If you live in the Wakefield district and have a sudden eye problem such as red eye or a foreign body in your eye you can get this checked out at a number of opticians across the district.

24 opticians are offering the free, Primary Eye care Assessment Referral Service or PEARS for short. It means that on top of routine eye sight tests and prescription glasses you can now go to any of the participating opticians to get assessed and treated for a sudden eye problem. If the optician finds your eye problem is more complicated and needs a referral to hospital he or she will make that referral for you.

The service means you can be seen quickly, have your condition diagnosed accurately and if required, be directly referred to the eye hospital without having to see your GP first. And that’s all in the convenience of your high street. It also helps us to ensure more appropriate use of services in hospital.

We have all the necessary equipment & training to qualify as a PEARS practice, so if you ever have a sudden eye problem you know where to come!

Over the last 2 years Optometrists Qausia Hassan & Rowena Ibbotson have been visiting local schools informing children and teachers about eyesight, eye health and how our eyes can affect learning and sports. This is in accordance with the Eyeknow Eyecare campaign in association with the National Schools Partnership, particularly since school screening for children has decreased.

The short & fun presentations include:

• Information about how to maintain good eye health
• Pracical demonstrations inlvolving all the children
• Some optical illusions!
• Signs to look out for suggesting you may need an eye test

Get a glimpse of what we do here …

According to latest figures published by Which?, the number of PCTs in England failing to offer free in-school vision screening has almost doubled over the last 12 months.

Rowena Ibbotson, Optometrist at Pollards Optical, says, “This is one of the reasons we go out to schools and give presentations to children & teachers, informing them that children’s eye tests are free and should be tested regularly.

Rowena presents to Wrenthorpe Primary School, Wakefield

Talking to the children directly about their eyes and answering any questions they have makes them more interested in their eyesight, hopefully alerting their teacher or parent if they have any changes in their vision. All too often childrenhave poor eyesight but don’t know any different, and so it doesn’t get picked up until they are a lot older.”

Last year the consumer magazine used the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) to expose the number of PCTs in England failing to offer free vision screening to children of school age, and it has followed it up again this year. Of the PCTs in England, 49 (32%) failed to give a mandatory response to an FOI request, which has also risen from the 41 (27%) that failed to respond in 2009/10.

AOP chief executive, Bob Hughes commented: “The figures in Which? show what we had feared; that the situation was getting worse. What really counts is getting everyone around the table, orthoptists, ophthalmologists, educational representatives and optometrists, to make sure we put this right.

 

Our very own Mrs Hassan has been busy having a baby recently, but started work on an online forum to exchange OCT 3D Eye Scan images with other Optometrists in the country. This forum has recently been taken over by Optix Software, and gets a mention in this month’s Optometry Today magazine!

http://www.optometry.co.uk/news-and-features/news/?article=2743

October 10 2011

Understanding Cataracts

Everyone’s heard of them. Animals get them. Your neighbour’s had theirs taken out – but most people don’t fully understand them.

What are cataracts?

Cataracts are a natural clouding of the lens within the eye.  I often hear patients describe cataracts as a ‘film’ over the eye – but this is not quite right. In our youth, the lens within our eye is clear but as we get older, it starts to become more opaque. This will happen to everybody, although not everyone has their cataracts removed, as they don’t always cause enough of a problem. Many patients get upset and frightened at the mention of cataracts, but they are a natural part of the aging process. Latest technology means the treatment is safe and very successful.

Certain people may develop cataracts earlier – such as those with diabetes, or taking particular medications such as steroids.

People with cataracts can experience faded colours, blurry vision, difficulty seeing in dim lighting, feeling like their glasses are always dirty and glare from bright lights. The only way to know if you have cataracts is to have a thorough eye exam.

The good news – How can you delay & slow down cataracts?

The following points delay the onset and slow down cataract growth according to latest research:

• Protection from UV light with sunglasses or contact lenses.
• Not smoking.
• Eating a healthy diet, particularly omega 3 (in oily fish), brightly coloured vegetables, wholegrains, vitamins C, E and anti-oxidants. Ask your Optometrist for more personalised information for what to eat for healthy eye sight, as your general health must be taken into consideration.
• You may have seen vitamin supplements specifically for your eyes in pharmacies which provide all the vitamins your eyes require to stay healthy. I always advise my patients to try and obtain these nutrients from a healthy diet first, rather than supplements.
• A healthy lifestyle – trying to maintain a healthy weight, remaining active and, most importantly, staying happy!

Treatment

Cataracts are removed by a small operation under local anaesthetic. The procedure lasts around 20-30 minutes and involves an Ophthalmologist removing your clouded lens and inserting an artificial, clear one.

Did you know…?

The French artist, Monet, used more intense colours in his later paintings than earlier ones due to his developing cataracts.

Information provided by Optometrist  Qausia Hassan – Pollards Optical Dental Clinic, Wakefield

Laura features in the Yorkshire Post today after achieving her SportVision diploma! Well done Laura!