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EYE CARE INFO & UPDATES
If you have eyesight problems with short-sightedness (myopia) there's a good chance your children will develop the same vision issues as they grow up. Statistically there's a 3 times risk of a child having myopia if one parent is myopic, and 6 times risk if both parents are myopic. Genetics is certainly a strong predisposing factor for myopia development. We can't do much about the genetic makeup of your child, but we can reduce the risk of your child having short-sighted eyes, or worse, highly short-sighted eyes — a condition known as 'high myopia', conventionally defined as myopia with a glasses prescription of -6.00 or over (600 degrees +). Many people, particularly of Asian descent, have even higher levels of myopia. -10.00 and above (1000 degrees short-sighted) are not uncommon. The highest we have seen in our practice is -16.00. Not only is having high myopia hugely inconvenient (nothing in front of your nose is clear without glasses) but the risks of developing serious eye diseases and blindness are exponentially higher. Previously there wasn't a lot that could be done to slow down short-sightedness progression. But now there is, and all parents should know about these options available to preserve your child's eyesight. With the current medical and optical treatments no child today should grow up to have high myopia anymore. Early intervention and treatment is key to maintaining good eyesight. Treatments and strategies to prevent children's eyes from getting worse with myopia is called 'myopia control'. Our myopia control clinic website (www.kidsorthok.com.au) goes into more detail about all the current options available to manage childhood myopia. Here is a summary: REGULAR EYE TESTS We recommend all children have yearly eye tests from the age of 3. Kids' eyes can change quickly and often without symptoms. Early detection of vision problems means earlier intervention. Undiagnosed and uncorrected short-sightedness can accelerate progression. And if there is significant progression, myopia control treatment should be initiated as early as possible. We monitor children with myopia progression every 6 months. ORTHOKERATOLOGY (ORTHO-K) Ortho-K are overnight lenses that correct vision while your child sleeps. The two benefits of OK lenses are: (1) They correct your child's eyesight so that daytime glasses and regular contact lenses are not needed for them to see. This gives them complete freedom for all their schooling, sports and recreational activities without worrying about breaking or losing glasses or contacts. (2) They are clinically effective in slowing down your child's eyesight deterioration by around 50%, and sometimes more. OK lenses work by gently reshaping the front surface of the eye with individually designed oxygen-permeable lenses that fit precisely on your child's eyes. You can think of orthokeratology as a little like orthodontic braces for align teeth. Over time the surface of the eye, the cornea, is molded to the shape of the lens to correct vision as well as provide myopia control. Some parents have concerns about safety of overnight contacts. Wearing contact lenses of all kinds carry potential risks of infection, but any significant adverse events with diligent Ortho-K wear are actually very rare. Studies have demonstrated that Ortho-K lenses for kids are no more risky than overnight wear of soft lenses by adults. OK lenses are worn at home under parental supervision, without the risk of contamination outside. Professionally fitted lenses, good hygiene and proper lens care will help ensure your child maintains healthy eyes wearing Ortho-K lenses. At our clinic we have any no episodes of infection or adverse events for our patients treated with OK lenses. MYOPIA CONTROL SOFT CONTACTS LENSES There are now daily-disposable soft contact lenses that help slow myopia progression. As these lenses are replaced daily after each use, without any need for cleaning or storage, they are the safest type of contact lenses and ideal for kids and teenagers. We have the MiSight 1 Day with ActivControl Technology available at our clinic. This lens was developed specifically for short-sighted children to prevent eye deterioration. These soft contact lenses are a 'multifocal' design with a clear distance zone in the middle, and a different power in the periphery of the lens. This mimics the effect of Ortho-K in modifying the focusing of light in the peripheral zone of the eye's surface. One key difference is that MiSight lenses are only effective while the lens is worn, so it needs to be worn at least 6 days a week, whereas the eye surface changes that occur with Ortho-K are longer-lasting