A Third Of People Forgo Regular Eye Tests
A global study into how people perceive their eyesight has found that a third of those questioned have not had their eyes tested in the past two years, yet still claim to have perfect vision.
When those questioned were asked why they did not have regular eye tests, 63% of people replied that they had not been experiencing any symptoms of poor eyesight.
Britons rank highly in global survey
The study was carried out by Bausch + Lomb, a world-renowned eye and healthcare company. They asked 1,050 UK residents about their eyesight, and 69% responded to say that they had been for a comprehensive eye exam within the last two years.
This figure ranks the UK above nine other developed countries, and only equalled by France. The survey also discovered that 81% of UK respondents said that, if they had to make a choice, they would rather lose their hearing than their eyesight, while 76% would rather lose a limb than their eyesight.
Paul Hurrell, vice president of Bausch + Lomb Vision Care Northern Europe said that their study confirms that people in the UK takes their eyesight very seriously, and most people would rather lose their sense of taste or hearing, or even lose a limb, than lose their eyesight.
He added however, that this high regard for eyesight cannot be linked to the number of people having regular eye tests. Hurrell said that people only having their eyes tested when they notice a problem is a big problem.
Regular eye tests are recommended
The current guidelines of the College of Optometrists recommend that people aged 16 or over - who don’t have other medical conditions - should have their eyes tested every two years.
Finally, the Bausch + Lomb study, which will be repeated next year, found that 73% of females had been for an eye test during the recommended two year time frame, compared to 65% of males. This possibly suggests that women are more conscious of their eyesight and health than men. It could also be that for a multitude of reasons, men are more put off by the idea of wearing glasses than women.
The longer people who need glasses go without wearing them, often find that their eyesight diminishes even quicker, as the eyes are put under extra strain in an effort to see clearly. Therefore it is highly recommended that for the sake of your long term eyesight, your eyes are tested on a regular basis and that you follow the advice of your optician.