Silhouette Rimless - The Making

Season Greetings

Christmas

Christmas comes but once a year, and when it comes it brings good cheer.

With so much sad news this year - earthquakes, floods, mine disasters, drought, etc, etc, life can seem miserable. But Christmas gives us time to pause, reflect on the year that was and look forward to the year coming. Every year brings some goodbyes and some hellos, and some years one really outnumbers the other. Good health, good friends, loving family and security are things we all expect. When these don't occur, it is natural to feel upset and unhappy. But hope was the last imp out of Pandora's jar....and hope is one of the messages of Christmas.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Visique Kapiti Eyecare to you and yours, and may 2011 treat you well.

Examining at the University

Last week, I spent four days on the panel of external examiners of the final-year optometry students at the Department of Optometry and Visual Science at the Grafton campus of the Univesity of Auckland. I've done it several times before, and, each year, it never ceases to amaze me at the quality of the new entrants to our profession.

By the time that we see them - we being several internal examiners and about 7-9 external examiners (all clinicans, optometrists working as optometrists in various communities all around the country) - the students have completed their final written exams, presented their research results and have seen several hundred patients throughout the year. These patient exams are possibly more detailed than they would be in paid practice, as the students have to "pretend" that the patient has no history when he/she presents for an exam, as the clinical notes go to the supervisor only.

So, we watch 9 or 10 candidates over the four days, each seeing (hopefully) their last three patients as a student. They all see random people who have booked exams (as you would in practice) and there are young, old, and "in the middle". The idea is that we can see how the students can relate to patients of different ages and differing needs.

The students are all bright, friendly and approachable - all needed to put patients at their ease. And they are all clever enough to pass a very intense university programme, as well as being clinically adept at understanding each patient's individual needs and providing appropriate care for each one.

Very humbling, and each time I have returned from Auckland delighted with the opportunity to meet a great group of people, as well as have some of my clinical skills shown up. I learn new techniques from the students, and realise that this benefits both my patients and myself in my daily practice.

Implant Gives the Blind a Glimpse at Sight

A ground-breaking retinal implant has allowed three people to see shapes and objects for the first time since they lost their sight to an inherited an eye disease.

Visique Professional Standards

Our professional standards seal means that you can trust in Visique’s commitment to professionalism and quality.

PROFESSIONALISM: We offer the most comprehensive eye tests and advice tailored to your individual needs

EXCELLENCE: We invest in professional excellence, using the latest technology and the highest quality lenses

TRUST: Because we've been your kiwi owned and operated optometrist for 10 years you can trust that the health of kiwi eyes is our top priority

News and views!

A couple of links that we have been supplied this time -have a look!

www.newscientist.com/mobile/article/mg20827806.000-scratched-glasses-give-perfect-vision-for-any-eyesight.html

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine/-11285011

I spent a few days in Paihia in the Bay of Islands two weeks ago for our NZAO conference - a beautiful venue and lovely weather for a break, as well as a lot of education, fellowship and socialising. One of the more unusal sessions we attended was a workshop on the Treaty of Waitangi, hosted by the staff of the treaty grounds. We learnt the history of the treaty as well as some marae protocols, and everyone was impressed and enthused enough to go over to the treaty grounds (free entry for NZ residents).

The Cornea and Contact Lens Society of NZ is having its bi-ennial conference in March 2011, in Queenstown. It focuses on the anterior surface of the eye (the clear surface of the eye is the cornea) as well as new designs and materials and care systems of contact lenses. Not all contact lenses are created equal, and your optometrist will prescribe - not suggest, sell or recommend - a lens material, design and care system that is the best for your eyes as well as your prescription. This is one of the reasons that most optometrists are happy for you to buy contacts over the internet as long as you are getting the exact same lens as has been prescribed - your optometrist can predict how it will work for you and ensure that the lens will not cause eye damage. Chopping and changing solutions and lens materials can interact badly leaving you wioth sore eyes, red eyes or (worst) a damaged cornea. I have had a patient recently who bought a lens "recommended" by an internet provider which was totally unsuited for her eyes - luckily she kept her routine exam with me a few months later and I said that I was surprised at how the lens was functioning on her eye...she them fessed up. Honesty - always the best policy! And she is back in the best lenses for her - prescribed by me, but bought over the net.

