Eyecare Advice
Advice and information concerning your ocular health and visual performance is best given by your optometrist at the time of your examination, when we can be sure that the advice given is relevant to your particular case. But if you are unsure or concerned about any aspect of your eyesight, please ask our trained staff who are only too glad to help - please also take a look at our symptoms check list page as this will help them decide on the best course of action. Please remember that today, most eye conditions can be treated very successfully. here are a few explanations of some of the relatively more common eye conditions.
Myopia/Shortsightedness: Hyperopia/Long sightedness: Astigmatism
Perfect eyesight requires our eyes to be a precise size and curvature, just as we are not all the same height, our eyes are not all the same size and shape either. If our eyes are slightly too big we are shortsighted, seeing most clearly close up; too small - longsighted, having better far sight; oval instead of round - astigmatic creating distorted vision at all distances. These simple focusing errors are the 'bread and butter' of an opticians' life and can easily be corrected by spectacles, contact lenses or even surgically.
Cataract
Cataracts cause a gradual loss of clear vision, usually later in life, as the focusing lens within the eye becomes cloudy. Today, their removal and replacement with an implant is generally a very successful procedure. Your optometrist will usually notify you of their presence long before surgery is necessary, referring you to an ophthalmologist when it is appropriate to remove them.
Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
This condition causes a loss of central vision and will therefore not cause a total loss of sight, but our central vision is by far the most acute and therefore fine or detailed visual tasks can become very difficult without specialised aids. Patients who suffer this problem require careful assessment, firstly to distinguish between the various different forms, Wet or Dry to ensure correct treatment and secondly to supply the optimum visual aid. Please note that Evans and Hughes are accredited Low Visual Aid Practitioners under the Welsh Low Vision Assessment Scheme.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma if untreated will initially cause a loss of peripheral vision as the optic nerve gradually loses its function. Unfortunately in the early stages, this condition is almost entirely symptom free, so it is essential that careful eye examinations, utilising detailed visual examination of the optic nerve together with applanation tonometry and visual field analysis, are carried out on a regular basis.
Lazy Eye/Amblyopia
If a young child's eyesight does not develop correctly, the visual impairment in one or both eyes may not be correctable later in life. This can limit career opportunities and will of course remove the safety net of having a 'spare eye'. Most cases of lazy eye/amblyopia are easily detected on routine eye examination and with appropriate treatment the laziness can usually be reduced or removed. However to be successful, early treatment is essential and all children are therefore advised to attend regular eye examinations from the age of 3 - but remember by 8 it's often too late!
Conjunctivitis
There are many forms of conjunctivitis, your optometrist can help distinguish between the various allergic and infectious types, all of which generally cause red irritable eyes, and recommend appropriate treatment.
Blepharitis
This chronic inflammatory condition of the eye lid margin also causes persistent ocular irritation, but when treated correctly the symptoms can usually be controlled.
Dry Eye
Another common cause of discomfort often associated with prolonged visual tasks. It is not simply a question of tear volume, (it is possible to have both dry and watery eyes!) but also critically tear quality. Your optometrist can assess both tear volume and quality and give advice on the various treatment options.
There are thousands of eye conditions most of which thankfully, can in some way be treated or managed. It is always best to discuss any concerns with a suitably qualified person but here are some links that you may find helpful.
| The Royal college of Ophthalmologists | www.rcopth.ac.uk |
| The Macular disease Society | www.maculardisease.org |
| International Glaucoma Association | www.iga.org.uk |
| The Eyecare Trust | www.eyecare-information-service.org.uk |
| Moorfields Eye Hospital | www.moorfields.org.uk |