Eye Care Services
Our experienced, therapeutically endorsed Optometrists provide the most advanced eyecare diagnosis and specialised treatment for complex contact lens needs and paediatric vision conditions.
Eye Examination
Our Optometrists play an important role in your eye health.
If you have not had your eyes examined for quite some time you may not be aware of all the tests involved in a comprehensive eye examination. If it has been more than two years since your last eye test, we generally allow 45 minutes to complete a comprehensive consultation.
Our team of experienced Optometrists detect, diagnose, and treat eye health and vision conditions that affect vision including glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, lazy eye and cataracts.
They can also identify general health conditions that are first detected via an eye exam, provide referrals to eye surgeons (ophthalmologists) and often help manage post-eye-surgery health.
The majority of our services attract a Medicare rebate.
Every consultation and eye examination is with an experienced Optometrist using the latest and most advanced eyecare procedures. With our full eye health examination (45 minutes), comprehensive internal and external eye testing is standard and includes:
- Field of vision
- Eye muscle control
- Visual acuity
- Ability to focus
- Ability to see colour
We request you bring the following to your eye examination
- Your medicare card
- Your latest pair of prescription glasses
- Your latest pair of prescription sunglasses
- Any contact lenses you may use
- Previous prescription details or Optometrist’s reports if you are new to our practice
Colour Vision
At Vision Optics, we believe in helping individuals unlock the full spectrum of colours through our innovative colour vision treatment. Designed for those with colour vision deficiencies, our specialized therapy enhances colour discrimination and perception, opening up a world of vibrant hues.
How does colour vision treatment work? Through a series of targeted exercises and activities, our experienced team stimulates and trains the visual system to improve colour perception. These tailored techniques aim to break down barriers in colour vision and empower individuals to see the nuances and richness of the world around them.
The benefits of our colour vision treatment are remarkable:
- Improved colour Discrimination: Experience a heightened ability to distinguish between different colours, allowing for a more accurate and nuanced perception of your surroundings.
- Enhanced colour Perception: Witness the true beauty of colours as your visual system becomes more attuned to subtle variations and shades.
- Tailored Treatment Approach: Our experts create a customized treatment plan based on your unique needs, ensuring targeted exercises and activities that address your specific colour vision deficiencies.
- While colour vision treatment cannot completely cure colour blindness, it can significantly improve your ability to perceive and differentiate colours, leading to a richer visual experience. Our qualified optometrists and vision therapists specialize in this area, providing guidance and supervision throughout the treatment process.
Take the first step towards embracing the vibrant palette of life by booking a consultation.
Sports Vision
Sports Vision: Improve Your Performance on the Field
Sports vision is a field of optometry that focuses on improving visual performance in sports. Sports vision therapy can help athletes of all ages and skill levels improve their eye-hand coordination, depth perception, visual tracking, and other visual skills that are important for success in sports.
Why is sports vision important?
Good sports vision can give you an edge in competition. It can help you:
- See the ball more clearly and track it better
- Make faster and more accurate decisions
- React more quickly to changes in the environment
- Stay focused and avoid getting distracted
- How can sports vision therapy help?
Sports vision therapy is a customized program of exercises and activities that are designed to improve your visual skills. The exercises are tailored to your individual needs and goals, and they can be done at home or in the office of an optometrist or vision therapist.
What are the benefits of sports vision therapy?
Sports vision therapy can help you improve your:
- Eye-hand coordination
- Depth perception
- Visual tracking
- Visual reaction time
- Visual focus
- Visual memory
- Visual attention
Who can benefit from sports vision therapy?
Sports vision therapy can benefit athletes of all ages and skill levels, from recreational players to professional athletes. It can also be helpful for people who participate in activities that require good visual skills, such as driving, golfing, and hunting.
If you are an athlete who is looking to improve your performance, talk to our Optometrist about sports vision therapy. They can assess your visual skills and recommend a program that is right for you.
Therapeutics
Therapeutic treatments for eye conditions can include:
Medications: Eye drops, ointments, or oral medications may be prescribed to treat infections, inflammation, allergies, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, or other eye-related conditions.
