Eye Health

AMD causes changes to the macula, which leads to problems with your central vision. Your central vision is the vision you use when you’re looking straight at something, for example when you’re reading or watching television.

AMD is the leading cause of blindness and severe sight loss in the UK. There are two main types:

• Wet AMD can develop quickly affecting central vision in a short period of time. Early identification and treatment of wet AMD is vital. Treatment can halt the further development of scarring but lost sight cannot be restored.
• Dry AMD can develop slowly and take a long time to progress. There is currently no treatment for dry AMD. People with early and moderate stages of dry AMD are not eligible for registration, but it does have an impact upon daily life, for example a person may have to stop driving.

In Suffolk and North East Essex ICS, it is estimated that:

• 44,280 people are living with the early stages of AMD;
• 3,430 are living with late-stage dry AMD;
• 7,040 are living with late-stage wet AMD.
• 9,930 combined late-stage AMD.

Between 2022 and 2032 there is estimated to be an increase of 28% in the number of people living with late-stage AMD.

Cataract is a common eye condition that is prevalent in older people. The lens becomes less transparent and turns misty or cloudy. Cataracts often get worse over time and the impact upon vision may be difficult to notice. The usual treatment is an operation to replace the lens with an artificial one.

In Suffolk and North East Essex ICS, it is estimated that 11,090 people are living with cataract.

Between 2022 and 2032 there is estimated to be an increase of 26% in the number of people living with cataract.

This is a group of eye conditions in which the optic nerve can be damaged due to changes in eye pressure. Damage to sight

can usually be minimised by early diagnosis in conjunction with careful regular observation and treatment. Many glaucoma patients will attend regular appointments and take eye drops for the rest of their lives to prevent deterioration of vision. Some forms of glaucoma can be treated with laser surgery and surgery.

In Suffolk and North East Essex ICS, it is estimated that 18,420people are living with ocular hypertension. A further 10,500 people are living with glaucoma.

Between 2022 and 2032 there is estimated to be an increase of 19% in the number of people living with glaucoma.

People with diabetes are at risk of diabetic eye disease, which can affect the blood vessels in the eye. This can lead to permanent sight loss. Screening and early diagnosis with appropriate intervention is essential.

In Suffolk and North East Essex ICS, it is estimated that:

• 59,110 adults have diagnosed diabetes.
• 17,270 people are living with diabetic retinopathy.
• Of these, 1,580 have severe diabetic retinopathy, a later stage of the disease that is likely to result in significant and potentially certifiable sight loss.

Between 2022 and 2032 there is estimated to be an increase of 6% in the number of people living with diabetic retinopathy.

• More than 50 per cent of sight loss is preventable, so eyes testing can help prevent, or limit, the damage caused by certain eye conditions.
• Eye checks not just about whether someone needs glasses but also help to detect any early signs of eye disease.
• having your vision corrected can improve the quality of day-to-day life
• helps detect certain eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, which could lead to sight loss
• poor vision could be a risk for falls
• 25 per cent of UK adults have not had an eye test in two years or more
• Limited community awareness of eye health — research findings indicate there is a limited awareness or understanding of eye health, which is understood almost exclusively in relation to having good or poor sight.
• cost and retail element associated with primary care —perceived structure and orientation of optometry towards retailing and the sale of glasses appear to encourage the community to view eye examinations (undertaken in retail premises) as different from other primary health prevention.

• prevalence of eye health conditions and sight loss increases with age. As the UK population is ageing, it is predicted that the number of people living with sight loss will double by 2050.
• Around 60 per cent of people living with sight loss are women. Women have a higher life expectancy and have a higher age-specific prevalence of some of the leading causes of sight loss in older age.
• People from BAME backgrounds do not have a higher population prevalence of sight loss –however at greater risk of some of the leading causes of sight loss – e.g. developing diabetes as a precursor for diabetic retinopathy and potential for visual loss is higher in South Asian populations, risk of developing glaucoma is higher in African and African-Caribbean populations, and people from South-East Asia and China are at higher risk of angle-closure glaucoma – they have a higher risk of being diagnosed at a younger age, and face barriers to accessing eye health care.
• people with learning disabilities have a higher incidence of eye and vision problems than the general population, yet do not access the required services more frequently than the general population.
• There is a link between people on low incomes and living in deprivation and people living with sight loss; 3 out of four blind or partially sighted people are living in poverty or on its margins

Statistics shared as part of National Eye Health week in September 2022 highlighted:

• 1.6 million school–aged children in England could be living with an undiagnosed vision problem that impacts on their educational and social development
• In the east of England almost 180,000 school-aged children are estimated to have an undetected vision problem.
• This impacts on children’s perception, learning, cognition and activities, and so their development, especially in their early years.
• Regular sight tests help detect problems early.
• A diet rich in antioxidants, exercise, reducing
  alcohol and smoking, and protecting our eyes
  from the sun can help us to maintain healthy eyes.

Research into the visual impairment sector by The Clothworkers Foundation  in 2013 found:

Older people may delay engaging with the eye care services that are available to them, for a number of reasons:

• they underestimate the implications of their deteriorating eyesight;
• they see sight loss as a natural part of getting older; or
• they distrust the commercial aspect of primary eye care.

There are a number of areas where inadequate understanding of visual impairment in professional healthcare can be a problem:

• recognition of visual impairment with specific health conditions including stroke and dementia;
• recognition of visual impairment in medical and social care settings; and
• problems securing adequate health and social care support.

Visual impairment has myriad effects on a person’s life, so support to adjust takes many forms and addresses a variety of areas, including:

• support to avoid isolation;
• dealing with the emotional impact of visual impairment;
• practical adaptation to living with a visual impairment; and
• reablement and ongoing support.

NHS England » Eye health

FINAL_Digital_The+state+of+the+UK’s+Eye+Health+2021.pdf (specsavers.com)

The economic impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on sight loss and blindness in the UK (deloitte.com)

DIGITAL_UK_The-state-of-the-UKs-Eye-Health-2022.pdf (abdo.org.uk)

Key information and statistics on sight loss in the UK | RNIB

Access to primary and secondary eye care | RNIB

Estimated prevalence of visual impairment among people with learning disabilities in the UK | RNIB

Eye health research | RNIB

Access to primary and secondary eye care | RNIB

Vision atlas (england.nhs.uk)