and holds its myopia control effect even with occasional short breaks from overnight lens wear. OK lenses can also correct mild to moderate levels of astigmatism, while MiSight lenses are not available with astigmatism correction. ATROPINE EYE DROPS Atropine is a chemical agent that helps prevent myopia progression by strengthening the structures within the eyeball to resist eye growth and elongation that occurs concurrently with adolescent growth spurts. Although atropine has long been known to exhibit this effect, it wasn't routinely prescribed for myopia control due to its known potential side-effects on the eye and elsewhere in the body — eg. pupil dilation, light sensitivity, headache, stinging, dry mouth, dry skin, heightened irritability and increased heart rate. In the past 5 years, researchers discovered that even tiny concentrations of atropine, thus much safer to use, can effectively help modulate myopia progression almost as well as the full-dose form. This low-dose 0.01% atropine is just 1/100th of the original atropine concentration. 0.01% atropine eye drops are very well tolerated in kids with minimal side-effects as a long-term treatment. In our clinic we have prescribed this treatment for children as young as 4 and have had good results. We have also combined atropine treatment with Ortho-K or soft contact lenses for even greater myopia control effect in some children with more aggressive progression. MYOPIA CONTROL SPECTACLE LENSES Regular single vision glasses do not help to prevent myopia progression. There are special children's glasses specifically developed for myopia control. Although clinical research shows that glasses in general are not as effective forms of myopia control compared to the other options described above, they are nonetheless still beneficial for some children, and better than wearing ordinary glasses or no treatment at all. The myopia control spectacle lenses available from our clinic are the Essilor Myopilux lenses — developed originally for short-sighted children in Singapore and Hong Kong. These were special bifocal or progressive lenses and most effective for children with some near focusing difficulties or inefficiencies. Our optometrist will assess your child's eye focusing system to determine if he or she could benefit from wearing this type of lens. REGULAR BREAKS FROM NEAR WORK Near work — which includes reading, drawing, study, homework, tutoring and computer use — is an essential part of your child's schooling and education. Many children are required to use an iPad or laptop computer at school. This is no avoiding digital technology that are intrinsic to our modern lives. We recommend following the 20/20/20 rule in regards to near work. That means for every 20 minutes of concentrated near focusing, take 20 seconds to look at something in the far distance 20 metres away. That helps your child to relax their eyes periodically. Also, children should always keep their books at least an elbow's distance away from their eyes when reading. SPENDING MORE TIME OUTDOORS If you child has been tested and found to have normal eyesight, the best you can do to preserve their good vision and potentially delay the onset of myopia is to let them spend more time outdoors in bright light. This is good scientific evidence that more outdoor time helps to prevent against myopia development. Ambient outdoor light is many magnitudes brighter than indoor light, and is believed to help modulate proper eye growth. We recommend all children spend at least 90 minutes a day participating in outdoor activities. If you have concerns about your child's eyes or would like to know more about our myopia control program, book a comprehensive kids' vision assessment with our experienced myopia control optometrist today. Philip Cheng — Myopia Control Children's Optometrist · 墨爾本兒童視光師 EYECARE CONCEPTS · THE MYOPIA CLINIC Kew · Balwyn · Balwyn North Today, more children in Australia and around the world are developing short-sightedness (myopia) and from an earlier age. But thankfully we can now slow childhood short-sightedness progression and help prevent high myopia with effective treatments which weren't available a generation ago. As one of Melbourne's leading myopia control optometrists, many of the kids who come to our practice have parents who have high myopia themselves (some as high as -10.00 to -16.00) and understandably very concerned about their children's eyesight growing up. Myopia is, at least in part, a hereditary condition. Children with both parents having myopia have a 6 times risk of developing short-sightedness, and more severely. So at what age can we start myopia treatment for your child? There is no age requirement for starting myopia