Women across Swindon are being encouraged to take their eye health seriously amid warnings that many could be living with avoidable sight problems linked to common age-related conditions.
New figures highlighted by eye care specialists show more than 2,000 people in the town are currently living with cataracts, with numbers expected to rise significantly over the coming years as the population ages.
According to data from the Royal National Institute of Blind People, around 2,120 people in Swindon are affected by cataracts, a figure projected to climb to almost 2,800 by 2032.
Health experts say women are particularly vulnerable to major vision conditions including cataracts and glaucoma, due in part to longer life expectancy and hormonal changes associated with ageing.
Swindon clinic Newmedica is now urging women—particularly those over the age of 60—not to ignore changes in their eyesight and to seek assessment sooner rather than later.
Cataracts occur when the lens inside the eye becomes cloudy, gradually affecting vision. People often describe symptoms as similar to looking through a dirty or misted window, with sight becoming blurred, dim or increasingly difficult in low light.
Although common, the condition is highly treatable through surgery, which involves replacing the clouded lens with an artificial one. The procedure typically takes less than 20 minutes and is usually carried out under local anaesthetic, allowing patients to return home the same day.
At Newmedica Swindon, staff say many patients delay seeking help unnecessarily, often adapting to deteriorating eyesight without realising how much it is affecting daily life.
Operations director Jug Singh said timely treatment can have a significant impact on independence and wellbeing.
“Here in Swindon, we’re seeing first-hand the difference that timely access to treatment can make,” he said. “Cataract surgery is quick, safe and highly effective, yet too many people are living with poor vision longer than they need to.”
He added that many patients feel anxious before treatment, making reassurance and guidance an important part of the process.
The warning comes amid wider concern nationally over eye health awareness, particularly among older adults who may put off appointments or dismiss gradual changes to their vision as simply part of ageing.
Specialists say early assessment remains key—not only for cataracts, but for detecting other potentially serious eye conditions before permanent damage occurs.
For many, the message is a simple one: don’t wait for poor eyesight to become normal.
