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Going to the opticians
A Survey of Optometrists shows two thirds have seen an increase in the number of younger patients presenting symptoms of eye conditions
- Almost half are concerned that people will start losing their sight, or suffering from conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts at a younger age
- Increased use of screens is considered one of the major reasons for deterioration in eye health
- Consumer survey shows one in 10 people would only have an eye test if they were experiencing problems
- Around 45% wouldn’t get their eyes tested if they were struggling to read road signs and one in ten have even got behind the wheel of a car with blurred vision.
The number of young people who are being diagnosed with serious eye conditions is thought to be growing, according to a survey of Optometrists released today. The study saw two thirds of Optometrists say they have seen an increase in conditions such as Dry Eye disease and Blepharitis, while almost half are concerned that people will start losing their sight or suffering from conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration at a younger age. The Optometrists surveyed say the increased use of screens in our daily lives is one of the major factors in the deterioration of the nation’s eye health (63%).
Also the increasing prevalence of diabetes in the UK (72%), poor diets (70%), smoking (74%), not wearing sunglasses (75%) and not following a proper hygiene routine for contact lenses (62%) all contribute to the worsening of our eyes.
Three quarters of Optometrists say that they are concerned generally about the eye health of their patients, while more than 90% say they don’t think people take their eye health seriously or look after their eyes as much as they should.
Furthermore, consumer research also released today by Spectrum Thea shows one in 10 people would only have an eye test if they are experiencing problems, with less than half saying they would get checked out if they had blurred vision from screen-time, while a third wouldn’t even if they were unable to read small print.
Worryingly, for road users, around 45% wouldn’t get their eyes tested if they were struggling to read road signs from a distance and one in 10 have even sat behind the wheel of a car with blurred vision. Watch the following video for more details of the report.
Readers may also be interested in our recent blog post to celebrate National Eye Exam Month which gave five great reasons to have an eye test.
Oh wow, that sure sounds very serious to hear from optometrists that young people are suffering with some type of eye issue. I already have a few grandchildren who are now wearing glasses and eye contacts. The numbers sure seem to be more than thirty years ago when I was a young kid. http://www.ashworthvision.com/
After the bullet points in the second paragraph, it seems as if all of those mentioned factors are attributing to our overall issues of eye and vision health as a society. It’s pretty interesting to see how the numbers have progressively increase over the years. In that next paragraph, it’s probably more than true that people don’t take care of their eye health, nor do they have regular checkups. I mean, I haven’t ever been to an optometrist in my lifetime. I think I should start taking better care of my eyes and get a checkup at the eye doctor.
http://www.1800myeyedoc.com/index.html
It really does seem like most eye problems are more common among the older generations. It is really interesting to learn that eye problems are starting to be more common in younger generations as well. That is why you really need to make sure to take your kids to the eye doctor regularly. You never know when their vision could change. It is important to make sure that they don’t have any serious problems with their eyes.
http://www.baystateeyecaregroup.com/about.nxg
I had no idea that serious eye problems were starting to become more common in younger generations. I have always thought that serious eye diseases were found in older people. It would be really interesting to learn more about why this is the case. This is definitely one reason why it is so important to visit an Optometrist regularly.
http://www.sjeye.com/services/cataracts/
That is interesting that 3/4 of optometrist are worried about younger people’s vision and that 90% say that people don’t take the health of their eyes seriously. I also liked when you mentioned that possibly the use of screens can contribute to eye problems in a younger generation. It seems like more and more people are looking at screens for work and other things. There probably needs to be some sort of balance between work and screen time, and taking a break. Hopefully I can continue to take care of my vision as time goes on. http://beyondvision.ca/about/meet-the-staff
Some of those statistics are shocking. It seems like a lot of people are neglecting their vision. Hopefully these statistics will get people to get their eyes checked. <a href=’http://www.tonywangoptometry.ca/en/’ >http://www.tonywangoptometry.ca/en/</a>