control treatment. We recommend starting treatment as soon as we have identified that your child is at high risk of developing high myopia (> -6.00) in the future. This reduces your child's lifelong risks of glaucoma, retinal detachment and myopic macular degeneration — diseases with a potential for blindness. Here at Eyecare Concepts, we have prescribed myopia control treatment for children as young as 3 years of age. Which children are in the high-risk category for myopia? Younger children, those at age 7 or under at the time of being first diagnosed with short-sightedness, are at highest risk. And the younger the child, the greater the risk — there is more time for the eyeball to grow and elongate as the child grows through the years of adolescence and puberty. We also analyse individual data for each child to determine their rate of myopia progression per year. A documented myopia increase of -1.00 or more in a 12 month period is considered rapid progression that should be treated. Is it possible to predict if a child will become short-sighted? Yes, it is possible to make predictions based on a child's current level of refractive error. Generally, across the population, a normal 3 year old child should be long-sighted by around +2,00, a 4 year old around +1.50 and a 6 year old around +1.00. Long-sightedness acts as a buffer to prevent short-sightedness in a normally-developing eye. If we identify that your child is less long-sighted than is normal for his or her age, your child has a greater risk of developing short-sightedness and needs to be monitored more closely. For example, a child who is only +0.25 long-sighted at age 4 has a very high myopia risk, especially if this child has other risk factors such as genetics. There are specific tests we do to accurately measure the refractive status of a young child. Can we prevent the onset of myopia with treatment? Recent studies have shown that spending more time outdoors (for at least 90 minutes a day) has a protective effect on the eye and can prevent or delay the onset of childhood short-sightedness. For children who are not yet short-sighted but are at risk, we prescribe an increase in outdoor time as a preventative measure. Low-dose atropine treatment is highly effective in slowing progression once a child is already short-sighted, but there is little clinical data at present on its effect for myopia prevention in children with normal eyesight. There is some suggestion that it can indeed prevent myopia onset. We would assess the possibility of prescribing low-dose atropine for myopia prevention in a child without myopia on a case-by-case basis by weighing up the potential benefits vs risks. Certain glasses may help children who have difficulties with near focusing and eyestrain that can increase their risk of myopia development. Binocular vision testing is part of the comprehensive children's vision assessment in our clinic to identify these at-risk children. If you have questions about myopia control treatments for your child, please contact our clinic. EYECARE CONCEPTS · THE MYOPIA CLINIC
MELBOURNE MYOPIA CONTROL OPTOMETRIST — KEW · KEW EAST · BALWYN All children should have their first eye test by an optometrist by the age of 3, and reviewed at least every year as they grow up.Good vision is vital for a child's growth and development, as most of what a young child learns about the world comes from their eyesight. Poor eyesight in kids, which they often are not aware of and do not complain about, can lead to behavioural issues, delayed social development and learning difficulties. While young children will have an eyesight screening test by the Maturnal & Child Health Service, these are typically very basic tests that may not reliably detect all vision issues. It is recommended that all children by the age of 3 have a comprehensive, professional vision and eye health assessment by a children's optometrist. HOW WE TEST YOUNGER KIDS' EYES At Eyecare Concepts, our paediatric optometrist routinely tests children as young as 2, and sometimes even younger. Children's eye tests are different from adults' eye tests, requiring a different set of skills and equipment. We tailor the eye test to your child's age, maturity level and responses. Many tests are objective, meaning we can obtain reliable results without necessarily needing a response from your child. Our kids-friendly clinic is equipped to test younger children's eyes more thoroughly than most general retail optometrists. We schedule 40 minutes for a children's vision assessment to allow ample time for children to settle and feel comfortable in our spacious consulting room. As it may be their first eye test, some children can be understandably a little nervous