Happy Family Contest

Here is a contest open to those who sign up the family packages in Famille Optics!





Just upload your happy and sweet family photos to the facebook of Famille Optics! However, each family is limited to one photo only. So think carefully which photo you wish to upload. The winner will be determined by the number of people who 'likes' your photo. So if you want to win the contest, you can ask as many as your friends to 'like' your photo!


There are three prizes for the top three winner.
First Prize: $200 Eye Care Products
Second Prize: $150 Eye Care Products
Third Prize: $100 Eye Care Products


Let's take part in the contest immediately!

Glaucoma

What is glaucoma?

This is a disease of the most important structure in your eye : the optic nerve. In glaucoma, the optic nerve is damaged due to a variety of reasons.

What causes glaucoma?

• Open angle glaucoma
• Close angle glaucoma
• Low pressure glaucoma
  
  
  
  
  
  What are the signs and symptoms of glaucoma?
  
  
• Chronic glaucoma - very slow and painless reduction of vision
• Acute glaucoma - severe, sudden eye redness, pain and blurring of vision
  
  
  
  Diagnosing glaucoma
  
  
• By checking your eyeball pressure
• By examining the appearance of your optic nerve
• By using a computer to test your visual field
• By using high resolution imaging of optic nerve
  
  
  
  
  
  How is it treated?
  
  
• Eye drops
• Laser treatment
• Surgery
  
  
  
  
  How can you prevent glaucoma?
  
  
• Have regular eye check-ups if
  
  - You are over 40 years of age, especially if you are female and Chinese
  - Someone in your family has glaucoma
  - You have diabetes or high blood pressure
  - You are short-sighted or long-sighted

Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD)

What is the macula?

The back of the eye is lined by a layer of delicate nerve tissues called the retina. The retina is like the film of a camera and converts the light into images, and sends them to the brain. The macula is a small area at the very centre of the retina which is used to see fine details for activities such as reading and sewing.

What is ARMD?

Wear and tear of the macula can happen with age. This causes delicate cells to become damaged and stop working. Central vision is affected such that a dark patch blocks the centre of the visual field. However, ARMD almost never leads to total blindness. Patients with macular degeneration will have enough side (or peripheral) vision to get around and keep their independence.

ARMD is the leading cause of legal blindness in the over-65-year age group in developed countries of the west. Some patients develop ARMD even before they reach the age of 60.

As the population in Singapore is ageing, it is becoming a significant cause of blindness here as well.

There are two types of ARMD:

Dry ARMD

There is deposition of waste products in the macular region, followed by degeneration of the retinal cells. Although there is no known effective treatment for dry ARMD, loss of vision is usually not severe until very advanced stages. This form of ARMD is more common than the wet form.

Wet or Exudative ARMD

The development of abnormal blood vessels under the retina can lead to fluid and protein leakage or bleeding. The loss of vision is usually more severe. There are various forms treatment available for wet ARMD. Despite treatment, wet ARMD often leads to severe loss of vision. Another form of wet ARMD which particularly affects the Asians is idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

What are the symptoms?

Central vision of the eye may be blurred or distorted, objects looking an unusual size or shape, straight lines appearing wavy or fuzzy.

What are the treatments?

1. Observation with regular check-ups for mild and non-progressive forms of the disease.

2. Destruction of the abnormal new vessels in wet ARMD using:
a. Direct laser ablation.

b. Transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT)

c. Photodynamic therapy (PDT)

3. Injections inside or around the eye.

4. Surgery

5. Nutritional supplements

Cataract

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye. The lens is a clear disc within the eyeball. It is normally transparent and is situated behind the pupil. It focuses incoming light rays to form a sharp image, distinct image onto the retina, similar to the way a camera lens focuses an image onto film.

A cataract is like a dirty or cloudy camera lens. It blocks light rays from entering the eye, thus blurring vision.