Laser Therapy: Laser treatment may be used for various purposes, such as correcting refractive errors (LASIK or PRK), treating glaucoma, or managing certain retinal conditions.
Intraocular Injections: In some cases, medications are directly injected into the eye to treat conditions like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or retinal vein occlusion.
Surgical Interventions: Therapeutic eye surgeries are performed to address specific eye conditions, such as cataract surgery to remove a cloudy lens, corneal transplant surgery to treat certain corneal disorders, or retinal surgery to repair retinal detachments or tears.
Therapeutic Contact Lenses: Specially designed contact lenses may be used for therapeutic purposes, such as managing corneal irregularities or promoting healing in certain eye conditions.
The specific therapeutic approach depends on the diagnosis and the underlying eye condition being treated. It is important to consult with an optometrist, to determine the most appropriate therapeutic treatment for an individual's specific eye condition.
Optical Coherence Tomography
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses light waves to create detailed images of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. OCT can be used to diagnose and monitor a variety of eye conditions, including:
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Retinal detachment
OCT can also be used to measure the thickness of the retina and to assess the health of the optic nerve. This information can be used to track the progression of eye diseases and to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.
OCT treatment is typically done in a practice. The patient will sit in a chair and rest their head on a chin rest. The Optometrist will place a contact lens on the patient's eye and then use the OCT machine to scan the retina. The scan takes a few minutes and is painless.
The images created by OCT are stored in a computer and can be reviewed. We can use the images to diagnose eye diseases, to track the progression of eye diseases, and to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.
OCT is a safe and effective imaging technique. There are no known side effects associated with OCT treatment.
If you are concerned about your eye health, talk to our Optometrist about OCT treatment. OCT can be a valuable tool for diagnosing and monitoring eye diseases.
Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is a condition that causes progressive damage to the macular, the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in Australia and will affect 1 in 7 people over the age of 50 and the incidence increases with age*. Those with early macular degeneration may have no noticeable symptoms but the disease can cause central vision loss if not treated early.
Early detection of macular degeneration is aided by having regular eye tests. At Vision Optics we utilise Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging test to detect macular degeneration. OCT uses light waves to take cross-sectional images of your retina. OCT allows the Optometrist to see each of the retina’s distinctive layers and pick up early signs of macular degeneration, which can include fatty deposits known as drusen, pigment cell disruption or leaking blood or fluid.
For optimum eye health, it’s recommended that everyone over the age of 40 have their eyes tested every two years.
* Source: Macular Disease Foundation
Childrens Vision- Myopia/VT/Amblyopia/Strabismus
If your child has 20/20 or 6/6 vision, this is only a small part of having good vision. Your child must also be focussed in each eye, must have good eye movement control, good eye-hand co-ordination, good eye health and normal visual perception.
At Vision Optics we have a special interest in making sure that your child develops the best possible vision. We test all the visual skills necessary develop good vision.
There are many vision problems that children can have. They include:
- Strabismus
- Amblyopia
- Myopia
- Hyperopia
- Astigmatism
- Muscle Inco-ordination
- Colour Vision Defects
- Visual Perceptual Deficits
Some of these are very obvious and are picked up early in childhood and others are much less obvious.
Strabismus is a condition that interferes with binocular vision because it prevents a person from directing both eyes simultaneously to align with each other at the same spot. This is often known as a squint. Strabismus is present in about 4% of children. Treatment should be started as early as possible to ensure the development of the best possible vision.
Amblyopia (also called lazy eye) is a disorder of sight. It results in decreased vision in an eye that otherwise appears normal. Whenever the brain does not receive visual signals from an eye for a long period of time, there is a risk of amblyopia. It also can occur when the brain “turns off” the visual processing of one eye to prevent double-vision. It is common in children with strabismus.
Detecting the condition in early childhood increases the chance of successful treatment; this disorder has been estimated to affect 1–5% of the population.
Myopia is a condition of the eye where the light that comes in does not directly focus on the retina but in front of it, causing the image that one sees when looking at a distant object to be out of focus, but in focus when looking at a close object. It also known as short-sightedness.
