Eyecare Services

The spectacle lens is the most important part of ensuring great vision. We supply lenses from the leading lens manufacturers and we will find the right combination of lens and coating to give you clear and comfortable vision whatever your requirement.

We offer solutions for driving, office, sport, and even scuba diving! At Shire Optometrists we offer a broad range of frames to suit all styles and budgets. We understand that for many people choosing a frame can be difficult and even daunting!

Our optical dispensers will use their extensive experience and take the time to help you choose a frame that suits your face and your style. We stock a large number of brands across our four practices.

Wearing sunglasses goes far beyond reducing glare and brightness. Sun protection is essential for the health of the eye. They are the sunscreen for the eyes blocking harmful UVA and UVB rays.

UV damage to the eyes can present as:

• Eyelids
  • Melanomas
  • Basal cell carcinomas.
• Cornea
  • Photokeratitis (clouding of the cornea which is usually temporary but painful)
  • Pterygium (a growth of tissue across the cornea)
• Crystalline Lens
  • Cataract Formation
• Macular
  • Solar Retinopathy (burns to the macula due to strong sun)
  • Age Related Macular Degeneration

There are two considerations when it comes to sunglass lenses

1. The UV Protection
2. The Tint

Note, these are not the same thing. The UV coating is applied to block UVA and UVB and can be applied to both clear lenses and tinted lenses. The colour of the tint is a personal preference but obviously a darker tint will reduce the brightness more. A further filter, called a polarising filter, can be applied which further cuts down glare.

It is important to check the standard of the sunglasses you are buying. UV rays are in the region of the light spectrum at 286 – 400nm. The visible spectrum is 400 – 740nm. A lens labeled UV400 will offer nearly 100% UV protection.

Contact lenses have come a long way in recent years.

At Shire Optometrists we have access to all contact lens manufacturers as opposed to being tied in with a partnership.

We fit:

• Soft Contact Lenses
  • Daily Disposable
  • Fortnightly, Monthly, Three Monthly and Annual Replacement reusable daily wear
  • Continuous wear
• Gas Permeable (hard) Contact Lenses

We offer:

• Single vision
• Monovision
• Multifocal
• Myopia Control
• Orthokeratology

If you are a first-time wearer your contact lens assessment will include a detailed analysis of the eyes to ensure the most appropriate lens design and fit is selected. You will also be given instruction on how to insert and remove the lenses safely and how to look after the lenses to ensure your eye remain healthy.

If you are an existing wearer, we will assess the fit and function of your current lenses and suggest any required adjustments. Annual checks for contact lenses are essential for the ongoing health of the eyes.

Glaucoma refers to a group of conditions which usually arise when the pressure in the eyes is too high, causing damage to the optic nerves. The optic nerve transmits the signals from the eye to the brain to create the image we see. There are two main forms know as open angle and closed angle glaucoma. The front of the eye has a chamber containing aqueous humour which is continually produced and drained. The angle refers to the point where the fluid drains from the eye.

Open angle glaucoma is the more common form. This means the drainage angle is open but becomes blocked by debris in the eye. Initially there is a reduction in peripheral vision and if left untreated this can progress to severe vision loss. This change is not reversible; therefore, regular eye examinations are essential as your optometrist will pick up the signs before you have any symptoms. Treatment can then be initiated to stop any further visual loss.

Closed angle glaucoma is sudden closing of the angle leading to a rapid rise in eye pressure. This results in a red painful eye and can cause rapid damage to the optic nerve. It is much rarer but has causes greater damage and is considered an eye emergency.

At Shire Optometrists we will check your eye pressure and assess your optic nerve for damage. We recommend imaging as the gold standard for optic nerve assessment. We may also perform an assessment of your anterior chamber angle (gonioscopy) and measure your corneal thickness to assess your risk of developing the condition. Visual field testing will establish whether there has been any change in your peripheral or central vision.

The macula is the area at the centre of the retina at the back of the eye. This has the highest density of photoreceptors (cones) and gives us our high definition detailed vision.
As we age the macular can break down. In the early stage the pigment of the macula changes and small yellow deposits, called drusen, form under the macular. As the drusen accumulate they can cause distortion in the vision making reading more difficult and making it harder to recognise people’s faces in the distance. The flow of nutrients to the retina is interrupted by these deposits and leads to thinning of the underlying supportive cells. When these cells die the overlying macula degenerates leading to loss if visual function. This is termed “Dry AMD” and accounts for around 90% of AMD cases. It generally occurs in both eyes but often not to the same extent.

Around 10% of cases of AMD become “Wet AMD”. This is a condition in which new blood vessels grow in the choroid layer behind the retina. This condition is called choroidal neovascularization or CNV. The new vessels are weak, and they leak fluid, lipids (part of the structure of cells), and blood. The leaking gets into the layers of the retina – including the layers of the macula – and can cause scar tissue to form and retinal cells to stop functioning.

Wet AMD is also called neovascular AMD or exudative AMD because it involves the exudation or leakage of fluid and blood from new blood vessels.

The crystalline lens is located behind the iris and pupil and allows the eye to alter its focal point. A cataract is a clouding of this lens.

There are several different types of cataracts, which include:

• Age related – the cataract develops as we age
• Congenital – when babies are born with cataracts
• Secondary – cataracts develop as a result of another medical condition or from being around dangerous substances or medication.
• Traumatic – forming after an injury to the eye

The most common form is age related and can either develop slowly over years or more rapidly over weeks and months.
At Shire Optometrist we assess your crystalline lenses at each visit to determine the presence of cataracts.

Initially this can be managed with regular adjustments to your spectacle prescription. When the time is right we will refer you to an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) to discuss cataract surgery.