Over a third of Scots admit to having eye health issues they kept secret from their optician.
According to YouGov research released by Specsavers and the RNIB during National Eye Health Week (NEHW), black spots in their vision (12%) and being dazzled by bright lights (9%) were among some of the symptoms which those north of the border refused to flag up during eye exams.
With many unaware of the importance of regular eye tests, bestselling Scottish author Ian Rankin has backed the 2017 NEHW campaign, urging Scots to make appointments with their local opticians part of a wider health routine.
‘People need to get used to it, as they would go to the dentist. There might be nothing wrong, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, so don’t get lazy, get into your opticians for an appointment,’ said the author.
Over a fifth of Scottish people surveyed (22%) said that they had not attended an eye examination in the last two years, while an alarming 4% said they had never had an eye exam at all.