Your Eyes

The clarity and comfort of your vision can have a significant impact on your quality of life. When your eyesight is blurry, strained, or uncomfortable, it can affect everything from learning and work to sporting performance and everyday confidence.

Your eye functions much like a camera. The cornea, iris, pupil, and lens work together to focus light onto the retina—the light-sensitive layer lining the back of the eye. The retina captures this visual information and sends it via the optic nerve to your brain, where it’s processed into the images you see.

To enjoy clear, comfortable vision, you need both healthy eye tissues and the ability to focus light accurately. When the eye doesn’t focus properly, we call this a refractive error.

Understanding how your eyes work is the first step toward making informed choices about your vision and eye health care—and we’re here to guide you through it.

Vision Conditions

Myopia, commonly referred to as “short-sightedness” or “near-sightedness”, describes when your distance vision is blurred but your near vision is clear. Symptoms include difficulty seeing objects in the distance like the TV and road signs, glare and starbursts around streetlights or headlights at night and, in children, having difficulty viewing the whiteboard from a distance in class. Myopia can impact your ability to drive safely, recognise faces, see the scoreboard for sporting events, enjoy live theatre and your current Netflix show. It can also affect children and teenagers ability to learn and their sporting performance.

Myopia results as the light coming into the eye are not focused perfectly on the retina. Instead, as the eye is often longer than expected, the light focuses in front of the retina, leading to blurry vision. The good news is the distance blur caused by myopia is easily improved with glasses and contact lenses. And if stable and a low to moderate amount, by laser vision correction.

Myopia typically develops in childhood, but the age of onset is getting younger. It develops due to a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors.

Myopia is getting more common. While vision is improved with glasses and contact lenses, myopia does increase the risk of some eye diseases later in life; this is a crucial reason regular eye exams are essential for myopes and also a reason Myopia Management is important in younger age groups.

Find out more about Myopia Management at Illume Eye Care

Hyperopia/Hypermetropia commonly referred to as “long-sightedness”, describes when your vision is easier to focus on at distance than near. Symptoms include eyestrain, tired eyes, frontal headaches, difficulty focussing on computers or when reading for extended periods. Distance vision may also be affected if there are high amounts of hyperopia, as we get older or intermittently after periods of reading or computer work.

A typical young eye can focus in the distance without any focus effort and see clearly. When an eye is longsighted, focus effort is needed at all distances. Overall, a hyperopic eye has to work harder than a normal eye to maintain clear and comfortable vision.

Hyperopia is most often caused by light rays being focussed behind the retina due to a shorter eyeball or a reduced power of the eye.

Hyperopia is easily corrected with glasses and contact lenses. Refractive surgery is also an option for some amounts of hyperopia. Correcting hyperopia with glasses or contact lenses allows you to see more clearly and comfortably, improving visual efficiency, reducing fatigue effects, and optimising visual performance. Later in life, a person with hyperopia will also need spectacles to give clear and comfortable distance vision.

Astigmatism is a very common refractive error that occurs because eyes are often not perfectly round or spherical on the surface. It is commonly referred to as an oval or “rugby-ball” shaped eye and typically results from the front surface (cornea) of the eye having two different curvatures. This results in blurry vision at both distances, difficultly concentrating and tired eyes. It can also cause “ghosting” or doubling of streetlights, headlights, print and glare under bright lights or sunlight that can cause eyestrain and headaches from squinting. Astigmatism can be inherited, but it often happens as a normal characteristic of growth.

Astigmatism can be present by itself or in conjunction with myopia and hyperopia. It can also be often easily corrected with glasses, contact lenses and in some cases, refractive surgery.

All eyes slowly lose their focusing ability with increasing age. Presbyopia is the name given to this gradual loss of the ability to focus on nearby objects. It's a natural, often annoying part of getting older. It becomes noticeable after the age of 40 years and continues to worsen until around age 65. It is commonly confused with long-sightedness as the symptoms of eye strain, tiredness and difficulty focussing at near are very similar; however, the cause of near vision reduction in presbyopia is progressive and due to ageing rather than the shape or power of the eye.