Exactly the same as buying your meds on-line...what are you actually using?

Vision for Children ( Recap )

World Sight Day – Vision for Children

Monday, 8 October 2007, 10:58 am
Press Release: New Zealand Association Of Optometrists

World Sight Day – Vision for Children

Health Minister, Pete Hodgson, has shown he has vision for children as he approves new funding for the children’s glasses subsidy up to age 15.

The move is welcomed by members of the New Zealand Association of Optometrists who are meeting in Auckland this week for their annual scientific conference as they celebrate World Sight Day on 11 October. The theme for World Sight Day 2007 is “vision for Children”.

“Recent research found that 60% of a sample of 2535 children tested had significant refractive error” says NZ Association of Optometrists president Annette Morgan. “Unless problems are detected and corrected children are at risk of failing at school because they can’t see clearly.”

Astigmatism affects one in four children, and one in eight will have myopia.

“An eye examination is one of the most important exams a child can pass and new funding for the children’s glasses subsidy makes it even easier for families on low incomes,” says Morgan.

Evan Brown, a behavioural optometrist who helped develop guidelines for examining children with the Association of Optometrists, agrees. “The literature continues to show the role that vision plays for many children struggling with learning. Optometrists do not treat children with learning difficulties directly; they treat the visual and perceptual problems that impair a child’s ability to be receptive to education. Complete, thorough visual examination of not only the eyesight but all visual skills is extremely important for children who fall behind at school.”

From 1 October 2007 the children’s vision subsidy provides $281.25 towards the cost of an eye examination and spectacles for children aged 15 and under with a community services card. The new funding is for children aged 8 – 15 years.

What's Tony Stark wearing ?

For those who are wondering about the shades worn by billionaire weapons inventor Tony Stark / Iron Man ( played by Robert Downey Jr. ) in the blockbuster Iron Man 2.

They are INITIUM ALL IN . Available in polished silver with grey gradient lenses as worn by Robert Downey in the film , also available in yellow gold with brown gradient lenses.

Size 58-15-140 Made in Italy

Samsung To Make Prescription 3D Glasses

As a full time spectacle wearer, I often complaint about using the 3D glasses over my existing frame when watching movie at Reading cinema. Luckily Samsung came up with the idea of offering 3D glasses in common prescription.

I personally don't thinks 3D TVs without the glasses won't be available for another decade but that isn't stopping Samsung from trying to convert spectacle users to today's 3D.

Samsung says that it will take about a week for the 3D glasses to be made. No price has been provided by Samsung, but seeing as how the average pair of 3D glasses ranges from about $70 to $100 — when you throw in the prescription and choice of your frame , it may cost more.

Via crunchgear.com and Akhibara news

Who needs reading glasses ?

People over 40 generally need reading glasses. The Baby Boomers. The crystalline lenses in our eyes lose elasticity as we age. And that affects the flexibility of the eye to focus on close objects, especially in dim light.

It is called " Presbyopia " in medical term. It's not a disease and it can't be prevented. Some signs of early presbyopia include having to hold reading materials at arm's length, blurred vision in dim light, and eye fatigue along with headaches when working up close for a period of time.

DO YOU KNOW ?

In New Zealand, our population of 4 million people borrow about 50 million books a year from public libraries. Which means New Zealanders used their eyes for close up vision much harder than anyone else in the world.

Do you buy ready made or prescription reading glasses ?

Remember, this is your eyes we are talking about. Having a pair of glasses are important to eyes health, so we should know a few things about the glasses we are going to buy.

In order to prevent buying the wrong pair of readers that might cause fatigue and headaches, we should have a comprehensive eye exam by your local optometrist. Your optometrist will then advice you whether ready made readers are suitable for you in reference to your prescription findings during the examination.

Rest assure that there is nothing wrong with buying ready made readers from your Eye Care Provider.And they have become more fashionable and affordable nowadays.

Do discuss with your dispensing optician too about your eyesight needs and lifestyle as there are varies type of lenses option available that could be custom made to your unique prescription that suit every needs.