Hyperopia is a defect of vision causing difficulty focusing on near objects, and in extreme cases causing a sufferer to be unable to focus on objects at any distance. Children with hyperopia can experience blurred vision, headaches, accommodative dysfunction, binocular dysfunction, amblyopia, and strabismus. Most school age children are in fact slightly hyperopic and therefore must exert an extra effort to bring their vision into sharp focus for both far and near tasks. For some children it will interfere with their ability to do schoolwork.
Astigmatism is a refraction error of the eye in which there is a difference in degree of power in different meridians. Astigmatism causes difficulties in seeing fine detail. Astigmatism can be often corrected by glasses with a lens that corrects for the difference in power.
Muscle Inco-ordination occurs when the complex muscle system for co-ordinating the two eyes to work as a team are not properly balanced. They often occur together with other vision problems and if left untreated contribute to a worsening of the vision problem.
Colour Vision Defects occur in about 9% of boys and 0.5% of girls. They are almost always inherited but can be the result of disease or injury. Almost all people with colour vision defects see most colours but due to the imbalance of their colour receptors they see them slightly differently to the way someone with normal vision sees them. They will therefore have difficulty in identifying some colours and will confuse some colours.
Visual Perception is the ability to analyse and understand what the eyes are seeing. Children with vision problems are more likely to have difficulty with their visual perception; however these problems can occur with otherwise normal vision. If this problem does exist, the underlying vision problem is treated first and then a program of visual perceptual therapy is administered.
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that affects the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. It can cause vision loss, and in some cases, blindness.
There are two main types of diabetic retinopathy: non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).NPDR is the milder form of diabetic retinopathy. It is characterized by the growth of small blood vessels in the retina. These blood vessels can leak fluid, causing swelling of the retina.
PDR is the more advanced form of diabetic retinopathy. It is characterized by the growth of new blood vessels in the retina. These blood vessels are fragile and can bleed easily. Bleeding in the retina can cause vision loss.
There are a number of treatments available for diabetic retinopathy. The type of treatment that is best for you will depend on the severity of your retinopathy.Laser treatment is a common treatment for NPDR. Laser treatment can help to seal off leaky blood vessels and prevent them from growing.
Injections of medications called anti-VEGF drugs can also be used to treat NPDR and PDR. These medications help to shrink new blood vessels and prevent them from leaking.Vitrectomy is a surgical procedure that can be used to remove blood from the retina or to remove scar tissue that is causing vision loss.
If you have diabetes, it is important to have regular eye exams. Early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy can help to prevent vision loss.Orthokeratology
Orthokeratology (ortho-k) is the fitting of specially designed gas permeable contact lenses (RGP) that you wear overnight. While you are asleep, the lenses gently reshape the front surface of your eye (cornea) so you can see clearly the following day after you remove the lenses when you wake up. Ortho-k lenses are prescribed for two purposes: To correct refractive errors To slow the progression of childhood myopia
Eye Care Services
Our experienced, therapeutically endorsed Optometrists provide the most advanced eyecare diagnosis and specialised treatment for complex contact lens needs and paediatric vision conditions.
Our eyes and vision change over time, so everyone should have regular eye examinations.
At Vision Optics, our focus is on providing clinical excellence in all areas of eye care. Our comprehensive eye examinations include a vision and health assessment of your eyes and specifically for ocular signs of general eye disease.
We understand that every eye is unique and only with the most innovative ophthalmic equipment from ZEISS to test your eyes combined with the ZEISS Precision Lenses, can you expect perfect vision. That’s why we use ZEISS equipment for most of our eye examinations.
Our Optometrists and Optical Dispensers have enormous experience in the dispensing of children’s eyewear.
With approximately 1 in 5 Australian children either suffering from an undetected vision problem or requiring ongoing assessment, it is important to be aware of the possible signs of a vision problem to give every child the best chance of reaching their full potential^. Because their eyesight changes rapidly as they grow, detecting any vision problems early can prevent future complications occurring. It can also assist your child’s development and learning. So it’s important to have their eyes checked regularly from an early age.
Vision is one of the most precious senses for a new baby. More is learnt about the world through sight than through all other senses combined. At birth, a baby’s eyes are generally examined for signs of major defects.
