Eye health is costing the UK a hefty sum each year. The AOP predicts a 25% rise in common eye conditions over the next decade, resulting in more ophthalmic spending. Optometry investment could then reap ₤98 million in annual benefits to the NHS, with primary eye care delivering ₤3.98 of value for every ₤1 spent by the health services.
These numbers may be a sight for sore eyes to many individuals dealing with vision issues, so it’s worth looking into the common causes of eye health problems and what families can do to treat, manage, and prevent costly conditions.
The cost of eye issues for families in the UK
More than two million people in the UK have vision loss, and an increasing number of citizens live with some form of visual impairment. This regularly costs the British economy around ₤7.4 billion a year, with productivity taking a significant dip due to unemployment, work limitations, and financial and health complications affecting work life. In the medical space, the cost is even more meteoric at ₤36 billion.
In line with that, the eye care market is expected to generate around ₤1.96 of revenue per individual in 2025. For families, much of the complications in affordability and ample treatment of visual conditions come from a lack of early intervention. Not even counting eye conditions that develop from age and genetic predispositions, the World Economic Forum has found that 13 million people live with vision impairment linked to their occupation. The irony is that workplace injuries account for thousands of these occurrences, but lack of visual acuity then becomes one of the most significant factors for unemployment.
The costs come in medical bills, difficulty maintaining work, and a poor quality of life. While age increases one’s risk, this can affect any family member and has increasingly become an issue for younger individuals. Thankfully, there are ways to manage vision properly.
How to manage your family’s vision
Be mindful of the sun’s impact on eye health
The sun is the most potent source of UV radiation, regularly emitting UVA and UVB rays even in bad weather. Exposure to this can lead to premature eye ageing, cataracts, corneal sunburns, scleral growths, and macular degeneration. With this in mind, it’s best to find shade and minimise direct exposure when the sun is at its peak.
Even when the clouds are thick, it’s also best not to get complacent. Every family member should have protective eyewear, but women’s sunglasses are particularly important because females have higher risk factors of getting these particular eye conditions. Reliable models like the Ray-Ban Clubmaster Classic are an easy choice because of their quality lenses with 100% UV protection. Of course, even more affordable frames like the Arnette Shyguy can deliver ample protection with polarised lenses that protect from UV rays and reduce glare. Another advantage to these frames is that they work for any age and have pretty unisex styles for any family member.
Practise healthy screen habits
Excessive screen time is one of the most common causes of eye strain and deteriorating visual acuity today. There are plenty of family activities to keep your 2025 fun, but they also tend to be visually intensive. Arts and crafts, movie nights, gardening, and family vlogging can all be engaging for every family member but also require careful eye fatigue management.
Moreover, these will be most responsibly enjoyed by allotting a specific amount of recreational screen time. Whether for family outdoor movie bonding or your children’s video gaming sessions, the general rule is that those aged five to 17 should only have a maximum of two hours of recreational screen time per day. For adults, the maximum should be four hours. During this time, the family should also follow the 20-20-20 rule: take a 20-second break every 20 minutes to rest your eyes and look at something 20 feet away.
Get regular eye exams
Finally, the best way to stay on top of eye health is to get regular eye exams. The NHS provides many free eye tests and optical vouchers across different optical providers, so you should check out branches near you to see if you and your family are eligible. If not, getting your eyes checked and using your insurance benefits to reduce the costs of succeeding eye care interventions is still best.
Both children and adults with generally good vision should have an eye exam every two years. If you or any family member have existing vision problems or are at risk of developing them, this should be done at least once yearly. With the proper precautions, you can effectively manage your family’s vision — and save the extra pounds you might have spent on eye treatment for a rainy day.
Don’t miss out on future posts like this – receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address here and hitting subscribe. You can also follow me on Twitter or BlogLovin and I’d love to see you over on my Facebook page and on Instagram. If you’re interested, you can find out more about me here and while I’ve got your attention, if you’re wondering why some of my posts lately are a little bit less frugal then have a read of this post. 😉
Talk to me...