Most important point is have fun with your reading glasses. They are fashion and eye care accessories for everyone.

What's happening in October

Royal 3D Sunnies

The Queen spotted in 3D technology with Marchon 3D frames equipped with M3D lenses.

What makes this even more special is the “Q” on the side of the frames.

The letter Q made in Swarovski crystals and attached to the 3D spectacles.

Silhouette Collections

A world leading international frame manufacturer based in Austria.




We have a huge range of combination samples of frame colors , temple design and lens shape that suit every needs. Come and try them today.

International Optometry: OCANZ

As a proud member of the NZAO, I fully support New Zealand optometry supporting our colleagues in other countries, through the World Council of Optometry and closer relations with Australian optometry. In fact, I am the current NZ delegate to OCANZ - the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand.

OCANZ meets annually, but of course its work carries on throughout the year. Its job is accrediting optometry schools in Australia and New Zealand, so the courses taught reflect what a graduate optometrist needs to know in a current, western health system. This benefits patients as well as governments, as they can be assured that Australasian-trained graduates are taught to the highest standards. Another facet of OCANZ is providing a path for overseas-trained optometrists to register in the two countires, to ensure that their skills and knowledge are equivalent to those of a local graduate.

Some countries teach their eyecare professionals to a lower level than we do, and in some countrie, what we think of as "optometry" doesn't exist, and eye doctors perform the functions we do, or refractionists provide prescriptions for glasses. So, an overseas person needs to show that his/her course is fundamentally the same as the Australasian courses, then to sit a series of exams to the same level as our graduates do.

It is fascinating to learn how many styles of optometry there are, but what is appropriate in one country might be a stepping-stone to better eye care for its people whereas western health care is expected by its citizens to be of a higher standard. Patients used to ask me why I participated in VOSO trips to the Pacific Islands, giving away free spectacles and being part of a team providing free cataract surgery. And I explained that these people had nothing, so a pair of glasses, donated, and not necessarily new or to their correct script, was better than nothing...but in NZ, they expected to at least make the driving standard!

OCANZ meets in Melbourne on 2 October, and I am looking forward to being there and doing my bit to ensure that the standard of practitioners registering in Australia or New Zealand remains as high as our populations expect.

Overspex Sunglasses

This spring weather! One day summer, the next winter - as one of our patients said this morning, he needed his sunglasses yesterday but to-day, no way!

And one of the best options that you might not have considered is Overspex, no longer the huge clunky glasses that take up half of your face.

I always recommend Transitions lenses for most people, which I wear, and I also have a separate pair of Drivewear as sunglasses - they're brilliant as they are Polarised (so remove glare) and photochromic as well - so they tint from a 50% tint to about 85% in bright light. Great for driving, and I do not need to take them off if I go into a shop as they lighten enough to see well.

But for people who do not want several pairs of prescription glasses, or need to read in the sun but do not want to have a separate clear and tinted pair of readers, or love Polarised lenses but find them too expensive with a script in them, consider Overspex, as they fit well over your own glasses (so you can see) and they give good protection from glare at the front and at the side. Having shields to ptotect yor eyes from glare (and wind!) is a great idea for beach-walking or for anyone who suffers from watery eyes in the breeze.

Optica, a Christchurch company - who survived the quake - supplies several different sizes of Overspex, all Polarised, and in several colours of frame and lenses. Fashionable, practical, good value - come and see our range to-day.

Anti Reflective Coating

With all the talk about new technology, here's a link to "old technology", which changed the appearance of spectacle wearers, especially those with strong lenses, which had many annoying reflections. Both the wearer and the person she was talking to could see these, and they were very distracting, so thank you Saint Dick Whitney......http://www.dickwhitney.net/AOARCoatingsPage.htm


Anti-reflective coatings have improved over the years. The earliest ones were developed for glass lenses, and for plastic and polycarbonate lenses, new minerals and techiques to coat had to be developed. The durability of AR coatings has improved, and even over the last few years, we have seen better-lasting coats. Essilor's Alize 2 stays clean, doesn't wear off and gives really sharp, clear vision. it's simply the best coating to have on your lenses. And the two year warranty gives peace of mind - not that we need to replace a coat of this quality hardly at all!

