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We spend hours staring at computer screens and behind the wheel, yet we neglect one of the most precious gifts we have; our eyesight. Jayne Howarth reports on the innovative steps being taken to make us see the risks more clearly.

We’ve all been told that if we eat all of our carrots we will be able to see in the dark, and there is an element of truth in the old wives’ tale. But with National Eye Health Week approaching (JUNE 13-19), it’s time we all took a long, hard look at the way we neglect our eyesight.

We’re all meant to get our eyes checked out every year or two to ensure that they’re not suffering as a result of age or lifestyle, but many of us don’t bother; and more importantly, those of us who do wear glasses or contacts are amongst the worst offenders – ignoring reminders from our optician and cancelling, or just not turning up, for appointments.

Since we’re all apparently too busy to take an hour out of our busy life to ensure everything’s all in order, a high-tech solution has been launched – a handy means for people to test their vision before making an appointment at their local optician.

Almost one million people have downloaded the innovative Vision Test App launched by leading global lens manufacturer Crizal Lenses. Thousands take its online vision test every week to check their eyesight.
The high-tech checks are part of Crizal Lenses ‘Live Life in the Clear’ eye care campaign, which encourages people to visit their local optician for regular eye tests and advice, and the app has become the most downloaded medical app on iTunes since it was launched last year.

Free to download, the app features four vision tests that assess if the user is colour blind or has astigmatism, tests the user’s visual strength and the red-green duochrome, which measures the sharpness of vision. It also answers eye related questions and provides information on HD TV. It even locates the user’s nearest optician either to the current location or by postcode. The online test asks users to answer six simple questions and, depending on the responses, offers advice as to whether the user should visit their optician for a thorough check-up.

Justin Rocyn-Jones, head of marketing at Crizal Lenses, said: “Most people are busy and many either forget they have had a reminder from their optician to have their vision tested or ignore the letter because they haven’t time to go. These quick, online tests are proving very popular and enable people to decide quickly if and when they need to have a full eye test.

“We all need to make time to look after ourselves, whether that is by eating healthily and drinking less alcohol, or by having our eyes tested to ensure they are in peak condition or can be helped with correction.”

So, aside from taking the test and following it up with a proper examination, what else can we do to ensure we remain bright eyed and bushy tailed? Is it really as straight forward as crunching on carrots?

Paul Spencer of Ideal Eyes in oxford advises that while carrots are packed with vitamin A-rich beta carotene, which is important for maintaining normal vision, there are plenty of things we can do to stop our eyes from deteriorating. Alcohol consumption, smoking, good diet and exercise all have an impact on the health of our eyes, “We all know that smoking or eating a poor diet are bad for our health, but it surprises me how few people appreciate just how it can affect the eyes,” says Paul.

“There are plenty of studies that demonstrate that eye health is being put at risk unnecessarily because of poor choices when it comes to smoking or eating too many of the wrong foods, but we have to get that message out to the public.

“We are not suggesting that people should give up all the treats and only eat fresh fruit and vegetables, or completely stop drinking and smoking. However, all the evidence suggests that living an unhealthy lifestyle could well have an impact on your eye-sight.

“Relatively small changes in the things we eat and drink could play a big role in preventing serious eye conditions. Visiting your optician every two years means that we can monitor eye health properly and carefully before bigger problems arise.”

So, not that you need any more reasons to eat healthily and cut down on smoking and drinking, but here are a few more…

• Smoking aggravates diabetes-related sight problems and thyroid eye disease, while the toxic effect of cigarettes causes tobacco amblyopia, which includes blurring or loss of central vision.
• Heavy drinkers are also more prone to developing AMD, while nutritional amblyopia is often diagnosed in alcoholics and in people with severe nutritional deficiencies. Alcohol amblyopia, which is also caused by heavy drinking, triggers lost vision, including blind spots. It happens when the toxic effects of alcohol cause the optic nerve to swell in the optic nerves.
• Although there are no conclusive results about eye health and nutrition, there is consensus about the benefits of eating a balanced diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach.
• Lutein and zeaxanthin, found in sweet potatoes, mango, kiwi and green beans, are also thought to help keep eyes healthy and studies have been undertaken to see if foods containing the carotenoids help protect against macular degeneration.
• Academic studies have suggested that there is a strong link between obesity and age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy3.
• Pulmonary problems can also lead to irrevocable damage to the delicate blood vessels in the eye.

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