Opticians Blog no.15: The Time is now...

Whether we admit it or not, there must be things we never quite get around to doing. I for one have
been enjoying more time outdoors recently. With the constant delight of time spent with my family,
the enjoyment of seeing patients at the practice along with our time at Church, life is busy. This
does mean that certain less popular jobs, such as clearing brambles, get left until they have to be
done!

It is perhaps no surprise that the same applies to seeing an Optician. Statistically, us working age
men are more likely to put off going for an eye exam than ladies. Myself, well I love my tech, so I
buck the trend and have more eye exams on more high tech equipment than most!

I had a startling reminder recently of the importance of going to the Opticians, rather than relying
on our own assessment of our eye sight.   A 40 year old cricketer arrived in my specialist eye clinic
with advanced loss of peripheral vision, called glaucoma. During a cricket match, when out in the
field, he became aware that a team mate to one side seemed to disappear then reappear again.
This concern prompted him to get an eye exam which detected high eye pressure and loss of
peripheral vision.  This vision loss could have meant losing his driving license and his job.
Fortunately, he held on to his license, which also saved his job, but he reported it was a nervous
time waiting for the results.

One new way we have been able to help so many of our patients is with the amazing new contrast
enhancing lenses for glasses.  I make no apologies for discussing the virtues of mine to all that will
listen.   Just this week while cycling to work, I was again impressed at the stunning clarity and
sharpness of my vision through these lenses.   The flickering, as the rising morning sunlight danced
through trees, has been no problem at all.   I have now used my contrast enhancers at work; at
home on a PC and tablet; in the practice; out with family in the woods and parks; as well as driving
in bright day light; on overcast days and driving at night. It’s just superb vision all the time.   Still my
best ever glasses lenses, and I have worn more than most people!

Having recently had the importance of regular visits to the Optician again highlighted my plea to all
is book an eye exam.   Many eye and general health issues can be detected by simply seeing an
Optician.   Our extended eye exam is particularly good at finding the early warning signs before
trouble hits, which saves the fear of what may be found as we can often help before you notice any
changes!   As Benjamin Franklin said “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”.

​I look forward to seeing you very soon!

Peter Turner is the lead Optometrist at Turners Opticians in Fishponds and also works part time as
a Senior Medical Optometrist at the Bristol Eye Hospital.