There has been an article in the Optician Magazine this week about the growing number of people driving with defective vision.

The facts make startling reading, 45% of the UK’s driving population (34.7 million) wear glasses 10% of those confess to not wearing them, that’s 1.5 million! Of the 19 million not wearing glasses that drive 40% confess to having problems seeing at night or in poor weather or feel their eyesight isn’t perfect, that’s 7.6 million.

The total number of drivers that may have a problem driving in the UK could be as high as 9.1 million or more worryingly 1 in 3 of the drivers on the road!

The implications of driving with defective vision are that the insurance is invalidated

Ciliaryblue feel that they have contributed to improving road safety in the UK by offering lower more affordable prices, those that wouldn’t have changed their glasses on the basis of cost may certainly reconsider when they realise we are often less than 1/4 of the high street price.

 The article can be seen at the following link: http://bit.ly/dky1XU

A leading lens manfacturer has release a new ‘app’ for the iphone so that you can test your own eyes. It may not be very accurate and doesn’t give any indication as to what you may need, but it is a good way of checking.

It is also a good way of testing if the new glasses you have had done are ok, if they are set up correctly then you should have near perfect eyesight and as such should pass all the tests?

Have a look at the video below:

Sight test

Give us your thoughts as to the accuracy or the relative merits of such an application.

There has been much talk in the press about the wearing of blue tinted glasses to help with weight loss, apparently it makes the food look less appealing, so you eat less of it. Johnny Depp claims the wearing of them helps him keep his physique? We’ve made a pair here in the lab and we’re all trying them. We haven’t eaten any less but we’re certainly looking more like film stars! But if you would like us to make some we can supply single vision lenses for £22! All our blue tinted lenses come with a full UV blocking and anti-scratch coating too!

See the link http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2008/04/01/weight_loss_sunglasses.php

Lucentis® will now be available on the NHS, it had been previously been denied access to those suffering with the aggressive, wet,  form of macular degeneration, on the grounds of cost! The decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence advised that all NHS trusts have 3 months to make this drug avaialable. Under the new guidelines the cost of the first 14 injections (each costing upto £700) will be met by the NHS, then all subsequent costs to be met by the drugs’ manufacturer, Novartis. Great newss for all those sufferers out there.

The sight test is the most important and effective way of ensuring your eyes are healthy. Everyone should have there eye tested at least once every 2 years irrespective of whether you wear glasses or not. There have been many occasions where I have tested someone with perfect sight who has had an eye health condition that needed treating. So actually the most important role of the sight test is to assess, professionally, the health and condition of your eyes. So even if you are 20/20 go and get them tested. http://www.healthyeyes.org.uk/index.php?id=4

All children under 16 are entitled to a free sight test on the NHS. There are many other people who are also entitled and don’t realise it. Follow this link to see who qualifies for an NHS test. http://www.twcsa.nhs.uk/how_to/sight_test.htm

If you are not entitled and pay for a ‘private’ test you can be tested as often as you want. Always choose a reputable Optician or one that has been recommended to you. If you want to buy glasses on-line or for instance reglaze with us you will have to have a prescription that is less than 2 years old.

There are many things that you can do to improve the health of your eyes. Some are proven some not. This week we are focussing on diet and supplements. We all need our essential vitamins but there are some that are more important for the health and functioning of the eyes. These vitamins can be taken as supplements like ‘I.Caps’ or alternatively can be found in some foods. I have given links here to read and follow for both.

I.Caps : http://www.icapsinfo.co.uk/About_icaps.html

 Diet & Food : http://www.healthyeyes.org.uk/index.php?id=23   or

 http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_nutrition_eye.hcsp