Specs warning for Wairarapa

Ready-to-wear eye glasses picked up at the petrol pump may be a handy option for many Wairarapa people, but experts are warning that cheap glasses might be doing more harm than good.
Research shows that 35 per cent of glasses-wearing New Zealanders between the ages of 45 and 64 years are self-diagnosing their own specs at petrol stations, supermarkets and gift stores around the country using cheap, ready-made reading glasses.
The worst offenders are those aged between 45 and 54, with 42 per cent of this group admitting to buying cheap glasses rather than seeking professional advice from trained optometrists.
But while the ready-to-wear specs may be a cheap and handy way to grab replacements for those lost under the couch, they can prove bad for your health.
Charles McGhee, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Auckland and director of the New Zealand National Eye Centre (NZNEC), said that eye health during mid-life years must be a priority - particularly as many diseases that had the potential to cause blindness or even death had no symptoms in the early stages.
"Unfortunately, delays in proper diagnosis create an opportunity for eye conditions or health problems affecting the eye, such as diabetes, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, to develop and progress," he said.
"Although a number of eye diseases can be asymptomatic in early stages, if left untreated, such diseases can result in serious damage to vision or even complete vision loss.
Masterton optometrist Ross Tayler, of Queen St's Budget Eye Wear, agreed with the findings, saying he saw two or three people per year who had been wearing glasses for years but had never had an eye test.
"For many people [the cheap glasses] are appropriate but, for others, they are not going to meet their visual needs correctly."
He said optometrists were able to pick up potentially life-threatening aneurisms or vascular disease, and other conditions that could lead to permanent blindness.
He recommended seeing your optometrist every "two to three years".
 

Need to know:

$55-$80 - the cost of an eye test
$80-$400 - the price of reading glasses from an optometrist
$4-$30 - the price of reading glasses from a service station or budget retailer
30-45 minutes - the length of a comprehensive eye test
2 years - the length of time recommended glasses are worn before being replaced
10 per cent - the amount of people who wait up to 10 years before replacing their glasses