Never seen an optometrist? We myth-bust the top reasons 12% of Australians have never had their eyes examined by an optometrist.
Optometry Australia has just released their 2020 Vision Index – a report taking a closer look at Australia’s eye health. After reading this report, which found that 12% of Australians have never been to see an optometrist, we decided it is time to bust a few myths and see if we can convince these non-believers to give it a try.
Reason #1: It's too expensive
A whopping 32% of this group of Australians believe visiting their optometrist for an eye examination is too expensive.
Myth busted: We generally bulk-bill our eye-examinations with a small gap. We also offer detailed specialist eye testing at an affordable price. If you have private health insurance with extras cover you may be eligible for rebates on items such as glasses and contact lenses. (Just check your private health insurance policy for details specific to you).
Of course, prevention is usually better (and cheaper) than cure, so scheduling an eye test early, and regularly helps to identify issues sooner, allowing us to address them for you before they become more serious.
Reason #2: My vision is perfect!
Myth busted: How do you know? You might think you can see just fine, but without having an eye test conducted by an optometrist, you can’t tell for sure. Not only that, but vision can change gradually over time so you may not even notice the changes.
Plus, even if your vision is fine now, we can pick up things that may become issues later on, and also build a picture of your eye health over time to keep track of any gradual changes.
This is especially important for children who may have always had issues for their vision but haven't mentioned it, not having known any different. It is relevant for our older population too who may have had good vision for much of their adult lives, but could be suffering from age-related changes in their eye health.
By the way, 26% of this group of Australians believe their vision is perfect, even though they’ve never had it tested!
Reason #3: I’m afraid of the result.
Myth busted: This one is a valid fear to have – we all worry about potential health issues and how they may impact our life, and 21% of this group of Australians are worried about what might be uncovered in the course of an eye test.
Firstly, the news might be good! Then you don’t have to worry about the unknown. But if it isn’t what you were hoping to hear, then it might not be a drastic as you think. Many conditions such as myopia (short-sightedness) may actually be quite straightforward to treat or manage.
Not only that, with our advanced diagnostic technology we can build an exceptionally detailed picture of your eye, showing changes that would otherwise be impossible to detect. So by catching issues early, perhaps we’ll get to deliver you that good news after all!
In all seriousness though, we understand some are fearful of bad news, but we're here to help you both through the test, and any subsequent treatment that might arise based on the findings.
Reason #4: I don’t have private health insurance.
Myth busted: Yes, it’s true that having private health insurance extras cover may offer you some extra savings, but with Medicare rebates on eye tests you can keep on top of your eye health without breaking the bank. We offer Medicare rebates with just a small out of pocket gap in order to keep eye health affordable for all. We also offer payment services such as Afterpay for the purchase of frames and sunglasses, to help with your budgeting.
For those with private health insurance, with optical extras, often you can cover the costs of a new set of frames or a restock of contact lenses - ask your insurer for details about your level of cover. Don't forget though, most health insurers operate on a calendar year so if you don't use your benefits each year they do not roll over (and you'll lose them).
We pride ourselves on providing quality frames, lenses and contact lenses for all budgets, and with one of the biggest ranges of frames in Brisbane we can help you find the perfect pair of glasses to suit. Plus, if you take care of your frames, they can last a really long time!
Reason #5: I don’t want to wear glasses.
Myth busted: Well we can’t really bust this myth if that is how you truly feel (and 14% of this group of Australians do), but we can let you in on a few secrets. Firstly, you might not have to! Depending on your needs, you may be able to wear contact lenses instead, or you may be eligible for treatments such as laser surgery.
We'd also suggest that you don't knock glasses until you try them. Glasses these days are fashionable, lightweight and comfortable, and can really complement your face and style in general.
To make sure there is a pair for every face we have one of the largest range of designer frames in Brisbane:
Reason #6: I’m too young to have issues with my eyes.
Myth busted: Unfortunately, not all eye conditions are a result of ageing. Some, such as astigmatism can be genetic and may exist from birth, and others such as computer vision syndrome or digital eye fatigue may develop because of environmental or lifestyle factors or because you have another condition (such as diabetes).
We've written a useful blog post about children's eye care and why we think it is so important that children have their eyes tested early and regularly. It is especially important when a child is at school to make sure that they can see as well as they can in order to learn to read, interact with their classmates and just have a positive experience at school in general.
We actually recommend children are tested from six months of age so we can build a picture of eye health from an early age, and address any genetic conditions right from the start, so unless you are under six months old, you aren’t too young!
Reason #7: It will hurt!
Myth busted: We think this 7% of this group of the Australian population might be confusing us with the dentist…;-)
But seriously, we absolutely promise it will not hurt. Eye tests are non-invasive, and many of our patients actually find them quite fun!
There’s another 12% of this group who specified “other” as their reason to have never visited an optometrist for an eye examination. We’re pretty confident that if you have another reason, we can bust the myth for you.
So if you are in the 12% of Australians who have never had an eye examination, now is the time to step out of that category and come and see us for a test.
You can book online here.
PS - If you’d like to see the full report you can view it here.
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This website does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately dial Triple 0 (000).