alarm-ringing ambulance angle2 archive arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up at-sign baby baby2 bag binoculars book-open book2 bookmark2 bubble calendar-check calendar-empty camera2 cart chart-growth check chevron-down chevron-left chevron-right chevron-up circle-minus circle city clapboard-play clipboard-empty clipboard-text clock clock2 cloud-download cloud-windy cloud clubs cog cross crown cube youtube diamond4 diamonds drop-crossed drop2 earth ellipsis envelope-open envelope exclamation eye-dropper eye facebook file-empty fire flag2 flare foursquare gift glasses google graph hammer-wrench heart-pulse heart home instagram joystick lamp layers lifebuoy link linkedin list lock magic-wand map-marker map medal-empty menu microscope minus moon mustache-glasses paper-plane paperclip papers pen pencil pie-chart pinterest plus-circle plus power printer pushpin question rain reading receipt recycle reminder sad shield-check smartphone smile soccer spades speed-medium spotlights star-empty star-half star store sun-glasses sun tag telephone thumbs-down thumbs-up tree tumblr twitter user users wheelchair write yelp youtube

National Eye Institute report

NEI SURVEY: MANY AMERICANS LACK CRITICAL FACTS ABOUT EYE HEALTH. Most Americans do not know the risks and warning signs of diseases that could cause blindness without timely detection and treatment, according to recent findings of the Survey of Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Eye Health and Disease, sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the Lions Clubs International Foundation. More than 3,000 adults were selected randomly to participate in a national telephone survey conducted between October 2005 and January 2006. Seventy-one percent of respondents reported that a loss of their eyesight would rate as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 (meaning that it would have the greatest impact on their day-to-day life); however, only eight percent knew that there are no early warning signs of glaucoma. Fifty-one percent were aware that people with diabetes are at increased risk of developing eye disease, but only 11 percent knew that there are usually no early warning signs of diabetes-associated eye disease. Only 16 percent had ever heard the term “low vision.” Hispanic respondents reported the lowest access to eye health information and knew the least about eye health; they were also the least likely to have their eyes examined among all racial/ethnic groups in the survey. NEI plans to use the survey results to raise public awareness of eye disease and the importance of early detection and treatment; it will also expand its educational outreach to Hispanics and increase its efforts to educate healthcare providers on how to communicate with patients about preserving and protecting their vision.