Introducing a New Treatment to Slow Childhood Myopia - Red Light Therapy

A new treatment option in the myopia control space at Bay Eye Care is the Myproclear Red Light device.

In New Zealand myopia affects approximately ~30% of young people. It is increasing at a concerning rate in all developing countries. It is predicted that by 2050, 5 billion people will be short-sighted which accounts for 50% of the world's population. All levels of myopia (short-sightedness) lead to an increase in the eyes axial length. In addition, the chance of developing blinding conditions such as retinal detachment, cataracts, glaucoma and myopia retinal degeneration increase. A person with a higher degree of myopia has a higher chance of developing these sight threatening conditions.

The Myproclear red light therapy device, taken home to use by children each day.

A new treatment option to control the progression of myopia in children is Red Light Therapy, provided by the Myproclear Red Light device, designed by Eyerising International, based in Melbourne, Australia.

Myproclear Red Light Therapy is a non-invasive, quick and easy to use home myopia control treatment for children involving children looking into the red light the machine emits, for just three minutes of treatment time twice per day. The low-level single wavelength red light gently stimulates blood flow in the back of the eye to help slow the axial growth of the eye and control myopia progression. Research suggests Myproclear Red Light Therapy results in approximately 75% reduction in axial elongation compared to children wearing standard single vision spectacles over a two year period. In patients that showed a high compliance to the treatment schedule a 87% reduction in axial elongation was found.

It is a great myopia control option for the following young patients:

• children who cannot tolerate contact lens wear or eye drops.

• children already wearing Orthokeratology contact lenses or myopia control spectacles but require further myopia control measures.

• Those wanting to explore adjunct (combination) therapy if they have aggressive myopia progression when first assessed.

Bay Eye Care has a myopia control option to suit every patient’s lifestyle and clinical needs. Please book in for a myopia control assessment today to discuss with our optometrists which option will work best for you and your child, to slow their myopia progression to keep their eyes as healthy as they can be for the rest of their life!

Over 40 and needing reading glasses? There are other options!

Feeling your arms need to be longer? There are surgical and contact lens options to give you your visual freedom back!

By far the most frustrated patients in we see in the practice are those in their 5th decade of life who are struggling to see things up close – their arms are just not long enough! ‘Presbyopia’ happens to everyone as the eye’s lens becomes stiff and cannot change focus. Reading glasses are a simple and affordable solution but many people get annoyed always having to find them, being blurry when looking up, or having them get in the way during work or leisure tasks.

Fortunately there are alternatives: Surgical options include laser eye surgery to make one eye better for near vision, leaving the other for long distance – this is called ‘blended vision’ or ‘monovision’. Alternatively ‘refractive lens exchange’ – essentially an early cataract surgery, can also be considered, either with blended vision or with multifocal lens implants to given a range of vision in each eye. All surgery has risks however and as surgery is permanent there is no guarantee that the vision will remain stable as patients get older. Our optometrist Mr Alex Petty has had laser eye correction himself so can offer sound advice and refer you to the appropriate surgeon for an assessment if you are a suitable candidate.

Use orthoK contact lenses overnight to change your corneal shape and improve your day-time vision!

Contact lenses can create the same vision results as surgery, with a blended vision approach or using multifocal lenses. The advantage of contact lenses includes being able to alter the prescription with time, people being able to choose when and when to use them instead of their glasses, and having a lower upfront cost. Alternatively orthokeratology (orthoK) lenses are a novel type of contact lens that are only worn overnight. These gently mould the cornea to give clear unaided vision during the day. Contact lenses are safe, comfortable and easy to use with correct fitting and training with our experienced optometrist Mr Alex Petty.

So if you are sick of loosing your reading glasses book into see us at Bay Eye Care in the New Year to discuss your vision correction options! We are closed over the Christmas and New Year period but the clinic reopens for 2020 in Monday 6th January. Have a safe holiday season!

Have you considered contact lenses to see clearly?

Although spectacles provide an easy and cost effective way to correct your vision problem they can be a real inconvenience. Glasses are not great in the rain, they make going to the gym a hassle, and they are pain to find when you need them to read the paper. These days there are a wide range of modern contact lens options to provide a convenient vision alternative to suit your lifestyle.

Many of my patients have been told that ‘their eyes are not suitable for contact lenses’. The reality is that almost everyone can be fitted successfully with contact lenses. The safest and most convenient contact lens modality is the daily soft contact lens, which are replaced each day. A fresh lens each morning improves comfort and decreases the risk of infection. These daily lenses can now correct a range of vision problems like astigmatism and presbyopia (the need to using reading glasses when we hit our 40s). Multifocal contact lenses work a little like bifocal or progressive glasses – providing vision for distance and near tasks, meaning you are never to old to benefit from contact lenses.

Modern contact lens materials are also more comfortable than ever – perfect for people that get dry eye or have challenging work environments. This is due to advanced technologies keeping the lens surface wet all day long and allowing high oxygen flow to the eye. Most people don’t even feel them when worn. Our experienced optometrist Mr Alex Petty will be able to teach you how to effortlessly insert and remove your lenses with the minimum of hassle.

Another great option is Ortho-K overnight vision correction. These special contact lenses are only worn when you sleep, and provide clear unaided vision throughout the day.

If you are sick of your glasses arrange an assessment with Alex to discuss which modern contact lens option can give you your visual freedom back!

Stay safe with your contact lenses over summer

With summer here more people are using their contact lenses to enjoy outdoor activities without their glasses. However contact lenses are a medical device and without proper care and hygiene the risk of potentially blinding eye infections is increased.

Follow these important guidelines to ensure your contact lens wear is hassle-free over the holiday period:

• Never use tap water to clean or store your lenses. Water contains micro-organisms that can adhere to your lenses and infect your eye.
• Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before touching your eye or lenses. Use an alcohol-based sanitizer as an alternative if you are going bush!
• If you must use your contact lenses when swimming make sure you remove and clean or discard them afterwards. Hot water sources including hot tubs, spas or thermal springs are high risk areas for infection – avoid contact lens wear in these environments. 
• If you plan on spending a lot of time in the water then consider visiting Bay Eye Care to be fitted for overnight Orthokeratology vision correction: these contacts change the shape of the eye during sleep to give clear vision during the day without any lenses!
• Avoid re-using solutions or wearing your lenses beyond their recommended replacement schedule. Shortcuts may save you money now but could be catastrophic to your eye health in the long-term.
• If your eye is red, sore or light-sensitive then stop wearing your contact lenses and visit our therapeutic optometrist Alex urgently. Your GP or the local A+E service is the next best alternative if your optometrist is away on a well-deserved break!

At Bay Eye Care our contact lens specialists are perfectly placed to offer the best care and advice about your contact lens use. Feel free to contact us today to arrange a contact lens consultation!

Short-sightedness is a problem for children in Australia too.

A recent news article on Australian TV highlights some of the risks of short-sightedness (myopia) in children and discusses the treatments to slow this condition. At Bay Eye Care we employ all the treatments mentioned to help control myopia in NZ kids.

View the short segment here: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2017/s4629501.htm