More people need glasses

By from Barnes - 14/06/16 - UK

If you need glasses, don’t worry because you are not alone. More than 6 in 10 people wear glasses in the UK and the portion of glasses-wearers has steadily risen in recent years. If you are young, you are more likely to wear contact lenses than if you are older. And more women than men wear glasses or contact lenses.

In a survey, a majority of 61 percent of the population reported to wear glasses, contact lenses or other reading or visual aids occasionally in 2012, versus 57 percent in 2001.

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As people get older, the use of visual aids grows rapidly. The majority of people in their forties wear glasses or contact lenses (sometimes only occasionally). The rate for people in their fifties is more than 90 percent and nearly all over-75s wear glasses.

The percentage of all people wearing glasses (57 percent) is much higher than the percentage of contact lens wearers (12 percent). Nine percent of people indicate to use both. Contact lens wearers are generally young.

Among people wearing glasses, 54 percent wear them on a more or less full-time basis. With 79 percent, the rate of full-time contact lens wearers is even higher. In the US, approximately half of the people wear some sort of corrective lens.

 

This graph shows the portion of people wearing glasses vs contact lenses

Many people there and elsewhere would benefit from vision correction but don’t even know they have a problem or are avoiding the trip to their eye doctor.

You may be thinking, “I’ve gone all these years without needing glasses, why now?” The answer is simple: Our vision changes over time. Just like a car, we need to maintain our eyes if we want them to function properly. And the best way to do that is by scheduling a yearly eye exam with your optometrist.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabbAre you wondering if it’s time for glasses? The list below will reveal some common signs.

  1. Frequent headaches
  2. Blurred vision (farsightedness)
  3. Poor distance vision (nearsightedness)
  4. You’re seeing double vision
  5. It’s hard to see at night
  6. You’re experiencing eye strain or eye fatigue
  7. Reading or computer work is compromised
  8. You’re constantly squinting
  9. You have difficulty with light adjustments
  10. You see halos when you’re around light

I have glasses and I do have to admit that when I put them on, I can see that they have made such a difference. Thank you for reading.

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