Christmas Closure

We are open again on Monday 9 January 2012

May your holiday season decorated with love and happiness.

From Annette and Winnie

Our Christmas Decoration's Up. How about you?

Christmas light will be on next week onwards.

K9 visitor today , Benson waited patiently for owner selecting her sunglasses.

Buy genuine, buy quality

With Adidas offering a 2 year guarantee on its children's frames, I thought I should mention again that quality never goes out of style, that value lasts and that the bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of the cheap price is forgotten.

Some bargains are great - I'm a big fan of buying shoes in the sales - but you need to realise that "bargain" isn't always the same as "cheap". Ends of line are of good quality, stock clearance is a valid reason to special off goods, manufactures or distributors trying to clear stock, all can give you great quality at great prices. But these will all be covered by NZ law (especially the CGA) and you will be made aware at the time of purchase if parts are unlikely to be available. Then buy at your own risk, but be aware that most business will still want you as an on-going customer and will try to help out if something happens.

Parallel imports and buying on-line (from overseas or from a private individual) are not covered in the same way.

We know that patients have told us that they can get this brand on-line at such and such a price. Great - but is it a colour still available in NZ? Is it a discontinued model? Is it genuine? (We know about the re-branded contact lenses or the actual fakes available on line with "slightly odd" packaging.....)

You might pay more for genuine products, but you have a relationship with the trader who will do her best to solve any problems that arise. Some good brands do have the odd "Monday morning" frame - and these become obvious quickly and will be replaced with no dramas. But some product is of such poor quality that it is just no point putting good lenses in it, trying to adjust it, trying to repair it if it breaks....caveat emptor.

Adidas Kids Eyewear 2011/2012

New Collection of Adidas Youth Metal Fullrim Coming Soon

Every purchase of Adidas kids frame* comes with

2 year warranty

NO QUESTIONS ASKED

* Selected models only

Spring brings winds and dust and pollen...anti-allergy drops work if someone actually has an allergy, but they are not much help if you have "irritated eyes" from the wind or windblown dust.

Sometimes simple things are the best - avoiding going outside on a day with a high pollen count or a dry, windy day. Wearing your prescription glasses or sunglasses blocks some of the irritant reaching your eyes. Every few years a "breakthrough" is announced where a frame manufacturer produces an "anti-allergy" spectacle frame - either sealing the frame tightly to the face so no irritants from the air can reach the eyes, or having a fan or a puffer to blow clean air across the eyes.

These haven't caught on.

If your eyes are red and sore, sometimes just putting a cool compress, maybe a used cooled teabag or a cool facecloth, over the shut eyelids gives relief. If simple techniques like this don't work, make an appointment with your optometrist - we can give advice or prescribe anti-allergy drops (if appropriate). Pharmacists can help, but they cannot see the eyes as well as optometrists can (we have the equipment) so can advise more appropriately to give people eye relief in the spring.

Year round, really.

Conference 2011

As registered health professionals in NZ, every optometrist must complete at least 20 points (roughly 20 hours) of continuing education every year. This ensures that the registered person you see for your eye health needs is up to date with clinical techniques and understanding of the science behind these. Hearing about a company's wonderful new frame or lens product doesn't count!

So, NZAO organises an annual conference along with its AGM, and we were in Wellington for this last week. Speakers included Australian and NZ academics, NZ clinicians and NZ optometrists sharing their stories of disasters (fire and earthquakes) so we learnt some tips as to how to support staff and patients during and after these.

Some of the presentations were very scientific/research orientated - and these are likely to provide clinical tests in the future. And others were of the "this is what you see, now what do you do?" variety. Very useful for the patients even this week back at work!

There is also a social component in a conference - and you learn a lot from discussing the day's lectures over a quiet sauvignon blanc at day's end. And we enjoyed the presentation at the Weta cave in Miramar - thanks to the Taylors in setting up such a great film-making facility in suburban Wellington.

