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!