Glaucoma Awareness Month in Torrevieja

GLAUCOMA Awareness Month has just started in Torrevieja and as a public service, Specsavers Opticas Torrevieja is offering free eye health seminars at their premises.

After cataracts, Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness and can go undetected for years and so it is vitally important that you know how to detect a possible problem yourself.

This initiative by Specsavers is backed by Torrevieja’s Town Hall and Rosario Martínez, from the Department for Foreigners and Youth, Agustina Esteve, from the Department of Commerce and Graham Knight, Director of the International Residents Office will all be attending the seminar.

These seminars are designed to help educate the community on how to spot the signs of glaucoma and cataracts plus how best one can take care of the eyes.

Also in attendance will be Iain Bennett, president of Torrevieja Costa Lions Club who have been asking local people to bring their used spectacles to Specsavers in Torrevieja for collection because the Lions can recycle them to be distributed among the needy in the Third World.

To date they have collected more than 6,000 pairs, thanks to the collaboration from Colin and Michaela, directors of Specsavers in Torrevieja and their staff.

If you have any old glasses lying around that you do not use, please bring them with you to the seminar, as they will be gratefully accepted.

On Thursday, Specsavers will be presenting Iain with their collection of second hand glasses. Untreated glaucoma leads to permanent damage of the optic nerve, which can progress to blindness. Approximately one in 200 people younger than fifty and one in 10 over the age of eighty suffer from Glaucoma although these figures are boosted by the problems associated with the lack of eye and health care in Africa. Store Director Colin Evans explained “We believe that prevention is better than cure when it comes to eye health and this is certainly the case with glaucoma. If glaucoma is identified early it can be treated via eye drops, but as vision loss occurs gradually, it is often only recognised at an advanced stage. Unfortunately vision loss from glaucoma cannot be recovered, so it’s vital that it is identified early. We hope by providing these free seminars during Glaucoma Awareness Month that we can help people spot the signs of glaucoma and cataracts and get treatment before their vision is impaired. We’re delighted that the Torrevieja Town Hall and The Lions Club are offering their support for this important cause.” The free seminars will be held in Specsavers Opticas Torrevieja, Avenida Rosa Mazon Valero, opposite Habaneras Shopping Centre and beside the Casino, on 26 January at 11.00 in English and at 6.00pm in Spanish. They will be presented by their professional opticians and cover the early detection of glaucoma and cataracts and general eye health issues. Please phone 966 927 249 to reserve your place. Photo credit: PburghStever