The number of people in the UK suffering from a condition that causes blindness is expected to rise by a quarter in the next decade, research suggests.
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of sight loss in the western world yet only half of adults have heard of it.
A poll of more than 4,000 people for the College of Optometrists found a lack of awareness of the condition, with people also unaware that diet and smoking is linked to eye disease.
Research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology earlier this month predicts cases of AMD in the UK will rise by a quarter by 2020, mostly because people are living longer.
More than 600,000 people suffer from AMD in the UK at present, and 239,000 are estimated to lose their sight due to the condition by the end of this year.
By 2020, more than 750,000 people are likely to have the condition, with more than 290,000 losing their sight in that year, according to the predictions.
In the College of Optometrists’ survey, only 36 per cent of smokers knew of the link with eye disease and only half of all people were aware that a healthy diet can help cut the risk of AMD.
Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser to the college, said: “While AMD is a condition associated with older age, there are steps you can take earlier in life to minimise your risk.
“Research suggests that a diet rich in leafy green vegetables, brightly coloured fruits and vegetables and oily fish may help prevent AMD.
“I would also recommend that you regularly check the vision of each eye separately so that you can spot early changes.”
Dr Blakeney said it was worrying that so few people were aware of the symptoms.
These include distorted vision, such as straight lines becoming wavy or objects appearing the wrong size.
Blurry or “blank” patches in central vision are another symptom, and people may also have difficulty reading, recognising people’s faces, driving, looking at small objects and watching television.
Dr Blakeney said there were two forms of AMD, wet and dry.
“There is currently no cure for either forms but early diagnosis and treatment of wet AMD - which is acute - is crucial in order to prevent vision loss.
“Dry AMD is which more common but develops gradually, is not treatable but there are services available to support people with this condition.
“By making people more aware of AMD and the impact that it can have, we hope to increase detection and people seeking access to support service”, Dr Blakeney said.
Meanwhile, a study revealed that women who regularly eat fish and omega-3 fatty acids greatly reduce their risk of suffering a chronic eye disease,.
The Women’s Health Study, posted online, makes the claim over age-related macular degeneration – loss of central vision caused by damage to the macular, a small part of the retina.
The authors, whose report will appear in June’s issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, conducted a 10-year study of more than 38,000 women who had not been diagnosed with the condition.
During the decade the academics tracked the women’s eating habits and how they might relate to their eye health – following how much omega 3 and fish they consumed.
The authors found women who had the most omega 3 had a 38 per cent lower risk of developing macular disease.
And women who ate fish once or more a week compared with those eating it less than once a month were 42 per cent less likely to develop the condition.
“This lower risk appeared to be due primarily to consumption of canned tuna fish and dark-meat fish,” the report said.