Over 40 and needing reading glasses? There are other options!

Feeling your arms need to be longer? There are surgical and contact lens options to give you your visual freedom back!

By far the most frustrated patients in we see in the practice are those in their 5th decade of life who are struggling to see things up close – their arms are just not long enough! ‘Presbyopia’ happens to everyone as the eye’s lens becomes stiff and cannot change focus. Reading glasses are a simple and affordable solution but many people get annoyed always having to find them, being blurry when looking up, or having them get in the way during work or leisure tasks.

Fortunately there are alternatives: Surgical options include laser eye surgery to make one eye better for near vision, leaving the other for long distance – this is called ‘blended vision’ or ‘monovision’. Alternatively ‘refractive lens exchange’ – essentially an early cataract surgery, can also be considered, either with blended vision or with multifocal lens implants to given a range of vision in each eye. All surgery has risks however and as surgery is permanent there is no guarantee that the vision will remain stable as patients get older. Our optometrist Mr Alex Petty has had laser eye correction himself so can offer sound advice and refer you to the appropriate surgeon for an assessment if you are a suitable candidate.

Use orthoK contact lenses overnight to change your corneal shape and improve your day-time vision!

Contact lenses can create the same vision results as surgery, with a blended vision approach or using multifocal lenses. The advantage of contact lenses includes being able to alter the prescription with time, people being able to choose when and when to use them instead of their glasses, and having a lower upfront cost. Alternatively orthokeratology (orthoK) lenses are a novel type of contact lens that are only worn overnight. These gently mould the cornea to give clear unaided vision during the day. Contact lenses are safe, comfortable and easy to use with correct fitting and training with our experienced optometrist Mr Alex Petty.

So if you are sick of loosing your reading glasses book into see us at Bay Eye Care in the New Year to discuss your vision correction options! We are closed over the Christmas and New Year period but the clinic reopens for 2020 in Monday 6th January. Have a safe holiday season!

Slow your child’s short-sightedness early to prevent blindness

Around the world more of our children are becoming short-sighted (myopia). This means they have difficulties seeing clearly in the distance and require glasses or contact lenses to see. It is thought that a combination of genetics (if a child’s parents are also myopic) and environmental factors (including lack of outdoor light exposure and increased device usage) are leading to this rising tsunami of myopia.

Wearing glasses to see clearly is an inconvenience. However many people do not realise that there is an increased risk of blinding eye disease associated with short-sightedness. Scarily conditions such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataract and macular degeneration are more common the more short-sighted we become. This is because in myopia the eye grows longer and become structurally weaker. Due to his own myopia our optometrist Mr Alex Petty has already had three retinal detachments requiring emergency surgery to save his sight!

Normal glasses or contact lenses do nothing to slow the progression of myopia in children and teenagers. Fortunately these days optometrists have access to specialty myopia control treatments (including specialty contact lens options and therapeutic eye drops) which are proven to slow eye growth by at least 50%. This will decrease the risk of blinding eye disease later in life.

If your child is not yet short-sighted it is recommended they spend at least an hour of outdoor time a day, and have regular breaks from digital devices, to prevent the onset of myopia.

Book a myopia control assessment at Bay Eye Care sooner rather than later to limit your child's risk of ocular disease later in life.

Stay safe with your contact lenses over summer

With summer here more people are using their contact lenses to enjoy outdoor activities without their glasses. However contact lenses are a medical device and without proper care and hygiene the risk of potentially blinding eye infections is increased.

Follow these important guidelines to ensure your contact lens wear is hassle-free over the holiday period:

• Never use tap water to clean or store your lenses. Water contains micro-organisms that can adhere to your lenses and infect your eye.
• Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before touching your eye or lenses. Use an alcohol-based sanitizer as an alternative if you are going bush!
• If you must use your contact lenses when swimming make sure you remove and clean or discard them afterwards. Hot water sources including hot tubs, spas or thermal springs are high risk areas for infection – avoid contact lens wear in these environments. 
• If you plan on spending a lot of time in the water then consider visiting Bay Eye Care to be fitted for overnight Orthokeratology vision correction: these contacts change the shape of the eye during sleep to give clear vision during the day without any lenses!
• Avoid re-using solutions or wearing your lenses beyond their recommended replacement schedule. Shortcuts may save you money now but could be catastrophic to your eye health in the long-term.
• If your eye is red, sore or light-sensitive then stop wearing your contact lenses and visit our therapeutic optometrist Alex urgently. Your GP or the local A+E service is the next best alternative if your optometrist is away on a well-deserved break!

At Bay Eye Care our contact lens specialists are perfectly placed to offer the best care and advice about your contact lens use. Feel free to contact us today to arrange a contact lens consultation!

Short-sightedness is a problem for children in Australia too.

A recent news article on Australian TV highlights some of the risks of short-sightedness (myopia) in children and discusses the treatments to slow this condition. At Bay Eye Care we employ all the treatments mentioned to help control myopia in NZ kids.

View the short segment here: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2017/s4629501.htm