The lens inside the eye, that in younger eyes has a wide range of focus, becomes thicker and gradually loses its flexibility. This means it becomes difficult to hold things very close and see clearly. While it can appear to develop suddenly, the actual loss of ability to focus begins in adolescence and gets worse over the following years, so by sometime in our 40s, we become aware of difficulty seeing fine objects or small print; headaches, tired or sore eyes when reading; the need to hold reading material further away; and the need to increase the lighting for close work.

Presbyopia is easily corrected with reading glasses, extended focus (occupational) glasses, multifocal (a.k.a. progressive) glasses and contact lenses.

In addition to refractive errors, the focus of our eyes and muscle coordination may be impacted by a range of Accommodative & Binocular Vision Conditions. Normal young eyes have a wide range of focus from far distance to a few centimetres with very minimal perceived effort. The change happens so quickly that we don't even realise our eye is refocusing! The lens inside the eye and the eye muscles controlling eye movement usually work with great flexibility and coordination. But when they don’t, they can result in a range of Accommodative (Focusing) and Binocular Vision conditions that can impact reading clarity and comfort.

These visual skills are particularly important for learning. It’s estimated approximately 20% of those under 18 years have an Accommodative or Binocular vision (BV) condition. This includes Accommodative Infacility, Accommodative Spasm, Accommodative Insufficiency and Convergence Insufficiency.

Accommodative Infacility

Accommodative infacility is the inability to change the focus (accommodation) of the eye with enough speed and accuracy to achieve clear and comfortable vision. This can lead to symptoms of fatigue, headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision and difficulty reading. Focusing problems are common, but the true prevalence of accommodative infacility is not known. Of those seeking care for focusing problems, one group of researchers found that 5.1% had 5.1 percent accommodative infacility. 

Management options include advice on taking visual breaks, reading glasses, and Vision Training or Therapy to train your accommodative system. 

Accommodative Spasm

Accommodative Spasm (or Accommodative Dysfunction) is a condition that causes the eye muscle to accommodate or focus constantly and automatically. Someone with an accommodative spasm has a difficult time relaxing their focusing muscles when looking at a distance. A common example of this is when you’re concentrating on a close task, such as reading, and when you look up, your vision is blurry as your eyes are still focusing on the close-up or near task.

As well as symptoms of blurred and fluctuating vision, you may have headaches, eye fatigue and trouble concentrating.

It can be common during school and university but can also affect many doctors, medical technicians and scientists using instruments and microscopes.

Management options also include advice on taking visual breaks, the use of reading glasses or progressive lenses, and Vision Training or Therapy to train your accommodative system. 

Accommodative Insufficiency

Accommodative Insufficiency is a condition that causes the eyes not to focus correctly on objects up close due to a reduced amount of focusing ability.

Our ability to focus up close is linked to our age, and there is an expected range of near focus for all age groups. Your optometrist would call this your “amplitude of accommodation”. In Accommodative Insufficiency, the amount of focus is less than expected for your age. It is different from presbyopia, affecting younger age groups, but causes similar symptoms of blurred near vision, headaches, eyestrain, tired eyes and difficulty concentrating.

Accommodative Insufficiency can also mean you can’t sustain your focus, and your focus can spasm. It can affect one or both eyes and affects about 2% of children. As our focus and eye muscle coordination are linked, it is also often seen in combination with Convergence Insufficiency.

It occurs because of either premature lens stiffening or due to weakness of the muscle controlling your focus. This may occur because of diabetes, pregnancy, glandular fever, chronic fatigue, stress, malnutrition and some eye diseases. Some medications can also cause changes to your focus, as can head trauma, including concussion.

Following an eye exam to help identify accommodation insufficiency and its specific cause, glasses and visual training/exercises may be recommended if treatment is needed.

Convergence Insufficiency

Convergence is the term used to describe when both eyes look and turn inwards towards an object in front of us, such as a book or computer. The closer an object is, the more convergence is needed. Convergence Insufficiency is a sensory and neuromuscular anomaly where the eyes have a reduced ability to turn towards each other.

