Advice | IntelliSight Opticians

Common Eye Conditions

Listed below are some common eye conditions that we can assist with.

For a complete list, you can visit lookafteryoureyes.org, a website provided by The College of Optometrists.

Cataracts are formed when the clear lens inside your eye becomes cloudy or misty. This is a gradual process that usually happens as we get older. It does not hurt.

The early stages of a cataract do not necessarily affect your sight.

The only proven treatment for a cataract is surgery. If the cataract gets to the stage where it affects your sight, your optometrist will refer you to hospital to have this done. The surgery is carried out under a local anaesthetic and has a very high success rate.

Find out more at "Look After Your Eyes"

Flashes and Floaters

Floaters look like small, dark spots or strands that float in front of your eyes. Floaters are very common and normally harmless. They are more common if you are short sighted or as you get older.
Some people notice flashes of light. These can be due to the movement of the gel inside the eye.
Very occasionally, flashes or an increase in floaters can be a sign of retinal detachment, which needs treating as soon as possible. This is more common as you get older, or in people who are short sighted or have had eye surgery.

Find out more at "Look After Your Eyes"

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve, which connects your eye to your brain, is damaged by the pressure of the fluid inside your eye.

This may be because the pressure is higher than normal, or because the nerve is more susceptible to damage from pressure. This may affect one or both of your eyes.

There are two main types of glaucoma: chronic glaucoma, which happens slowly and acute glaucoma which happens quickly. Chronic glaucoma is much more common than acute glaucoma.

Find out more at "Look After Your Eyes"

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the UK.

The macula is an area at the back of your eye that you use for seeing fine details such as reading a book. Macular degeneration (MD) covers a number of conditions which affect the macular. The conditions affect your ability to do certain tasks such as reading and watching television, but do not affect your ability to walk around as your side vision is not affected.

Find out more at "Look After Your Eyes"

Presbyopia

When you are looking at something that is far away, your eye – if you are perfect sighted – is shaped so that the object is clearly focused on your retina. This means that the image is clear. When you look at something close up, for example to read a book, the muscles inside your eye that surround the lens contract to make the lens change shape. This focuses the light from the book onto your retina.

The lens inside a child’s eyes is elastic, and so can change shape easily to enable them to change focus from looking at something far away to looking at something close up. As we get older, however, the lens naturally stiffens and so it changes shape less easily. This means that the distance up to which we are able to focus gets further away and we are no longer able to focus on things that are close to us, having to hold them further away to see them clearly. This is more noticeable when we want to look at something very close to us, such as when threading a needle. It may also mean that it may take longer for us to focus from looking at something close up to looking at something far away (or vice versa).

This change in focusing tends to become more noticeable when we reach our late thirties or forties as we then find it difficult to focus on things that are at the normal reading distance. It is quite common to see people who are presbyopic holding things away from them in an attempt to see them clearly. As this affects things that are close to you first, your vision of things that are further away – such as the computer – is not affected until later, when your lens has lost almost all of its elasticity.

Because the lens has lost its elasticity, when you are presbyopic you will need glasses to focus on the different distances you need to see. This may mean having separate pairs for distance and reading and maybe for middle distance such as looking at the computer or reading sheet music.

Find out more at "Look After Your Eyes"

Blog Articles

What the numbers on your prescription mean

Are you a .45? Perhaps a -5, or even a +2 – we are of course talking about your eye prescription. If you’ve ever wondered what these numbers, and the accompanying abbreviation means, you’re in the right place. Welcome to our one stop guide to everything you wanted to know about the numbers and letters that describe your eyesight.

Be sure to check out our Facebook Live on this very topic too!

What is OD and OS v RE and LE

The first element is one of the simplest – this simply refers to which eye is being talked about. OD (from the latin Oculus Dexter) or RE all refer to right eye while the OS (from the latin Oculus Sinister) or LE mean your left eye.

There is also an OU option (referring to Oculus Uterque in latin) meaning both eyes…Simple right?!

The difference between being short and long-sighted

This is indicated by the sphere (SPH), the amount of lens power you need, prescribed to correct if you’re near or far-sighted. It’s also where the + or – comes from in your prescription. A minus sign is indicative of short-sightedness while a plus sign, or no sign, indicates you are long-sighted.

