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EYECARE PLUS

Evans and McMahon optometrists are members of the EyecarePLUS network.

EyecarePLUS is a selected group of independently owned practices across Australia. To be accredited, these practices have met stringent membership criteria to ensure that they provide professional eyecare plus quality optometric goods and excellence in service.

EyecarePLUS practices must be up to date with the latest techniques and instrumentation for vision examinations and offer all treatment options. They must also provide a wide range of quality optometric frames to suit all budgets and provide a warranty on all spectacle frames.

EyecarePLUS practices are also inspected on a regular basis to ensure that they maintain the highest standards of quality optometric care and service.

As members, EyecarePLUS practices share resources for staff education, as well as exclusive ranges of good value frames and high technology lenses. We are confident that this will then further improve the services that we provide.

Together with the other optometrists in EyecarePLUS practices across Australia, we will be able to offer the advantages of being part of a large optometric group, yet remain independent and able to provide the personalised optometric service that our patients have come to expect.

UV RADIATION & YOUR EYES

It’s autumn! Or is it? The hot dry summer has finished with a flurry of storms and now we have warm weather again. The media has more discussion of the impact of global warming on our climate patterns, and while most of us are aware of the damage that ultraviolet light can do to the skin, medical evidence shows that our eyes can also be harmed.

Long-term exposure to UV can lead to cataracts and macular degeneration (leading causes of blindness), cancer and pterygium (a fleshy growth on the cornea). Even short-term exposure can lead to significant pain, irritation and sensitivity to light.

The key to protection from harmful UV light is to avoid longer-term exposure that can slowly and painlessly impair vision. Protection should start with very young children and become part of their routine. UV exposure at an early age can be the most damaging in the long-term as the human eye is still developing through childhood and adolescence.

How to avoid the effects of UV
1. Avoid the sun
In summer, three-quarters of UV exposure occurs between 10 am and 4 pm. Staying out of the sun as much as possible between those times will reduce your UV exposure.

2. Wear a hat
If you do venture outdoors, a broad-brimmed hat will protect your head from sunburn and reduce by half the amount of UV reaching your eyes.

3. Wear eye protection
Sunglasses that meet Australian standards, and photochromic lenses, which go dark in the sun then become clear again, will reduce the amount of UV reaching your eyes.

Choose eye protection that best suits your lifestyle. Our trained staff can give you the best advice about suitable UV protection.

FRAME SIZES

All frames have size measurements which are necessary in selecting the appropriate lens for a particular prescription, and cutting the lenses to fit the frame. Take the example of 48/19-140 (all in millimetres). The first number, 48, represents the sizing of the lenses. The second number, 19, is the bridge size, which ensures that the frame fits your nose. The third number, 140, is the temple length (temples are the parts that hook over the ears).

Each person is shaped differently, of course, and requires different frame measurements. To make it more complicated, frames vary by their shapes and sizes, so there is no set of numbers that would apply to one person for all frames. Each frame must be fitted individually.

If you want an excellent frame fit, please visit us and get some help from our trained personnel — it will be well worth your time!

Kevin is one of our dispensers at our Civic practice, and he has a keen interest in gastronomical delights. Here is a recipe he would like to share with you.

Ingredients: Whole Chicken, Salt, Pepper, Garlic (crushed), Dark Soya Sauce, 5-6 Lime /Lemon cut into halves

Cut chicken down the centre of the breast. Turn chicken over. Put lots of garlic, salt, pepper. Also squeeze the 5 halves of lime and add soya sauce for colour. Mix ingredients together. Turn chicken over so it is lying on its back. Repeat the process. Let marinate for 24 hours.

Pre-heat oven at 200 degrees. Put chicken in and leave for about 1½ to 2 hours. When the chicken is almost ready, turn chicken over and cook for about 10 minutes.

Eat and enjoy with roast veggies.

For a birthday or special occasion gift with a difference, we have Gift Certificates available to suit any price range.

Please ask one of our receptionists or dispensers for further information.

In the first study of its kind to examine modifiable risk factors, researchers from Brigham Women's Hospital (BWH) and Schepens Eye Research Institute (SERI) found that the amount, type and ratio of essential fatty acids in the diet may play a key role in dry eye prevention in women.

Dry eye syndrome is characterised by a decline in the quality or quantity of tears that normally bathe the eye to keep it moist and functioning well. The condition causes symptoms such as pain, irritation, dryness, and/or a sandy or gritty sensation. If untreated, severe dry eye syndrome can eventually lead to scarring or ulceration of the cornea, and loss of vision. Sufferers can experience symptoms so constant and severe that reading, driving, working and participating in other vision-related activities of daily life are difficult or impossible.

In this study, the researchers reported the following findings:

1. Women with the highest levels of omega 3 in their diets reduced their risk of dry eye syndrome by 20 percent compared to women with the lowest levels of this fat.

2. A dietary ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 greater than 15:1 (the average American diet) was associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk of dry eye syndrome in women. Tuna consumption reduced the risk of dry eye syndrome. Women who reported eating at least five servings of tuna per week had a 68 percent reduced risk of dry eye syndrome compared to women who consumed one serving per week.

3. Other fish types that have lower levels of omega 3 fatty acids did not appear to protect against dry eye syndrome.

"We are accustomed to the mantra 'you are what you eat' and our study suggests that this also applies to a person's vision," said Debra Schaumberg, the senior author of the study. "Based on this report, preventing dry eye syndrome is another potential reason to follow a diet rich in tuna and other foods plentiful in omega 3 fatty acids."

Editors Note: Most people in Western cultures have a ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 of between 20:1 and 30:1; however, the optimal ratio appears to be somewhere between 1:1 and 4:1.

Not all vision problems can be corrected by spectacles or contact lenses. Some people, including many children, have difficulty in co-ordinating their two eyes.

In order to see something clearly, both eyes must be aimed accurately at the object and focussed at the right distance. Any problems with the aiming or focussing of the eyes can cause a variety of symptoms, including intermittent double vision, blurred vision, headaches and feelings of eyestrain. Children with these problems often do not complain about them, but may simply avoid tasks such as reading that are difficult or cause discomfort.

Vision therapy (also referred to as visual training) is a program aimed at remediating and enhancing an individual's visual abilities. Each program of vision therapy must be designed to suit the specific needs of the individual. Diagnostic testing, training procedures and the use of lenses and prisms may be integral components of the successful treatment of a vision problem. The frequency of consultation, the amount of home training and the duration of a course of vision therapy will vary depending on the nature and severity of the problem being treated and the specific needs of the patient.

Although its impact is greatest in children and young adults, vision therapy is effective for patients of any age who may have difficulty utilising their visual system efficiently.