Eyecare
Your eyes are prone to a variety of diseases and we will thoroughly examine all aspects of your ocular health. Below are some of the common eye diseases we see in our practice. Many eye diseases are preventable and treatable if caught in time with regular comprehensive eye examinations - We provide industry leading eyecare.
Eye Diseases
Cataracts
Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 40. Ageing causes the lens inside the eye to become cloudy making your vision appear blurry or hazy a bit like looking through frosted glass. Cataracts cause half of blindness worldwide. Advanced cataracts require referral to an eye surgeon for cataract surgery where the lens is removed and replaced with an artificial one. This can successfully restore vision.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease which damages the optic nerve at the back of the eye causing vision loss. Side vision loss occurs first, followed by general vision loss, resulting in blindness if not treated early. Once vision loss due to glaucoma has occurred it is permanent. If Glaucoma is detected and treated early it is possible to stop the progression of the disease and vision loss. This is done by use of eye medication, laser treatment and sometimes surgery.
With regular eye examinations at Goldsbury Visique Optometrists we use the latest diagnostic equipment to detect glaucoma early.
Macular degeneration
Macular Degeneration is a progressive degeneration of the macular tissue at the back of the eye resulting in loss of central vision . The macular is found in the central part of the retina and is responsible for processing central visual images. Early on there are no symptoms but over time central visual loss occurs making it difficult to see faces, read, drive and perform other activities of daily life.
At Goldsbury Visique Optometrists we screen for macular degeneration using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), an instrument which 3D scans the internal structures of the eyes and analyses the nerve fibres of the macular detecting any signs of degeneration.
Diabetic Retinopathy
People with diabetes are at risk of loss of vision and blindness because of the disease. Diabetes causes changes in the cells of the retina resulting in weakness in the walls of the blood vessels. These tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye can begin to bulge and leak blood into the eye and also leak fluid into the surrounding tissue. The damage caused can lead to permanent loss of vision.
With regular examinations any threats to your sight due to diabetes can be detected and treated promptly minimising the risk of permanent vision loss.
Common refractive errors of the eye
Hyperopia - Long sighted
This is a refractive error where people are able to see distance objects clearly but objects close up are blurry. The greater the hyperopia the greater the effort needed for clear vision and frequently eye strain symptoms such as headaches and eye fatigue are experienced.
Myopia – Short sighted
This causes distance objects to appear blurry while near objects are clear. Symptoms such as frowning, screwing up the eyes and holding reading material quite close can indicate myopia. It cannot be prevented, will not go away and will usually increase during childhood and teenage years.
Astigmatism – Blurred Vision
This is a very common refractive error of the eyes resulting in blurry vision and tired eyes. The eyes have trouble focusing resulting in blur, making things uncomfortable to look at. The difficulties with focusing can cause headaches, tiredness and poor concentration.
Presbyopia
This is a vision condition in which the lens of the eye gradually looses it's ability to focus, making it difficult to see near objects clearly. It is a normal age related process which affects everyone even if you’ve never had a visual problem. People usually notice the condition after age 40 when they realise they need to hold reading material further away in order to focus on it. As we get older the lenses inside our eyes thicken and slowly loose flexibility, making it difficult to see fine objects and small print clearly.