~ Happy Birthday ~

To celebrate, we are giving away 10 x 10,000 Fly Buys packages, plus an additional 10,000 bonus points on the 10th of September. Plus one lucky winner will receive 10 years of free Eyecare.

Next generation spectacles?

Today.. There's a new kid on the block..

Called TruFocals

Each TruFocals lens—about three millimeters thick—actually consists of two magnetically attached lenses. The lens closer to the eye is flexible, with a transparent distensible (expandable) membrane attached to a clear rigid surface. The space between the membrane and the clear rigid surface holds a small amount of clear silicon fluid. A sliding lever on the bridge of the eyeglasses is used to push the fluid forward to alter the shape of the membrane and, by extension, the flexible lens.

Full article .. Read this http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nasa-adjustable-astronaut-eyewear

Maybe this is the face of 21st century eyewear! Since people all develop presbyopia in their 40's (or so), and the baby boomers are all presbyopic, there have been millions of dollars put into research to combat its effects.To be honest, no-one really likes wearing glasses, and all lens types have limitations.I'm sure that this technology can only get better, but good on them for developing a workable first step.

Essilor Visioffice

The world's first universal 3D measuring system Essilor Visioffice now available at Visique Kapiti Eyecare.

The universal measuring system is designed to take you through a personalized dispensing process in a highly accurate and user friendly way.

Also produce high-quality photographs and video to show you how you look with varies type of frames.

When technology gets into the deepest secret of the eye,
superior vision become effortless.

Make an appointment with us today for more information.

Carefully selected to meet the demand of our loyal customers.

Stylishly elegant that compliments the real you.

You have to try them to believe.

Visit us today.

Flybuys Star Deals

Don't miss the opportunity to win 1000 flybuys points.

Winter Sunglasses

We do have some sunny days in winter, and many of these are glarey too. So, it is important to remember to use sunglasses on those glarey days, for comfort. Low sun angles reflecting off puddles on the road can give you "double trouble" when walking or driving.

The other thing that sunglasses can be useful for is as a wind block. Patients often tell me that their eyes water in cold winds (waiting at the railway station, walking on the beach) and a good pair of spectacles (prescription or sunglasses)can block some of this irritation. Watering is one of the few ways eyes can "defend themselves" - it makes sense when they are diluting onion juice in the eye, but not when they are trying to "wash away" a cold wind, but the eyes aren't logical!

Transitions lenses darken with ultra-violet light, which means that they are ideal to use as both a clear prescription pair and sun-protection too. But they respond better (ie go darker) in cold temperatures. So they are great to give comfortable vision on those cold, clear days, but just be aware that they will take some seconds to clear when you come inside into the warm again. Older folk need to be careful with this, as they often need more light to see well than they did when younger, so will be more disadvantaged when returning to a relatively dark room from outside on a sunny winter's day.

Prescription sunwear, Transitions lenses, Drivewear polarised photochromatic and plano sunglasses...all have their place. And not just in summer, too!

Visioffice

We've bought a new toy. The Visioffice, from Essilor, is a dispensing tool, and can help explain the best lens for each person, and helps us take individual frame and face measurements to ensure that your new spectacles are the best you can have.

Essilor installed the machine for us on 14 July, and we have been busy learning the features ever since. The machine demonstrates the features that Essilor lenses have. So, we can easily show patients the difference in weight and thickness by using different lens materials (plastic, polycarbonate, high-index materials) and the distortions that older lens designs have compared to the newer designs.

My favourite features show Transitions and CrizalSun lenses compared with standard tinrs, and the scratch-resistance and loss of glare with Crizal coatings. We know that these are great products, and it is lovely to have a demonstration to share these with patients.

The machine also takes and records many individual measurements of the patient and her new frames. This is quick, but means that he lenses are optimised in the frame for the particular way that each person turns her head or moves her eyes, which is especially important with aspheric or progressive lenses.

Every innovation gives advantages to consumers. And this will let patients see how lens technology can be a benefit to them.

Come in and see our "new toy", and let us explain some of Essilor's innovations and how they can benefit you.

