight wreaks havoc in all areas of our lives including the performance of daily personal activities, work responsibilities, and enjoying time with friends and family.

World Sight Day, celebrated on October 8, 2020, serves as a reminder to all of us that we have some work ahead of us in order to ensure that everyone has access to comprehensive eye health care in order to potentially prevent eye diseases and restore vision wherever possible.

While most people with vision challenges are over fifty years old, many of our young people suffer from vision impairment. Much has been done to slow down the effects of vision loss for children, such as the new MiSight® contact lens program, but without regular eye exams, opportunities for these new medical advances can be missed.

For older adults, annual eye exams are even more critical to prevent or slow down vision loss due to the effects of diabetes, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. Regular checkups by a licensed eye care professional can identify other health problems such as cancer, high blood pressure, Lyme disease, and more.

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness has dubbed this year’s World Sight Day with “Hope In Sight.” Let’s all do our part to support their awareness initiatives so that everyone can look forward to a day when everyone enjoys 20/20 vision together.

In recognition of World Sight Day, be sure to schedule your annual eye exam with a licensed eye care practitioner today.

Originally published on October 14, 2020  by Kristine Heslin on LinkedIn