Wardrobe thoughts

Well into spring days in October, so winter clothes are back in the wardrobe and summer colours are not only in the shops but on the streets. I am always amazed that people expect to update their wardrobes with the seasons, but expect one pair of frames to do duty morning, noon and night, summer or winter, going out or staying in, summer or winter, meeting the Queen or washing the car.

I know that updating a whole wardrobe at once can be a huge expense, but many people choose to do it slowly - layby, or buying the skirt one week, the tops the next and the shoes after that.

How many pairs of shoes do you have? Do you wear the same ones for going out, beachwalking, in the garden, at work, to Church...not likely. Not all your shoes will have been bought in the same season, or even the same year - some are old faithfuls, some get downgraded from "best" to "work" to "casual" to "washing the car"...but you always have a spare (or several) and you have different shoes for different tasks or different looks.

I am always amazed (and dismayed) when we have a patient who says that she can't be without her glasses even for half an hour for a repair because she "needs them for driving" and "doesn't have a spare". Often practices can provide a second pair, less fashionable, at a cheaper price for a spare, or keeping an older pair is very practical too. And the time to talk spare pairs is never when the patient comes in having broken her only pair two days before Christmas...the labs are closed and what happens if she is the only driver in the family needing to head away for the Big Day...?

You might not have 2 watches (although a lot of people have), two tiaras, several leather jackets or three motor vehicles "just in case"...but telling your optometrist that you can't go to work because your glasses are broken is similar to saying that you can't go to work because your one pair of trousers is in the wash with your one shirt and one set of underwear.

Maybe you don't need to buy 2 pairs of super high fashion frames with duplicate lenses with all the bells and whistles. But you do need something as a spare that lets you function - driving, cooking, reading - as well (or nearly as well) as your usual pair does. Treat yourself for spring, if you don't have a spare at present.

Or treat yourself for summer, autumn or winter...or because it's your birthday (or will be next year)...or because this frame goes so well with your new hair colour...

Spare pairs...maybe not to match everything in your wardrobe but to at least function and still look good when you leave the house.

Do Children Need to Wear Sunglasses

As we know that the sun can do harmful damage to our skin, so whenever we go out we often put on sun block to protect our skin.

But have you ever consider that our eyes are more sensitive than our skin.

To some parents , they often think how cute and trendy to have children wearing shares but they actually may be more than just a fashion accessory for our kids, it can also protect their eyes from harmful UV rays.

Do you know our eyes are naturally 10 times more sensitive to UV light , children are most at risk.

70% more UV light reaches the retina through a child's un-obscured crystalline lens.

80% of a lifetime's UV rays are absorbed by a child's eyes before age of 18.

The World Health Organization ( WHO) says children are at especially high risk of damage from UV radiation, recommend they wear children sunglasses and states that over exposure to the sun can cause or accelerate;

- inflammation of the cornea

- conjunctiva in the eye

- cataract development

- corneal sunburn ( photokeratitis )

- cancer development

Every year Visique runs Back to School campaign with great hope to educate the young about the importance of eyecare. Good habit starts early.

If your kids are enrolling as new entrant during first term of 2012 , make sure your school have registered with us for the quality free sunglasses with UV400 protection that meet Australian guidelines.

Local/community optometry.

Winnie has been back in Malaysia for the last couple of weeks - look forward to hearing her adventures when she comes back tomorrow. We have had several patients asking after her, hoping that she hasn't left permanently - she's made fans and friends from patients.

That's the thing about community optometry - we all live here, are local and are in for the long haul. Some of the large optical chains like employing graduates who are great clinicians, but get burnt out with seven day a week mall trading and being moved from one branch to another as holiday cover, and they never get a chance to develop relationships with their patients. Most of my day is spent talking to people whom I've come to know over the years, and it is a joy to see a familiar name in the appointment book.

It's the same with other health professionals. Once you have developed a relationship with your GP, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor or whoever, you want to see that person again as you do not need to "reinvent the wheel" in your treatment or health programme. Seeing the same person for your care means that you know that both you and your practitioner are "on the same page" and you do not need to keep explaining your history again and again.

