Good vision is something that we all recognize the importance of. However, it is something that a lot of us take for granted. After all, you know what they say; you don’t realize what you have got until it is gone. For a lot of people, being blind is something that they have lived with their entire lives.
For others, it is something that has crept upon them at a later age. There are then those that have good vision, but they live in fear of this taken away from them. In fact, blindness ranks as one of the top fears for aging people around the world today.
Gift Of Sight month has been designed to help and raise awareness regarding the importance of eye health. A lot of people realize that routine yearly physicals are imperative in terms of detecting or preventing a lot of conditions. However, very few people appreciate just how important a yearly eye exam is when it comes to preventing disorders and diagnosing diseases at the earliest stage.
Can you honestly say that you have had an eye exam in the past year? If you have, we applaud you! If you haven’t, it’s time to book one. It does not matter whether you are seven-years-old or you will soon be celebrating your 70th birthday, an annual eye exam is something we should all have.
History Of Gift Of Sight Month
Versant Health established Gift Of Sight Month. This month is dedicated to helping people realize how important it is to have healthy eyes, and how amazing and lucky we are to have full vision. It has been set up so that people realize that seeing an eye doctor on a regular basis is important so that we can keep enjoying the ability to see the world around us. The month is all about action and education. Gift Of Sight month also advocates for low-cost eye exams in order to prevent issues.
Why Routine Eye Exams Are Important
There are a number of different reasons why routine eye exams are important. The main reason is so that any problems are detected at the earliest possible stage. When eye issues are not picked up on right away, they can become worse and worse. This means that you could end up losing your vision. This could all be avoided if you had a yearly exam, as the optometrist would have been able to pick up on the issue and take the right course of action to prevent it from getting worse. This is even more so important when you consider the fact that a lot of eye diseases do not give warning signs.
Statistics About Vision Impairment
The WHO has released some interesting statistics on visual impairment. These statistics certainly help you to get a better understanding of how common eye health issues are and, therefore, why it is critical to make sure you keep on top of your eye health. Here are some of the statistics they have released…
- Around the world, there are a minimum of 2.2 billion people who are blind or have a vision impairment.
- Of these people, at least one billion people have a visual impairment that could have been prevented or has not been addressed yet.
- Of these one billion people, this includes individuals that have a severe or moderate distance vision impairment or blindness that has been caused by a refractive error that has not been addressed.
- Most people that have vision impairment are over the age of 50-years-old. However, there are children that have problems with their vision, which is why it is so important to make sure you have routine eye checks irrespective of your age.
- The main cause of vision impairment around the world are refractive errors that have not been corrected and cataracts.
How to celebrate Gift Of Sight Month
There are a number of different things that you can do in order to observe Gift Of Sight Month. However, there is no denying that the most important step is to book an eye exam. This is especially the case if you have not had a routine eye examination within the past year. Not only should you make sure you book an eye exam, but you should commit to doing this every year in order to protect your eye health.
Aside from this, another way that you can observe Gift Of Sight Month is by raising awareness. You’ve got a whole month, so you have plenty of time to put together blog posts and social media posts so that you can educate your friends, family, and followers on the importance of routine eye exams and maintaining their eye health. You can also post helpful tips on different things that people can do in order to keep their eyes healthy. Even if you reach one person, you could potentially save them from losing their vision in the future, so it really does make a difference.
Another way to observe Gift Of Sight Month is to do something for people in society who are already blind. There are lots of different charities out there that are doing work for those who are visually impaired. You may decide to volunteer or you could fundraise. There are lots of great ways to fundraise today, including fundraising events, such as fun runs and bake sales. If you are a crafty person, you may want to create items for Gift Of Sight Month, selling them and donating the proceeds to a charity of your choice.
Finally, a great way for you to observe Gift Of Sight Month is to get in touch with all of your friends and family and encourage them to book an eye exam. You could even offer to book the exam for them so that the only thing they have to do is show up. There are lots of companies that offer deals and discounts on eye exams during this month, so you should definitely keep an eye out for these.