Baby boomers are more concerned about losing their vision than they are about losing their memory, physical mobility and other attributes of personal independence as they get older, according to a new survey conducted on behalf of the Canadian Association of Optometrists to kick off Eye Health Month in October.

Although they fear a loss or decline in vision far more than losing their teeth, only 36% of the aging boomers surveyed felt that regular visits to an eye care professional were more important than regular dental check-ups.

“This research tells us that Canadians value their vision, yet the importance of preventative eye care is missing for many of these aging Canadians,” said Dr. Len Koltun, president of the Canadian Association of Optometrists.

“Among all age groups, there is a great need for awareness about the importance of regular eye examinations.”

Saskatoon artist Don Hefner knows only too well about the importance of preventative care. His visit to his optometrist may well have saved his life.

A routine eye exam led his optometrist Dr. Chris Strelioff to suspect something was wrong.

“It turned out that I had a brain tumour. Luckily, surgery kept more permanent damage from occurring. I’m a lucky man today,” said Hefner.

In a national survey of 1,500 Canadians conducted for the CAO by Phase 5 Consulting, 89% of Canadians aged 50-64 said that they are somewhat or very concerned about a decline or loss of function in their vision.

This compares to 88% who were concerned about loss of physical mobility, 86 per cent who were concerned about loss of memory, 83% who were concerned about losing their financial stability, 57% who were concerned about losing their original teeth, and 48% who concerned about a decline or loss in their libido (sex drive).

In spite of near unanimous concern about loss of vision, many are still not seeking the advice of an optometrist for preventative care.

Close to one-quarter of aging boomers believe that they would be the first to know if they had an eye problem, and more than 30% were unaware that you could have 20/20 vision and still have an eye disease that only an optometrist could detect.

Eye health experts say Canadians avoiding eye tests could be setting themselves up for serious eye disease.

Beyond examining vision and eye health, optometrists also have the ability to diagnose serious eye diseases like glaucoma, also known as the silent vision thief.

Yet 45% of aging baby boomers are not aware that optometrists can detect diseases like glaucoma.

More importantly, many boomers are unaware that early detection and treatment can help prevent blindness or control serious eye disease.

The Canadian Association of Optometrists is the professional association that represents Doctors of Optometry in Canada.

It is also the national federation of ten provincial associations of optometrists and represents more than 3,200 members across Canada.