Hospitals often annoy patients for this reason - they feel that they are not being heard as the medical staff have to keep asking the same questions as new practitioners come on shift. It might be in the notes, but most of us want to hear the story and see it being told by the patient rather than just bald numbers on a chart.

So, your local Visique optometrist (Visique Kapiti Eyecare here) is part of your community and here for YOU, your eyes, your family, your eyecare.

Canine visitors and cataracts

We have had a couple of special guests coming into the practice this week. A lovely bear of a New Foundland dog - we have photos of 60kg of calm sitting in reception - and Oliver, my parents' Shih Tzu, who is more enthusiastic to see us (he's also younger).

Speaking of dogs, it can be obvious when your elderly dog has cataracts. Because they use smell rather than sight (in general) their behaviour doesn't change much until their vision is really poor. My in-laws' dog would only bump into furniture when she was really concentrating on a scent and her vision was poor, to be kind. But you can see a thick greyish sheen inside the eye - the pupil looks light not black - all the time, not just in certain lights.

This is very rare in humans, except in very poor parts of the third world. Most people are very disadvantaged visually with a cataract that is not apparent to the outside observer.

So if someone tells you that they could see a cataract in someone else's eye, it much more likely to be a problem of the cornea or even the conjunctiva, all anterior (front) of the eye rather than the lens (inside the eye).

Nearly spring! And the weather is as changeable as any spring already.

Sunglasses are being put into practices, new frames are being launched in lighter, brighter colours, we are getting enquiries about contact lenses...maybe summer IS on its way!

Optometry is not really a 'seasonable industry". Health care happens all through the year, but many people take stock of their wardrobes and spring-clean their clothes (and make-up) and getting a new look for spring can involve a new hair cut and a new look ....and new glasses or a change to contact lenses.

Fashion is becoming a bigger part of optometry. People don't always have one watch or one handbag, so why not have different frames to match an outfit or a mood? Everyone is different, and some people prefer a classic look that goes with everything they do and everything they wear, but this doesn't apply to every person. Your optometrist will be happy to check your prescription and eye health before you get an updated look, so don't worry that he or she will think you are "vain" at "just wanting new glasses".

You will be surprised at the range of frames as well as the options for lenses (an anti-reflective lens option always looks better than the "blank look" from standard lenses) that we can offer.

Hope to see you soon so you see (and look) your very best!

Visique Conference this weekend!

Visique's annual conference is being held in Auckland this weekend. As you gathered, I'm not attending but I was up in Auckland yesterday for the owners' meeting, which gives us an overview of what Visique's plans are for the coming year.

As all optometrists who are members or who work for a Visique practice are NZAO members, all of us agree with the standards of care being the absolute best for each and every patient. Visique was set up to provide a national network of like-minded optometrists who work nationally together but act locally. Hopefully the new ideas that are being discussed this weekend lead on to better products and service for our patients, which means that Visique will be the first choice for New Zealanders who value their eye health and eye care.

Snow in Kapiti , Yes you can say that again

Sun protection in winter.

We have had some lovely "spring" weather this winter, and some southerly storms, and when it's bright, it's bright! I don't ski, but I know that UV and white light both reflect well from snow, so skiers know that they need to protect their eyes for comfort and to prevent snow-blindness...but what about the rest of us?

With low sun-angles in winter, glare is often more of a pest than in a bright summer's day. If you are driving into the sun. you can "white out" from any dirt on your windscreen and not see even a large van in front of you. It's really important to keep your windscreen (and your glasses!) clean - this matters even more if you have a minor cataract as the effect is magnified.

UV reflects from the snow, concrete and water. Similar to sunburn, you can burn the front of your cornea - this occurs (like sunburn) several hours after you come inside - snow-blindness from skiing (extra UV at high altitudes) can be painful enough to wake a person at 2am. Having well-fitting ski goggles that have an appropriate UV filter is as important as good skis and bindings. Winnie, our dispensing optician, can offer advice here - and we can put your prescription into goggles or use special snow-lenses if you would prefer.

