One in five people has never had sight test, survey reveals

One in five people – and one in three of those aged under 35 – has never had their sight tested, according to a new survey.

Meanwhile, half of us have not had an eye test in the past two years, which is the recommended maximum interval between eye tests, the survey conducted for Healthy Eyes awareness week reveals.

The majority of those who have never had a sight test believe they have 20/20 vision, though they have no way of knowing if this is the case.

The survey of 1,000 people also shows that one-quarter of those under the age of 50 who use smartphones or tablets reported eyestrain.

The Healthy Eyes campaign, run by three representative bodies for opticians and optometrists, aims to promote greater awareness of the importance of eye health.

"Research shows that sight is the sense people fear losing the most, and yet most don't consider an eye test to be a core part of their health routine," said Ann Blackmore, head of policy at the Federation of Dispensing Opticians Ireland. "An eye test is a vital health check that can detect a range of health conditions of which you may be experiencing no symptoms and where early detection can prevent sight loss."

Some 220,000 people are living with sight loss in Ireland, and this is projected to rise to 272,000 by 2020 as the population ages. Most sight loss is preventable, but early detection is key.