The first eye examination can be at 6 months. The goal of this examination is to detect any eye health or visual problem that would affect the normal development of the visual system. High refractive error (eg long-sightedness) could result in an eye turn (squint) and subsequent lazy eye (amblyopia). The best time for the 6-month eye test is when the baby is relaxed and calm. After the morning feed is probably ideal.
It is recommended that a child has a full eye examination before they start school. How easily a child can see their long distance and close vision school work can influence how well they learn through their visual system. At this examination, emphasis is on testing visual efficiency skills and visual analysis skills so that poor vision is not a stumbling block to first of all “learning to read” and later “reading to learn”.
Appointments first thing in the morning are preferred for primary school age children so that their performance in the eye test is not reduced because they are tired after a full day at school.
^ Source of statistics Optometry Australia
Vision training is a course of prescribed activities, tailored for the individual and designed to improve poorly developed vision and visual processing skills. Your Optometrist will prescribe a vision training plan to help improve things like eye movement control, eye focusing, eye coordination and visual analysis skills.
Many spectacle wearers spend years unaware that they are suitable for contact lenses. Our qualified Optometrists will fit you with the most appropriate contact lenses for your prescription and lifestyle.
Contact lenses are available to correct both distance, near and multifocal prescriptions, as well as for patients with astigmatism. We will help you find the right contact lens to suit your specific needs.
Approximately 1.7 million Australians are estimated to be living with diabetes . Diabetes affects vision and eye health. Every person with diabetes is at risk of diabetic retinopathy, where the tiny blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye become damaged and begin to leak blood and other fluids. Diabetic retinopathy can seriously affect vision and in some cases may even cause blindness. So, diabetics must pay special attention to their eyecare. All diabetics are recommended to have annual assessments.
We utilise Digital Retinal Imaging (DRI) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to detect diabetic retinopathy. Digital retinal imaging photographs the surface of the retina looking for signs of haemorrhages, lipid exudates or micro-aneurysms. OCT is a non-invasive imaging test, which uses light waves to take cross-sectional images of the retina. OCT allows the optometrist to see each of the retina’s distinctive layers allowing them to detect leaking blood or fluid beneath the surface of the retina.
Speak to one of our Optometrists to learn more about managing your eye health if you are living with diabetes.
Diabetes Australia, Diabetes in Australia, 2015, www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/ diabetes-in-australia (accessed March 2017)
Glaucoma is an eye condition which is characterised by damage to the optic nerve and retina, causing progressive vision loss. Glaucoma develops gradually, without pain or any noticeable symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose until it has begun to permanently damage your vision. Right now, 50% of people with glaucoma remain undiagnosed.*
The good news is that glaucoma can be detected early as part of a standard eye test.
For optimum eye health, it’s recommended that everyone over the age of 40 have their eyes tested every two years.
* Tunnel Vision. The economic impact of Open Angle Glaucome, Centre for Eye Research Australia, 2008
^ Kuang TM et al. Ophthalmology 2015. Oct;122(10):2002-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2015.06.015. Epub 2015 Jul 18.
For some of us, refractive surgery can be a great option. It’s important that laser surgery is undertaken by an expert who understands your eye health history. Our Optometrists have a great relationship with your local ophthalmologists and will make sure you get the right referral with a surgeon who suits your needs. We can also provide aftercare, following your surgery.
Macular degeneration is a condition that causes progressive damage to the macular, the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in Australia and will affect 1 in 7 people over the age of 50 and the incidence increases with age*. Those with early macular degeneration may have no noticeable symptoms but the disease can cause central vision loss if not treated early.
Early detection of macular degeneration is aided by having regular eye tests.
For optimum eye health, it’s recommended that everyone over the age of 40 have their eyes tested every two years.
* Source: Macular Disease Foundation
Optometrists are able to diagnose and manage a number of ocular conditions including age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Our practices are equipped with state of the art equipment such as optical coherence tomography which allows us to diagnose these conditions earlier and monitor them more effectively. Many of our Optometrists are also therapeutically endorsed which allows them to treat a number of infective and inflammatory eye conditions with topical medications such as antibiotics and steroids.
