Uvetis

Uvetis is inflammation of the uveal tract (choroid, iris etc...). It is relatively common in the western world, with 15 new cases per 100,000 per year.

The most common form of Uvetis is Acute Anterior Uvetis, and symptoms often include a painful red eye and photophobia.

Uvetis can be acute, recurrent or chronic.

There are 3 different types of Uvetis, anterior, intermediate and posterior uvetis.

There are a number of different risk factors such as HLA-B27 (human leukocytic antigen), age, race, previous ocular history, previous medical history, and medications.

There are a number of different causes for uvetis, some cases are associated with infections others with auto-immune disorders and some are just idiopathic (no cause can be found)

The quicker it is treatment is started the better. Most patients are treated with steroids and mydriatics (dilates the pupil).

Ski season.

Heading out on the Ski slopes this winter?

If you are and you’re a contact lens wearer, do you contact lenses have a U.V filter? Many modern contact lens materials incorporate U.V protection. Do you have a good pair of polarised sunglasses or ski goggles for the slopes to help with the glare and to protect your eyes from U.V?

U.V protection is really important at high altitude and when on highly reflective surfaces like snow.

U.V plays a big role in a number of eye conditions such as pterygium, cataracts and even macula degeneration.

Good quality sunglasses or ski goggles are vital in protecting your eyes from U.V damage.

And its even more important that kids have good U.V protection when skiing because they have large pupils and clear crystalline lenses, which means even more U.V reaches their retina.

For more information on which contact lenses incorporate U.V protection or advice on ski goggles/sunglasses please contact us.

Christmas time....

Christmas is just around the corner and lots of us are thinking about that one tradition of exchanging gifts.  If you're stuck for ideas we've got plenty to inspire you, we stock a wide range of accessories such as spectacle cases, cleaning kits, cloths, sprays, sports bands and magnifiers.

If you're looking for something special to give we have sunspecs by Maui Jim, Rayban and Oakley, we can even supply a gift voucher to any value you wish that can be used to purchase any of our products and services.  

Pop in and see what we have to fill those stockings!

Cataracts

The vast majority of cataracts that we see are Age Related.  Over time the lens in your eye changes because of UV light from the sun. Much like UV light can effect your skin,  it can make your lens go cloudy, a bit like fogging up a window.  This makes it difficult to see out.

What symptoms will I get?

For many years you may not notice any difference to your vision.  Your optometrist will detect cataracts up by watching the changing appearance of the lens in your eye, they may also detect a changing glasses prescription.

• Bright lights and headlights may produce glare and be quite dazzling.
• Eventually you will notice cloudy or blurry vision- things you once saw clearly may feel out of focus. 

Who may be more prone to cataracts?

• Diabetics
• Anyone with skin conditions such as Atopic Dermatitis / Eczema
• People who have suffered from ocular inflammation (Uveitis) and been treated with steroid eye drops
• Very short sighted prescriptions (-10.00D or more)

What can be done about them?

Cataracts will only be treated when they affect your vision and you get symptoms of reduced blurry vision.  For a lot of people this is a long time after they were first diagnosed with cataracts.

Cataract removal is a very common usually straight forward procedure.  It does not require an over night stay at hospital, you can be in and out in the same afternoon!

The surgeon will remove your own cloudy lens and replace it with a clear man- made lens.  This has the same effect as cleaning a dirty window, more light will get through to allow a clearer brighter image for you.

*Remember not all blurry vision is caused by cataracts so we always recommend having an eye test if you are experiencing symptoms of blurry vision.