CARERS who look after older friends or relatives or people with diabetes are being urged to look out for sight problems so they can be diagnosed before it is too late.

RNIB Scotland said 50 per cent of sight loss can be avoided or improved with treatment if the condition is diagnosed quickly. It is particularly targeting carers, who the charity says can help prevent or reduce blindness and sight loss by being alert to the symptoms.

In some cases, the individuals they care for may be unable to communicate their problems easily, RNIB Scotland director John Legg said.

"Around 188,000 people in Scotland are blind or have significant sight loss," he added. "But these figures are set to increase as we are an ageing population and the rates of sight-threatening conditions such as diabetic retinopathy are rocketing. Without action, the number of people with sight problems is likely to increase dramatically over the next 25 years. Unless we wake up to the importance of taking better care of our vision, the costs to society and the individual could be high."

Eye examinations, carried out in high street optometrists, are free in Scotland and can pick up the first signs of other health conditions - such as diabetes and high blood pressure - which RNIB Scotland says too few people are aware of.

The charity is joining Carers Trust Scotland to take information to people who care for those with long-term health conditions. "Carers in Scotland play a significant part in the lives of the people they care for and we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to work with them to highlight the issues and raise awareness," said Gozie Joe Adigwe, eye health team leader for RNIB Scotland.

RNIB Scotland and the Carers Trust will also target carers from ethnic minority communities because people of a South Asian background are six times more likely to develop some of sight-loss conditions.