Go to essilor.com.au/services/visioffice to find out more.

Volunteer Trip Overseas

VOSO (Volunteer Ophthalmic Services Overseas) is a charitable trust administered by the NZAO, and provides donated eye exams, spectacles and surgery to the people of the Pacific Islands. Several trips of a fortnight each travel to various Pacific countries each year. The photos show some images of Annette's Voso trips to Labasa (Fiji) and Pago Pago (American Samoa). The queues of people wanting eye care are long, and all we can do is work as hard as we can. The hopsital staff in Labasa translated for us, and I was happy to have the aircon at the hospital. In American Samoa, I spent a week in a small health centre in the west of Tutuila then a few days a various sits in the east, including working out of the chief nurse's back bedroom (as the health centre had blown down some years before). So, when you donate your old spectacles, in good condition, to your local NZAO optometrist, be happy because you know they will go to a good home in the Pacific.

Cricket session with Daniel Vettori

3D

Have a read of this site - it explains 3D very well. There are some people who do not develop 3D vision (often because their eyes were slightly misaligned or had different prescriptions as young children) but most people have good 3D acuity. However, many of these do not see artifical 3D comfortably, mostly because there is a very slight misalignment or prescription difference between their eyes. I loved "Shrek Forever After" in 3D when I saw it last week, & my children are hassling for "Toy Story" for the school holiday treat. But my binocular system is pretty robust - all those years of practising Magic Eye pictures and awareness of my visual system from Optometry school....

www.crunchgear.com/2010/06/19

Take a break with Daniel Vettori

Optometrists

Every year, your New Zealand registered optometrist must do at least 20 hours of continuing education, at the standard of a post-graduate course. This ensures that your optometrist stays up to date with current knowledge of eye health, spectacle lens design, contact lens materials, best-practice patient care, eye surgery, etc, etc, etc. Most NZAO and Visique optometrists do many more hours of CE, as we are interested in the eyes and visual system (else we wouldn't have selected optometry as a career!) and want the very best for our patients.

Some of this CE is provided by reading peer-reviewed journals, in print and on the Web. Some is available in small-group seminars and workshops - learning new techniques in contact lens fitting or in minor "surgery" (syringing out blocked tear ducts, for example)is best done hands-on. Lectures or larger seminars, at conferences for example, are a great way to learn about new research and the chance is there to question the researchers after the lecture. And many of us take part in local discussions to share information about techniques or to improve our ability to diagnose - interesting case studies. Of course, any patient discussed is anonymous!

Sometimes when you visit your NZAO optometrist, she will be using similar tests to the ones you are familiar with. Sometimes the techniques or equipment is new. But in any case, you can be reassured that she will be able to provide you with the best and most current advice available.

Glaucoma - what is it?

In the "olden days", people accepted problems that occurred with old age (if you were lucky enough to live beyond seventy). "Granny was blind, but we never knew why" is a comment I used to hear frequently from older folk when asking about their family history of eye conditions. Now, we want solutions for our health problems, incluidng vision problmes and vision loss.

Granny might have been "blind" simply because she did not have the appropriate glasses, or due to a cataract (surgery for these before the early 1980's was more dramatic than it is to-day and cataracts had to be denser before the benefits of operating outweighed the risks). Or Granny could have had something more sinister - retinal detachment, retinal blood vessel haemorrhages or glaucoma. And glaucoma, if not treated early, can still cause blindness. A large part of a comprehensive eye exam in NZ and other western countries is to do with eye health and disease detection - early detection of problems means that they will be treated more easily and better.

Glaucoma can come in several forms - chronic or acute, simple or complex (self-explanatory), primary or secondary. Primary disease "just happens"; secondary happens after something else (eg glaucoma after taking a hit to the eye, maybe months or years after). Chronic disease occurs over years; acute can occur in hours. The most common type of glaucoma is chronic, simple (primary)glaucoma - so I shall discuss that here.

New research is occuring all the time, but my understanding at present (mid-2010) is that, as we age, the amount of fluid produced in the eye (to feed the back of the cornea and keep the eye' optics clear) is constant, but the drainage to remove this often becomes poorer. Sometimes this is due to an obvious blockage (secondary to...something?) and sometimes it "just happens". Our understanding is that this might be caused by microcellular changes in the tissue in the drainage system, so the cells stiffen up and do not work as well.