Anyone lucky enough to head north for the winter, remember to pack your sunglasses. Some older Transitions lenses (and their clones) do not darken as well in the warm as they do in the cold, so having a prescription pair of sunglasses can be really useful in the tropics. And with an added UV filter, you will protect your eyes as you see the sights.

I know that some people think that prescription sunwear is a luxury, but when you think that your eyes are protected properly from glare and UV light, as well as giving you the ability to see clearly, I think that it is really valuing your eyes. And if you remember to use your sun protection in the winter as well as in summer, the "cost per wear" is really reduced.

We are happy to announce that Luscombe-Jansen family from Waikanae has just won a Rebel Sport voucher worth $100 from Child's Eyes Exam Draw March 2011.

The Luscombe-Jansen family know the importance of getting their child in for an eye exam. The emphasis for children's eye health is typically on making sure they are able to fully enjoy their learning process and development at school.

Congratulations from Team Kapiti

Visual field defects in glaucoma

Please click on each picture to read article wordings.

Credit to Article from Vol 8 | Issue 2 | July 2011 by Glaucoma NZ

Eye Care Concerns By Life Stage Pt 1

80% of a child's learning is done visually, so it's essential for children to have clear comfortable vision.

Many children with learning diffulties can trace their problem to focussing problems or poor eye muscle coordination.

Standard school eye checks only test the clarity of distance vision, not focussing ability.

As children grow, their eye sight can change. Regular checks help to ensure that vision problems are diagnosed as quickly as possible.

Do you know children under 16 may qualify for spectacle subsidy from Enable NZ

To qualify the child, the parent or guardian must have a valid Community Services Card or the child must have a current High Use Health Card.

The current subsidy amount is $287.50(inc GST) per year and this can be use towards eye examinations and glasses.

Please present your Community Services Card or High Use Health Card when you register for an eye examination.

Para'Kito Mosquito Repellent Must Have

Para'Kito™ is a 100% natural mosquito repellent. Available to wear as a wristband on your ankle or wrist, and as a handy clip that attaches to backpacks, belts and strollers etc. The refill strips gradually diffuse essential oils that act as a mosquito repellent over a period of 15 days. Para'Kito™ is suitable for the whole family and is water resistant.

Coming to your Visique Kapiti Eyecare soon. Please register your interest by ringing 04 2986373 or email us at kapitistaff@visique.co.nz

Follow Para'Kito on Facebook

Para'Kito Official Webpage Click Here

July is Glaucoma Awareness Month

Winter is upon us, it's the 1st of July and it's the month that Glaucoma NZ has its annual awareness month. As always, we have a donation box on the front counter, where you can exchange $3 for a Glaucoma NZ pen. And there's always the latest copy of "Eyelights" in the waiting room.

Glaucoma is called the "silent thief of sight" and the latest research is that 68,000 NZers have the disease but half of these are undiagnosed. This is a huge worry, because it does cause permanent blindness if left untreated. And this is preventable blindness, because it can be treated if caught early enough.

As part of your regular eye examination, we take your eye pressures and look closely at the optic discs, where the optic nerves leave the eyes to go up to the brain. If either of these tests looks suspicious, or if there is a family history of glauoma, we will do an automated peripheral vision test, which can rule out glaucoma or track any suspicious changes. (If you develop the disease, the periperal vision or visual field test is the way to determine if the treatment is working as it monitors if there is any loss of vision in the peripheral part of the visual field).

Everyone with a family history of glaucoma should have an exam at least every two years, and if we see suspicious changes to the pressures or the optic discs, we will tell you and see you more frequently.

Most studies show that people are more afraid of getting cancer or going blind than anything else. At least glaucoma blindness can be prevented if the diease is detected early.

For glaucoma awareness month, do yourself and your family a favour - have a visual examination.

Everyone needs eyes examined

At every stage of your life, there's a need to have an eye examination.

For children, regular examinations help to detect and monitor any eye changes or poor vision that could cause learning difficulties.

For adults and seniors, having an eye exam every two years allows the early diagnosis of eye health problems that can cause blindness.

