Survey finds American upset by unexpected blurry vision

A new survey found that many Americans were surprised that their eyesight worsened with age, with many reporting they were in denial about their worsening vision.

In the survey commissioned by Allergan, data from 1000 adults between the ages of 40 and 55 years who reported having near vision issues was collected. The majority (65%) said they were not prepared to have their eyesight worsen and 25% said they were in denial about the progression.

Of those surveyed who used reading glasses, 51% said they lost/misplaced their glasses at least once a week and 26% said they lost them daily.

Overall, half of those surveyed said they gave up or decreased a hobby because of their near vision issues.

“While most people have not heard of the medical term for age-related blurry near vision, presbyopia is a natural part of aging and affects approximately 128 million adults in the US,” said optometrist Dr Selina McGee, Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry in a company press release. “The survey results reinforce what I hear from patients with near vision issues in my practice every day – that these challenges are increasingly frustrating, and impact their daily lives, especially when they are looking at their cell phones, reading, or trying to see a menu in a dimly lit restaurant.”

Read the full press release here.