Eye Conditions

What is Myopia?

Myopia, also known as short-sightedness or near-sightedness, is a condition of the eyes that results in blurry long-distance vision. Those suffering from myopia can see clearly up close, such as when reading a book or looking at a phone, while distant objects like signs or television screens may appear blurry or hard to read.

At Fisheye Opticians, we are committed to protecting the vision of the next generation by specialising in myopia control for children. We offer a range of specialised glasses lenses and contact lenses designed to slow the progression of myopia, ensuring your child’s eyesight remains clear and healthy. Your child’s vision is our top priority, and we are committed to helping them see a brighter future. Learn more about Myopia Control here.

Dry Eye Disease is a common condition that occurs when your tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. Dry eyes may occur if you don’t produce enough tears or if you produce poor quality tears. Tear instability leads to inflammation and damage to the eye surface. This is where we can step in and help, with our specialist dry eye clinic. We take the time to evaluate your condition so that we can provide you with a tailor-made treatment and trusted advice.

Symptoms that you may be suffering from Dry Eye Disease include eyes that are:

• Itchy
• Sore
• Gritty
• Red
• Fluctuating vision
• Sensitive to light
• More watery than usual

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve is damaged by the pressure of the fluid inside your eye. It can affect one or both of your eyes and can lead to sight loss if not treated soon enough. There are two common types of glaucoma:

• Chronic glaucoma – this develops slowly. This is the most common form of glaucoma in the UK. The most common form of chronic glaucoma is primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).
• Acute glaucoma – this causes the pressure inside your eye to increase rapidly. It may be called acute angle closure glaucoma.

We routinely check the pressures within the eyes of every patient for the presence of glaucoma.

What are flashes?

Our eyes contain a vitreous gel which, when we are young, is firmly attached to the back of our eyes. As we age, this gel gradually liquifies and collapses away from the retina. This condition is called posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). This common condition causes a flash (which may appear as sparkles, lightning or fireworks) in one or both eyes when the gel pulls away from the retina. Occasionally, flashes are a symptom of retinal detachment, which should be treated immediately.

What are floaters?

Floaters are formed when the vitreous gel within the eye separates into gel-like fluid and wavy collagen fibres. These fibres appear as small, dark or transparent dots or strands and seem to float in front of your eyes and move when you try to look at them. This is a common condition that many people live with and is normally harmless.

Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids and can make your eyelids red, itchy, sore and puffy and cause your eyelashes to become crusty. In severe cases of Blepharitis, your lashes may fall out, and you can develop small ulcers or styes as well. Blepharitis usually affects both eyes.
There are several types of Blepharitis including:

• Anterior blepharitis – this affects the outside front edge of your eyelids (near or among your eyelashes). It may be caused by staphylococcus bacteria infection.
• Posterior blepharitis (meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)) – this affects the glands in the inside rim of your eyelids, just behind your eyelashes. Normally the glands release a fluid that forms part of your tear film. In MGD, the fluid thickens and blocks the glands.
•  Mixed blepharitis – sometimes people get both anterior and posterior blepharitis together, this is known as mixed blepharitis.

Cataracts are formed when the transparent lens inside your eye becomes cloudy or misty and is a gradual process that usually happens as we age. The early stages of a cataract do not necessarily affect your sight, but if your sight becomes very impaired you may be referred for surgery to replace the cataract with a clear artificial lens.

Signs that you may be suffering from cataracts include:

• Unclear or blurry vision.
• Car headlights and streetlights can become dazzling.
• You may experience difficulty moving from sunlit to shaded areas.
• Colours may look faded or yellowed.
• You may notice that you need to change the prescription of your glasses more often.
• Vision becomes impaired in low-light conditions.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of sight loss in the UK – and the condition affects over 600,000 people.

The macula is an area at the back of your eye that is responsible for your central vision, most of your colour vision and making out fine detail. When the macula is damaged, it becomes harder to recognise faces or to read or watch television. However, the edge of your vision (peripheral vision) is not normally affected.

Types of AMD

• Dry AMD – Dry AMD is the most common type of AMD and occurs with age. It is the gradual degeneration of the retinal cells at the back of the eye leading to deposits on the retina called drusen. Dry AMD usually progresses slowly and people may not notice any change for many years.
• Wet AMD – Wet AMD is much less common and develops when abnormal blood vessels grow into the retina and leak. Wet AMD can cause sudden and rapid loss of central vision.

Diabetic retinopathy is where the small blood vessels in your retina leak blood and fluid into the retina – the light-sensitive layer of cells at the back of your eye. Although this does not affect your vision in the early stages, if it is left untreated it may lead to sight loss.

What are the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy?

The early stages of diabetic retinopathy do not usually have any particular symptoms, so if you are diabetic you must be regularly checked for diabetic retinopathy. With a few exceptions, the NHS arranges for all people who have diabetes and are aged 12 and over to be invited to have screening for diabetic retinopathy. Everyone with diabetes who is 12 years old or over is invited for an eye screening every 2 years. Those at higher risk of sight loss will be invited annually or six- monthly. You must have this done regularly, as early detection of diabetic retinopathy means that treatment is more effective.

If the condition progresses, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Gradually worsening vision
• Sudden vision loss
• Shapes floating in your field of vision (floaters)
• Blurred or patchy vision
• Eye pain or redness.

Whether you wish to book a private eye exam, NHS sight test, or student sight test or would like to become a corporate client, we are here, to help you to achieve the best vision that you know you deserve, using the latest lenses on the market to suit your specific requirements. We believe that early detection is always the key to prevention. Book your appointment today with our opticians.