They're the only eyes you'll ever have

Every year, about 1500 New Zealanders lose their sight. For many of them, blindness could have been prevented if their eye health and vision had been examined regularly. For example, it's estimated that half the people with glaucoma are not receiving treatment simply because they don't know they have the disease. Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in New Zealand.

NZAO recommends an eye examination every two years

The New Zealand Association of Optometrist recommends that you have your eyes checked every two years, or as recommended by your optometrist, depending on your current eye health and vision needs. All Visique optometrists belong to this association, which exists to ensure a high quality of eye health care is provided in New Zealand.

Not just for the people who wear glasses

Regular trips to Visique aren't only for the people who need vision correction. Even if your eyesight seems to be perfect, eye examinations are important becasue most sight threatening conditions have no symptoms at first - this is particularly true of eyes problems related to diabetes and glaucoma.

What is the optometrist looking for?

Optometrists are trained to examine eyes of all ages. About 60% of the people examined required some kind of vision correction. Of the remaining 40%, many will benefit from other forms of eye care, such as preventative eye care, eye hygiene advice and medical treatment.

Bring your questions with you

During your Visique appointment, you can expect to be asked questions about your eyes and vision, your family's eye and vision history and your general health. Specialised equipment and techniques will be used to check for signs of eye disease and other abnormalities. After examining your eyes, your Visique optometrist will discuss your vision and eye health with you and offer advise. At this point, you can ask any questions that might be on your mind.

Do not take your eyes for granted.

Progressive Promotion - June/July 2011

Wholesaler's promotion !!!

Buy a pair of Essilor progressive lenses in new frame and

receive a FREE pair of distance* or readers*.

* Stock single vision only.

As seen on page 9 of Kapiti Observer dated 13 June , Monday.

Winter is here - well, late autumn, anyway. Mild - we're expecting 19 degrees - and very wet. So we still need to consider our eyes and vision, even if we are not as concerned about sun-protection at present!

Sunglasses are still useful on glary, bright days, but never wear them at night. With wet roads and the lights from in-coming cars, drivers can experience discomfort glare and also miss pedestrians running across the road in dark clothes, but you need as much light is available to pick up road hazards (including pedestrians who see you and figure that you se them too). Sunglasses block light, so are dangerous to wear in the dark.

Many people snuggle down and enjoy winter hobbies at this time - reading gardening books rather than getting out in the garden, writing the great NZ novel, cooking warming soups and stews. Reading the recipe book, reading the garden guide, cross-stitch for hours, writing (by hand or on the computer) - are your eyes up to concentrated near viewing? Our aim is to give you single, clear, comfortable vision. If you can't see as well or as easily as you'd like to, call us for an appointment to-day.

A busy week

Winnie and I have had a busy week, which explains why this post is later than usual. We have had a new practice management computer system installed, kindly supported by Essilor who are a large funder of Sunnix Vision. Sunnix is great because one of the directors is an optometrist, and Essilor is also very supportive in paying for updates as users decide that things could be improved. It has the advantage that if enough optometristrs want a screen that does something, this can be done.

So we are tackling our new system - haven't crashed it yet!

One little girl found the excitement to be too loud

While Prince William and Kate, duchess of Cambridge, kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding on Friday, April, 29, one little girl found the excitement to be too loud. Lady Louise is the daughter of Queen Elizabeth's youngest son, Edward, and his wife Sophie. Lady Louise has long been sheltered from public attention, due to the fact that she has an eye condition known as exotropia.

Exotropia is a type of strabismus, the technical term for a misalignment of the eyes, in which one or both of the eyes points outward. Strabismus is usually caused by poor muscle control in one of the six muscles that control eye movement. Typically the eyes work together to focus on an image, but in a patient with strabismus, the eyes do not focus on just one image. This may create double vision or confusion as the brain tries to make sense of the two different images it sees. Over time, the brain will override information from the turned eye, causing poor depth perception

It is estimated that up to 5 percent of all children have some form of strabismus.