It’s a very common condition and can cause symptoms of cause double vision, eyestrain, transient blurred vision and headaches, particularly with reading and other near vision tasks. As the eyes struggle to focus easily on near tasks, it affects school work, attention span and office performance in adults. It can also affect hand-eye coordination.

It is most commonly diagnosed in school-age children who may have difficulty reading, making them avoid reading or not complete school work. In this presentation, there is no known cause, but it can also occur in adults following concussion or traumatic brain injury.

Like other binocular vision conditions, glasses and visual training/exercises may be recommended if treatment is needed. Visual training can be particularly effective in convergence insufficiency.

Digital Eyestrain

It’s estimated the average kiwi adult spent 70% of their time indoors and nine hours a day staring at a screen. We can all agree there are many benefits to our digital lives, but constant screen time can take a toll on our visual system. 

What was once called “Computer Vision Syndrome” following the growing popularity of computers in the early 1990s is now termed “Digital Eye Strain”. The digital eye strain is defined as “a group of eye and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer, tablet, e-reader and cell phone use”. Symptoms include tired eyes, headaches, dry eyes and blurry vision. It is suggested prevalence in adults is 50% or more, so the majority of us are struggling with some form of digital eye strain. 

The symptoms of digital eye strain can affect your comfort and visual clarity and the speed and ease at which you can do screen work, negatively affecting productivity.  

Refractive errors can impact digital Eye Strain. Uncorrected long-sight (hyperopia), astigmatism, presbyopia (age-related changes to near focus) and accommodative or binocular vision problems (focus or eye muscle alignment issues) all contribute to Digital Eye Strain symptoms.

After a full eye exam, we can give you an individualised plan and advice to provide you with the best functionality and productivity at the computer. If glasses are recommended, some lens designs and coatings are better than others.

Strabismus

Commonly referred to as an “eye turn” or being “cross-eyed”, strabismus is when one or both eyes do not look at the same place at the same time.

This can be caused due to an in-balance in eye muscle control or poor vision in one or both eyes. Initially, this leads to double vision, as well as a lack of depth perception. To overcome the confusion, the brain shuts off the input from the non-dominant eye, causing it to become a “lazy” eye. Strabismus is often corrected by wearing spectacles that balance the vision in both eyes so that they are aligned correctly and see equally. If this fails, an additional correction can be incorporated into the lens called a prism. Permanent correction of the misalignment can be achieved with surgery which requires referral to an ophthalmologist. 

Amblyopia  

Amblyopia, or a lazy eye, is a common cause of poor vision in childhood and beyond.

It occurs because part of the brain that deals with vision for that eye has failed to develop normally.

The vision centre in the brain is constantly developing up to around the age of 7-8 years of age. If the vision during this so-called Developmental Period is interfered with in any way, the vision in one eye doesn’t develop to its full potential, and the brain starts to prefer one eye over another.

Amblyopia most commonly occurs because of focus or eye alignment problems. Correcting these during the developmental period is the most effective way to manage Amblyopia.

What causes it?

Poor focusing problems can occur due to hyperopia (long-sight), myopia (short-sight) or astigmatism. Eye alignment problems, known as strabismus to your optometrist, is commonly known as a squint or eye turn. Both these conditions benefit from correction with glasses, and for eye turns, surgery may be beneficial.

Less commonly, corneal scars on the eye surface, childhood cataracts and droopy eyelids can cause Amblyopia in childhood.

Managing Amblyopia

The first step to managing Amblyopia and improving the vision in the amblyopic eye is often well-fitting glasses. Your optometrist will monitor the effect this has in enhancing vision.

If vision fails to improve quickly with glasses, the second step is patching the good eye for a certain number of hours per day. Again, frequent monitoring is key to ensure improvements occur. We can supply adhesive patches or patches that secure your child’s glasses.

Patching when recommended is important but can be challenging. If your child is old enough to understand, discussing that it is making their eye stronger can help. A reward system or providing interesting activities during patching time can also help.

