Publicly concerned visual problems

Friday, December 25th, 2009 at 6:19 pm Post in All the other information of vision care

Blurry vision is quite common in the United States currently. A major survey conducted by researchers from National Eye Institute says that about half of all US adults are suffering blurry vision. In fact, blurry vision is the most common symptom of refractive errors of the eyes, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. These errors can affect young adults, middle-aged individuals and older adults of all ethnicities. Researchers of the survey estimate that eye care addressing refractive errors costs the US government between $3.8 billion and $7.2 billion every year.

Dry eye has become a common eye problem among the American older populations. About 4.8 million older US citizens are bothered by dry eye, according to investigators from Harvard Medical School’s Schepens Eye Research Institute. In other words, 7.8% of women and 4.7% of men 50 or older suffer dry eyes. Common symptoms of dry eye include eye irritation and vision disturbance. This bothersome eye problem can influence daily activities such as computer use and driving.

Including 3,000 adults, a major survey sponsored by the National Eye Institute and Lions Club International Foundation indicates that most Americans overlook risks of eye diseases. Actually, blindness is widely considered as one of the most dangerous health problems. But most Americans know little about basic knowledge of serious eye diseases. The survey reveals that only 8% of respondents know there are no early warning signs of glaucoma. And only 11% of them know that diabetic retinopathy also has no warning signs. Furthermore, just 16% of participants of the survey have heard of the term “low vision”. Accurate information is the first step to make good eyesight possible. This survey does unveil some problems in the nation.

Occasional eye twitch is in most cases normal that may occur in many people. However, a small number of people may suffer extreme and uncontrolled eyelid spasms, which can even lead to temporarily blindness. An Italian study reported in June 2007 in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry said that coffee drinking may help prevent or delay the development of severe eye spasms. Patients were suggested to drink at least one or two cups of caffeinated coffee every day.