There are several recommended therapies, including the use of patches or glasses to attempt to get the affected eye back into alignment. Strengthening the eye muscles and correcting farsightedness are excellent ways to improve the appearance and function of the affected eye. Vision therapies may also help focus the eye through activities requiring hand-eye coordination. Finally, surgery can be performed as a last resort. It is believed that Edward and Sophie have refused to put Lady Louise through eye surgery, but her participation in other forms of treatment is unknown.

Credit to http://news.yahoo.com

Click the title for direct link of the news.

WCO meeting

Ron Fyfe And Annette Morgan - NZ delegates

The mural at the PR College of Optometry - people from classical optics and recent students.

The Aricebo Observatory detector.

Before Easter, I was in the Caribbean (San Juan, Puerto Rico), for the 2011 World Council of Optometry meeting - I am fortunate enough to be the NZ delegate. We attended the 30th anniversary celebrations of the School of Optometry there, which is a US school following US courses (four-year pre-med then a four year course). They take about 60 students per year, and this year's intake are all from "off-island", so there is some concern that they all will want to return to the mainland after graduation rather than stay in PR.

Most of the work is done in the committees - Legislative, Fellowship Grants, Public Health and Education, so they are very hard-working as the standards of the profession vary so much around the world that everyone needs to be mindful of where each country is at present and where it needs to go. The Governing Board met with some members of the PR government, and the President had spent the previous week meeting with health ministers in several Caribbean and Latin American countries to explain what it is that optometry does and how professional optometry can benefit their citizens. In some countries, there is really no access to eye care (including glasses) and in others (such as NZ) we can treat some eye condtions with medications. In Kentucky, optometrists can use lasers to treat!

And the food and the fellowship were great! Plus Tim and I got to visit the Aricebo Radio Observatory (and the MSC in Houston on the way home!)

Happy Easter

Annette and staffs would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family the blessings of Easter.

Practice will be closed over Easter weekend. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday , 26 April 2011.

Sorry I didn't post last week - optometrists lead busy professional lives! Seeing patients is, of course, the most important part of the job, but there is all the practice administration as well. But I am lucky because, as an NZAO Councillor, I get to do "other stuff" as well. Last week, I was in Auckland at the NZAO student awards' evening, where we got to meet many of our colleagues-to-be, optometrists in training, and to congratulate the winners of academic prizes offered by the NZAO. The next day involved a meeting with the Department of Optometry and Visual Sciences' staff and the Optometrists' and Dispensing Opticians' Board - we meet annually in a round-table meeting so the profession, the training/research institution and the regulation authority all have an idea as to what the others' issues are. In a fortnight, I shall be lucky enough to see another Optometry school...in Puerto Rico. But more of that in about a month! Happy Easter.

CONVERTIBLES Eyewear

Convertibles' fashionable frames are stylish ,comfortable and most importantly they are designed for your convenient. The ingenious magnetic clip-on system lets you change your prescription glasses to sunglasses with polarized and UV protected lenses instantly.

New models in-store now.

With all the sorrow and drama from Christchurch after the earthquake on 22 February, things have been rather odd here lately. Earthquakes - Christchurch's (and our little ones)have replaced the weather as the topic of converstaion when patients come in. At least there was no tsunami warning, unlike that late February 2010 Chilean earthquake with everyone on East Coast beaches on alert - I remember as I was in the garden tidying up before my dad's birthday last year and felt a bit of deja vu this year...

Optometry has lost a great colleague in the Chistchurch quake. Paul Dunlop of Chistchurch was not at work that day - he was helping to dismantle a damaged organ in Durham St Methodist Church when the quake hit. Three of them died in the quake, with five getting out. Paul was a great clinician, a repected colleague and mentor and a really nice guy. He leaves a family, who are in our thoughts and prayers.

It will be a big funeral.

MODA Premium Package

"The Moda range arrives at Visique Kapiti Eyecare!

Visique Kapiti Eyecare, at the Pier building in Howell Road, Paraparaumu Beach, has seldom supplied “package” spectacles. We believe that you are an individual, your eyes are individual, and we enjoy tailoring frames and lenses to suit your prescription, your looks and your purse. But with the support of Essilor (who manufactures lenses in Auckland) and Euro-Optics (a New Zealand-owned frame wholesaler), Visique Kapiti Eyecare is really pleased to introduce the Moda range – frames and premium lenses in men’s, women’s, teens and children’s ranges.