A cataract is neither a tumour now an abnormal growth of tissue in the eye. It is due to physical change in the contents of the lens, resulting in cloudiness. It is easily detected with specialised instruments used by doctors.






What causes a cataract?

Cataracts can be categorised according to its underlying causes. The most common cause is due to aging, known as a Senile Cataract.

With Senile Cataract, the normal aging process hardens and opacifies the lens, Senile Cataract affects adults above the age of 50.

Patients with diabetes mellitus are prone to cataracts. Diabetic Cataracts tend to cause fluctuating vision.

An eye injury may damage the lens resulting in Traumatic Cataracts.

Congenital Cataracts are present at birth. It is usually hereditary or caused by an infection that has affected the pregnant mother and unborn child.

Secondary Cataracts are cataracts caused by other diseases of the eye or body.

What symptoms are there?

The main symptom is blurred vision. Other symptoms include glare, poor vision in bright surroundings, seeing multiple images and the need for frequent spectacle prescription changes.

What treatment is available?

A. Surgery





B. Intraocular Lens Implants

These are artificial lenses placed in the almost same position as the natural lens of the eye. These are the permanent implants which require no maintenance.



C. Foldable Intraocular Lens Implants

The latest advance in implant technology : these new implants can be folded and implanted into the eye through a small wound. The implants are then unfolded into their positions in the eyes. As these implants require only a small wound, it heals quickly and visual quality is excellent.



D. Spectacles

They are used to correct mild residual power, if any, after the implantation of intraocular lenses. As these prescriptions are generally very mild, these spectacles are thinner and lighter and thus provide much better quality vision.



E. Contact Lenses

They can be used similarly as spectacles. However, these require special care.

Gentle reminder :

Cataracts are the most common cause of poor vision in the elderly. It is a curable form of blindness. DO NOT ignore any emerging symptoms. Have regular check-ups with an eye specialist. Early detection can prevent permanent blindness.

How It's made: Contact Lenses

Many people might be interested in how the small and thin piece of lens which helps us to see so clearly is made.

This video will unveil the making of contact lenses.

Hope you enjoy the video!

News: Premature Corneal Aging

How old are your eyes?

Are your contact lenses making your corneas age prematurely?

Find out how can you prevent this from happening.

You know that your cornea are important but do you know what they really for you?

If you don't you are not alone, 74% of 300 respondents who did the Consumer Survey of Premature Corneal Aging and Contact Lens Wear comissioned by CIBA vision weren't awared too.
Your cornea is responsible for shielding the rest of eyes from germs, dust and other harmful matter. Cornea - your eye's outermost lens and functions like a window, controlling and focusing the entry of light.

Due to hectic lifestyles, Singaporean wear contact lenses for longer than what is recommended by optometrists and therefore may put your eyes at risk of premature corneal aging.

This means that the cell count in the cornea (which generally reduces with natural aging) decreases faster than it should. Symptoms of premature corneal aging such as dry eyes, redness of the eyes, blurred vision and discomfort are associated with insufficient oxygen flow to the corneas. This is usually a result of inconsistent wearing of contact lenses, which do not allow the eyes to "breathe".

How to prevent premature corneal aging?

If you are wearing low oxygen transmissible lenses switch to Silicone Hydrogel ones such as the ACUVUE's TRUEYE and CIBA VISION's AIR OPTIX range of lenses. It gives you long lasting comfort and reduces the risk of premature corneal aging.

Do not wear your contact lenses longer than recommended.

Talk to your optometrist if the symptoms occur frequently.

Famille Optics welcome you to drop by for a free and non-obligatory short consultation with us!

Information largely adapted from:
SHAPE
The Complete Mind & Body Guide for Women
Nov 2009

Shared by Optometrist Koh See Hui Roxanne

Promotion - Levi's

The fashionable Levi's spectacles are on the shelves now. Those who sign up the family package with us are able to enjoy a special discount upon purchasing this. Those who sign up as a member in our shop can enjoy the special discount too!