THIS ISSUE

SERVICES

EMERGENCIES

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.

HEALTH FUND BENEFITS

When you select an optometrist you are looking for a qualified professional who will provide you and your family with the highest standard of eyecare and offer a range of quality eyewear.

The eye health and vision of our patients is our primary concern and our aim is to provide you with the best possible level of professional care and personal attention.

We recognise the benefits that private health insurance can provide to you and your family. Yet, regardless of your health insurer, you select the optometrist of your choice.

We can help you to make the most of your private health insurance, no matter what fund you are with.
 

Rebates on Eyewear
As an eligible eyewear provider to members of all health funds, rebates can be claimed on prescription frames and lenses, prescription sunglasses and contact lenses.
 

On The Spot Claim Processing
To make it easy, fast and convenient for you to claim your rebate, we have installed the latest technology. This enables us to process your health insurance claims electronically so there is no need for you to fill out paperwork or visit your health fund branch. You simply pay any gap which may exist.
 

Act Now Before the End of the Year

Most health funds provide optical benefits based on a calendar year. If you haven’t yet claimed your health fund optical rebate for this year, you could be about to lose that benefit. This is particularly important for people wanting to update the optical prescription for their general spectacles as well as prescription sunglasses. In such cases, it may be more beneficial for you to claim one pair before the end of December, and the other in the New Year.

So, don’t delay, as you might be able to claim for a new or spare pair of glasses, contact lenses, or even prescription sunglasses.

SUN SMART - NOT TOO YOUNG

While you may reach for your sunglasses whenever you leave the house do you make sure your children’s eyes are protected too?

Sunglasses are as important as sunscreen and a hat when venturing out to take advantage of beautiful summer days and children’s eyes are especially susceptible to damaging UV rays because they spend more time outdoors. The majority of sun-damage to the eyes occurs before the age of eight years.

Acute short-term exposure to UV rays can cause photo-keratoconjunctivitis which can be described as sunburned eyes. It is extremely painful but should resolve by itself within a few days. Long-term exposure can cause a number of changes including ptergium (a fleshy growth on the surface of the eye), cataracts, which may lead to blindness, and in extreme cases corneal degeneration.

Children and young adults are especially at risk. Parents should make their children wear sunglasses, particularly when levels of UV radiation are high, such as on the beach, in water and on snow, where there is additional danger due to reflection.

Sunglasses do not need to be expensive to be effective but they do need to meet Australian Standard 1067.1. It is also important to make sure that they fit properly so they don’t slide or fall off when children are playing. They must be wide enough to provide full protection without being cumbersome so a wrap style is ideal. Your optometrist can advise you on these issues and help you choose appropriate eyewear for your children.

Some primary schools have made sunglasses, along with hats, a part of the summer school uniform as school councils recognise the importance of protecting children’s eyes as well as their skin while they are outdoors.

Today’s 40-somethings are more active than they have ever been. Biking, jogging, exercising and playing sports are just a few of the activities they routinely engage in for which wearing spectacles are a hindrance.

Traditionally contact lens wearers who required visual correction for reading had to use reading glasses over their contacts to see close objects. A technique to avoid those reading glasses is monovision where you wear a contact lens that corrects for near vision in one eye and a lens that corrects for distance vision in the other eye. Not all people who try monovision can adjust to it. Multifocal contact lenses offer the best of both worlds: no glasses and good vision – close up and in the distance.

Multifocal contacts come in soft lens materials for regular daily wear as well as in a daily disposable soft bifocal lens that you discard nightly and replace with a new pair the next morning, and now the PureVision multifocal that you can sleep in. Multifocals are also available in rigid gas permeable designs.

There is no sure way to know how a patient will adapt to a particular multifocal contact lens design. Your optometrist will make the best judgement they can at the time of fitting but only a clinical trial will determine whether you will be successful with a particular contact lens.

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.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. The lens works much like a camera, focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye. The lens also adjusts the eye’s focus, allowing us to see things clearly up close and far away.

The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and allows light to pass through it. Sometimes part of the protein may clump together and start to cloud more of the lens – this is a cataract. Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see. Usually cataracts affect both eyes but develop at different rates.

Most cataracts are a result of ageing and long term exposure to ultraviolet rays. Some are caused by injury and certain diseases and in rare cases by exposure to toxic materials and radiation. Occasionally cataracts are present at birth, due to the baby’s mother having had rubella during pregnancy, or genetic defects.

There is no proven method of preventing cataracts but wearing a broad brimmed hat and Australian standard sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays is recommended.

A cataract starts out small and initially may have little effect on your vision. You may notice that your vision is a little blurry – like looking through a cloudy piece of glass. Other symptoms include blurred or hazy vision, spots before the eyes, double-vision and increased sensitivity to glare. The type of cataract you have will determine symptoms you experience.

If you are unsure whether you have a cataract, schedule an eye examination – optometrists have special equipment that enables them to see changes in the lens, which may lead to cataracts, several years before any symptoms appear.

If untreated, cataracts can cause blindness. Blindness can be prevented by detecting the cataracts early and, if necessary, having them removed surgically. Cataract surgery is a simple, effective procedure - most people who have cataract surgery regain very good vision. During surgery, the surgeon will remove your clouded lens and in most cases replace it with a clear, plastic intraocular lens.