our practical advice for preventing and correcting visual impairments

World Sight Day takes place on October 12. As with cancers and other diseases, screening is essential. Where and by whom do we get tested? What to do if you don’t have a specialist near you? Here are some ways to take care of your eyes.

Ophthalmologist, ophthalmologist or oculist, three names for the same profession. It is to them, or previously to an orthoptist, that you must contact to have your vision and eyes diagnosed.

Common deficits such as presbyopia, myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism are corrected with glasses or lenses or through surgical operations, which are widely practiced throughout the world.

But there are also diseases that must be detected in time to avoid serious consequences, such as infectious diseases, due to viruses or bacteria, hereditary diseases, for which children can be carriers, cataracts which do not Not only do glaucomas or AMD (age-related macular degeneration), the famous black spot in the middle of the field of vision, occur after age 65.

By making an appointment with a vision specialist. In certain rural areas, devoid of ophthalmologists, vehicles equipped with all the necessary measuring instruments circulate. Checks are carried out by an orthoptist who redirects patients to an ophthalmologist if a problem is detected.

An Optocar bus, for example, set up for two days at the Pierre Pflimlin college in Brunstatt-Didenheim, in Haut-Rhin in 2023. Thirty adolescents aged 11 to 15 were able to benefit from free vision screening andorthoptist discovered several nearsighted and farsighted children, whom he referred to an ophthalmologist for prescription of corrective lenses. See vagueness, when it is necessary to learn lessons, or seeing poorly on the board is a handicap for students and can be a source of academic failure.

There is also remote teleconsultation, in telemedicine cabins and now in certain nursing homes (establishments for dependent elderly people) auscultations are offered to seniors.

In 2024, there will be 5,300 ophthalmologists in France. After having been stable for 15 years in France, this number is starting to decrease. By 2025, 53% of ophthalmologists will no longer be in practice. At the same time, the number of elderly people is increasing and so are the needs for consultations. So remember to make an appointment early enough, otherwise it will be an emergency.

In addition to specialists, associations help and support patients. Among them, Rétina France is a national association of patients, recognized as being of public utility. Unadev supports the blind and visually impaired in their daily, social and professional lives.

On the website of the Pour La Vision association, articles by specialists and researchers report on the latest advances and current research.

Certain associations such as Art-au-traite du Regard, for example, help the visually impaired and blind to access art (exhibitions, museums, guided tours, etc.)

Sight is a precious and fragile sense, to preserve it, here are three simple tips to remember:

• If you touch your eyes or put in or remove your lenses, do so with clean hands.
• To protect them from the sun, wear approved glasses (not just tinted lenses) and for work that causes splinters, wear protective glasses
• If your eyes are watery, red, see bodies floating, if you have taken a blow, even a slight one, remember to consult, because even if it is not painful, the consequences can be serious. And of course, limit screens.

Consult quickly, because we can treat quite a bit of affections with eye dropscorticosteroids, antibiotics and, if necessary, laser or other surgery.

World Sight Day is led by the IAPB, in French, the international agency for the prevention of blindness. It is a global network of 250 members specialized in the field. Founded in 1975, the agency has 250 members in 100 countries. This international network serves to fight blindness and eye diseases.