Procrasti-nation: Brits ignore health issues for 8 months before seeking help

Nearly a third of Brits have let their health slip because daily inconveniences mean they procrastinate, rather than fix the problem, new research has revealed.

ACUVUE®, the makers of 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST Multifocal Contact Lenses, found that Brits are taking eight months to seek help with their health issues, with a fifth (21%) of the nation regretting the length of time they have spent putting off much needed appoinments¹.

In line with this trend, almost half (47%) of Brits are procrastinating when it comes to regular eye tests at the opticians, despite 83% of UK adults aged 40 plus experiencing a very common condition called presbyopia – aka “Long-Arm syndrome” – holding their phones (and other everyday items) far away from their faces to be able to read them, because their vision has progressively changed as they’ve got older¹.

In fact, the research found that nearly a third (29%) of those living with presbyopia (45 years and older) confess that this is down to procrastinating when it comes to important life admin, admitting that they do not have the motivation to go to the optician. Rather than pick up the phone and book an appointment, 11% choose to ignore problems believing they might be a sign of something bigger, 14% believe they can wait for their vision problems to become more serious and finally 18% believe the problem is small enough that they can ignore it².

Presbyopia affects the eye’s ability to focus easily on nearer tasks. This happens because the lens inside the eye progressively loses some flexibility. Whilst this may sound like a rare complaint, it affects 27 million people in the UK – yet research proves many are putting off simple actions that could help.

Johnson & Johnson Vision’s Dr Kamlesh Chauhan, Director of Professional Education, Northern Europe said: “Health check-ups might be an inconvenience, but they are necessary for managing smaller issues before they become big ones. Presbyopia is a visual impairment which affects billions of people, but the early symptoms are subtle – a minor frustration to begin with that can be easily put off. With several simple vision correction solutions readily available, including multifocal contact lenses, we encourage patients to see their optometrist who can help make their lives easier.”

As a nation, our habit of procrastinating goes beyond eye health. Despite the fact our health is so important, almost a quarter of Brits (24%) admit that they are currently putting off a trip to the GP and 42% of respondents avoid a check-up at the dentist, despite feeling that they need to go. Of these, a quarter (26%) believe they’ve now left a visit to the GP for so long they feel embarrassed to deal with it¹.

Alongside this, over half of the population (50.3%) are putting off a medical appointment of some description, with eye related appointments high on the top 5 list:

THE TOP 5 HEALTH CHECK UPS BRITS ARE PUTTING OFF

Dentist check-up (42%)2. Eye Tests (glasses and non-glasses wearers) (34%)3. Visiting the GP (24%)4. Blood pressure check-up (10%)5. Blood test (9%)Sara Cox, Brand Ambassador for 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST Multifocal Brand Contact Lenses, notes: “It’s shocking that a quarter of Brits with vision issues are ignoring a trip to the optician! I began to struggle with my eyesight when I turned 40, and discovered I had Presbyopia. I found it so simple to make the switch to multifocal contact lenses and avoid ‘long arm syndrome’ – there was no point putting it off any longer.”

The survey was commissioned by Johnson & Johnson Vision, whose ACUVUE® brand of contact lenses includes 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST Multifocal Brand Contact Lenses. These contact lenses are designed to correct presbyopia and help you to see near, far and in-between. 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST MULTIFOCAL Contact Lenses are the only multifocal contact lenses with 183 designs inspired by the natural changes of the ageing eye. The optic design of each lens helps reflect the natural variation of pupil size that occurs as we age and with different prescriptions.

For more info on presbyopia and 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST Multifocal Brand Contact Lenses visit https://www.acuvue.co.uk/eye-problems/presbyopia