Many Adults Fuzzy On Eye Health

People Prize Their Eyes But Don't Focus On How To Care For Them, Survey Shows

(WebMD)  A new survey shows that many U.S. adults need to upgrade their eye care.

The survey of 1,000 adults shows that nearly half -- 47 percent -- worry more about losing their sight than about losing their memory and their ability to walk or hear.

But almost 30 percent indicated that they don't get heir eyes checked by an eye doctor or an eye care specialist at least every two years.

The American Optometric Association, which funded the survey, recommends that adults aged 18 to 60 get their eyes checked at least every two years and annually after age 60.

A little more than two-thirds of the participants reported wearing corrective lenses and/or having had eye surgery. Among those participants, 79 percent reported bad habits such as:

Wearing their contacts while showering, sleeping, or swimming

Wearing their contact lenses for longer than suggested

Also, 17 percent of contact lens users indicated that they had never replaced their contact lens case.

Among all participants -- including those with good vision - roughly three-quarters didn't know that the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. is macular degeneration .

The AOA provides these tips for contact lens wearers:

Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses.

Carefully and regularly clean contact lenses as directed by your optometrist (or other eye care provider).

Store lenses in the proper lens storage case.

Replace the lens storage case at least every three months.

Clean the lens case after each use, and keep it open and dry between cleanings.

Use only products recommended by your optometrist (or other eye care provider) to clean and store contact lenses.

Always follow the recommended contact lens replacement schedule.

Remove contact lenses before swimming or entering a hot tub.

See your optometrist (or other eye care provider) for your regularly scheduled contact lens and eye examination.

[mythoughtsr]

I though I would pose some actual thought rather than snidegrass'' unintelligible musings. Many insurance companies cover some eyecare costs and a lot don''t. For those who don''t have coverage like myself, there are a lot of places like Walmart (yes Walmart) and other chain eye places who provide low cost exams. You say you can''t afford it? Hmmm, how about that cell phone, internet service, that pizza you bought. It can be afforded, you just have to make it a priority.

[tnt1954]

the main reason we are all going blind? computers.
they told everyone not to sit too close to the
cathode ray tubes, televisions when it came out.
so here we are, right up close to the screen, destroying our eyesight. its true, with every
solution to a problem, another problem is made.
that''s the nature of 666. the stock market
i heard was down 366 today. 66 divided by 3 is 22.
there are 366 days in a leap year. 2008 is leap year.
and then there is also sadie hawkins day. jim hawkins was long john silver''s adopted son.
but what was his wife''s name? for 666 points.

[tnt1954]

so many believe in faith healing these days.
by jesus christ. how this is done is a matter
of faith. the many stories in the bible of
jesus healing the sick and raising the dead.
the bible goes on to tell all believers that
they too, will do what he did. heal the sick
and raise the dead. now it doesn''t say how
we would do it. i tried it once at my grandma''s
funeral. but alas i did not have enuff faith.