(PRESS RELEASE) CHICAGO — Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading nonprofit eye health and safety organization, launched a new campaign, “It Started With an Eye Exam” to encourage consumers to share stories of how eye care had a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. 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., a global healthcare company.
Starting on Monday, May 20, 2024, 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 stories, using #ItStartedWithanEyeExam or submit its stories to Prevent Blindness for sharing at PreventBlindness.org
In regards to children, 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. Additionally, visual functioning is a strong predictor of academic performance in school-age children.
For older people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 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.
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Additionally, a dilated eye exam from an eye care professional can uncover a variety of other serious health issues. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a comprehensive eye exam may detect:
- Aneurysm
- Brain tumor
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Lupus
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sickle cell disease
- Stroke
Prevent Blindness also provides a free directory of vision care assistance resources in English and Spanish here.
“As a public health advocacy organization, our mission is help educate the public on the importance of healthy vision, and help to provide access to eye care for all,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Through the new ‘It Started With an Eye Exam’ campaign, our goal is to share real stories of those whose lives have positively changed through eye care services, including eye exams.”
For general vision and eye health information, please visit here. To share your story through the It Started With an Eye Exam program, visit here.
