Glaucoma UK is a small charity but has a big impact!

Have you experienced selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT)?

If you’ve experienced selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), the National Insight for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) would like to invite you to join their glaucoma diagnosis and treatment committee.

Recruitment is open until 5:00pm on Friday 30 July 2021, as the first meeting is scheduled for August. Lay members of the committee are paid a fee to attend meetings and they cover other expenses....

Can you help us make our information leaflets better? Join our readers’ panel!

We’re working on a project to make all our information leaflets better. We want them to be easier to read and understand, and to make sure they contain the information and advice that people with glaucoma really need.

To do this, we need a team of people with glaucoma, or people who care for them, to help us review our resources and give us feedback. Can you help by joining our readers’ panel? Full training and support will be given, and you only need to commit as much or as little time as you like, at a time that suits you....

Places available in the Virtual London Marathon 2021

We’re looking for people to run the Virtual London Marathon 2021 in aid of Glaucoma UK.

You can be part of the race by completing the 26.2 miles on Sunday 3 October 2021 from home, or wherever you are, on a course of your choice.

Registration is free but we are asking our runners to try and raise a minimum of £100 in sponsorship....

DVLA contact centre and paper services disrupted

Industrial action which directly affects DVLA’s contact centre services is taking place. During this time, we have been advised that it is best not to call the DVLA contact centre or use paper services.

Online services are available and are the quickest and easiest way to deal with the DVLA. For information and to access services, go to www.gov.uk/browse/driving.

“If glaucoma is genetic and runs in families, why am I the first person in my family to have the disease?”

If you have glaucoma but no one else in your family does, you may understandably wonder why, especially considering glaucoma is genetic and runs in families.

There are several reasons why this could have happened. Firstly, it could be that others in your family either had or have the disease, but it hasn’t been diagnosed. It’s possible that a grandmother who complained of poor sight in her old age actually had glaucoma. That’s why it’s important to remind your close relatives to get their eyes tested regularly.

Otherwise, it’s a question of genetics. Glaucoma is a family of diseases, with lots of different causes. If you have glaucoma, a few different parts of your eye are affected.

For example,

Lots of genes are involved in making these different parts of your eye and making the components within the cells to help them function normally....

It's Glaucoma Awareness Week 2021

Glaucoma Awareness Week takes place on 28 June – 4 July 2021 and this year’s theme is family and loved ones.

Glaucoma Awareness Week is an annual awareness-raising opportunity where we encourage people across the UK to talk about glaucoma. Over 700,000 people in the UK have glaucoma. Half of them don’t know they have it. We want to end preventable glaucoma sight loss and that starts with raising awareness of the disease.

Glaucoma Awareness Week is coordinated by us, Glaucoma UK. But it wouldn’t be possible without the people who come forward to give a face to our campaign and give a voice to the different experiences of the growing number of people in the UK with glaucoma. You can meet the amazing people who have shared their stories with us for Glaucoma Awareness Week 2021 here....

Consultation: changing the membership structure

Glaucoma UK’s Board of Trustees is considering changing the charity’s membership model. The result would be that the trustees would become the only voting members.

The Board would continue to draw trustees from our membership and the people we support, and the charity would continue to provide opportunities for the people who use our services to influence how we deliver them.

We would welcome your views.

Complete our survey

Spring Bank Holiday opening hours

The Glaucoma UK helpline will be closed for the Spring Bank Holiday from Friday 28th May 2021 at 3.30pm until Monday 31 May 2021 inclusive. We will resume normal working hours on Tuesday 1 June 2021 from 9.30am. If you are experiencing any problems with your eyes during this time, please contact your local hospital A&E department for advice.

Food and glaucoma: ideas for your shopping list

When you’re faced with the news that you have a medical condition, whether it is an eye disease like glaucoma or something else, it’s natural to reflect on your lifestyle and see if there are any changes you can make to benefit your health. Our helpline sometimes receives calls asking about whether there are specific foods people can introduce into their diet to help with healthy vision.

What’s good for general health is also good for glaucoma patients: a balanced diet with the recommended five-a-day fruit and veg, regular exercise and not smoking. Drinking plenty of water is important to keep your body hydrated and can be especially beneficial for people who have dry eyes.

Lots of the minerals, vitamins and other chemicals in foods are thought to be beneficial for our vision. Here are some examples: 

Please remember these will not improve the vision you have lost due to your glaucoma but consuming them might help you stay fit and healthy now and in the future. Also, proving the beneficial effects of certain chemicals is very difficult – research is ongoing, and we cannot say conclusively any food or chemical will prevent or protect against glaucoma or other vision loss. We have also listed a few herbs and spices which are recommended for good eye health. So, you can add them to your next shopping list!...

Glaucoma Awareness Week 2021 theme revealed

Glaucoma Awareness Week 2021 takes place on 28 June – 4 July 2021 and this year’s theme is family and loved ones.

What is Glaucoma Awareness Week and why does it matter?

Glaucoma Awareness Week is an annual awareness-raising opportunity where we encourage people across the UK to talk about glaucoma. Over 700,000 people in the UK have glaucoma. Half of them don’t know they have it. We want to end preventable glaucoma sight loss and that starts with raising awareness of the disease.

Family and loved ones: what’s the story behind this year’s theme?

Find out more on our page dedicated to Glaucoma Awareness Week

New cookbook for the visually impaired available to order

Glaucoma UK friend and author Simon Mahoney whose book ‘A Descent into Darkness’ we have previously featured on our website, has written another book ‘First Catch Your Rabbit! Or Cooking Without Fear’. It’s full of delicious recipes hints and tips and fabulous support ideas to help blind and partially sighted people make meals independently. You can purchase it on our website here.

Having served in the Royal Marines in the 1960s, Simon developed glaucoma at the age of  66 and completely lost his sight three years ago He found support from several charities, including Glaucoma UK.

“Glaucoma UK has helped me remain positive when adapting to life with sight loss. The charity gave me practical guidance and information as well as listening to my concernsMy sight loss was preventable. I missed vital check-ups I didn’t have an eye test for about two years and when I did it was too late, I’d lost significant sight. Sight loss happens all too easily as we look through our eyes and not at them and therefore we tend to ignore them.”...

May bank holiday helpline opening times