You need an eye examination soon if: You frequently have headaches, blurry vision, sore eyes, can’t comfortably read past 20 minutes! Your eyes are often red, sore, itchy or gritty. It’s over 2 years since your last comprehensive eye examination. You wear contact lenses and missed your last annual examination. You have, or a close family member has eye disease such as glaucoma, macular degeneration. You have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, or use long term cortisone treatment such as for asthma.

SHORT SIGHTEDNESS (MYOPIA) Latest research in slowing myopia (short sightedness) development does however indicate a few minutes up and away from the computer every hour will help to limit the effect of the genes responsible for creating the myopic eye growth. Genetic inheritance is a primary cause of myopia and astigmatism. In our vision and prolonged digital screen use has been strongly implicated and a driver of myopia since the pandemic. NEED FOR READING GLASSES About 20% of young people have inherited poor eye muscle co-ordination and need specs to sustain close range work beyond 30 minutes. But the unavoidable effects of aging on the inner eye (presbyopia) is the main reason we need reading glasses in our 40’s. Guarding our eyes from UV light (by wearing wrap around sunglasses in the sun) in our youth can slow the process of presbyopia by up to 10 years.

No you can’t. Can you tell which eye in this lady’s picture has glaucoma? She couldn’t either. That is why we rely on our instruments to flag changes in your ocular function over time. Early detection of eye disease is critical to our retaining our sight into our old age and 30% of Australians will have retinal disease by the time they are 70. So do the smart thing and return for your eye examination every two years – even if you think you see perfectly.