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1 in 3 Americans Say Poor Vision Is Negatively Impacting Them

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How many people do you know with vision impairments?

2 out of 5 Americans are having trouble seeing clearly and poor eyesight impacts people in many ways, including their wallets and life safety.

A new report found 84% of Americans are frustrated about their bad vision. Nearly 60% say they would rather have perfect vision than perfect hair or skin. 51% of Americans say bad eyesight has kept them from enjoying the following social activities due:

  • Concerts
  • Trips
  • and Playing Sports

As the kids get ready to head back to school, have their eyesight checked.

Eye doctors say increased screen time has led to a drastic increase in the number of kids experiencing myopia (nearsightedness). The report found 33% have issues learning due to poor eyesight and 38% have issues playing sports. One in five has been bullied for wearing glasses.

These issues could become more prevalent as doctors warn about a disturbing trend among children, including:

  • Increased screen time
  • Higher rates of nearsightedness or myopia children
  • More children with worse vision at a younger age

For more information, take a look at the full report where NVision Centers’ Dr. Dagny Zhu, MD provides more data and insights on the many ways poor vision is impacting Americans and their top concerns regarding treatment options.

“With increasing screen time, the rates of nearsightedness or myopia in children has skyrocketed. We are seeing more kids with worse vision at a younger age,” said NVision Centers’ Dr. Dagny Zhu, MD.  

One out of four (25%) people feel their bad vision has been a financial burden. The average person spends  $500 a year on eye exams, glasses and/or contacts, and eye products. 


Nearly half (48%) would undergo LASIK before getting surgeries or procedures like laser hair removal or botox. Only one in 10 (11%) opted for tattoos, and 9% said they’d rather have weight loss surgery. 

More than half (51%) of Americans surveyed have considered LASIK, but people worry about the potential complications. There are common short-term side effects from LASIK, but long-term side effects are incredibly rare.  

“All surgeries carry risk, but those risks are greatly reduced under the care of an experienced surgeon. LASIK candidates are also carefully screened to rule out patients who may be at higher risk for certain complications. In general, LASIK is one of the most studied elective procedures available today and has been shown to be safe and effective with a high level of patient satisfaction.

LASIK provides long-term vision correction for the majority of patients. In my experience, less than 5% of patients require an enhancement down the road for regression of their vision. Of course, LASIK will not prevent age-related conditions down the road like losing our reading vision or the development of cataracts,” said Dr. Zhu.

Additionally Dr. Zhu said, “Those issues can be addressed with different technology and treatments when the time comes. LASIK is not painful. The worst part is feeling a small amount of pressure for about 15 seconds during the first part of the procedure. LASIK can treat many levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.” 

Fear is also a common reason Americans give for holding off on the surgery. The biggest concern? That there could be an error or complication that would affect their eyesight. Others just can’t stomach the thought of a laser touching their eye or going through all the pain for it not to work. The good news? 90% of people who get LASIK report their vision has returned to 20/20.

“Patients usually say the procedure was not as bad as they thought it would be. A lot of the fear and anxiety is in their heads. There are many safety mechanisms built into the laser machine making complications during the procedure extremely rare. The procedure takes less than 15 minutes total for both eyes and is over before most patients realize,” said Dr. Zhu.

For product review of eye frames, sunglasses, or eyewear cleaning solutions, email advertise@fromgirltogirl.com .

Methodology

In July 2022, a new survey of more than 1,000 Americans with bad or corrected vision examines the everyday struggles people with poor eyesight face. Many people are fed up with the hurdles caused by their vision. 

Survey respondents ranged in age from 18 to 80 with an average age of 40. 49% were female, 49% male, 1% nonbinary, and 1% transgender.  

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