Less commonly, another option to patching is Atropine Eyedrops. These blur the vision in the good eye. These drops only work in certain cases of Amblyopia and do make the child more light-sensitive because the pupil also gets larger.

Early detection of Amblyopia is key! Beyond the developmental period, Amblyopia gets increasingly difficult to improve. Before-school vision screenings aim to detect Amblyopia, but a comprehensive eye examination goes further.

A concussion is a brain injury caused by movement of the brain within the skull, either by a direct blow to the head, face or neck, or elsewhere on the body where an ‘impulsive’ force causes a ‘whiplash’ effect. Common symptoms following a concussion are headaches, brain fog, dizziness, nausea and fatigue.

Concussion can impact your vision well after the initial trauma. Between 50 – 90% of those with concussion report visual symptoms. While these visual symptoms can often be non-specific and confused with other symptoms, signs to look out for include:

Blurred vision
Double vision
Headaches
Struggling to Read
Light sensitivity
Visual Field Defects

Treating visual symptoms

The best place to start is with a comprehensive eye exam. While most people don’t show a change in the sharpness of vision (visual acuity) following a concussion, minor refractive errors may be more significant. Low amounts of myopia (short-sightedness) or hyperopia (long-sightedness) that were present but tolerable before a brain injury may now be intolerable. People suffering from this often benefit from vision correction. Convergence Insufficiency is also very common post-concussion.

The management of post-concussion vision syndrome needs to be tailored to the patient's symptoms and clinical findings. Prescription glasses, often including prism, may benefit post-concussion vision syndrome, but visual training or therapy may also be an option. In some instances, ACC may contribute to the costs involved with treating post-concussion vision syndrome.

Sight loss or reduced vision that cannot be improved with glasses or surgery is called Low Vision.

There are a range of conditions that lead to Low Vision – some are relatively common like macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts – while others are rare.

Few people are totally ‘blind’ - most people have some remaining sight, although it may be limited or blurry. Depending on the condition you have, there are a number of ways to limit the impact of low vision on your day-to-day life.

We offer a range of different support options, including:

Co-management with your ophthalmologist
The provision of Magnifiers to improve your near vision
Rehabilitation services and lifestyle advice
Referral to Blind and Low Vision New Zealand for support services

Ocutech Bioptics Telescopes

As part of our Low Vision Care, we can prescribe and fit Bioptic telescopes. These are like miniature binoculars that help the visually impaired see more clearly. They can help improve the distance vision of those whose vision has been limited by Macular Degeneration, Albinism, Optic Atrophy, Nystagmus, or Stargardt’s Disease

Eye Health Conditions

Dry Eye Disease is a common cause of irritated, red, uncomfortable eyes. It impacts nearly 30% of New Zealanders and can affect your comfort, vision, ability to read, and mood. It is often a chronic progressive condition that, if managed early, results in better outcomes.

Dry Eye symptoms can be intermittent and annoying. They can also be life-altering in moderate to severe cases. Dry Eye is linked to eye pain, limitations in daily activities – including limiting your ability to comfortably read, drive and use digital devices. It can cause sleep deprivation, reduced energy, poor general health, and depression.

Types of Dry Eye Disease

There are two key types of Dry Eye Disease – Evaporative and Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye. It’s also very common to have a combination of the two. Blepharitis can also be present. At our Dry Eye Clinic, we utilise advanced diagnostic techniques to determine what type of Dry Eye Disease you have so we can create an individualised management plan.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) is a widespread eye condition and the number one cause of Dry Eye Disease. There are 30-40 glands in each eyelid that produce the oily surface layer of your tears. If the glands get blocked or produce inadequate oil, the eyes feel irritated, sore and tired, and can appear red. Diet, lifestyle, and systemic conditions such as Rosacea can also play a role in MGD.

If you have MGD, it can often be chronic and needs long term regular management to keep it under control.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a common eye condition characterised by inflammation of the eyelids. It can cause red eyes and eyelids, crusty eyelids, irritated and itchy eyes, tired and sore eyes.

