DO YOU know your glaucoma from your guacamole? Thousands of us don't.
In fact, we're so ignorant, opticians Vision Express has discovered, that we're mistaking common eye diseases for the names of dinosaurs, flowers and even sci-fi blockbusters.
In a survey conducted for National Glaucoma Week, which takes place from March 11, fewer than half of those questioned could identify astigmatism as eye related and just a third knew that macular degeneration affected sight.
Two of the most common eye conditions, presbyopia (short-sightedness) and hyperopia (far-sightedness), were also a source of confusion to many. The survey shows that nearly 1.8 million British people believe hyperopia is a region in ancient Egypt while a similar number were under the impression that presbyopia was a blockbuster sci-fi movie.
Well over two million are likely to believe that epidexipteryx, a bird-like dinosaur, is an eye condition while almost one in 20 believe that taraxacum (the Latin name for a dandelion) was a sight-affecting ailment.
As World Glaucoma Week approaches (March 11-18), the researchers found that six in 10 Brits were unaware of what the condition actually is despite 480,00 people in the UK suffering with it.
The condition means the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, has become damaged. And, while it doesn’t usually cause symptoms to begin with, it can develop over many years affecting peripheral vision first. If left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to loss of vision.
If you're concerned about your eyesight or would like to have a glaucoma test - they are quick and painless, contact your optician.
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