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.
When it comes to sunlight the story is a little different. Despite the endless messages put out about the dangers of sunlight and UV research from Fight For Sight (see News) reveals that over half of the population never wears sunglasses when out in the sun. More worrying still is that 54% of those polled did not know that the UV in sunlight is linked to eye conditions in later life.
Sunlight poses a real danger, not just cataracts but glare when driving in low sun or simply impairing people’s performance through visual fatigue.
Unfortunately if it doesn’t hurt patients tend not to act on it. With experts predicting a long hot Indian summer there is still time to remind patients about the importance of sunglasses. In the long term it makes sense for their eye care, in the short term makes their lives more comfortable and might even help re-establish sunwear as an integral part of optical practice.