Alex Gage Family Optometrist backs No Smoking Day
Many smokers remain in the dark over the link between smoking and vision loss despite studies showing a strong relationship between the two.
Optometrist Alex Gage, who owns two practices in Crosspool and Woodseats in Sheffield, is urging smokers to consider their eye health when they next light up ahead of No Smoking Day on March 9.
Mr Gage says while the effects of smoking on the heart and lungs may be well-known, fewer people realise there is a strong risk of vision loss for smokers.
"Smoking damages the eye tissues and smokers double their risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is one of the leading causes of sight loss in the UK. Smokers also tend to develop the condition earlier than non-smokers" he adds.
"The best way to protect your vision and eye health is to stop smoking - we urge all smokers to try and kick the habit for good on No Smoking Day."
Smokers also have a higher chance of developing cataracts which, if left untreated, can result in visual impairment. It can also aggravate diabetic-related sight problems and raises the risks for cardiovascular diseases that indirectly influence your eyes' health.
Passive smoking also increases the risk for non-smokers of developing health problems.
Regular eye appointments allow optometrists to examine the interior of the eye to detect diseases and Mr Gage encourages people to make an eye appointment if they have not had their eyes examined in the last two years.
Eye examinations at the Alex Gage Crosspool practice can also include an Optomap Retinal Exam. The Optomap imaging equipment enables optometrists Alex and Sarah Gage to examine the retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye, and directly see the blood vessels.
Not only can the results from this scan show early signs of eye conditions including AMD and glaucoma, it can detect signs of other disease like diabetes, stroke and hypertension which can also be seen in the retina.
Alex Gage Family Optometrist is able to offer its patients at the Woodseats practice an extremely advanced eye health check thanks to the state-of-the-art Topcon 3D ocular coherence tomography (OCT) instrument. The Topcon OCT is used to take a high-definition 3D scan of the eye, allowing optometrists to see the layers beneath the retina.
Results from these images can show early signs of AMD, glaucoma, diabetes and other conditions.
No Smoking Day is a campaign run by the British Heart Foundation and is now in its 32nd year.
For further information about the services available at Alex Gage Family Optometrist, please contact Alex Gageat 857 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats on 0114 274 8582 orat48 Sandygate Road,Crosspool on0114 266 7066.
Ends
For more information or to arrange an interview with Alex Gage or wife and fellow optometrist Sarah, please contact Tracey Baty at three60 marketing on;
Direct line: 01430 871360
Mobile: 07971 961574
E mail:traceybaty@three60marketing.co.uk
Web:www.three60marketing.co.uk
Notes to Editors
Please visitwww.alexgagevision.co.ukfor more information about the extensive services and products that Alex and Sarah Gage provide.
To see Alex Gage Family Optometrist's Facebook page, head towww.facebook.com/Alex-Gage-Family-Optometrist-36696389904and to see their Twitter page, visitwww.twitter.com/alexgageoptom.
For more information about No Smoking Day visitwww.nosmokingday.org.uk. To follow No Smoking Day developments on Twitter, search online using the hashtag#NoSmokingDay.
To read more about the retinal imaging services Alex Gage Family Optometrist provide, please visitwww.alexgageoptom.wordpress.com/retinal-imaging-at-woodseatsfor the Woodseats pratice andwww.alexgageoptom.wordpress.com/retinal-imaging-at-woodseats/retinal-imaging-at-crosspoolfor the Crosspool practice.