1.    Protect your eyes – wear safety shields or safety specs for dangerous jobs and follow health and safety guidelines at work. Speak to your HR department if you don’t think you have proper protective equipment. Wear UV protection outdoors, which can be a sunspec tint or clear UV coat, especially if you have light coloured eyes or a family history of Macular degeneration. Sunglasses should have the British Standards mark BS EN 1836 to prove they give full UV protection.

2.    Maintain Healthy Eyes – stop smoking! It’s a proven cause of cataract and Macular Degeneration. Eat a varied diet rich in green leafy vegetables and a mixture of different coloured fruits, salads, and veg. Ask your optician about retinal imagining, which will show up the earliest signs of disease. Nutritional supplements may help to prevent or halt symptoms.

3.    Be Aware – Ask around about your relative’s eye health history to make sure there are no hereditary diseases you should know about. If there is Glaucoma in your immediate family your eye tests will be free of charge when you’re over forty. If you suddenly develop any symptoms – flashing lights, blurred vision, floaters or eye pain you must be checked immediately. Although these often have simple explanations they can, in rare cases, be indicators of more serious problems.

4.    Visit Your Optician – Get into the routine of regular check ups, they’re equally important if you have glasses, contact lenses or no prescription at all. Your optician can keep a check on your sight and the health of your eye, as well as picking up some general health problems. They can refer you to the Hospital Eye Service or your GP for further treatment, and monitor results.

5.    Look After Your Eye Wear – Always wear your up to date prescription and follow instructions to the letter about contact lens care. Never over wear lenses or use solutions other than those suggested by your practitioner. Look after your specs to keep coatings, lenses and frames in tip-top condition. Scratches and blemishes on lenses may interfere with your sight and cause problems in conditions such as low light.

Prevention is always better than cure, and these simple steps will ensure you are doing all you can to maintain your precious gift of sight.