and anxious in new surroundings. Our aim is to make their eye test a fun and enjoyable experience, and as always, to provide the best eye care. In a typical eye test for a preschool child, we check their eyesight with our children's eye test chart (picture matching), measure any potential focusing issues with a special light or a computerised vision tester, check eye movements, look for signs of a turned eye or lazy eye, check stereo acuity (ability to see 3D), colour vision, and the health of the front and back of their eyes. Eye drops are sometimes required to allow us to check the child's vision status and eye health in more detail. KIDS' VISION PROBLEMS Young children can have myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness) and astigmatism (irregularly shaped eye) just like adults can. Many eye problems actually run in families, so if you have an eye condition there's a good chance that your child may also have it, or may develop it. It is of even greater importance that vision problems are detected early in children, as delayed treatment can potentially affect their vision for life. By having their first eye test before the age of 3, we have a baseline to compare and monitor any vision changes as they grow up. It also allows for us to predict when your child may begin to have eyesight problems and to make recommendations to help prevent or delay the onset of these problems. Children who are already short-sighted before 5 have a very high risk of developing high myopia, which has lifelong eye health implications. More Australian children today are becoming short-sighted, and at an earlier age, than before. We have a specialised myopia treatment program to control childhood eyesight deterioration that occurs with progressive myopia. Our optometrist has successfully treated many young children to slow down their rate of myopia progression. Below are two other examples of childhood eye problems that require urgent attention: WHITE REFLEX If you come across a photo of your child with a white reflex in one eye (like the image below), you should seek medical attention immediately as it may be a very serious problem. An opacity in the eye, a cataract, retinal detachment or a retinal tumour (retinoblastoma) can cause this white reflex phenomenon. Retinoblastoma is a rare eye cancer found in younger children (usually before age of 5, and more commonly before 2) that, if not detected and treated, may spread and become life-threatening. EYES NOT STRAIGHT If you have noticed that your child's eyes are not straight, whether it's subtle or obvious, sometimes or all the time, your child needs a detailed eye examination. A turned eye or strabismus (also called a 'squint') may involve one eye turning inwards or outwards relative to the other eye. It is caused by a misalignment, imbalance or weakness in the muscles that move the eyes. Strabismus occurs in about 2-4% of all children. Many cases of strabismus are caused by a high degree of long-sightedness (hyperopia) in one eye and can be corrected with glasses without needing surgery. Failing to diagnose and treat strabismus from an early age can lead to the development of amblyopia ('lazy eye') which is permanent vision loss in one eye that cannot be treated or corrected in adulthood. Amblyopia needs to be treated early — typically before age of 8 — for best results. We can treat childhood amblyopia with glasses correction, patching and atropine eye drop therapy. Where necessary we can also refer your child to a paediatric ophthalmologist (an eye specialist) for further assessment and management. If you have a concern about your child's eyes, book an appointment to see our paediatric optometrist as soon as possible. We can test children as young as 6 months with advanced technology specific for assessing children's eyes. EYECARE CONCEPTS
FAMILY & CHILDREN'S OPTOMETRIST — KEW EAST, MELBOURNE A young lady in her 20s came to see us recently after having a sore red eye and blurred vision for about 5 days. She had been using the common over-the-counter antibiotic eye drop Chlorsig, typically used for a mild case of bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye). This was the appearance of her eye on presentation: This young lady did not have conjunctivitis; she had a classic case of an eye condition called anterior uveitis, or iritis. It is an inflammatory condition of her iris, the coloured part of the eye that controls the pupil. It is a relatively uncommon condition that can affect a person of any age, typically a young to middle-age person. Symptoms usually include increased sensitivity to light (photophobia), eye pain or ache, redness in the eye, blurred vision and one pupil appearing smaller than the other.