Anterior blepharitis is an inflammatory disease that involves the anterior eyelid margin and eyelashes. This condition can cause eye irritation, burning sensations, tearing and itchiness. It is common to find sticky eyelids, crusty and flaky discharge in the mornings. Left untreated, it can lead to dry eye disease. Blepharitis can occur for several reasons, including:

Chronic inflammation from a dry skin and scalp condition called Seborrhoea
Low-grade chronic bacterial overgrowth at the base of the eyelashes
Inflammation from bacterial toxins
Demodex mite overgrowth - small mites that live in the lash follicles that cause inflammation.

It is often chronic, so it needs long term regular management to keep it under control. Treatment is aimed at maintaining good eyelid hygiene. This will often need to be done more frequently to begin with, then less frequently once your symptoms have improved.

Management of Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease

Dry Eye Disease encompasses Aqueous Deficient Dry Eyes, Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and Blepharitis. As there are different types of Dry Eye Disease, your optometrist will perform Diagnostic Dry Eye Testing to determine the quality and quantity of your tears, the health of your meibomian glands and the overall health of the surface of your eye. They’ll then recommend an individualised management plan for you.

More Than Just Eye Drops

While there are some great eye drops available to make your eyes feel better, we deliver a holistic, individualised approach for each patient. We offer In Practice therapies, nutritional support and recommendations for home care.

Persistent, watery eyes are not only annoying but also not normal. Watery eyes can cause blurry vision, sore eyelids and general discomfort.

What are the causes of watery eyes?

Watery eyes, known as epiphora, are caused by either overproduction of tears or poor tear drainage. There are multiple causes for this, including:

Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease – the eyes become too dry, and the eyes then water as a reflex.
Poor eyelid position – with age, the eyelids can move so they’re not in the ideal position; this can mean tears can’t flow away as they used to.
Eye Irritation – from chemicals or grit
Blocked or narrowed tear ducts – this can happen as we age or when we are born – up to 30% of infants have a watery eye up to the age of one.
Viral Conjunctivitis
Allergies

Because there are multiple causes, an eye exam is the best way to determine the cause of your watery eyes.

We can then provide treatment, including dry eye management, prescription allergy or antibiotic medication and Lacrimal irrigation. If needed, we can also organise a surgical referral.

If your eyes often feel irritated, gritty, or watery, or if you’re waking up with crusty lashes, red lids, or recurring styes, you might be dealing with blepharitis—a chronic inflammation of the eyelid margins that affects millions of people, often without a clear diagnosis.

It may not be serious in its early stages, but blepharitis can cause persistent discomfort, interfere with vision, and contribute to more serious issues

Find out more here

Your eyelids contain tiny oil glands called meibomian glands, which produce the crucial oily layer of your tear film. This oil prevents your tears from evaporating too quickly and helps keep your eyes smooth, clear, and comfortable.In Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), these glands can become blocked, inflamed, or stop working effectively, reducing both the quality and quantity of the oil in your tears. As a result, your eyes may feel dry, gritty, sore, or irritated—even if they’re watering excessively.

Find out more here

Keratoconus is a common eye condition affecting the cornea, the clear ‘front window’ of the eye. The cornea is an important part of the eye as it provides two-thirds of the eye’s focusing power and gives us crisp, clear vision. In keratoconus, the cornea progressively thins, weakens and develops an irregular shape, causing blurred vision. Keratoconus often affects both eyes, but not always to the same extent.

Keratoconus is associated with allergy, asthma, eczema, eye rubbing and several general health conditions. If you have a family history of keratoconus you are also more likely to develop it. It typically begins in the teenage years and may continue to progress into your 30s or 40s. If keratoconus develops at a younger age, it tends to progress more rapidly. Overall, early diagnosis, close monitoring and timely management are important in preventing progressive keratoconus-related visual impairment.

Diagnosing keratoconus

To diagnose keratoconus your optometrist will review your family history and general health, the clarity of your vision, and the thickness and shape of your cornea. They will also repeat these measurements in the future to track progression.

Treating keratocuonus

Like many eye conditions, the prognosis is best when the condition is detected early. There are many things we can recommend to improve vision and hopefully delay progression.

