“I can’t even begin to tell you how blind I am,” Claudia Winkleman revealed. “It’s embarrassing. I can’t read the autocue.” In a candid interview, the mum-of-three divulged the extent of her eye complications. “My eyes have deteriorated so badly,” she told The Sun. “I’m not meant to drive. I am doing the wrong job.”
Taking the steps necessary to address her eye health, Claudia underwent laser eye surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
Reflecting on the procedure, Claudia described it as a “frightening” but “life-changing” experience.
“I am so grateful to the fantastic staff at Moorfields [Hospital],” she said.
Eye sight
A poll by Fight for Sight found that 38 percent of people in the UK believe their eyesight has gotten worse as they spend more time looking at screens.
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Specsavers, however, pointed out that age-related changes to vision is “normal”.
“Changes to the lens of your eye and a weakening of the eye muscles can lead to a change in how well you can see,” Specsavers noted.
“Conditions such as myopia (short-sightedness) and hyperopia (long-sightedness), and presbyopia (loss of near vision) become more likely with age.”
Myopia
The NHS explained myopia is when distant objects appear blurred while close objects can be seen clearly.
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“Short-sightedness usually occurs when the eyes grow slightly too long,” the health body explained.
“This means that light doesn’t focus on the light-sensitive tissue (retina) at the back of the eye properly.
“Instead, the light rays focus just in front of the retina, resulting in distant objects appearing blurred.”
There seems to be a genetic link for the development of myopia, and the condition has also been linked to focusing on nearby objects, such as books and computers, for long periods during childhood.
Children who spent more time playing outside might have a reduced risk of developing myopia in the future.
Corrective lenses, such as glasses or contact lenses, are an ideal solution to help the eyes focus on distant objects.
Laser eye surgery, which Claudia had, is also an option – although this is only reserved for adults who pay for it privately.
Another private option is where a man-made lens is permanently inserted into the eyes to help them focus.
Hyperopia
Hyperopia is the opposite of myopia in that closer objects are out of focus while distant objects can be seen clearly.
Hyperopia can be attributed to an eyeball that is “too short”, or the cornea is “too flat” so that the lens in the eye is unable to focus properly.
Treatments for hyperopia are the same as that offered to treat short-sightedness.
Everybody is encouraged to have their eyesight checked at least every two years by an optometrist.
Claudia Winkleman presents BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing, Saturday November 18 at 6.40pm.
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