Optometrists can diagnose anterior uveitis, and differentiate it from other kinds of pink eyes, by detailed examination of the eye with our slit lamp microscope. The necessary treatment for this condition is immediate and rapid control of the inflammation with a intense course of steroid eye drops (prednisolone acetate — Pred Forte) — typically every 15 minutes in the first 6 hours, then hourly dosing while awake, and reviewed the following day. A strong pupil dilation eye drop (eg. atropine) is also used to keep the pupil enlarged to prevent the inflammed iris from sticking to the front of the eye's natural lens (posterior synechiae). In this case as the iris had already adhered to the lens she had some permanent damage to her iris and pigment spots left on her lens. If this kind of eye inflammation is left untreated or not properly managed, vision loss and glaucoma (high eye pressures causing optic nerve damage) can result. With our treatment of strong steroid eye drops and pupil dilation drops she had relief from her eye pain within a short period of time. And at her next-day follow up the inflammation and redness had already subsided significantly with treatment. After continuing with treatment and allowing the inflammation to completely resolve, we referred her to see her GP for blood tests as anterior uveitis is a eye condition that has a strong association with other systemic inflammatory or autoimmune disorders. The take-home message from this case is that if you have a concern about your eye, please see an eye care professional who can make a sound clinical diagnosis and give you the treatment you need right away. Not all pink eyes are common conjunctivitis — if you have a painful (more than just an irritation) red or pink eye, light sensitivity or blurred vision you should see either a therapeutically-endorsed optometrist (an optometrist who is trained and qualified to prescribe medicines) or an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) without delay. And if you've been using an antibiotic eye drop such as Chlorsig for a pink eye but it doesn't show improvement, please seek further opinion for your eye promptly. For an after hours emergency or if you are unable to find a suitable eye care practitioner, the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital in East Melbourne would be the place to go. EYECARE CONCEPTS — THERAPEUTIC OPTOMETRIST — KEW EAST, MELBOURNE A pleasant young man was recommended by his mother to come for an eye check up with us recently. He had been seen within the last 3 years by another optometrist and has only a mild distance vision problem that he uses glasses for. The reason for his eye test was his concerns about some lid bumps and styes that he had seen his GP about several months ago but had still not been resolved with antibiotics that he was prescribed with. He had not noticed any vision changes and was still happy with his current glasses for driving. A comprehensive eye examination was carried out in our clinic, checking his vision, glasses prescription, thoroughly examining the front of his eyes in regards to the lid lumps and also a general eye health check. What was an entirely unexpected finding — and completely unrelated to his presenting issue — was his high eye pressures and potential changes to his optic nerves, indicative of early glaucoma. A visual field test — examining his peripheral (side) vision, which is implicated in glaucoma — thankfully did not detect any vision loss. He was promptly referred to a local ophthalmologist (eye specialist) who confirmed the glaucoma diagnosis and was treated with pressure-lowering glaucoma eye drops. By reducing his eye pressures to a lower and safer level, the risk of further long-term optic nerve damage and associated loss of peripheral vision is reduced. We will continue to monitor his eye health, eye pressures and vision for changes. What this case highlights is the importance of regular comprehensive eye tests for all. Everyone should be tested at least every 2 years regardless of whether one feels there is any change in eyesight or wears glasses or not. People over the age of 60, or has a family history of eye disease or additional general health risk factors such as diabetes, should be tested annually. Many eye conditions can develop without necessarily causing vision symptoms. For this young man — only in his early 40s (much younger than a typical glaucoma patient) — it was fortunate, in a sense, that because of his eyelid bumps that he came to see us for an eye examination. Otherwise he may not have had another eye check up for some time, and his high eye pressures could have led to some losses in his peripheral vision by that time. Eye care is much more than about glasses. If you haven't had your eyes checked for a while, book a comprehensive eye examination to ensure your eyes are healthy. And if you have any eye related concerns, see your friendly local optometrist right away — while GPs are fantastic at what they do for your general health, an optometrist is better placed to look at your eyes with our advanced eye diagnostic equipment. Comprehensive eye health checks here at Eyecare Concepts are bulk billed, so there are no out of pocket costs to you. Early detection is key to preventing vision loss. Case study published with patient's consent.
