If we ask how many times you have consciously thought about the wellbeing of your eyes - the answer may not look very encouraging.

An organ that is so ignored when it comes to maintenance, this pair of eyes is enabling you to lead an independent life. Can you imagine reading books, watching movies, driving, attending parties, playing sports or completing everyday chores without a good vision? All these activities will be so taxing - physically and emotionally too.

Good eyesight is important not only for young people but also much more significant as one get older. People have come to accept loss of vision as an outcome of ageing but this should not be the case with so many medical interventions available.

According to the World Health Organisation, around 80% of blindness and serious visual loss around the globe can be avoided through available preventative measures and treatments. It is estimated nearly 4.2 million that is about two-thirds of the world population is considered to have impaired vision but out of these only 1.7 billion adopt vision correction methods.

India alone accounts for one-fourth of the world's total blind population with cataract being the leading cause of blindness in the country.

The prevalence of blindness is found to be higher among females, in rural areas and those with lower socio-economic status. This is largely due to the lack of awareness about the vision correction methods available.

A study among Indian workers found there can be 30% rise in their income and 25% increase in their productivity if they undergo vision correction treatments.

Eyes not only help you see the outer world but also give a picture of your internal body functioning. An early eye examination by an ophthalmologist reveals number of health conditions like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, risk of stroke, heart disease and macular degeneration.

Despite the availability of large number of eye treatments to prevent vision impairments, many people are suffering from eye problems. There are generally no symptoms in the early stages of eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) but if you wait till the symptoms surface, irrevocable loss may have already occurred.

Therefore it is important to visit an eye care professional for early diagnosis, treatment and support to maintain good eye health. Make eye health screening part of your annual health check-up to continue enjoying a holistic and independent life in silver years!