A new survey has optometrists worried that New Zealanders don't know enough about eye health and what leads to impaired vision.
The New Zealand Association of Optometrists survey found that 62% of people who do not wear glasses or contact lenses have never had an eye examination.
Dr Lesley Frederikson, national director of the association, says the survey generated some surprising, and worrying trends.
Frederikson says around 68,000 New Zealanders over the age of 40 have glaucoma and half of them don't know they have the disease. Undetected glaucoma can lead to blindness, but if diagnosed early it can be treated.
"If 62% of people don't visit an optometrist for a regular eye exam because they don't need glasses, they could go undiagnosed," says Frederickson.
Professor Mark Ahn from Victoria University conducted the survey, and was "astounded" at peoples lack of knowledge about what conditions can lead to blindness.
When asked which conditions can be detected through a comprehensive eye exam, only 47% of respondents reported that diabetes may be detected through routine exams, 28% hypertension, 26% brain tumour, 18% cancer, 17% cardiovascular disease and 9% multiple sclerosis.
"A key conclusion from this study is that awareness about the importance of eye health is high in NZ, but knowledge about associated diseases (e.g., macular degeneration) is low-particularly given the risk and cost of preventable vision impairment," says Ahn.