EYECARE CONCEPTS YOUR LOCAL EYE HEALTH EXPERT — KEW EAST, MELBOURNE How much to get my eyes tested?At Eyecare Concepts, we believe in providing the highest standards of professional eye care to everyone. That's why we have chosen to provide Medicare bulk billed eye tests for all patients. That means if you have a valid Medicare card, having a standard comprehensive eye test with us won't cost you anything out of pocket. What about the 1 eye test every 3 years rule?This is a common question and area of some confusion among patients. Several years ago the government introduced Medicare changes to rebate the full cost of a comprehensive eye test every 3 years (instead of every 2 years). What this means is Medicare pays the eye care practitioner a lesser fee if a patient has another eye test within the 3 year period, if the patient has no vision changes or new signs or symptoms. Some practices introduced private patient fees to cover the fee gap. It does not mean you should wait the full 3 years before having another eye test. We believe 3 years is far too long between eye tests, especially for children whose eyesight can change rapidly, and people over 60 who have a higher risk of developing eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration. Medicare will always pay the cost of an eye test when there is a clinical basis for the test — if you have noticed a change in your vision, if your glasses aren't working as effectively, if you have noticed any new symptoms at all (red eyes, sore eyes, halos, floaters, light flashes, headaches, visual disturbance, etc), or you have a recurrent or progressive eye condition or general health condition that can affect your sight — then you should have your eyes checked based on your need, regardless of when your last eye test was. Our eye test recommendations.These are our general recommendations for frequency of eye tests: · Age 3 to 20 — every year, or every 6 months if has noted progressive changes. · Age 21-60 — at least every 2 years, more often if has vision changes or concerns. · Age 40+ with family history of eye disease — every year. · Age 60+ — every year. · Contact lens wearers — every year. · Diabetes — every year for a dilated eye examination. * These are general guidelines and may vary depending on an individual's eye care needs. All standard eye tests at our practice are bulk billed when a clinical need exists. How long does an eye test take?At Eyecare Concepts, your eye care is always our number one priority. Unlike many mainstream optical shops that provide only 15-20 minutes (Medicare's minimum standard) of consultation time with the optometrist, we allocate at least 30 minutes for each comprehensive eye test, and 40 minutes for younger children, elderly patients and more complex cases. We spend more time with you to ensure every eye check is thorough and that we always provide you with the best, personalised eye care. And you, our valued client, can relax and not feel rushed. Quality of care is what we are known for. What tests are not covered by Medicare?Some types of eye tests are not covered by Medicare. Examples are contact lens fitting, tuition and aftercare consultations for a patient with a mild prescription (less than +5D of long-sightedness, -5D of short-sightedness or -3D of astigmatism). Where fees may be charged, we will discuss the costs with you prior to the consultation. Eye test cost without Medicare?For patients without Medicare, the cost of a comprehensive eye examination with us is $67. If you are an overseas student with health insurance cover (OSHC), you can usually claim a rebate for the eye test fee through your health insurance provider. Therapeutic OptometristA therapeutic optometrist differs from your regular optometrist who provides eye examination and prescribes vision corrective lenses. A therapeutic optometrist has undertaken additional training and study in the diagnosis and management of eye diseases, in ocular pharmacology, and in the treatment of eye conditions with Schedule 4 prescription-only medicines. Apart from regular eye tests for glasses and contact lenses and general eye health examination, a therapeutic optometrist is qualified to diagnose and initiate treatment for glaucoma (in co-management with an ophthalmologist), prescribe antibiotics and antiviral eye drops for eye infections and ulcers, medications to treat eye redness, inflammation, eye allergies, dry eye and contact lens-related infections, remove corneal foreign bodies, and use eye drops to help treat children with amblyopia (lazy eye). Most treatments prescribed by a therapeutic optometrist are available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). A therapeutic optometrist can do all the things a regular optometrist can do, plus a lot more.Ocular therapeutics has been part of an optometrist's training since the mid-2000s, and currently about 6 out of 10 optometrists in Victoria are therapeutic optometrists. The previous generations of optometrists are able to upgrade their qualifications to become endorsed in therapeutics by undertaking further post-graduate training, if they wish to. In addition, therapeutic optometrists are required to stay up-to-date with the latest in medical treatments in eye care with mandatory therapeutic-specific continuing education. This ensures that patients receive the best possible care and treatment for their eye conditions. Is your optometrist therapeutically endorsed?To find out whether an optometrist is endorsed in ocular therapeutics, you can search for the optometrist's credentials via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA): www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registers-of-Practitioners.aspx A therapeutic optometrist will have the following endorsement listed:
A regular, non-therapeutic optometrist will show the following notation:
For the best optometric care in relation to eye health and management of eye diseases, choose a therapeutic optometrist for your next eye test. Eyecare Concepts optometrists are endorsed in ocular therapeutics. EYECARE CONCEPTS — THERAPEUTIC OPTOMETRIST — KEW EAST, MELBOURNE
Has your child just started school or is about to start school? Have they recently had a school vision screening test that flagged potential areas of concern about their eyesight?
