Take care of your senses

There are currently 356,000 deafblind people living in the UK and it is estimated that by 2030, the number of people who are deaf and/or blind is expected to reach 569,000.

Adrian Murdoch, Ballymena Specsavers store director, said: “There is no reason that our quality of life should suffer as we age anymore. We’ve never been in a better position to monitor and treat eye and ear health.

“Specsavers hope to use Deafblind Awareness Week to highlight the importance of getting regular sight and hearing tests.”

Davin Quinn, Specsavers store director in Antrim, added: “Eyesight deterioration can manifest itself in a number of ways but is most easily treated with early detection. Cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, are all fairly common problems that can occur with age, but are all diagnosable through a simple eye examination.”

At Specsavers, digital retinal photography is also offered as part of the standard test and at no additional cost for customers aged over 40, or where a GP or optician recommends it.

The advanced procedure uses a camera to take a picture of the back of the eye. Each photograph is kept as a permanent record and used to detect and manage a variety of conditions.

One in six people nationwide suffer from hearing loss, with age related hearing loss being the most common, and this figure is set to rise.

A hearing test not only assesses hearing, but it can also detect tinnitus, a ringing in the ears, as well as ear wax build-ups, known as cerumen blockages.

For further information or to book an eye examination or hearing test at your nearest Specsavers, please call 0800 068 0241 or log onto www.specsavers.co.uk