Dubbo optometrist Yvonne Sullivan of Specsavers says cost of living is affecting eye care

Dubbo optometrist Yvonne Sullivan of Specsavers said people are putting their vision at risk as studies show more than half of the people who wear glasses are postponing check-ups.

The cut-back on spending for eye care was revealed in the latest YouGov study for Specsavers sampling 1,000 parents aged 18 to 50 and 1,000 over 65 years old.

The survey also revealed 58 per cent of the respondents were going out less, 55 per cent were putting off holidays and 53 per cent were spending less on groceries as they try to make ends meet amid price increases.

"Now, health is under threat as parents are foregoing health appointments, including health care costs and services," Ms Sullivan said.

"We can't stress enough how important it is to maintain regular health appointments, including hearing and eye checks.

"We understand that parents, families, and older Australians have shifted their priorities to combat the costs of living but health is something you can't put a price tag on."

Left untreated, Ms Sullivan said eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy which are often asymptomatic, can lead to vision loss.

Those over 60 are vulnerable to macular degeneration while those over 40 need to be checked for cataract, which affects 1.5 million Australians, Ms Sullivan said.

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Across healthcare professionals, Ms Sullivan said the concern is worrying because they believe vulnerable and at-risk people are "putting their health on the back burner".

Waiting for the cost-of-living problem to ease may be extremely detrimental to people's overall health, Ms Sullivan said.

"If you're worried about health check costs, Specsavers offers bulk billed eye checks to everyone with valid Medicare card.

"[Specavers] also offer free after-care including optional payment plans should glasses be needed."

The Australian Bureau of Statistics said households reliant on wages recorded the largest increase in spending, 9.3 per cent more than the 7.8 per cent increase on CPI as of the last quarter of December 2022, mainly from interest rate increases for those with mortgages.

A Roy Morgan study also found 33 per cent of Australian families are cancelling or deferring medical appointments to avoid expenses.