Over 18 Million Brits Do Not Consider Eyes As Part of Their Routine Health Check :
New research released by Vision Express to mark World Glaucoma Week reveals over a third of Brits (35%) do not consider having an eye test as part of a routine body ‘MOT’ health check. Worryingly, 1 out of 5 people would choose sight as their least valued sense, with over 1 in 12 Brits (8%) admitting that they have never had their eyes tested.
Research shows that 18-24 year olds are the least likely to get their eyes tested, with two in five (40%) saying they do not get them tested at all. This compares to only a quarter (25%) of 66-70 year olds. 1 in 3 Brits who don’t consider eyes as part of their health MOT check only get their eyes tested when they are advised by a doctor and almost a fifth (19%) stated that an eye test is not important.
Even if you don’t think you’ve got any problems with your eyes, you should still get them tested every two years. The research also reveals that 3.6 million Brits (7%) had their eyes tested as long as over six years ago.
As World Glaucoma Week puts the condition at the top of the health agenda, research conducted by the National Eye Health Research Centre (NERC) unveils a worrying landscape for glaucoma over the next 30 years. It is estimated that the condition may affect 3.2million in the UK in 2050, but unless detection rates are improved, only 1.28million will have been diagnosed and be receiving the treatments they urgently need.
To know more about World Glaucoma Week, watch video here.