Why you may be more Cylinder (CYL) then sphere (SPH)

We’ve mentioned astigmatisms in previous blogs, slight defects in the eye that can change over time. If you do have a significant astigmatism it is very possible your lens requires a cylinder (CYL) adjustment.

This often works in the same way as a sphere prescription, complete with + or – to indicate short or long-sightedness. However, the numbers that accompany a cylinder, are based on the axis of your eye, 90 degrees for vertical and 180 for horizontal.

There are other elements that may be indicated in your prescription, including prisms, but this covers the key parts of what you can expect to find on your prescription – for more information about your eye prescription, or to book a same day appointment, contact us today.

3 reasons you should never buy fake sunglasses

We all know that designer sunglasses can look amazing but, price aside, is there any real difference between the buying imitations compared to the real thing? Well the short answer is yes; a lot more than you’d think! Here are our top three reasons to never risk faking it.

They don’t stop the harmful UV light

The most important quality in sunglasses, yes even more than how much they match your style, is how much they protect against UV light. The UV light is the harmful rays from the sun that, if not protected against, can cause extreme damage to your eyes. In our recent Facebook post we did a test, showing the effects of real and imitation lenses against UV light.

The results may shock you! Not only can fake sunglasses fail to prevent UV rays but they can actually enhance the damage, as your pupils will dilate and absorb even more of the light.

The quality is NEVER the same

There is an old adage that if you buy cheap you buy twice and, while this is not always true of glasses with a smaller price tag it is almost always the case when it comes to designer imitations. Sunglasses made to look like their real counterparts, or that simply have a fake label slapped on the side, lack the subtle, sometime hidden, details that make real designer frames so long-lasting.

For instance, on our latest Facebook Live session we looked at a stunning range of Ted Baker frames with a gold band covering the top, held in place with extra screws on the top of the frames to ensure it all stays in place and together. Real sunglasses undergo a number of tests to ensure they can last all summer long…and plenty more to come!

They won’t have prescription lenses

Some people may still be unaware that you can purchase sunglasses from an optician with lenses specific to your prescription, not only providing superior quality and the right level of protection, but allowing you to see clearly while looking stylish.

If you’re looking for new sunglasses do not accept any imitations, only buy from a trusted retailer and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you suspect something is not quite right.

Check out a sample of the full range of sunglasses available from IntelliSight Opticians, including our exclusively online Kendall + Kylie range, or come in-store to view our full range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ageing Eyes and Falls

Ageing eyes and failing vision are linked to falls, so as you get older you are more likely to fall.

It is normal for our eyes to change as a product of ageing. Normal changes include losing the ability to focus on things that are close-up (presbyopia), finding that it takes longer to adapt to changing lighting conditions and finding that we need more light to see things.

Find out more at "Look After Your Eyes"

Children's Eye Health

Most children have excellent sight and do not need to wear glasses.

Some children may have vision screening done at school (between the ages of four and five). However, the earlier any problems are picked up, the better the outcome. If there are problems and they are not picked up at an early age, the child may have permanently reduced vision in one or both eyes. If you have any concerns about your child’s eyes, or if there is a history of squint or lazy eye in the family, do not wait for the vision screening at school. Take your child to a local optometrist for a sight test. This is free under the NHS for children under 16.

Your child does not have to be able to read or talk to have a sight test.

Find out more at "Look After Your Eyes"

Contact Lenses

Most people who need to wear glasses can wear contact lenses.

There are two main types of contact lenses:

soft lenses which mould to the shape of your eye
rigid gas permeable lenses (RGP lenses) which are fitted closely to the shape of your eye and are less flexible.

Find out more at "Look After Your Eyes"

What is blue light?

Some rays emitted by LEDS - the artificial light from low- consumption bulbs or used to light screens - are harmful.

They give off high-energy blue rays, invisible to the naked eye but nonetheless dangerous for your eyes.

This light also hampers the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

2 consecutive hours of exposure from a screen are sufficient to generate visual fatigue.

These light sources are part of our daily life and even if we have the feeling we only use devices intermittently, we are not always aware of the actual time of exposure.