The College of Optometrists has gathered together a range of experts in therapeutics (treatment of eye disease with medication) to help them redraft and improve their clinical management guidelines. These are bullet point summary sheets advising optometrists on how and when to treat various eye conditions and are a valuable resource to optometrists at the coal face in a busy clinic.

Ian was picked to bring some front line experience to the group and advise on where these guidelines can be streamlined and enhanced to make them more useful in daily therapeutic practice.

Ian and Gillian are amongst a small group of fully qualified therapeutic optometrists in the UK making  Cameron Optometry perhaps the only practice with more than one such qualified practitioner in the country.

Sight Village events run at venues around the UK. These are premier European events showcasing technology, support and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Even better, admission is free.

Unfortunately the date for the Edinburgh roadshow has now passed but you can still catch the main event in Birmingham on 16-17th July 2013. More info is on the QAC website.

They kindly brought along Pamela Munro, the community engagement officer for Edinburgh, who gave us a fascinating insight into the work of the Guide Dogs charity. The session included simulation of common eye conditions, and a discussion on the best way  to guide visually impaired people. We all realised the common pitfalls that we can fall into  when we guide people, even in the practice.

You can download the Guiding leaflet here to learn how to do it properly.

And for you visual learners, here’s a useful video.

We were all interested to find out about who is suitable for a guide dog. Learning that a person doesn’t have to be registered as blind, there are no age restrictions, and they don’t need to be referred from a GP or optometrist.

Many Thanks to Pamela and her team for their time and effort. We look forward to seeing them back in the practice for a practical guiding session soon!

Good vision requires more than just a healthy eye. The eye sends electrical signals via the optic nerve to the part of the brain used for visual processing. We call this process the visual pathway or visual system. The visual system is not fully developed at birth. Good development requires each eye to be seeing well in order to build the connections between the eye and the brain. If one eye sees better than the other, the connections it builds will be stronger, leading to a dominant eye that suppresses the other one. This development continues from birth until about 8 years old.

During this time there is a chance to balance the two eyes by covering the stronger eye forcing the weaker eye to behave better. This is only successful in some children and generally accepted not to work in adults at all. The earlier that treatment is started the better the outcome. This is why eye testing from about 3 years old is advised in all children. This should be even earlier if you have a family history of eye problems, if you think you see a squint in your child’s eyes or have any concerns that they are not seeing well.

So could video games offer the answer to improving vision in adults who currently have no other treatment options? By connecting differently shaped blocks as they fall in Tetris, the eyes are forced to cooperate with each other, alleviating suppression of the weaker eye and retraining the brain to use both equally. Results from recent research suggested promising improvements in the vision of the weaker eye and in 3D perception.

Unfortunately kids, this has not been trialed on children yet, although an American trial is planned for later this year. So while we are not advising video games over homework quite yet, this might bag you another few minutes on your DS!

The graduation event at Surgeons hall celebrated the hard work of a small number of optical assistants who have now attained the highest level of qualification in their field.

The Worshipful Company of Spectacle makers and NHS Education Scotland provided the course in Optical Care to develop the potential of optical assistants. Ashley feels it has been not only interesting but hugely useful in her day to day work. She now has a much better understanding of the eye conditions that we deal with in the practice, and of the  nature and purpose of the highly technical cameras and scanners that are used. She has  enjoyed developing her knowledge of spectacle and contact lenses and the multitude of options available in both these days.

Her homework, and coursework put the optometrists through their paces at times! We are exceptionally proud of her hard work and achievement.

Well done Ashley.

Photo courtesy of www.mikeboydphotos.com

OK, it’s not that hard, the top one is a 1969 frame that we finally got to replacing for one of our loyal contact lens wearers. However, it goes to show that if you keep anything long enough, it comes back into style.