In the very early stages, vision can be corrected with spectacles or soft contact lenses. A custom-made, gas-permeable contact lens may be more suitable, particularly in moderate to advanced cases.

If you have risk factors for developing keratoconus or an existing diagnosis, regular follow-ups are highly recommended. These will help alert you to any progression. At that point, referrals to more specialised services may be called for. These include corneal cross-linking – a process involving the application of riboflavin and UV light to strengthen the cornea and slow the progression of keratoconus.

Our retina is the light-sensitive layer lining the inside of our eye. The macula is an essential area of that retina which is responsible for the central part of our vision - used for detailed tasks like reading, recognising faces and driving.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), also known as Macular Degeneration (MD), is a degenerative condition where metabolic by-products (or drusen) build up under the macula. Changes to the pigment and blood vessels in the macula can also occur. These changes result in various symptoms, including blurred, distorted or missing patches in your central vision. Your peripheral vision is generally unaffected.

ARMD affects 1 in 7 New Zealanders over the age of 50. Smokers and those with a family history of ARMD may have a higher chance of developing this condition.

There are two types of ARMD, Wet and Dry. Dry (sometimes called Atrophic) ARMD is the most common. It tends to cause slow, progressive changes as the drusen build-up under the macula. The best course of treatment aims to reduce progression and includes maintaining a healthy balanced diet, ceasing smoking, and wearing UV lenses to protect your eyes from sunlight.

Sometimes the build-up of drusen causes the growth of abnormal new blood vessels underneath the macula. These new blood vessels can leak fluid or occasionally cause bleeding. This is known as Wet (sometimes called Neovascular) Macular Degeneration. About 10 - 15% of people go on to develop wet ARMD. This typically results in more rapid changes to your vision and requires immediate referral to a specialist for urgent treatment.

Why is monitoring critical?

Changes to the health and structure of the macula can be monitored to ensure you get the best-tailored treatment. Your optometrist will regularly look at your vision, your macula appearance and your Amsler Grid results.

The Amsler Grid

The Amsler grid is designed to detect changes to your central vision. All people diagnosed with any form of ARMD should keep an Amsler grid at home and regularly check it with each eye individually. If you notice any changes to the grid appearance with either eye you should get in touch with your Optometrist or Ophthalmologist right away.

What else can I do?

As well as regular examinations, self-checks on the Amsler Grid, stopping smoking, and UV protection, diet can play a role in keeping the macula healthy. Nutrition plays an essential role in optimising retinal health and reducing the risk of macular degeneration.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are particularly important nutrients for the Macula. They are found in high levels in dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and silverbeet. They are also present in other vegetables such as peas, pumpkin, brussel sprouts, broccoli, corn and beans

Age related cataracts are like wrinkles... we all get them if we get old enough. They're just a concern if they affect the clarity ad comfort of your vision.

Throughout our lifetime, the lens which sits behind the pupil can start to ‘cloud over’ and become opaque. These imperfections in the lenses are called Cataracts. Although in some instances they develop at an early age, they most often occur after 60, and are a normal consequence of aging. Cataracts can occur in one eye, or both.

Cataracts typically progress slowly over a period of years – initially, you may only have very mild symptoms such as a slight loss of detail in your vision or glare in certain lighting. As the cataract progresses, your vision will gradually become more affected.

Treating Cataracts

If you have cataracts, your Optometrist will diagnose these and discuss your vision and your options for having them removed. We work with you, your GP and ophthalmology to help minimise the impact your cataracts have on your eyesight. This includes monitoring and, when the time is right, referral to private or public surgical services.

If vision becomes affected, cataracts can be removed through a common procedure called Cataract surgery, carried out by an Ophthalmologist. During this surgery, the cloudy lens is removed, and a clear, artificial lens is put in its place, restoring the quality of your vision. In many cases, you may still need glasses for some tasks following cataract surgery.

here are many optic nerve diseases our optometrists assess for in a comprehensive eye exam. While Glaucoma is the most common, we also spot signs of optic neuritis due to multiple sclerosis, tumours, optic nerve swelling and other significant conditions.

