Healthier eyes for grandpa and grandma this Valentine's Day

MANILA, Philippines - Show your love to your grandparents this Valentine’s Day and bring them to the nearest Watsons Personal Care outlet in Metro Manila for free eye checkup.

The free eye checkup is a patient-centric program of Novartis Healthcare Philippines in partnership with the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology (PAO).

Starting this Valentine’s weekend, the Novartis Eye Care Caravan will be providing free eye checkups every weekend in various Watsons branches located at SM City North EDSA’s The Block, SM Megamall, SM Makati, and SM Mall of Asia.

The activity will simultaneously happen in all these branches, giving everyone a chance to have a free dry eye and AMD screening by an accredited PAO member.

 AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration) is a chronic eye disease and one of the causes of severe vision loss in people aged 60 years and older. At-risk patients whose age makes them prone to AMD need to undergo screening to detect the eye problem as early as possible.

Dry eye syndrome, on the other hand, is a condition that affects over 10 million people of all ages, especially those exposed to environmental factors like sun, wind, air-conditioning and even over-exposure to television or computer monitors.

The eyes are sensitive to these factors, so they are prone to dryness, resulting in bothersome symptoms like eyestrain, irritation, foreign body sensation, redness and blurring of vision. 

Other than free checkup, the Novartis Eye Care Caravan, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is giving out free wet sampling of Genteal eye drops and Vitalux Plus products, both from Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

Genteal (hypromellose), an over-the-counter product, gives much-needed hydration for dry eyes. It contains Gen Aqua, a breakthrough in preservative technology, protecting the eyes from the damaging effects of conventional preservatives.

Vitalux Plus (multivitamins plus minerals), on the other hand, is proven to reduce the risk and delay AMD progression by providing eye nutrients for the eyes.