Eye tests and hearing checks
Falls
Problems with your eyesight or hearing can make you more likely to have a fall.
Having good eyesight helps to avoid falls. Regular eye tests can find health conditions that might increase your risk of falling.
Changes to your hearing can affect the balance centre in your inner ear and make you more likely to fall. It's important to tell a GP about any hearing problems.
Eye tests
Eye tests are free for people over the age of 60.
Make sure that your eyesight is tested regularly, even if you think it's fine.
- If you’re over 70 years old, you need to have your eyes tested every year.
- If you’re under 70 years old, you need to have your eyes tested every 2 years.
Opticians do not only test your eyesight to find out if you need glasses. They also check the general health of your eyes and look for early signs of any conditions.
Your risk of falling can increase if your vision is affected in one or both eyes. Your optician can explain how the changes in your vision may affect your walking and balance.
If you notice any changes, it's important to have an eye test.
Eyesight changes can include:
- double vision
- partial or total blindness
- colour blindness
- blurred vision
- circles of light around objects (halos)
- eye pain or discomfort
- difficulty seeing the edge of steps (decreased contrast sensitivity)
- difficulty judging the distance between 2 objects, such as a jug of water and the glass (altered depth perception)
Common eye conditions
Some eye conditions are common in later life, such as:
- cataracts – this is when the small transparent disc called the lens inside your eye becomes cloudy.
- macular degeneration – this condition affects the middle part of your vision
- glaucoma – this is when the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, gets damaged
- diabetic retinopathy – diabetes can damage the blood vessels in the eye, causing patchy or blurred vision
How to get a home eye test
If you’re over 60 and you have difficulties leaving your home, you might be able to have a home eye test for free. The optician comes to visit you in your own home, a care home or a day centre.
Contact Specsavers to see if you’re eligible for a free home eye test.
- Phone: 0800 198 1132
- Fill in the Specsavers home visit eligibility form online
You can also contact Homesight about free home eye tests.
- Phone: 0800 080 6095
- Email: [email protected]
Wearing new glasses
Wearing new glasses, especially bifocal or varifocal lenses, can increase your risk of falling. Talk to your optician about the best lens choices for you and any concerns you have about falling.
If you buy ready-made reading glasses from a pharmacy or shop, you should only use them temporarily.
Wearing sunglasses
Make sure that your sunglasses have ultraviolet (UV) protection. This helps to reduce sun damage to your eyes.
Hearing checks
If you have hearing problems, talk to a GP. There might be a simple explanation, such as wax build-up or an infection that can be treated.
Changes in your hearing can be caused by:
- ear infections
- side effects of certain medicines, such as high doses of aspirin and some antibiotics
- exposure to loud noise
- a head injury
- infections, like mumps or meningitis
- a build-up of ear wax
Your GP might refer you to an audiology (hearing) clinic or specialist ear department.
The Royal National Institute for Deafness (RNID) has a free online hearing check. It is not a full hearing check, but gives you an idea if you have hearing loss. The test takes about 3 minutes.
Hearing aids and equipment
Hearing aids
Hearing aids make sounds louder and can remove some background noise. There are different types of hearing aids. Your hearing specialist (audiologist) can tell you which type suits your needs.
Hearing aids are available for free on the NHS, but only if your hearing specialist recommends them for you. You can also buy hearing aids privately.
Equipment for your home
Other equipment can help you at home. This could include vibrating pads or flashing lights to tell you when the doorbell rings. This means you can see when the doorbell rings visually, instead of relying on hearing it.
Information and support
Find out what help is available for eyesight and hearing loss on the NHS website:
Support for eyesight loss
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a charity for people with eyesight loss or who are partially sighted. Call their helpline for advice. They’re open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.
- Phone: 0303 123 9999
- Email: [email protected]
Get more information about local support from:
- Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Local Optical Committee (LSLLOC)
- South London Resource Centre for Visually Impaired People
Support for hearing loss
Your local social services can loan you equipment to help with hearing loss.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) can tell you where you can buy this equipment yourself. They’ll also help you find other support for hearing loss. Their helpline is open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5pm.
- Phone: 0808 808 0123
- Email: [email protected]
Resource number: 5320/VER2
Last reviewed: July 2026
Next review due: July 2029
