During Men’s Health Week (June 14-20), optometrists, like Mariella Coluccio from Specsavers Bankstown, is encouraging men to take their health into their own hands, with almost 7,000 in Canterbury Bankstown residents waiting until they experience a health issue before booking a check-up, rather than engaging in regular appointments, “and closing the window for early detection on eye conditions”.
“Unfortunately, lots of men still have this ‘she’ll be right’ attitude or just don’t get around to looking after themselves, even when they’re experiencing a problem,” Ms Coluccio.
“We see it time and time again.
“Most eye conditions can be easily managed or treated especially if it’s picked up early.
“It’s when things are left that it can get more complicated.
“We’re talking about our eyes here and we only have one set of them, so we need to remember to look after them, whether that’s wearing protective eye gear while doing home maintenance projects or whether it’s seeing an optometrist when we have a problem.”
The research has also discovered men will wait an average of two weeks after experiencing an eye injury or symptom before booking an appointment with a healthcare professional.
One in five, or 737,203 males in NSW, say that they do have a family history of any eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, confirming the importance of regular check-ups to avoid the risk of severe complications.
Urge men to take blinkers off and book for eye exam
MORE than 81 per cent of men have experienced an issue with their eyes, but many would rather wait for the issue to go away by itself rather than book an appointment with a healthcare professional.
