Most people come for an eye test because they have noticed that something isn’t quite right with their vision. Maybe their vision is blurry in the distance and seeing street signs is getting difficult. Or maybe they are finding that reading the fine print on their phone is getting harder and they are having to stretch their arms to try and hold it further away.

Our optometrists are able to check your vision and help with both of those things! BUT many people don’t realise that an eye test goes beyond just helping you see clearly. We also check the health of your eyes by taking a close look at their external and internal structures.

An important part of this assessment is using ocular imaging to capture a picture of what the back wall (the retina) of your eye looks like. Just like a fingerprint, everyone’s retinal appearance is unique to them, so having a photo allows us to see exactly what your individual retina looks like – including the macula, the optic nerve and the blood vessels. Some people even have a freckle or birthmark on their retina!

The retinal photo is important because it acts as an accurate baseline record for future assessments so that subtle differences can be picked up over the years. This allows for early detection of conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and many more – which you often won’t realise you have until it is too late and vision is lost.

For an even more in-depth view, we also are able to perform optical coherence tomography (OCT). This goes beyond just the surface view, and acts like an ultrasound to give an image of all the layers of the macula and optic nerve. This means we can measure the thickness of the retina to the precision of a micrometer! We can also see the layers and contour of the macula, as well as monitor how the thickness of the nerve fibres compares to other people your age, further improving our abilities to detect eye disease early.

Unlike many optometry practices, here at Eyes@Narangba we offer ocular imaging routinely, because we want to provide the absolute best vision AND eye health care that you can find anywhere!

Let’s face it, we all lead busy lives and cleaning is a chore many hate. Then the idea of having to clean, store and remember when to replace a pair of contact lenses is a complication that many of us just can’t be bothered with. Do you want some good news? Single-use, daily disposable contact lenses are more accessible and cost effective than ever! Available in a wide range of prescriptions, and are a great option for most people. Not matter is you you are short-sighted (myopic), long-sighted (hyperopic), have astigmatism, or just need help to read up close (presbyopic).

Why are daily disposable contact lenses such a great option?

• Comfort – They are made to be very thin and moist, meaning many barely even feel that they are wearing them.
• Convenience – no cleaning or storing the lenses for the next day. Just take them out and throw them out!
• Safety – Single use lenses have significantly lower rates of eye infections and irritations than the re-wearable types
• Cost – they are affordable and will cost you less than a coffee each day you wear them
• Flexibility – you can wear them as often as you like. You might chose to just put them in on days you play sport, or on the weekends, or you may decide to wear them every single day. You have years to use up each box, so there is no pressure to wear them more often than you would like.

Ask us today about a trial and see what life without specs is like!

If you are a in private health insurance fund with extras cover you may have $200 to $350 waiting to be claimed. Consider this, you get an eye test every 2 to 3 years and remember to claim your optical benefits if you need them. You are entitled to claim each year, but often you don’t. Eyes@Narangba believe you deserve better than that!

Why not claim each year and get maximum value for your money. Here are just some of the options we would suggest you could use your Optical Rebate on.

• Reading Glasses
• Distance Glasses
• Prescription Sunglasses
• Prescription Safety Glasses
• Sunglasses with Readers built in
• Contact Lenses

With all these options available our patients have plenty of reasons to access their private health fund rebate every year.

If you are in any of funds listed below, your benefits rollover on the 1st of July this year. Unused benefits are generally lost if not claimed in time. If the fund you are in is not listed below, it will be a fund which rolls over on the first of January each year.

• AHM
• Defence Health
• Navy Health
• Onemedifund
• Peoplecare

If you rely on your glasses to and would be lost without them, consider having a spare pair. A holiday can easily be ruined without a spare pair of glasses. Think of all the things we will have a spare for…

• Spare Tyre (kept in your car just in case)
• Spare Credit Card or source of money (when on holidays)
• Spare toilet paper (because running out is not much fun)
• Spare clothes (to avoid washing everyday)
• Spare food in your kitchen (in case you get hungry after business hours)

We build safety into our lives with this extra insurance of spare things. Many of us forget to provide a spare when it comes to our eyesight. If you can’t drive without your glasses, you should definitely have a spare pair of glasses. A spare / second pair of glasses is not a luxury, for many of us, it’s essential.

So if you are in a Private Health Fund and have extras cover – pick up a spare pair of glasses today at Eyes@Narangba. Looking forward to seeing you soon.