Sept. 28, 2022
When you talk to patients about the importance of an annual comprehensive exam, it can help letting them know what they stand to lose. A recent survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by OnePoll for NVISION, with findings shared by Talker Research, details the things Americans would most regret not being able to see.
Seeing their loved ones’ faces and watching the sun rise and set were among the top things respondents to the survey said they would miss seeing. Other top responses included missing seeing their children’s milestones (26 percent), nature (23 percent), their pets (22 percent) and their favorite TV shows/movies (15 percent).
When asked which of the five senses are the most important to them, vision came out on top with 77 percent of the votes.
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The other senses, such as hearing (14 percent), touching (6 percent), smelling (2 percent) and tasting (1 percent), trailed extremely far behind.
Some 65 percent wish they took better care of their eyes, while another 58 percent feel they take their eyesight for granted.
The study also found that the average person starts worrying about their eyesight at 39 years old.
Forty-eight percent of respondents rate their eyesight as “good,” most find it “easy” to take care of their eyes (62 percent), while a fifth find it difficult (19 percent).
Respondents said they find it easy because they simply care about their vision (69 percent), they have a good eye doctor (51 percent) and follow a daily routine (48 percent).
Those who find it difficult to care for their eyes cited many challenges, such as their insurance not covering many of their eye treatments (48 percent), not having the resources to do so (39 percent) and not having a good eye doctor (38 percent).
Regardless, 45 percent believe it’s “very important” to visit the eye doctor annually, with respondents saying they’ve gone to their optometrist an average of four times in the last five years.
And respondents have also taken matters into their own hands to better care for their eyes.
Eating a healthy diet (43 percent), wearing sunglasses (41 percent), getting more sleep (40 percent), drinking more water (40 percent), avoiding rubbing their eyes too much (39 percent) and washing their hands regularly (38 percent) are some of the steps people have taken to maintain their eyes.
