Specsavers Events
Ask the Optician – Eyes on Diabetes
Understanding diabetes and its side effects is the first step towards preventing it, managing it and reducing the risk of complications. According to the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF), around 1 in 3 people with diabetes develop some form of eye health complication, so we’ve asked Nerea Galdos-Little from Specsavers Ópticas in Marbella to answer some of your questions on this important topic.
How many people have diabetes?
Unfortunately, diabetes is one of the fastest growing health conditions today – fuelled by record levels of obesity, excessive sugar consumption and sedentary lifestyles. Spain has the second highest diabetes prevalence in Europe and 14.8% of adults in Spain are living with diabetes – that’s over 5 million people.
What are the complications of diabetes?
People living with diabetes have an increased risk of developing diabetes complications which can affect the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves, teeth and gums. According to the IDF, 1 in 3 people with diabetes will develop some form of vision loss during their lifetime. Kidney failure is 10 times more common in people with diabetes and a lower limb is lost to diabetes somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.
How can diabetes effect eye sight?
Diabetes can affect the small blood vessels and capillaries of the body if it is not properly controlled. Diabetic changes can occur in the blood vessels at the back of the eye, causing diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in working age adults, so it’s hugely important that diabetes is detected early and monitored correctly to minimise the risk of avoidable sight loss. Diabetes can also have other ocular pathological effects, including cataracts and retinal detachments. Severe changes, if left untreated, can result in blindness.
What can we do to prevent damage to the eye from diabetes?
In order to avoid problems with sight, it is important that blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels are controlled. Not all diabetes causes sight loss, but it is important to have regular screenings and eye tests so that any problems or changes can be monitored.
Specsavers Ópticas in Marbella is raising funds for diabetes research foundation DiabetesCERO until the end of the year. They have raised over €800 to date and welcome donations in store. They are located on Avenida Ricardo Soriano 12, Local 5A, 29601. Visit www.specsavers.es to find your nearest store and request an appointment.
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In SPAIN there are over 1,000 people diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes every year, and most of those are under 15 years old. This is a growing problem, yet its cause is not known and there is no cure. The charity DiabeteCERO wants to change that by funding research projects in Spain to find the cure.
Specsavers Ópticas have pledged to help fund this important research and optometrist Carlos Partal from the Marbella store will be running the Estepona Half Marathon on 5th May 2024 to raise money for this worthy cause.
The 21KM route starts in Cancelada and Carlos and his fellow runners will run all the way along the Estepona promenade, along by the sea, finishing in the Estepona Athletics Stadium, the sporting heart of Estepona.
This is a personal challenge for Carlos and he’s training hard to make sure he’s ready to take on the course. He’s previously run 5K and 10K races, but this is a much bigger challenge and he’d love to be able to raise a lot of money for DiabetesCERO along the way, setting a target to raise €500. Donations can be made at Specsavers Ópticas Marbella, or via the website GoFundMe.
Carlos explains, ‘Diabetes is one of the leading causes of vision loss so I’m delighted to be raising money for a diabetes research foundation and helping in my own way to try and find a cure. Sadly, we see evidence of the damage that diabetes can cause to the blood vessels in the back of the eye during eye tests.
We often spot the signs of diabetes before customers are aware they have it, and we refer our clients to an ophthalmologist for diagnosis and immediate treatment. This is important, as timely intervention makes a big difference in the outcome.
If you have diabetes, it is important that blood sugar level, blood pressure and cholesterol levels are controlled to avoid irreversible vision loss.’
Carlos’ store director Nerea Galdos-Little comments, ‘We’re so proud of Carlos for setting himself this ambitious goal of completing a half marathon and delighted that he’s raising money for DiabetesCERO.
Specsavers Ópticas has pledged to raise €5,000 for this charity across its nine stores in Spain during 2024. Carlos is the first person to take on a challenge and is leading the way for the other stores to follow.
If he achieves his goal amount of €500, that will really help us hit, or exceed the target, as we will be collecting throughout the year in store and are looking at other ways we can raise money for this excellent cause. We are telling all our customers about the charity and hope everyone will get behind Carlos and this fantastic cause. We will be there cheering him on during the day’
Donations can be made at Specsavers Ópticas in Marbella, on Avenida Ricardo Soriano 12, Local 5A, 29601, or via GoFundMe. You can find out more about the charity on their website www.diabetescero.org
If you’d like to enter to run the Estepona Half Marathon, you can do so until the 30th of April. Find out more on Facebook @mmestepona.