This is a good time to bring your child to see an optometrist for a comprehensive eyesight and eye health assessment. This will ensure your child has optimum vision for reading, learning and participating in all their school activities. Many children are unaware of blur, focusing difficulties or changes in their eyesight, and as many as 1 in 5 kids have undetected vision issues that can affect their learning and attention span. A detailed baseline eye test by the age of 5 is recommended even a child appears to have no eyesight-related symptoms or has passed a basic screening test by the school nurse. A child's eyesight can often change quickly as they grow and our baseline findings can help us predict potential changes before they occur. As a leading children's optometrist in the Kew, Kew East and Balwyn North area, we will thoroughly assess your child's eyesight and visual functions in readiness for them to start their primary schooling. Our spacious, full size consulting room was designed with kids in mind to make their eye test a fun and enjoyable one. With 40 minutes allocated for each consultation (compared to just 15-20 minutes at a typical retail optical store) it means we have time to do more tests and your child can relax and won't feel rushed. Our comprehensive children's eye test includes: · Sight test (letter chart and children's eye test chart are available). · Detection of any focusing issues (long-sightedness, short-sightedness, astigmatism). · Eye movement and eye tracking. · Binocular vision testing to check that both eyes are working well together as a team. · Stereo acuity (ability to see 3D). · Colour vision testing. · Eye health examination including digital retinal imaging. · A written report will be provided to you and your child's school. Ensure your child is ready for school - book a bulk billed eye test today. Eyecare Concepts Optometry — Family & Children's Optometrist in Kew East. A common question that we have had from parents is where can they buy 0.01% atropine eye drops? Low-dose atropine is a highly effective treatment strategy to slow short-sightedness progression in children and teenagers, with very low risks of side effects, and is one that we at Eyecare Concepts prescribe regularly as part of our SightControl program for myopia control. While regular-dose atropine eye drops (1% concentration) are readily available as a prescription medicine in pharmacies, this concentration is not commonly used for myopia control as the potential side effects and adverse reactions in the eye and also in the body are considered too high to be used long-term. 0.01% atropine eye drops are essentially a diluted formulation (1/100th concentration) of the regular 1% atropine, and at this very low concentration it is a much safer treatment for young children. This low-dose form is not currently commercially available in Australia — although there are whispers that some pharmaceutical companies are working to make this available in due course, such is the growing need for effective myopia control for children worldwide. At the present time 0.01% atropine is only available as a compounded medicine — that means it is formulated by a compounding chemist and bottled individually on order. The compounding chemist must also be one certified and suitably equipped to produce sterile bottles of eye drops, without risk of possible contamination that could lead to infection. Optometrists are, by Australian law, unable to dispense prescription-only eye drops directly to patients. GETTING A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOW-DOSE ATROPINEIn Australia, 0.01% atropine does NOT necessarily need to be prescribed by an eye specialist (an ophthalmologist). A therapeutically-endorsed optometrist with an interest in myopia control can prescribe this low-dose atropine treatment for your child. Please also note that if you have a prescription from overseas for a child already using low-dose atropine treatment for myopia control, you will need a new prescription issued in Australia to purchase the eye drops here, as overseas prescriptions cannot be accepted. As an experienced, therapeutically-endorsed