The beauty of the Moda range is that there are models to suit most people, and the ability to provide stock lenses or specially-made lenses into the frames. The children’s and teen ranges are inexpensive enough to be suitable for parents whose children are eligible for the Enable spectacles subsidy, which was developed in conjunction with the NZ Association of Optometrists, which is the professional grouping of optometrists in NZ.

The Moda range for adults all has Crizal anti-reflective coatings included. This reduces annoying glare, especially with night-driving or computer-use, and, in any case, it makes the spectacles look better. The progressive lenses are Essilor X’ion – a great value-for-money lens that performs better than top-of the-range progressive lenses of only 3 or 4 years ago.

So, we at Visique Kapiti Eyecare are pleased that we can offer our patients a great value for money range of frames and lenses, but still catering to each person as an individual. Believe your eyes? You can at Visique!"

This is the article that we are placing in the "Kapiti Observer" to talk about Moda, the new frames and lenses' package. We've had the frames in for a week now, and the range has attracted a lot of interest. Nice styles, good colours, good quality for the price and excellent lenses - what more could you want?

Come in and see them soon!

Back to school 2011

With most schools and colleges starting back this week, it's time to remember that your child's vision is very important in learning. The school screening tests just check distance vision (and colour vision for Year 7 boys) and are really "focussed" :-) on seeing that the two eyes see similarly, so that they both develop in tandem. And of course much of classroom work, and homework, is to do with close vision - reading, writing, drawing, computer-based work. The school screenings do not test for this.

The Visique and NZAO websites explain more about the signs you should look for to see if your child might be having a visual problem - sore eyes, red eyes, rubbing the eyes, heaaches and avoiding using the eyes are the most obvious. But we recommend that every child in the middle school has a full eye exam, and from that we can often predict how well and how comfortably the child will see in most situations as he or she goes through school.

Sports vision is a speciality of some optometrists, so we can refer your budding archer, cricketer or clay pigeon shooter for extra visual training if need be. And sometimes wearing contact lenses rather than glasses means that school is a hppier place to be - many of us were called "four eyes" at school and I know that (unfortunately) this still happens.

Until 28 March, all children's vision exams (for children under 18) gain an extra 30 bonus Fly Buys points. So it is an especially good time to have your child's vision, eye health and eye co-ordination examined at present. Phone to book in soon.

Congratulations to Adrienne Stevens

Adrienne (owner of 180 Degree Cafe & Bistro Paraparaumu) bought a pair of Michael Kors sunglass and entered the competition using her Flybuys card. She is one of the two lucky winner in Kapiti region that won herself a gorgeous Michael Kors Gold Clutch. This clutch is the perfect companion for both formal or informal events. It screams sophistication and simplicity.

Congratulations from Team Visique Kapiti

Transitions XTRActive

To all current Transitions VI wearers that always wanted the extra tint behind the windscreen while driving and the superior darkness outdoors in the brightest conditions , Transitions XTRActive is your answer.

Transitions XTRActive lenses provide: 1. Outstanding visual COMFORT. 2. The CONVENEINCE of wearing the same pair of glasses inside and outside. 3. PROTECTION against UV rays and glares.

Talk to us today.

Are you supporting New Zealand products?

Are you supporting New Zealand made product ? Coz' we are at Visique Kapiti.

The Buy New Zealand campaign began in 1988. Its emphasis has shifted over the years, but the basic aim of encouraging consumers and organisations to buy New Zealand goods and services wherever possible has not changed.

When you buy a New Zealand produced product or service, you’re helping to create jobs, promote growth. As every cricketer knows, a run saved equals a run scored – so you’re giving our country a double whammy benefit when you buy New Zealand rather than from another country.

Essilor is the world's leading manufacturer of spectacle lenses, pioneering the development of a range of lenses and lens coating to cater to a myriad of eyesight problems.

