Eye Health

Changes to your eye health and the development of medical eye conditions is something that our optometry teams take very seriously. We’re equipped with a wide range of extensive diagnostic tools and treatment options, and work closely with ophthalmologists to ensure you get a timely referral and prompt treatment when surgery may be indicated. Common eye conditions and problems we see include:

• Cataracts: a cloudy area in the lens of your eye that can lead to vision loss, particularly in older adults. Symptoms often start as slightly blurriness in the vision and progressively worsen.
  
  

• Eye floaters: these are small dark shapes that float across vision, which may be accompanied by bright streaks or flashes. While sometimes floaters occur spontaneously and are not harmful, other times they can be a sign of a seriously underlying eye condition, especially if they don’t go away or you suddenly start seeing more floaters.
  
  

• Pterygium: these are vascular, fleshy growths of tissue in the corner of the eye that tends to develop from excessive UV light exposure (often from being outdoors). Initial symptoms may include dry eyes, burning, itching, and watery eyes
  
  

• Macular degeneration: often an age-related eye disease that blurs the central vision when the macula (central part of the retina) is damaged. Macular degeneration is the most common cause of vision loss for those aged over 65 years
  
  

• Diabetic retinopathy: an eye condition resulting from diabetes-related damage that affects the blood vessels in the retina. It can lead to vision changes, and ultimately vision loss and blindness when left unmanaged.
  
  

• Conjunctivitis: better known as pink eye, conjunctivitis can be caused by allergens, bacteria, or viruses. It causes swelling and redness inside the eyelid and white part of the eye, and may produce a sticky or crusty discharge.
  
  

• Glaucoma: a group of eye diseases that lead to slowly progressive vision changes and vision loss by damaging the optic nerve that is most common in older adults.
  

• Refractive errors: these occur when the eye’s shape prevents light from focusing directly on the back of the eye, resulting in blurry vision and other problems.
  
  
• Short sightedness: medically known as myopia, this is when it is difficult to focus on objects in the distance. Your close-up vision is not affected.
  
  
• Farsightedness: medically known as hyperopia, this is when it is difficult to focus on objects that are close to you, so they may appear blurry. Your long distance vision is not affected.
  
  
• Blurred vision: when your vision becomes blurred, it may be caused by a problem with any of the parts of your eye, such as the cornea, retina or optic nerve. This needs a thorough investigation to understand what has gone wrong, and why you’re experiencing the disturbances that you are.
  
  
• Amblyopia: often referred to as having a lazy eye, this condition typically occurs in infancy or early childhood, and usually affects one eye. Symptoms can include a wandering eye or eyes that may not appear to work together.
  
  
• Presbyopia: this is the gradual loss of the eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects, that occurs as a natural (though very inconvenient) part of ageing. It often becomes noticeable in your mid 40’s, progressively worsening until the age of around 65.
  
  
• Astigmatism: can make both far-away and nearby objects look blurry or distorted