Carlos Partal – Specsavers
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Honouring Eye Care Professionals for World Optometry Day
For World Optometry Day (March 23rd), Specsavers Ópticas is joining the World Council of Optometry’s (WCO) campaign to honour optometrists and their contributions to vision care around the world. They asked two of their optometrists, in their Marbella and Mallorca stores to explain why they love their jobs and the importance of eye tests as health checks.
Carlos Partal has extensively trained to be able to offer the best care possible as an optometrist at Specsavers Ópticas in Marbella.
Working as an optometrist for over 12 years, he graduated in optics and optometry and went on to gain a master’s in clinical optometry. ‘Optometry is a great profession as we’re able to help our customers in many different ways. Every day we help people by providing comprehensive eye tests, diagnosing eye conditions, prescribing glasses or contact lenses, and offering advice on maintaining eye health.
I regularly see cases of high ocular pressure, that can lead to glaucoma if not treated promptly. During an eye test we’re also able to detect signs of other conditions, such as retinal detachments or Aged-related Macular Degeneration, where timely intervention makes a big difference in the outcome. Once we have identified that there’s an issue, we refer our clients to an ophthalmologist for diagnosis and immediate treatment.
I’m proud of offering one of the most comprehensive visual examinations, using advanced technology. It is a crucial tool in caring for our customers’ vision and health.’
Working as an Optometrist for over 15 years, Gloria Pujol is currently training to become a director of the Specsavers Ópticas store in Santa Ponça, Mallorca, at the end of the year. She is also an official delegate for the National College of Optometrists in the Balearic Islands, working hard to help and support optometrists in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
‘The best thing about being an optometrist is being able to help people with their eye health. I was recently able to help a middle-aged customer with advanced keratoconus, a condition when the normally round cornea becomes thin and develops a cone-like bulge. One of the options they had been given was a corneal transplant, but he came to our store first to see if we could correct this anomaly in a non-surgical way.
We were able to fit him with scleral contact lenses, which are large diameter contact lenses that rest on the white part of the eye, not the cornea. These work perfectly to improve vision and reduce discomfort for people with for keratoconus and he’s delighted that he doesn’t have to undergo surgery.
On another occasion, a pregnant customer came in, as she noticed that her glasses were not correcting her vision as they used to. I carried out diagnostic tests and observed changes in both of her retinas. When I referred her to a doctor, they detected an aggressive diabetes associated with pregnancy, and were able to control it so that she could give birth safely to a healthy baby.
Many people don’t know that eye tests can reveal signs of health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis and cancer, as well as protect their visual health and quality of life. A comprehensive and regular eye test can help detect vision problems early, allowing for timely and effective treatment.’
On World Optometry Day, Carlos and Gloria recommend regular eye exams, protecting your eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses which offer high UV protection and a following a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating a balanced diet, avoiding smoking, undertaking regular exercise and keeping health conditions such as diabetes under control. If you have diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition which can result in irreversible vision loss. To avoid problems with sight, they recommend ensuring blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels are controlled.
As part of his commitment to a healthy lifestyle, Carlos from the Marbella store loves playing sport and practicing watersports. He is also committed to helping charities, supporting the Josep Carreras Foundation which undertakes research into curing leukaemia and helping Specsavers Ópticas hit their target to raise €5,000 for DiabetesCERO in 2024.
He is currently training to run the Estepona Half Marathon on the 5th of May to raise money for DiabetesCERO to fund research into curing Type 1 Diabetes. He’ll be running over 21KM, from Cancelada all the way along the Estepona seafront promenade, ending at the Estepona Athletics Stadium. He’s set a target to raise €500 for DiabetesCERO and donations can be made in Specsavers Ópticas in Marbella, on Avenida Ricardo Soriano 12, Local 5A, 29601, or via GoFundMe.
Comprehensive eye tests are free at Specsavers Ópticas and include checks using the latest technology. There are stores on the Costa del Sol, in Mallorca and on the Costa Blanca. For more information or to book an appointment visit www.specsavers.es
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Manuel Castro Gil from DiabetesCERO & Nerea Galdos-Little from Specsavers Ópticas Marbella
Searching for the cure for Type 1 Diabetes
Optical chain joins forces with diabetes charity to help find the cure for Type 1 Diabetes
OPTICAL chain Specsavers Ópticas has signed an agreement to fundraise for the charity DiabetesCERO throughout 2024, to help them find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. They aim to raise over €5,000 for the charity, to fund important research projects in Spain searching for a cure.
During the fundraising period, stores on the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and in Mallorca will be taking part in challenges and activities to raise funds. They will also be talking to customers and local residents about diabetic retinopathy, one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in the world.
Nerea Galdos-Little store director of Specsavers Ópticas Marbella explains why they chose DiabetesCERO as their official charity for 2024, ‘Diabetes is a very big problem on a global level and one that is growing quickly, with an estimated 537 million people in the world suffering from the disease. This disease is associated with a range of potentially serious health complications, if not correctly controlled.’
