Countrywide Noticeboard

AMD Awareness Week, 20-26 September 2010

This year’s AMD Awareness Week is running from 20-26 September to promote early detection of the signs of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration), the most common cause of registered blindness in Ireland.

AMD is the principal cause of sight loss for people over the age of 50 in the Western World and although it is not as well known as other eye diseases such as cataracts or glaucoma, it is thought to affect 1 in 10 Irish people over the age of 50. Vision loss can have a huge emotional and practical impact on a person and affect their ability to live independently.

The National Council for the Blind (NCBI), Fighting Blindness, the Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) and the Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI), supported by Novartis, are working together to increase public awareness of AMD and to highlight the importance of regular testing to identify early signs of the condition.

The most obvious symptoms of AMD are distortion and blurring in the centre of vision and the earlier a person identifies that they have a problem with their sight, the sooner they can make the adjustments which will help them maintain a full and independent life.

Throughout AMD Awareness Week, free testing will be available to detect the early signs of AMD at a range of locations nationwide.

A mobile testing unit will visit for following locations over the course of the week:

Galway: Westside Library, Seamus Quirke Road and Corrib Yacht Club, Earls’ Island, Distillery Road, Newcastle on Tuesday 21^st September

Limerick: Rathbane Golf Club, Crossgalla on Wednesday 22^nd September

Waterford: Waterford City Library, Michael Street and Waterford Golf Club, Newrath on Thursday 23^rd September.

Dublin: County Library Tallaght, Library Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24 on Friday 24^th September.

Cork: Cork Central Library and the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven on Saturday 25^th September.