THE TEAM at Droitwich Specsavers have teamed up with Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave to warn people about the risks diabetes can have on their vision.
According to research 11,610 people in Worcestershire are at risk of losing their sight due to diabetes and a lack of regular health checks.
Sir Steve Redgrave and Specsavers, along with the Royal National Institute of Blind people, warned people about the risks it can have during Diabetes week which began on Monday and runs until Sunday.
Sir Steve, who has diabetes, said losing his sight was one of his worst fears. He is up to 20 times more likely to go blind because of the type of diabetes he has.
Sir Steve said: “Until I was diagnosed with the condition I was totally unaware of the implications it can have on someone’s sight.
“I have lived with diabetes for more than 20 years now and I can’t stress enough the importance of regular eye tests at your opticians – and check-ups at the nearest diabetic screening programme.
“It’s great to see the Specsavers store in Droitwich raising awareness during Diabetes Week.”
Emma Singh, store director at Specsavers Droitwich, said: “Many people are unaware that eye tests are not only critical for your eyes but also for your wider health too.
“At Specsavers we offer digital retinal photography for free as part of a standard eye test for customers aged over 40.
“This takes detailed pictures of the back of your eye and the microcirculation of blood which highlights parts of diabetes that need addressing with the diabetic eye screening programme.”
Visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/eye-health/diabetic-retinopathy for more information.
