BY: Dawn Tay

AN ALARMING number of Singaporeans do not get their eyes checked yearly, according to an August global sight survey.

In the survey by American lens company Transition Optics, 48 per cent of over 500 Singaporeans polled did not go for regular annual eye checks.

The company manufactures photochromic lenses that adjust automatically to indoor- and outdoor-light conditions.

Also, only 4 per cent of Singaporeans polled knew that diabetes can cause eye diseases that lead to vision loss.

The survey polled over 12,500 people - aged 18 to 55 years old - from Singapore, Australia, China, France, Italy, America and the United Kingdom.

Local eye specialists my paper spoke to are concerned about the lack of awareness of Singaporeans about eye care and diabetes-related eye diseases.

According to eye specialists Arthur Lim, 74, and Bobby Cheng, 39, diabetes and related eye diseases are on the rise in Singapore's ageing population.

In the last national health survey by the Ministry of Health in 2004, there were 273,300 diabetics. Worldwide, the disease will hit an estimated 324 million people by 2025 - a 31 per cent increase from last year - according to the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF).

Said Professor Lim: "Diabetes is becoming the world's most important disease - rates are rising fast worldwide. It's important to have regular eye examinations, especially after the age of 45."

Said Dr Cheng: "Singaporeans are not as familiar with eye diseases and diabetes, as compared to, say, heart conditions. Yearly eye checks are important as some diabetes-related eye diseases show no obvious symptoms in early stages."

Diabetic retinopathy - a diabetes-related eye disease - is the leading cause of vision loss in working adults aged 20 to 65, according to the IDF. The disease occurs in 10 to 30 per cent of all diabetics, said Dr Cheng.

Of the 10 professionals my paper spoke to in a quick straw poll, only two go for yearly eye checks. Eye checkups can range between $30 and $100, depending on the complexity of the tests.

"Though I know I should go for regular eye checkups, I generally don't go until something's wrong," explained project coordinator Ong Hui Wen, 25.

Like many Singaporeans, retiree Jenny Chin, 62, did not have her eyes checked regularly. But she had a nasty surprise when she went for an eye checkup in 2004.

Though she had no symptoms of diabetes such as poor vision, she was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. She later suffered internal bleeding in both eyes.

Mrs Chin told my paper: "I now go for eye checks every six months, and watch my bloodsugar level closely."

For more my paper stories click here.