EYE HEALTH

Myopia or short sightedness is a visual anomaly where the eye is a little too long or the cornea is a little too steep. This means that light rays will focus in front of the retina. Objects close to you will appear clear, but distant objects, such as road signs, will be blurry. Myopia can be easily treated with glasses or contact lenses. Spectacles lenses are available to compensate for all levels of myopia and to achieve an attractive look to your new spectacles. Digital lenses for higher levels of myopia can help to increase clarity of vision especially in the periphery too. Have you tried contact lenses?

Hyeropia or long sightedness is a visual anomaly where the eye is a little too short or the cornea is a little too flat. This means that light rays focus behind the retina. Distant objects appear more focused that near objects. A hyperopic person may not be aware of their refractive error especially when young. Spectacles lenses are available to compensate for all levels of hyperopia and to achieve an attractive look to your new spectacles. Digital lenses for higher levels of hyperopia can help to increase clarity in your peripheral vision. Contact lenses are an excellent option too.

Astigmatism is an imperfection of the curves of some of the structures of the eye. This causes the light rays entering the eye to be incorrectly refracted and for objects at all distances to be blurry or distorted. In higher levels of astigmatism the distortions are more obvious. Spectacles and contact lenses can correct astigmatism and digital spectacles lenses can offer a really good option for higher levels of astigmatism.

When we’re young, the crystalline lens inside the eye is very flexible and can easily adjust its shape to allow us to see well far away and close to. In our late 30’s to mid 40’s, the lens has lost enough of it’s elasticity to make close work, like reading, more difficult. This is a natural part of the aging process and happens to everyone.

With the increased use of smart phones, tablets and computers, we have had to become more adaptable with lenses we offer and choose. We like to chat to you about your lifestyle so we can help you select the most appropriate solution. Depending on the tasks you do, we may advise Progressive Power Lenses, Occupation Degressive Lenses, or a basic reading spectacle. Contact lenses are a great option we also recommend you try.

Glaucoma is a term that describes a group of eye conditions that affect vision. Glaucoma often affects both eyes, usually in varying degrees. One eye may develop glaucoma quicker than the other.

Glaucoma occurs when the drainage tubes (trabecular meshwork) within the eye become slightly blocked. This prevents eye fluid (aqueous humour) from draining properly.

When the fluid cannot drain properly, pressure builds up. This is called intraocular pressure. This can damage the optic nerve (which connects the eye to the brain) and the nerve fibres from the retina (the light-sensitive nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye).

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes. The retina is fed by a delicate network of blood vessels and in the diabetic eye, these vessels can become damaged by persistent high glucose levels. The vessels can become blocked, leaky or grow irregularly all of which lead to damage. It is critical that diabetic patients are seen annually at the diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service and every two years by their optometrist.

RMacular Degeneration (or Age Related Macular Degeneration) is a painless eye condition leading to gradual loss of central vision. Symptoms include loss of the sharpness of colours, difficulty recognising faces and blurring of printed text.

There are two main types of Macular Degeneration; Dry and Wet.

Dry Macular Degeneration develops when the cells of the macula become damaged due to lack of nutrients and a build-up of waste products called drusens. It is the most common and least serious type of ARMD accounting for around 9 out of 10 cases. Vision loss happens over a period of years.

Wet Macular Degeneration develops when abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the macular and damage its cells. This form of Macular Degeneration is more serious and causes swift vision loss if untreated.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye (the crystalline lens). They are extremely common and not something to be worried about. Cataracts start off small and have little impact on vision. As they develop, you will notice changes such as feeling as if you’re looking through a pane of cloudy/dirty glass. Lights and the sun will seem too bright and cause more glaring and when driving at night, halos around oncoming lights are common. Colours will also appear less vibrant a cataracts develop.

While we have no definitive answer for what causes the lens to become cloudy, many significant factors are associated with cataract development. Exposure to UV light (from the sun and other sources), smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, certain medications and excessive alcohol consumption are some of the contributing factors.

Cataracts are easily treated with surgery to remove the cataractous lens and replace it with a new lens called an Intraocular Implant.

The retina is the light sensitive layer that lines the inside of the eye. If it detaches, it means that it has been pulled from or lifted from its usual position. Retinal detachment needs to be dealt with promptly or can cause permanent vision loss.

There are different types of retinal detachment. A tear or break in the retina that allows fluid to get underneath and separate it from the retinal pigment epithelium that nourishes the retina. (This is the most common). 

If there is scar tissue on the retina, it can contract and pull the retina away from the layer beneath.