Optic nerve disease can cause symptoms that include:

changes to vision
sudden loss of peripheral vision
pain
altered colour vision

Glaucoma is the “Sneak Thief of Sight – an eye disease that has no symptoms when it develops but causes permanent optic nerve damage.  Glaucoma – and other optic nerve diseases - are identified through regular eye examinations, including optic nerve analysis and eye pressure checks. Early detection and treatment can slow or prevent progression.

What is Intraocular Pressure?

There is a fluid inside our eye called the aqueous humour, which delivers important nutrients to the structures inside the eye, and helps the eye maintain its shape. This fluid is constantly being produced and drained, and this balance is responsible for our intraocular pressure (IOP). 

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a progressive disease of the optic nerve. With Glaucoma, the optic nerve becomes sensitive to the pressure (IOP) inside the eye, causing irreversible damage to peripheral vision. There are two main types of Glaucoma - closed and open-angle.

Closed (or Narrow) Angle Glaucoma occurs due to a narrowing or blockage of the ‘angle’ - the part of the eye that drains the aqueous humour. This type of Glaucoma typically results in very high pressure and can cause a painful red eye, blurred vision, nausea, and halos around lights.

Open-Angle Glaucoma is the most common form of Glaucoma; there is no blockage of the angle in this type. The pressure may be high or low, and it is typically asymptomatic, meaning that people with the disease have no symptoms and often don’t know they have it. A person only develops symptoms of Open-Angle Glaucoma after they have already lost a large portion of their vision.

What are the risk factors for Open-Angle Glaucoma?

Open-Angle Glaucoma can be hereditary. Your chance of developing Glaucoma increases with age, using corticosteroids and being very short-sighted.

How is Glaucoma Detected?

Glaucoma can be challenging to diagnose in the early stages. Your Optometrist will detect the disease by measuring your IOP, visual fields, and making an assessment of your optic nerve. If you have a high risk of developing Glaucoma, you will need regular eye exams. If you are diagnosed with Glaucoma, you will need specialist treatment to reduce the pressure inside the eye and prevent further progression of the disease.

Diabetes is a common condition where the body has trouble processing glucose. As a result, high levels of glucose can cause damage to the small blood vessels in our bodies, including those in our eyes.

If you’ve been diagnosed with Diabetes it’s important that you have your retinas checked regularly for signs of diabetic eye disease. Current protocols recommend an eye exam every two years if there are no issues, and more frequently if early signs of diabetic disease are present.

How Diabetes affects your Eyes?

If your Diabetes is not well controlled you may develop ‘leaky’ blood vessels, which can bleed or cause swelling in the surrounding tissues. This can result in blurry or missing patches in your vision. In severe cases, these changes can be permanent and can progress to more serious complications such as abnormal blood vessel growth or retinal detachment. High blood sugars can also cause you to develop cataracts earlier than expected.

Having your eyes examined

During your eye exam, drops that dilate the pupils are added to each eye. Your Optometrist will use highly magnified views of the retina to check for the presence of disease. The examination may include retinal photography, and sometimes more than one photograph per eye is required.

If there are signs of diabetic eye disease in your eyes, your Optometrist may recommend more frequent examinations or may refer you to an ophthalmologist (a doctor who specialises in eye surgery) for further assessment and treatment.

We work with you, your GP and ophthalmology to help minimise the impact your Diabetes has on your eyesight and eye health. Most people with Diabetes in New Zealand qualify for the publicly funded diabetic retinal screening programme and can be enrolled in this by their GP.

Keeping your eyes healthy

As well as regular eye exams, all evidence indicates that good diabetic control minimises retinal damage. The most crucial test for control is HbA1c or haemoglobin A1c. Your doctor organises this blood test, and it is extremely important because it assesses average blood/glucose control over a three-month period. It is different from testing yourself at home (finger pricking). A good result of an HbA1c test is less than 64. (8% in the old system). An HbA1c in the 50s will ensure a very low chance of having eye complications.

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