An estimated 50,000 people in Ireland will develop some kind of vision loss over the next five years, while 5,000 will lose their sight altogether, the Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) has warned.

This is despite the fact that 75% of vision loss is preventable if diagnosed and treated early.

According to the ICO, some 220,000 people in Ireland are already living with vision loss or blindness and this can have a serious impact on their quality of life. It has launched an awareness campaign - ‘Your Sight, Our Vision' - to highlight this serious heath issue.

The ICO noted that the risk of vision loss increases with age and in just 10 years, one million people in Ireland will be aged 65 or older. As a result, after the age of 65, the college recommends that people have their eyes tested every one to two years.

The main causes of sight loss in Ireland are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, cataract and glaucoma, however most sight loss related to these conditions is preventable if caught early enough.

According to Dr Patricia Quinlan of the ICO, this campaign is aiming to show how important lifestyle factors are when it comes to the health of the eyes.

"After ageing, smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing age-related macular degeneration and also increases your risk of developing cataracts. Simple lifestyle changes can have a big impact, like giving up smoking, eating a healthy diet, exercise and having regular eye exams," she explained.

She also called on people in higher risk categories, such as those with diabetes or a family history of eye conditions, to have regular eye examinations ‘in order to catch early symptoms'.

As part of the campaign, an information booklet on eye health is available. To obtain a free copy, call the ICO on (01) 402 2777 or email info@eyedoctors.ie. Alternatively, you can download a copy here

For more information on eye health, see our Eye Health Channel here