Théa encourages the public to place greater emphasis on eye care

Eye care company, Théa, has called for people to take their eye health as seriously as they do other aspects of their health, as survey data found only 9% of people view eye health as a top priority following the pandemic.

This compared to higher focus on becoming more active (34%), eating more healthily (29%) and losing weight (25%).

The Me, Myself and Eye research, conducted by YouGov, found that of the 2000 members of the British public surveyed, one in three (38%) hadn’t had their eyes tested in the last two years.

Almost a fifth (18%) admitted to avoiding getting their eyes tested, and of these, over a third (36%) said they would only go if they thought there was an issue with their eyes, whilst 29% said they felt no need as their eyes were ‘fine/healthy.’ The survey also found that 34% do not attend eye tests as they cannot afford to get new glasses or contact lenses.

A further 9% said they did not like people touching their eyes, another 9% were “generally too worried or scared” and 8% said the equipment used by the optometrist made them feel anxious.

The research highlighted the importance of eye tests for identifying signs of conditions such as dry eye disease, pointing out that more than one in seven (15%) of the UK population have dry eye disease, with women and the over 55s particularly affected.

Théa’s NoEyedea survey, conducted earlier this year, found that more than two in five of the respondents (43%) reported experiencing painful, sore or burning sensations in their eyes, and almost half had felt they had something in their eye. One in five had experienced red eyes, and 34% reported watery eyes. 

Sarah Farrant, optometrist and member of Théa’s Expert in Eyes team, suggested that it can be easy for people to neglect their eyes, adding: “It’s time to think about lifestyle choices and how these can affect our eye health.

“It’s long overdue that people place greater emphasis on looking after their eyes like they do other parts of their body.”

Releasing the results on the launch of National Eye Health Week, Théa is encouraging the public to have ‘greater eye self-care’ and also highlighted the benefits of preservative-free products for the eyes.