optometrist with expertise in myopia control, our optometrist can assess your child's myopia, prescribe low-dose atropine treatment and manage his/her myopia progression without the need see an eye specialist first. We can even measure your child's eye length to monitor eye growth and progression. This is a bulk billing clinic and a referral is not required. COMPOUNDING CHEMISTSConveniently located near our Kew East practice, Pharmacy Smart Compounding in Balwyn (with another branch in East Melbourne) is a compounding chemist that we recommend to our local patients. Each bottle of eye drops, priced at around $36, has an expiry of 1 month after opening and an unopened shelf life of 3 months. A discount may be available for a dual pack (2 months of treatment). Occasionally they may have pre-made bottles in stock, otherwise a new bottle takes around 2 days to prepare. For patients outside of Melbourne we can give recommendations of interstate compounding pharmacies able to supply 0.01% atropine eye drops for postal delivery. Please contact our practice for further details. USING LOW-DOSE ATROPINE EYE DROPSLow-dose atropine eye drops are administered one drop per day, in each eye, at night before sleep. Your child's regular glasses and/or contact lenses are to be worn as usual to see. An initial one-month trial of the eye drops is recommended for children first starting treatment, to ensure the medication is well tolerated by your child and that there are no unexpected sensitivity or adverse events. While the medication is safe it is still a chemical agent going in your child's eyes. Some children report a very slight increase in glare sensitivity. After a successful first month, it may be more economical to purchase a bulk supply (2 to 6 months) at a time instead of single bottles. TREATMENT REVIEWS Children on low-dose atropine for myopia control need to be monitored on a regular basis. When we issue a prescription for atropine treatment we take on the responsibility of managing your child's myopia and eye health. We review children with myopia progression every 6 months and tailor their treatment according to their rate of progression. An increase of atropine dosage to 0.02% or 0.05% (also need to be compounded), or a change to another form of myopia control therapy, such as Ortho-K and MiSight lenses, or combination treatment, are sometimes required for kids who do not respond well to 0.01% atropine alone. Every child is different, and some children's myopia progression are more challenging to manage. Besides low-dose atropine, all other current evidence-based treatments for myopia control in children are available at Eyecare Concepts. You may also visit our myopia clinic's dedicated Myopia Clinic website for further information. If you have any questions about 0.01% atropine eye drops please call us on (03) 9819 7695, or click below to book a consultation for your child. EYECARE CONCEPTS
MELBOURNE MYOPIA CONTROL OPTOMETRIST — KEW · KEW EAST · BALWYN Updated 25/6/2018 We are delighted to the one of the first optometrists in Australia to be accredited to prescribe the new CooperVision MiSight 1 Day soft lens designed specifically to slow short-sightedness progression in children and teenagers.
Effective myopia control is now available in a safe, hygienic, daily disposable soft contact lens suitable for short-sighted children of all ages. This lens can reduce sight deterioration and myopia progression in children by around 50% - that means a -1.00 per year prescription increase can be halved to -0.50, significantly reducing the risk of developing high myopia (> -6.00) over time as the child grows up. We believe this lens is a game-changer in myopia management and we are excited to have this product made available to our patients, as another option in our SightControl program prescribed at our practice. |
AuthorPhilip Cheng - B.Optom (Melb) Ocular Therapeutics (GCOT). Optometrist at Eyecare Concepts Kew East, Melbourne. An experienced eye care & contact lens practitioner with expertise in myopia control & orthokeratology. Archives
August 2018
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