Eye Health

If you have any concerns about your eye health, give us a call and we can arrange an appointment to have your eyes examined. In the meantime we have compiled some information about common eye complaints and ailments.

Children’s Eye Health

• Babies can see bolder colours and by 3 months+ they begin to focus
• By 6 months old a babies eyes are fully developed and in rare cases they may need glasses
• At age 4 to 5 children should have a vision screening test pre-school and if this doesn’t happen and you have any concerns then call us on 01383 623619
• Treatment of Lazy Eyes is more successful before the age of 7.
• A squint or lazy eye often runs in the family and may not always be obvious
• Eyes continue to grow and develop so its important to keep monitoring your Childs vision
• Headaches and sore eye complaints after school may indicate an eye problem
• 1 in 5 teenagers are short sighted in the UK
• 12 to 13 is a key age for eye problems to develop

Signs your child may have an eye problem:

• Rubbing eyes a lot – except as normal or when tired
• Excessively watery eyes
• Sitting very close to the television or holding a book or toy close to face
• Being clumsy and having poor hand/eye coordination
• Avoiding reading, writing and drawing
• Closing one eye when they go out in the sun

If you are worried, don’t hesitate- check it out!

Macular Degeneration

• Occurs when the macula at the back of your eye becomes damaged which can then make it difficult to see fine detail for example reading, watching TV or recognise faces
• It is the leading cause of blindness in the UK
• Most people still have their peripheral vision so can still see well enough to get around
• Around 1 in 10 [people aged 65 and over show some signs of MD and this is why it is also known as Age Related Macular Degeneration
• Signs of AMD are: Blurred vision or difficulty reading even with glasses, patches missing from vision, noticing straight lines are wavy and sensitivity to bright light.
• Smoking is known as a major risk factor of developing AMD also a family history increase your risk of developing AMD
• It is believed that a diet rich in colour fruit and vegetables such as kale, spinach, celery and broccoli may reduce your risk of developing AMD.

Cataracts

• Cataracts occur when the clear lens inside your eye becomes cloudy or misty. This is a gradual process and normally happens as we get older.
• Early stages of cataracts won’t always affect your eye sight.
• Only treatment for cataracts is surgery but this will only happen when the cataract begins to affect your sight. If this happens your optician will refer you to a hospital.
• Surgery is done under a local aesthetic.
• Once removed a cataract wont return
• Smoking and exposure to sunlight has been linked to contributing to cataracts. Good quality sunglasses and full UV protection can help slow progress cataracts.

Glaucoma

• Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve, which connects your brain to your eye is damaged
• Risk Factors: Age, Short sightedness, closely related to someone with glaucoma, Ethnicity and raised pressure in the eye.
• Glaucoma is detected by regular eye tests as early stages of glaucoma does not cause symptoms
• The three main tests to check for glaucoma is looking at the optic nerve at the back of your eye, also by measuring the pressure of your eye using a machine that gently blows a puff of air into your eye and also by doing a visual fields test
• If your optometrist suspects you may have glaucoma they will refer you to a hospital/ophthalmologist. Treatment is normally with eye drops to help reduce the pressure in the eye.
• If you are diagnosed with glaucoma it is important you inform the DVLA, most people are still allowed to drive with glaucoma.

Diabetic Retinopathy

• Eye problems are among the most significant complications of diabetes.
• Eye problems from diabetes are the most common cause of blindness in people of working age
• Diabetic Retinopathy is when the small blood vessels in your retina leak blood and fluid into the retina
• This doesn’t affect your vision in the early stages but if left untreated it may lead to sight loss
• Reduce the risk of Diabetic Retinopathy by keeping your blood sugars under control
• NHS arranges for people 12 and over to attend yearly screenings to diabetic retinopathy. It is important to attend the appointments.
• This screening involves putting drops into your eyes to make your pupils larger so that photographs of the back of the eye can be taken.
• This only checks for Diabetic Retinopathy so it is important to continue having regular eye tests.