Most people would rather lose a limb than lose their eyesight, according
to the results of a nationwide poll. Indeed, if given a choice, most
people would prefer to lose their hearing, their memory, or their ability to
speak rather than losing their vision, according to the survey results
published in the journal JAMA
Ophthalmology.
The survey polled 2,044
Americans from across all ethnic, racial, and economic demographics. Nearly 88%
of respondents viewed eye health as critical to overall health, and 47%
considered vision loss to be the worst possible health condition that could happen
them, even worse than Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, or AIDS/HIV. Among the
possible consequences of vision loss, respondents ranked quality of life as the
greatest concern, followed by loss of independence.
While 81.5% of Americans
reported having an eye examination, many were not well aware of the diseases
and conditions that lead to vision loss. Nearly two-thirds of respondents
reported awareness of cataracts (65.8%) or glaucoma (63.4%), but only half were
aware of macular degeneration, and 37.3% were aware of diabetic retinopathy. As
many as 25% of all respondents weren’t aware of any eye conditions that could
cause loss of vision.
If
you or someone you know does not have regular eye health and vision exams,
please schedule one today. Please call
The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery
Center,
Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an
appointment.
The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield
Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey
07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout
central and northern New Jersey.
