OPTICIANS throughout Worcestershire have raised the importance of eye care to coincide with National Cataract Awareness day yesterday.

Part of the natural ageing process, a cataract blurs the light entering the eye and scatters it, making vision misty. Loss of vision is gradual and many people may not even realise they have one. Although, poor sight is part of getting older it can be treated.

Symptoms may include blurring, double vision, spots in your vision and difficulty seeing in brightly lit rooms or the sun.

Deyrick Bettles, lab manager at Vision Express, in the CrownGate said: "Your eyes cannot be replaced. You will not necessarily have any symptoms or pain, which is why it is essential to have regular eye tests. An examination can identify any problems such as cataracts, and steps can be made to rectify it, ensuring you maintain a good quality of vision."