Older adults are urged to get their eyes checked to prevent falls this autumn.
As part of the Injury Matters Stay On Your Feet program's new campaign, Remove Hazards, people are reminded that maintaining good eyesight helps to prevent harmful falls.
Having impaired vision or underlying eye conditions can increase your risk of having a fall, as it becomes harder to see hazards such as uneven footpaths, edges of steps or objects or spills on the floor.
Injury Matters general manager - injury prevention, Samantha Menezes, said older adults with vision impairment are twice as likely to fall as those without vision loss.
"Good vision assists older adults maintain balance while doing daily activities and enables them to identify hazards or obstacles that may trip them up," she said.
Good vision assists older adults maintain balance.
- Samantha Menezes
Five things to look out for include eye pain/dryness, spots or floaters in your vision, blurred vision or halos around lights, changes in depth perception, or increased sensitivity to light or glare.
Any changes or discomfort with your eyes should be discussed with an optometrist or GP as soon as possible, and regular eye health checks with your optometrist or ophthalmologist are recommended.
"Even if you think all is fine, things like age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma often don't have early symptoms," Ms Menezes said. "An eye test can detect the early signs of eye conditions before the symptoms occur, many of which can be treated."
Click here for simple tips to keep you on your feet.