Prevent Blindness kicks off ‘It Started With an Eye Exam’

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Prevent Blindness announced today it is launching a new campaign, “It Started With an Eye Exam” to encourage consumers to share their stories of how eye care had a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.

According to a news release, the goal of the new program is to increase awareness about the role that vision health plays in overall health, demonstrate the dramatic impact that improved vision can have on productivity and quality of life, and to educate the general public about steps they can take to prepare for an eye examination. The “It Started With an Eye Exam” program is supported by funding from Viatris Inc.¹

Starting on Monday, May 20, as part of Healthy Vision Month, Prevent Blindness will begin sharing stories on its social media channels of those whose lives have been positively impacted through eye care and treatment. Followers are also invited to share their stories, using #ItStartedWithanEyeExam or submit their stories to Prevent Blindness for sharing at PreventBlindness.org/getting-professional-eye-care.

Pediatric eyecare is key , and without early detection and treatment, uncorrected vision disorders can impair child development, interfere with learning, and even lead to permanent vision loss, according to a report from the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness. The organization also noted visual functioning can be a predictor of academic performance in school-age children.²

Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that for older individuals, each year, one in four Americans 65 and older experiences a fall, the leading cause of injury among older adults. Impaired vision more than doubles the risk of a fall.

For many, access to eye care begins with a certified vision screening. Prevent Blindness, and its network of affiliates, partners with many leading companies, such as AEG Vision, EssilorLuxottica Foundation, VSP Vision, and Zenni, to help provide vouchers for eye exams and prescription glasses for individuals who do not pass a vision screening and are unable to afford care on their own.¹

Eye care professionals can also perform a dilated eye exam which can uncover a variety of other serious health issues. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a comprehensive eye exam may detect:⁴

• Aneurysm
• Brain tumor
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Lupus
• Multiple sclerosis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sickle cell disease
• Stroke

According to its news release, Prevent Blindness also provides a free directory of vision care assistance resources in English and Spanish at PreventBlindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.

Patients can share their story through the It Started With an Eye Exam program by visiting https://preventblindness.org/getting-professional-eye-care.

References

1. Prevent Blindness Launches “It Started With an Eye Exam” Campaign to Encourage, Educate and Empower the Public to Make Vision and Eye Health a Part of Their Overall Health Care - Prevent Blindness. Published May 16, 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://preventblindness.org/it-started-with-an-eye-exam/

2. Children’s Vision and Eye Health: A Snapshot of Current National Issues (2nd Edition). https://preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Snapshot-Report-2020condensedF.pdf

3. CDC. About Vision Impairment and Falls Among Older Adults. Vision Health Initiative (VHI). Published March 6, 2024. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/vision-health/prevention/older-adult-falls.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/vision-loss-falls.html

4. Mukamal R. 20 Surprising Health Problems an Eye Exam Can Catch. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published January 16, 2020. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/surprising-health-conditions-eye-exam-detects