Chris Bennett: Brushing up the eye care message

If there was an equivalent to toothache for the eyes we wouldn’t have a problem getting people to care for their vision, an optical professional said to me recently. Nothing has highlighted this better than the recent heatwave.

People act on how they feel not what does them harm, so when it comes to eye care education it’s down to the optical profession to put them straight. Last week’s dry eye special issue recounted the increasing numbers of people suffering from dry eye. As the temperature has risen and the air-con switched on that can only increase. I would challenge anyone to sit at a desk in the path of a fan and not find themselves screwing their eyes up so its not surprising those patients report that to their eye care professional.