The upshot is that the drain works less well, and the pressure inside the eye rises. This can happen over years, and is why your optometrist monitors your eye pressures (routinely from around the age of 40; younger due to family history or from findings during the examination). The most important sign of glaucoma is a change to the appearance of the optic nerve inside the eye, which is why your optometrist will make a detailed effort to see the nerves well, and compare what is seen from one visit to the next. If these results are suspicious, a test of peripheral vision can be done, and measurements of the thickness of the nerve fibres can also be done. Changes in these readings are monitored, or the person is referred to an ophthalmologist for treatment for glaucoma, if these changes are severe enough. Any sight lost cannot be regained, because the nerve cells have died due to the pressure rise, so the aim is to detect changes before they are bad, and to prevent any more sight loss. Glaucoma that is more established is harder to treat. Some times the standard treatment of daily eye drops will not control the disease, and drainage surgery is needed in the eye. In some unfortunate people, the disease is so severe that even this will not control the disease, as the optic nerve is so damaged that any remaining cells just give up and die.

Primary simple glauocma develops over years, so it is important to have regular eye health checks (as recommended by your optometrist depending on the outcome of the exam and your family history), even if your vision is clear. If the disease is caught early enough, driving is still possible. Central vision is only affected in late-stage glaucoma, and one eye gets the disease before the second. This means that , without a regular eye health exam, you could develop glaucoma with no symptoms. And the risk increases with age, especially over 80. So make sure your older family memebers don't neglect their eyes.

So, in short, the most common type of glaucoma takes years to develop, has no symptoms, tends to occur more frequently as we age (earlier if there is a family history as there are some genes linked with some types of glaucoma) and can be treated but not cured. Catch it early, and the nastiness can be avoided. So have regular eye exams with your optometrist, even if you can see clearly.

Click on the title to go to the home page of Glaucoma NZ - you can learn more about glaucoma and sign up to receive "Eyelights", a free publication for glaucoma patients and their families.

Lenses

A lens is a lens is a lens, right? Sorry, no. Most of the world's lens companies spend millions of dollars in research and development in devising the best lens for each prescription. Why?

Before the mid-1980's, the choices of lenses involved choices of material - glass or plastic. Polycarbonate, lighter to wear and more impact resistant than plastic (which is more impact resistant than glass), was not used often as the surface scratched quickly and it required different machines to cut it. Glass came in clear or photochromatic, and could be hardened to make it more impact resistant, which could be used for safety lenses.

High index glass, which gave a thinner lens for the same prescription, started to become popular in the 1980's, but it could not be hardened or made photochromatic.

The next development was photochromatic plastic lenses (late 1980's). Rodenstock produced aqua, blue and pink, but it wasn't until Transitions released their first generation product that the market really took off. Transitions is selling Generation 6 now.

Polycarbonate lenses have been improved so they scratch less, and they also can be produced in photochromatic materials now. As a thinner, harder, lighter lens option, they are the only lens we recommend for children and rimless frames, but are a great choice for everyone.


The first bifocal lens was devised by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century. He simply cut his reading script and his distance script in half horizontally, and cemented them together. Later designs had smaller reading areas, often a circle or a half circle, which were less obvious to the wearer as well as people looking at her.

In 1959, Essilor produced Varilux, and Varilux 2 followed in 1964. Progressive addition lenses had arrived! The distance script blended into the reading script, but the reading area was quite small, and there was considerable distortion that the wearer would notice when she moved her head, or even as she scanned a page of text.

Research and development dollars have been poured into improving progessives - increasing the size of the near portion, making the distortions less and making the vertical distance between the distance and reading scripts closer (to use in smaller frames. Not all progressives are created the same!

Essilor has invested over $10million NZ into its technology centre in Auckland, so it can produce state-of-the-art lenses "Kiwi-made". It is world-class, and can grind and coat most prescriptions without the spectacles having to go off-shore.

