26 percent of Americans have not seen eye-care specialist within past two years.

HealthDay reported that, according to a survey of 1,001 Americans age 18 and older commissioned by the American Optometric Association (AOA), 26 percent of Americans have not visited an eye doctor or eye-care specialist within the past two years, suggesting that many people aren't paying enough attention to their eye health.

AOA expert James Kirchner, O.D., recommended a comprehensive eye exam for adults at least every two years. He emphasized that eye exams are even more important for people who already use corrective lenses,who might just assume they just need a different lens prescription, when they really have a more serious problem. With eye diseases and disorders, as with most health issues, early detection and treatment are often the keys to avoiding permanent problems. For example, the survey showed that 62 percent of respondents didn't know that signs of diabetes may be detected by an eye doctor, while 71 percent didn't know that a comprehensive eye exam can detect hypertension, brain tumors (75 percent), cancer (78 percent), cardiovascular disease (80 percent), and multiple sclerosis (90 percent).