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People undervalue routine ocular exams, multinational study finds

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The value of routine ocular examinations does not register with the general public, results of a multinational survey suggest. More than 25% of 13,000 adults surveyed in 12 countries said they had not had a general eye exam in more than 2 years, according to a press release from the AMD Alliance.

According to the release, people — especially seniors — ignore eye tests because “there is nothing wrong” with their eyes, and they are not aware that diseases may be present without visual symptoms.

Bruce Rosenthal, MD, of Lighthouse International, recommends eye exams every 2 years, but “older adults who are at risk of [age-related macular degeneration] should see their doctor every year,” he said.

Countries included in the survey were the United States, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.