Visique Kapiti Eyecare is proud to use Essilor lenses as they are made in NZ, and made by a company that has a track record of innovations and provising the very best designs. Physio 360 lenses involved 7 new patents, the design was that innovative.

As a patient, you will just see "better", "more comfortably", "like with my own eyes again".

Some other comapnies are using generic lenses or older designs - many still work well, but most of us prefer to drive a car with airbags and ABS if we can afford it. Lenses are the same - the technology costs a lot initially. Unfortunatley, economic reality means that as new designs become available, older designs and materials become scare or not available at all. Glass, for example, is not fitted by Essilor in NZ or Australia at all, and its delivery times have become unacceptable, so we do not supply it to our patients any more. If a low-cost option is more appropriate for you, don't hesitate to tell us, but I'm sure you would like to know what is on offer before choosing 19th or 20th centtury technology in 2010 or later!

Diabetes and the Eyes

Unfortunately, the most common cause of blindness in working-age people is diabetic eye disease. If you are diabetic, and the evidence is that only half the number of NZers with the condition have been diagnosed, the longer you have had the condition and the poorer the control of your blood glucose increase your risks of diabetic eye disease.

Diabetes is a disease where too much glucose in the blood damages the tiny capillaries all throughout the body, and they leak. Capillary damage in the kidneys leads to renal failure, and in the eyes leads to blindness, from damage due to bleeding, the lack of good supply to the seeing cells and from scarring and fibrosis from the bleeds.

In many regions in NZ, once a person has been diagnosed with diabetes, she is referred to an optometrist who has a contract from the local DHB for a diabetic fundus examination. (The fundus is the back of the eye). The pupils are dilated with eye drops, and either photographs are taken or the clinician looks with special lenses to check for signs of diabetic eye disease. These changes are some typical-looking bleeds or leaks of fluid.

If there are any changes, the person will be monitored or referred for laser treatment (to stop the leaks). In many cases, the eyes look healthy and the person is monitored - usually at 2-yearly intervals.

These diabetic exams are separate from your normal exam with your local optometrist. They do not check the prescription, and might detect other eye conditions (like cataracts) but do not always detect these. For example, often the photographs taken have to over-expose the optic nerves so any vessel leaks can be detected, but this means that glaucoma damage cannot be always be seen. So it is important to continue to have your "normal" examinations.

Diabetes is a nasty disease. Don't let it blind you or your loved ones.

What an optometrist does?

When you can get cheap glasses or contact lenses on the net, why do people choose to pay extra to receive professional service from their optometrists?

Optometrists in New Zealand are university educated health professionals, with five years undergraduate training and compulsory continuing education requirements each year. Keeping up with current knowledge of eye health, treatments and visual correction means that your optometrist can give you clear advice to help you see clearly with comfortable, healthy eyes.

The optometric exam involves taking a thorough history of both your eyes and that of your family, then tests to check your vision, health of the front and back of the eyes, how the eyes co-ordinate and any additional tests required depending on the results found. So, a pair of glasses has a lot of thought put into them - not just your choice of colour of the frame, but a shape to fit your face, lenses to suit your eye prescription and lifestyle and advice on their use and care.

Optometrists also give advice on lifetsyle and vision - sunglasses vary in lens materials as well as tints depending on whether they are used in alpine sports, water sports, driving or "general purpose". Some lenses are more inmpact resistant than others, so safer for children or in situations where the lenses could crack and the eyes damaged.

So, optometrists are the "GPs of the eye". And, like with your doctor, you pay for the advice given.

Old Skool or Uber Cool?

Looking for retro-inspired frames with styling from the '70s and early '80s, which ironically look fashion-forward right now.

Chunky plastic frame , full or half frame, with few colors to choose from.

George in Town

Latest addition to our shop.

A new GEORGE eyewear line matches sensible pricing with varieties of styles appealing to young professionals. Stylish, on-trend collection that is sensibly priced" for modern, budget-minded buyers without compromising on quality.

Ask us about the promotional package.

Carter Bond Eyewear Available Now In New Zealand

Exciting models from Carter Bond.

This collection targets a younger generation of frame wearers that want a fresh look.

Make an appointment with us to try these amazing cool frames.