‘One of these complications, which we’re seeing more and more of during eye tests, is diabetic retinopathy. If this is undiagnosed and untreated, this can develop into Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and cause permanent vision impairment and blindness. The prevalence of DME among people living with Type 1 diabetes in Europe is around 8.8% and so we want to support DiabetesCERO to help them find a cure for this disease by pledging to raise €5,000 for the charity in 2024.’
‘Alongside this, we want to educate and inform people in our community about the link between diabetes and vision loss. We encourage anyone with diabetes to ensure they carefully manage glucose levels to prevent health complications. They should also have regular eye tests, including the latest technology, to check the health of the eyes and identify any nerve damage early, before it affects their vision.’
In Spain there are over 1,000 people diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes every year, and most of those are under 15 years old. This is a growing problem, yet its cause is not known and there is no cure. The charity DiabeteCERO wants to change that by funding research projects in Spain to find the cure to Type 1 Diabetes.
For Isabel Mérida, President of DiabetesCERO: ‘the agreement with Specsavers Ópticas is a unique opportunity to put the focus on the prevention of diabetes-related vision problems. People with Type 1 diabetes often start daily blood glucose monitoring at a very young age, and in the long run, complications associated with this condition can arise. We must not forget that diabetes is behind the majority of cases of blindness in working age adults in Spain.’
‘Moreover, this charity campaign not only focuses on prevention, but goes one step further. A step that for us is crucial: raising awareness of the importance of investing in research to cure a disease that is often invisible to the rest of society, yet has a brutal impact on the families who live with it.’
There are collection tins in all nine Specsavers Ópticas stores in Spain, where donations can be made to help fund vital research into Type 1 Diabetes. There will also be challenges, activities and events taking place through 2024 which will be available to sponsor and support. Information and sponsorship details can be found on Facebook @SpecsaversOpticas. To find your nearest store to donate, or request a complete eye test, including vital health checks, visit www.specsavers.es
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World Photography Day Competition
Top tips for an award-winning photograph
IN support of World Photography Day on the 19 of August, Specsavers Ópticas are sharing their tips for taking an award-winning photograph. They are also reminding residents of the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and Mallorca, that they have until the 1 of September to submit entries for their summer photography competition to find an image which captures the essence of Spain. The winning entry will receive a €100 Amazon voucher and a pair of designer sunglasses.
David Bradshaw from Specsavers Ópticas in Fuengirola will be one of the three store directors to shortlist the top five entries. He comments, “Keen photographers living close to our stores have until September 1st to enter our summer photography competition and show us, through an image, what makes Spain so special to them. Ahead of World Photography Day, we wanted to share the following tips for taking a great photograph to help them with their entries. I wish you the very best of luck!”
Brainstorm possible shots which really epitomise Spain to you – Think of the sights which really scream Spain, whether that’s flamenco, food or landscapes and go out to find and capture those moments. Make sure your camera is properly set up and consider using a tripod to ensure the shot is steady and enable long exposure photography options.
Experiment with the rule of thirds – This is a great trick for well composed shots, where the main subject is in the left or right third of your image and the other two thirds are more open.
Play with perspective – Try the same subject from a few different angles and see what is the most powerful.
Get the lighting right – Photographs taken in the golden hour (the hour just after the sun rises or before it sets) gives the best possible light. Outside of this time, make sure you are aware of the light conditions and beware of shadows and glare. At night, the flash tends to give you problems such as red eye and washed-out images, so play with the settings, or soften the light from the flash by covering it.
Review your options with a critical eye and keep trying until you get it right – Look at your pictures on a large device such as a tablet or computer, rather than your phone, to be able to critically review them. Look at whether there’s anything out of focus, the light, composition and background and discard the images you don’t feel are at their best. Keep trying different places, times of day, moments and concepts until you find the one that you feel really proud of. Once you’ve got it, send it in to us for judging.
A jury formed of three Specsavers Ópticas store directors will judge the entries and shortlist the top five entries. These will then be posted on social media and the image with the most likes and comments will be declared the overall winner. The winner will receive a €100 Amazon voucher and a pair of designer sunglasses worth up to 159€.
The competition is open until the 1 of September and photographs can be submitted on social media by tagging @SpecsaversOpticas on Facebook and @specsaversspain on Instagram, sending photos via Messenger or via email to spain.marketingATspecsavers.com.
It is open to all residents of the provinces of Alicante and Malaga as well as those of the island of Mallorca and you must be aged 18 and above. Terms and conditions apply, which can be found at www.specsavers.es/sorteo
Good Luck