Who would have though heavy plastic frames with upswept sides would be all the rage in 2013!? I could have taken any one of about 20 frames from our range that match this antique beauty except that is was 40 years ahead of its time in 1969. In fact it’s still in quite good nick so I might pop the lenses out, stick it on display and see if anyone will buy it…

The eyelids form a key part of a healthy visual system and are because they are constantly on the move and exposed to the elements are prone to a whole host of conditions, some serious some benign.

Gillian spoke at the York Local Optical Society and Ian at Optometry Tomorrow, the annual conference of the College of Optometrists. Feedback was positive and a number of the audience said they now properly understood eyelids and their management for the first time in their career.

It’s a complex business so if you’ve got problems with your eyes or eyelids, come and see and expert.

Lid Health Management Plan

This pioneering eye surgeon performed the first laser vision correction procedure (LASIK) in the UK in 1995. He has since developed a number of surgical techniques and has been involved in the area of Stem Cell Transplantation and tissue engineering. He is the surgeon responsible for performing the stem cell graft that has started to improve the vision of Katie Piper, the model who was left blind in one eye after an acid attack. Mr. Daya has also invented a series of innovative ophthalmic instruments for use in Corneal Transplantation, Collagen Cross Linking (CXL), Laser refractive Surgery and more recently femtosecond laser cataract surgery. He has devised a new technique called “Trans-lens Hydrodissection” which enables easy removal of the lens during laser cataract and lens surgery We heard lectures from the resident surgeons at the clinic.

Talking on the most recent developments in corneal, laser refractive, and cataract surgery. We also heard from a guest lecturer on treatments for retinal eye disease and keratoconus. A highlight of the day was watching Mr Daya perform live cataract surgery. The last time I scrubbed in to see cataract surgery was as a pre-registration optometrist at Ninewells hospital – how things have changed! The state of the art laser which Mr Daya also uses to perform “blade free” laser corrective surgery was used to do some of the most complex parts of the procedure. The highly accurate laser made precise incisions in the lens of the eye, while Mr Daya sat back and watched. This part of the surgery now being “hands free”. The introduction of this type of laser makes recovery times for the patients as little as just a couple of hours.

Other surgical advances included implantable contact lenses in single vision, toric and multifocal forms for correction of long and short sight, astigmatism and presbyopia. Visiting the centre for ourselves and discussing the procedures with the people who perform and develop them really impressed on the us the improvements being made in the field of ocular surgery.

It was a long day and a lot of travel but we believe it is vital for our optometrists to get the very latest information on surgery so that we can advise our patients better on treatment options.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) are essential nutrients which our bodies cannot make or store. Current research suggests they offer many health benefits such as reducing blood pressure, protection from heart disease, improving cognitive function in Alzheimer’s, and protecting our bones and joints.

If you suffer from dry-eye you will be pleased to learn that the properties of Omega-3 can help you too. They have anti inflammatory properties that reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of dry eye, as well as improving the quality of the tear film. Research also suggests that a daily dose may reduce the risk of wet AMD and play a role in prevention of cataract.

The two critical Omega-3 EFAs are EPA and DHA . You will see them listed on the back of your supplement bottle. The best sources of these Omega-3 EFAs are oily fish and fish oil supplements and they supply the preferred Omega-3 EPA and DHA that the body can most readily use. Flaxseed, found in nuts and dark leafy vegetables will also provide Omega-3, but not in the form that is most readily converted by the body.

Our typical British diets of processed foods tend to have the wrong balance of EFA’s, having more Omega-6 than 3. While Omega-3 reduces inflammation, Omega-6 can cause inflammation. These 2 fatty acids compete for the same space in our body, so I would suggest you avoid supplements that provide both and opt only for Omega-3 fish oils. Supplements can be found readily in supermarkets and health food shops in both tablet and liquid form. Otherwise, embracing the Mediterranean lifestyle of a diet rich in unprocessed oils and oily fish should do the trick (and some more Meditarranean weather would help too I reckon). Please contact the practice if you would like any further advice.