Now’s the time to lock in eye health tests
As you may know, March is Glaucoma Awareness Month here in New Zealand. This is when there’s an increased push to raise awareness in how Kiwis understand the disease, how treatments are researched, and how we should all be encouraging those over 40 to book regular eye health tests.
With an aging population, New Zealand is at a greater overall risk from glaucoma, which is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in our country.
Glaucoma is caused by a group of eye conditions which gradually damage the optic nerve. It is treatable with prescription eye drops but only if caught early enough. However, as there are often no symptoms at first, sometimes it is only discovered during an eye check. Helping spread the word about the benefits of early detection is a major focus for reducing the number of cases each year.
Glaucoma NZ is doing great work year-round delivering new research, awareness campaigns, and community support. For more information have a look at the Glaucoma NZ website.
If you have a history of glaucoma in your family, or if you’re over 45 and haven’t had a test in the last five years, now is the time to book an appointment. If you’ve unsure whether you should get a test your optometrist or GP will be able to tell you.