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EYE EXAMINATIONS
Red, painful eyes or a sudden change in your vision?
Our optometrists are fully trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of ocular conditions. We have advanced training to allow us to prescribe ocular medications and are ACC registered to treat injuries. We will happily see you urgently for any sudden vision changes.
ADULT EYE EXAMS
Early detection prevents serious eye damage.
More than 1 million eye exams are performed in New Zealand each year. On average 60% of people seeking an examination will be expected to need prescription glasses or contact lenses. Eye exams may also detect diseases that affect people’s general health, for example, high blood pressure or diabetes.
Many people will need eye health care such as visual training, treatment for eye disease, or referral for surgery. Any change in vision should be investigated as it could be due to a more serious sight-threatening condition.
Anyone over the age of 40-45 will be starting to find it harder to focus up close. This is known as presbyopia and although this is a normal change in our eyes as we age, it often is a significant and emotional event because it's a sign of ageing that's impossible to ignore and difficult to hide. The good news is that with modern lens designs it can easily be remedied. About this time the risk of eye diseases also increases, and regular health assessments are vital.
The major causes of blindness in the Western world are Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Diabetic Eye Disease, Cataract, and Glaucomas.
CHILDREN'S EYE EXAMS
WHAT EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW:
There is a clear link between a child’s ability to see well and his or her ability to learn and succeed in school.
Children learn mostly with their eyes. Reading, writing, blackboard work, computers, playtime and sports are all hard work if you cannot see clearly. Many everyday tasks for children involve seeing quickly and using visual information. Parents need to understand the basics of children’s eye health so they can detect problems early and address them before they become serious.
Good vision includes seeing well at distance as well as at near. Good vision depends on good eye health and good eye function, such as using the eyes together, focusing the eyes properly and changing focus appropriately, and moving the eyes when needed.
We recommend children have their eyes examined:
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At 2 to 3 years of age.
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Before starting school.
Why are these examinations so important?
At age 2-3 we are looking for a condition known as amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye,” It is reduced vision in an otherwise healthy eye that has not received adequate use during early childhood. Most often, it results from eyes turning in or out, or from a difference in the clearness of the images between the two eyes (one eye focusing better than the other). If not detected and treated before age 6, vision may be permanently impaired and the earlier it is detected the better chance of a full recovery.
During the before school examination we are looking for any further visual changes that will have long term effects on the child's learning. Every child deserves good vision to start their journey of learning.
Free eye examinations and a subsidy towards glasses are available to any child 15 and under who has a family with a community services card or has their own high health user card. Just give us your card number and we will access this funding for you.
OCULAR COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY (OCT)
OCT is an imaging test that allows for detailed visualisation of the optic nerve head and retina.
The OCT machine is similar to ultrasound, but rather than using sound waves to create an image it uses light. The real strength of OCT, however, is in its ability to detect changes over time. When the OCT is repeated after a period of time the new scans can be compared to the old ones, allowing detection of changes which may be too subtle to have been noticed with older technologies, such as colour photos or drawings.
This can tell us a great deal about the optic nerve. Each section of the nerve can be measured and compared to the general population to see if there is anything obviously abnormal. The optic nerve is usually less than 2mm in diameter and OCT provides measurements of the optic nerve shape and thickness with a resolution of about 6 microns (1 micron=1/1000th of a mm). In many cases, this can help make the diagnosis of glaucoma a lot easier.
The OCT also takes high-resolution cross-sectional images of the macula. By comparing the structure and thickness of the layers measured by the OCT against a normal healthy retina, your Optometrist can detect MD even at a very early stage.
Having an OCT picture taken is very similar to having a normal picture taken of your eye. It is not required to touch the eye but some people may need to have eye drops put in to dilate the pupil in order to get the best pictures. The scan itself takes only a few seconds.
ACC ASSESSMENTS
We take the hassle out of having to travel or wait if you have an injury to the eye.
We are approved ACC assessors.
Any object lodged in the eye, either a small particle or commonly a spark from grinding metal, becomes painful very quickly. We are fully equipped to remove any particles and treat an injury to the eye surface. We recommend seeing us as early as possible after you feel something go into the eye as small grinding sparks stick to the eye surface and can rust after 1-2 days making them harder to remove.
We will fit you in urgently and we access the ACC documentation and payment on your behalf.
