July, or JULeye is the eye health awareness month. Federal Member for Fowler, Chris Hayes, wanted to use this opportunity to remind the local residents to have regular check ups and take good care of their eyes.
“Vision impairment is an important issue facing the present and future generations particularly of older Australians,’’ Mr Hayes said.
“It can greatly affect a person’s quality of life, level of independence and overall well-being.
“Certain groups within our community are at a higher risk of developing eye health issues which can lead to preventable vision loss; older people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those with a family history of eye disease and people with diabetes.’’
Although there is currently no cure for some forms of eye illness, such as Macular Degeneration, there are treatment options that can slow down its progression including;
Having regular eye tests and making sure macular is checked
Not smoking
Keeping a healthy lifestyle with controlled diet and regular exercise
Adequate eye protection from sun exposure
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“In the past I have worked with local optometrists, including Dr William Trinh in Cabramatta, who advocated for regular eye examinations every one to two years,’’ Mr Hayes said.[/social_quote]
“The earlier the disease is detected, the more vision a person is likely to retain,’’ Dr Trinh said.
For more information about eye health visit: http://www.healthdirect.gov.au