Blepharitis is a common eye condition affecting over 30% of all patients and can cause significant ocular irritation symptoms.
BlephEx™ is a procedure that allows our Optometrists to take an active role in treating your blepharitis. This treatment removes the crusty deposits and bacterial debris on the eye lids eliminating the main cause of inflammatory lid disease.
Dry eye is one the most common eye conditions in Australia. Traditional treatments have typically been addressing only the symptoms of dry eyes rather than the underlying cause. They typically involve a daily routine of eye drops and ointments that need to be instilled multiple times a day. If this routine is stopped, symptoms return very quickly.
E-Eye medical IPL unit for the treatment of dry eye syndrome. This new technology significantly reduces the need for any daily dry eye treatments and the effect is much longer lasting.
You will need a full initial examination to assess the cause and severity of your dry eyes and also to evaluate your eligibility for the IPL treatment. A personalised treatment plan will be formulated to ensure you receive the best possible outcome.
Recent studies have shown after three treatment sessions, 82% of patients achieve significant improvement of their dry eye condition. Dry eye symptoms were also significantly improved.
MyoVision by ZEISS
MyoVision by ZEISSis the world’s first single vision spectacle lenses proven to delay myopia progression by an average of 30%, when compared to traditional spectacle lenses.
It is a patented lens design with the revolutionary ‘Peripheral Vision Management Technology’ which has been clinically proven in wearer trials co-ordinated by Vision CRC Australia and conducted by Sun Yat-sen University, China.
MyoVision by ZEISS was developed following research that demonstrates the link between peripheral retinal image blur and myopia progression. MyoVision has been designed to provide sharp foveal vision while managing peripheral imaging through a unique and patented novel lens design.
This means that a child, who would normally have a prescription of -6.00D by the time he or she reached the age of 18, would now only have a prescription of -4.00D thanks to using MyoVision lenses – a truly amazing result. MyoVision by ZEISS lenses look like normal lenses and are comfortable to wear. Like all lenses, they may require a short adaption period.
A 12 month wearer efficacy trial amongst 210 Chinese school children resulted in slowing down the progression of myopia by an average of 30% in a subgroup of younger children (6 to 12 years old) with at least one myopic parent.
Getting the most from MyoVision
Aside from using MyoVision Lenses for your child, there are other things you can do for your child which will help restrain the progression of myopia.
- Get your child wearing lenses as early as possible.
- Make sure that your child wears the lenses continuously. MyoVision’s Peripheral Vision Management Technology has been developed and tested for all-day wear.
- It is important to explain to the children that they may experience slight blurred vision when turning their eyes away from the optical centre. This is easily overcome by turning their heads in the direction of the gaze.
- We recommend that you take your child back to your eye care practitioner every 6 months to ensure that the correction prescription is maintained.
- Tell your child not to look too close during near vision tasks. He or she should read no close than 30 centimetres. When watching TV, the minimum recommended distance is 3 metres.
- Good lighting is a must for all activities
- During near visual tasks, such as reading and computing, it is important to take a 2-minute break every 30 minutes. During this break your child should look in the distance at an object as far away as possible, for example, if you live in an apartment, go to the window and look out as far as possible towards the horizon.
- No more than a reasonable amount of recreation time spent on TV, computers and electronic hand help games.
- A minimum of 1 hour a day spent outdoors. Time spent outdoors is important in controlling myopia and the child should ideally be actively engaged in distance vision activities. Sporting activities which involve distance vision are soccer, tennis, athletics etc.
Alternative approaches to Myopia
- Children’s progressive lenses
Although children’s progressive lenses do slow down myopia progression, the effect is small and inconsistent. - Orthokeratology
Ortho-K is the use of hard contact lenses to flatten the shape of the cornea while sleeping. It requires careful attention and hygiene. - Pharmaceutical eye drops
Some studies have proven that the use of Atropine and Perenzipine eye drops do achieve a reduction in the progression of myopia. The long-term side effects of these drugs are not yet understood. - LASIK Refractive Surgery
LASIK is a surgical procedure which changes the curvature of the cornea to correct for myopia. It is only conducted on adults after myopia has stabilised.