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This week marks Men’s Health Week across Ireland. Specsavers is opening up the conversation on eye and ear health and highlighting the importance of regular sight and hearing tests.
Let Men’s Health Week be a reminder to keep on top of your eye and ear health, monitor any ongoing symptoms, and should you notice any sudden changes, be sure to book an appointment at Specsavers.
EYE HEALTH
Here are some top tips for the men of Ireland on what to look out for with your eyes and what to do if certain symptoms arise.
Red eyes are certainly something to pay attention to. This could be caused by an infection, a burst blood vessel, a scratch on the surface of the eye or too much pressure inside the eye. If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to get it checked out if it persists for more than two to three days.
Floaters appear as black or translucent spots or strands on the eye, which give the impression of seeing something ‘float’ across your field of vision. They can appear strange but are usually harmless in terms of affecting your eye health. If they are associated with a decrease in vision, a sudden increase in floaters themselves, or flashes/fireworks in your vision, this could indicate symptoms of a detached retina. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should get seen to by an optometrist as soon as possible.
Itchy eyes are commonly experienced by lots of people and usually go away within a few hours/days. If symptoms persist, this could be due to an allergy that you may not have known you had.
If a contact lens wearer, you may commonly experience puffy or swollen eyes. This could mean that you are keeping your lenses inside your eye for too long resulting in dehydrated eyes, or it could indicate the start of an infection.
Finally, if your eyes are persistently watering, this could indicate there is a problem with your tear ducts or more seriously your Meibomian glands.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, do not hesitate to book an appointment at your local Specsavers store, and get the advice from our expert optometrists, who will be able to help you and relieve your symptoms as quickly as possible.
For more information, book an eye test or to find out more about your eye health visit
EAR HEALTH
Your hearing changes over time and for different reasons, which is why people experience different types of loss at different stages in life. Despite this, many people ignore the signs of hearing loss, and that is something that needs to change.
Recent research from Specsavers found that 42% of adults currently struggle with their hearing or know a loved one who is struggling.
Just over one in five (22%) adults with hearing loss claim they struggle to hear café ambience and talking situations, followed by doorbells (18%) and phones ringing (15%).
Almost six in ten (57%) of those struggling with hearing loss claim that they have noticed that they have to ask people to repeat themselves recently, with half (50%) noticing themselves turning up the television higher than normal and just over a quarter (26%) taking phone calls through the speaker.
Amongst those struggling with hearing loss, almost half (47%) claim they worry about their own hearing on a weekly basis and just over half (51%) of those struggling with hearing loss think they could have done something when they were younger to look after their hearing better.
Yet almost a third of adults (28%) have never gone for a hearing test.
Specsavers Audiology Chairperson of Ireland, Martina McNulty says: ‘As a business, we’ve made it our mission to change the conversation around our hearing health and break down the stigma that exists. We want to encourage more people, particularly the younger generations to think about their hearing as part of their overall health. If you’ve noticed any changes in your hearing or have any concerns, we can help.’
Getting a hearing aid is all about finding what’s right for you, understanding your hearing needs, your lifestyle and your budget. Specsavers offers a wide range of hearing aids, including its own Specsavers Advance range. Advance hearing aids feature some of the latest technology, at Specsavers prices. Features can include background noise reduction, mobile audio streaming from a device such as a phone, wireless connectivity, app connectivity, and rechargeability.
Specsavers also offers PRSI Treatment Benefit for those who are eligible. Through the scheme you can avail of a pair of hearing aids up to the value of €1,000 or put their PRSI contribution towards the cost of a more expensive pair of hearing aids at Specsavers.
For more information about using your PRSI Treatment benefit entitlement available at Specsavers, speak to your local store or check out www.specsavers.ie/hearing/hearing-aids/prsi-treatments-benefit. You can also make an appointment online.
For more information or to make an appointment with one of the team, please call 074 9167040, or visit www.specsavers.ie/stores/letterkenny-hearing.
Specsavers Hearing Centre in Donegal Town is also open for wax removals and hearings tests. Book via telephone number is (074) 974 2686 or online https://www.specsavers.ie/stores/donegaltown