MP warns to beware '˜the silent thief of sight'

Stuart McDonald MP (centre) with Vision Express at Tesco Cumbernauld optical assistants Ryan McGuckin (left) and Grant Hutchison. Pic: Mark Anderson/Vision Express

The opening took place during National Glaucoma Awareness Week, a condition nicknamed the silent thief of sight.

Research from the College of Optometry indicates over 11,000 North Lanarkshire residents are living with suspected glaucoma, yet around half remain undiagnosed.

One of the biggest causes of preventable sight loss worldwide, glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye conditions in which the main nerve to the eye (the optic nerve) is damaged.

This nerve carries information about what is being seen from the eye to the brain and, as it becomes damaged, vision is lost.

As he cut the ribbon at Vision Express Mr McDonald encouraged members of the public to prioritise their eye health.

He said: “Eye health is so important and I would encourage everyone to have regular eye tests and take their vision seriously – remember NHS eye tests are fully funded in Scotland by the Scottish Government.

“I’m proud to support this event and raise awareness of eye health amongst my constituents, especially those who drive, with research revealing there are almost 3,000 road casualties a year because of poor driver sight.”

Cumbernauld is one of more than 200 ‘Vision Express at Tesco’ outlets launching across the UK this year after the firm acquired Tesco Opticians at the end of 2017.