As many as 1.6 million New Zealanders admit their vision has worsened over the past 10 years new research shows.
The research, commissioned by Specsavers, shows the issue is particularly acute for people over 40. It reveals more than 82 per cent of Kiwis over this age have noticed their sight worsen in that time.
Specsavers optometrist Ian Russell says despite this, as many as one in three (31 per cent of those over 40) haven't had their eyes tested in over three years.
"You might be thinking, 'why is turning 40 significant when it comes to our eyes?," he says. "That is because 40 is the age when our eyes start to change and most of us start to notice some problems with our sight. However, issues with our eyesight can start much earlier without us noticing and can be caused by many different factors."
The findings, which were based on research conducted by YouGov between December 24, 2019 and January 3 2020 in which 1003 New Zealanders aged 40 and older were questioned, shows Kiwis in general should be paying more attention to their eyes Russell believes.
"A lot of the eye conditions that tend to show after the age of 40 are progressive," he says. "They can be associated with lifestyle factors, which can accelerate damage to eyesight.
"By 40 most people begin to notice it's more difficult to read small print and - by the age of 65 - almost all of us will need to wear glasses to correct our vision," he says. "So, reading on your phone, applying make-up and looking at labels, all of these things tend to be a bit more challenging."
Russell says a simple way to help prevent and monitor potential eye conditions is to incorporate an annual or biennial eye test into your health check-ups routine.
"Prevention is far better than cure when it comes to our eyesight," he says. "So the earlier we can detect a problem, the earlier treatment can be accessed and the better the chance vision will be maintained. I don't think there's such a thing as too early to start practicing these good habits."
The main eye conditions that affect those over 40 include presbyopia which occurs when the flexible, crystalline lens in the front of the eye - which allows people to see up close and far away - starts to lose its elasticity and impacts the ability to focus. It is the most common eye condition for people over 40.
"Presbyopia is inevitable," says Russell. "As we get older, the lens in the eye hardens which makes it difficult to focus when reading. However, the effects can be managed with glasses or contact lenses."
Age-related macular degeneration is a disease that damages the macula, the central part of the retina, causing progressive loss of central vision. It's usually associated with ageing and is the leading cause of blindness in New Zealand.
"Age-related macular degeneration isn't painful, and you may not even notice you have a problem until your vision is significantly impaired because it often has no visible symptoms early on," Russell says. "But the earlier we detect it, the earlier you can be referred for treatment and the better chance we have of preventing deterioration as, unfortunately, any vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration is irreversible."
Cataracts are one of the most common causes of blurred vision and vision loss and are characterised by a clouding of the eye's naturally clear lens. When this happens, the amount of light that passes through the lens is minimised and scattered meaning that the image can't be focused on the retina properly.
"Cataracts can develop over many years and have no visible symptoms early on but they are one of the easiest eye conditions to fix through surgery and help to restore lost sight," Russell says.
He says if people live with diabetes, their eyes are at risk of damage from diabetic retinopathy (a condition in which blood vessels in the eye become leaky and even blocked) and can lead to sight loss if left untreated. It is the leading cause of preventable blindness in New Zealand.
"This is another eye disease which comes with no pain and no real visible symptoms," says Russell. "Thanks to modern technology, we can pick up the signs of diabetic retinopathy very easily during an eye test."
Russell says the condition known as glaucoma – a group of eye diseases that can cause damage to the optic nerve (which connects the eye to the brain) - results in the gradual loss of peripheral vision.
"Known as 'the silent thief of sight' glaucoma is one of the most under-reported and under-detected eye diseases because it's complicated to detect and requires multiple assessments along with professional judgement to accurately determine a patient's risk," he says.
"Thanks to new technology detection has become easier because now we have access to much more detailed information on the granular structures of the eye."