Essilor New Zealand works on the "think globally , act locally" principle. Essilor started its operation in New Zealand in 1998 and since then, has built a solid reputation as one of the leading supplier of lenses to optical retailers around the country.

In addition, Essilor has the technological and financial support of its international parent company based in France. Essilor New Zealand employs over 120 New Zealand staff and has offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch.

Fly Buys Back to School 2011

Ministry of Health vision screening for kindergarten and primary school children is not targeted to pick up those other vision problems that can cause a child’s fine motor skills (needed to read and write) to work incorrectly.

Most children with visual problems are long-sighted and have eye coordination problems. Once given correct glasses, they show significant signs of improvement in their learning. "Once a child wears the correct spectacles there is nearly always a dramatic transformation in their learning performance, behaviour, concentration, comprehension and self belief."

Credit to http://www.diyfather.com/content/eyesight



Purchase a children’s eye exam to receive 30 Fly Buys Bonus Points. This offer is valid even with an Enable card for anyone who is 18 years or younger. This Bonus Point offer cannot be used in combination with any other offer.

Promotion ends 31st March 2011

Transitions Competition Winner 2010

The winner of our recent Transitions competition is Mrs June Burkin from Napier, who entered the competition at Visique Taradale Optometrists.

Lucky Mrs Burkin wins a trip for two to the Cook Islands with $1,500 in spending money. The prize also includes return economy airfares, seven nights bed and breakfast twin share accommodation at a four star rated accommodation, and a glass bottom boat lagoon explorer tour. Mrs Burkin is delighted to be the winner, and we hope she has a fabulous time!

Michael Kors Eyewear Competition Results

Visique Kapiti are delighted to announce that 2 of our customers have won in the competition that runs from 1st October 2010 to 31st December 2010 , with their purchase of Michael Kors eyewear.

Michael Kors optical and sunglass range are available in New Zealand exclusively at Visique stores. Michael Kors optical is an affordable designer brand offering a stylish collection of frames that combine everyday sophistication with a touch of luxury.

The optical frames are brand new to the New Zealand market, but kiwis will recognise Michael Kors of Project Runway fame - since 2004 the designer has featured regularly on the Emmy-nominated reality show alongside Heidi Klum as one of the judges. And celebrities across the globe have been spotted gracing Mr Kors' eyewear designs, from Angelina Jolie to Eva Longoria and Mischa Barton.

The latest range of sleek eyewear designs are available in store priced from just $249.

Congratulations once again , winners will be contacted soon.

Back in 2011

Hello, and I hope that 2011 is treating you well. We have had the usual number of "minor disasters" welcoming us back to work this week...stolen prescription sunglasses, broken frames, lost contact lenses...this time of year, with the labs and wholesalers shut or on reduced hours, makes us even more aware than usual of the benefits of having a spare appliance.

Most people who wear contact lenses are using disposables, so they have "extra" pairs waiting to be worn. But if you develop an eye infection, and cannot wear your lenses, you need a spare pair of glasses. And if you are dependent on visual correction - for driving, reading, working, whatever - you need a spare.

They don't have to be as glamorous as your everyday pair, but they have to be comfortable and functional - enough to get you by. Always take a spare pair on holiday - missing the sights on a trip is no fun, neither is driving home from Taupo without glasses as they were lost in the lake. (And if it is illegal for you to drive without glasses...) Sunglasses are not an adequate spare pair when you are drving at night, either.

We suggest in keeping a good, previous pair as a backup. But if your prescription is changing rapidly, or after eye surgery, your last pair might not be an adequate spare. As long as you can drive legally, and function as you would like (not being embarrassed at wearing your 1986 specials!) they are a good spare. If you wouldn't want to be seen in them at work, the frame is broken, the lenses are too scratched to see through or the script is way out of date, they're not a good spare.

Like Mrs Christmas, telling you to start saving for next Christams in January, I need to tell you not to spoil next year's summer break by not having a spare pair NOW...so you are prepared for me to tell you to consider a spare when you come in for your next eye exam.