Have you considered contact lenses to see clearly?

Although spectacles provide an easy and cost effective way to correct your vision problem they can be a real inconvenience. Glasses are not great in the rain, they make going to the gym a hassle, and they are pain to find when you need them to read the paper. These days there are a wide range of modern contact lens options to provide a convenient vision alternative to suit your lifestyle.

Many of my patients have been told that ‘their eyes are not suitable for contact lenses’. The reality is that almost everyone can be fitted successfully with contact lenses. The safest and most convenient contact lens modality is the daily soft contact lens, which are replaced each day. A fresh lens each morning improves comfort and decreases the risk of infection. These daily lenses can now correct a range of vision problems like astigmatism and presbyopia (the need to using reading glasses when we hit our 40s). Multifocal contact lenses work a little like bifocal or progressive glasses – providing vision for distance and near tasks, meaning you are never to old to benefit from contact lenses.

Modern contact lens materials are also more comfortable than ever – perfect for people that get dry eye or have challenging work environments. This is due to advanced technologies keeping the lens surface wet all day long and allowing high oxygen flow to the eye. Most people don’t even feel them when worn. Our experienced optometrist Mr Alex Petty will be able to teach you how to effortlessly insert and remove your lenses with the minimum of hassle.

Another great option is Ortho-K overnight vision correction. These special contact lenses are only worn when you sleep, and provide clear unaided vision throughout the day.

If you are sick of your glasses arrange an assessment with Alex to discuss which modern contact lens option can give you your visual freedom back!

Do your eyes get sore, burn or become red or watery? You may have dry eye syndrome.

It is estimated that up to 20% of kiwis suffer from some form of dry eye, a condition that can have a profound effect on quality of life. The drying effects of air-conditioning and decreased blink-rate associated with computer screen use can exacerbate this syndrome making simply keeping the eyes open intolerable for many.

The green speckled area shows a patch of dryness on the surface of an eye with MGD

The term ‘dry eye’ is used when someone's tears do not keep their eyeball wet enough throughout the day. Rather than not producing enough tears, the majority of dry eye sufferers have dry eye due to excessive evaporation of their tears. The most common cause of this evaporation is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, or MGD. This condition occurs when the oil producing glands in the eyelids stop functioning correctly. The oils that these glands normally produce prevent the watery component of our tears from evaporating.

Unfortunately simply using lubricant eye drops does not change the underlying gland dysfunction and is only a short-term fix. There are a range of treatments that can decrease meibomian gland inflammation and improve function, including anti-inflammatory ointments, oral omega 3 supplements and anti-inflammatory medications and digital gland expression. The most exciting treatment to be recently available in Tauranga for MGD is intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy which offers lasting improvement of meibomian gland function and a reduction on dry eye symptoms. It is best to have the cause and severity of your dry eye syndrome professionally evaluated by a dry eye specialist so that they can determine the optimal treatment plan for your condition.