About Your Eye Examination

Tim Duffy Optometrist has invested heavily in world class diagnostic equipment to ensure that we are providing you with the highest level of eye care possible. We recommend a comprehensive eye examination for all patients at least every two years. More frequent eye examinations are recommended for patients with particular needs. No referral is necessary.

What to bring to your consultation:

• Your Medicare card or Veteran Affairs card. We will bulk bill your consultation directly  to Medicare or Veteran Affairs if you are eligible.
• Your Health Fund membership card if you have optical cover. We are able to make direct claims for your optical benefits from most health funds.
• Cash/ Cheque/ credit or savings card. A 75% deposit is required when ordering spectacles. To provide you with the best possible eyecare your optometrist may recommend additional services or scans that are not covered by Medicare. Payment for any non-Medicare services and scans is required on the day of your consultation.
• A list of any medications you are taking.
• Any information you may have about any family history of eye disease or health conditions that affect the eyes.
• Current spectacles, prescription sunglasses or contact lenses.
• The name of any contact lens solutions you use if you wear contact lenses.
• Sunglasses. Dilating eye drops are sometimes used during consultations and you will be glare sensitive for a few hours after.

What to expect upon your arrival:

• We will ask you for your contact details and other important information such as your medicare number, the name of your doctor and the name of your health fund if you have private health insurance with optical cover.
• During your consultation your optometrist will ask you about your personal medical and ocular history as well as any relevant family medical or ocular history. This information is important for us to be able to provide you with the best possible eyecare and advice.

Pre-testing

• One of our trained staff may perform some pre-tests before the start of your consultation with your optometrist.
• These pre-tests are painless and take only a few minutes to complete.
• They include an estimate of your prescription and wide field retinal photography.

Behavioural Optometry

A behavioural optometrist is an optometrist who is an expert in the development of vision.  In some cases a behavioural optometrist is required to determine why a child is having difficulty understanding and remembering information presented to them visually.

Having ‘perfect’ 20/20 or 6/6 vision and eye co-ordination skills does not always mean a child will learn to read, write, spell and learn perfectly. Information from the eyes may be sharp and accurate but it then needs to be decoded and encoded by the brain. This decoding and encoding is called visual processing. If visual processing is underdeveloped then learning will be affected, as 80% of information in a classroom is presented visually.

Some examples of visual processing problems:

• Poor handwriting may indicate underdeveloped visual motor integration
• Confusion of ‘b,d,p,q,2,5,s’ may indicate underdeveloped visual perception, left-right awareness and visual memory
• Difficulty remembering sight words may indicate underdeveloped visual memory
• Poor spelling may indicate underdeveloped visual sequencing and memory
• Difficulty sounding written words out may indicate a problem with visual auditory integration.

Developmental visual processing testing may be performed by one of our behavioural optometrists. This will test for visual processing areas that may be underdeveloped for your child’s age. Following this a program to target the underdeveloped areas may be commenced.

Contact Lens Assessment

Have you ever considered wearing contact lenses instead of glasses everyday?

Almost every spectacle wearer can now wear contact lenses, including multifocal wearers, bifocal wearers and even if you just need a reading correction.

Contact lenses are designed to improve vision. The conditions that can be corrected with them include:

• Short sightedness- Blurred distance vision
• Long sightedness- Blurred or strained vision
• Astigmatism- Visual distortion
• Presbyopia- Blurred near vision that occurs when we age

There are two main types of contact lenses:

Soft:

Soft Contact lenses are often made from hydrogels, sometimes with a silicone addition. Hydrogels are part water and part plastic. This structure allows oxygen to pass through the contact lens easily in to the cornea and also allows it to be soft, flexible and comfortable. Soft lenses are the most commonly used contact lens, suitable for indoor and outdoor use, active lifestyles and people with sensitive eyes.

Rigid:

Rigid lenses are made from plastics which are less flexible then the soft lenses. They are more durable and resistant to deposit build up and generally give clearer, crisp vision. They are easier to handle and less likely to tear.

If you are interested in wearing contact lenses, you will first need a consultation with an Optometrist. During his consultation, your vision and eyes will be assessed so that you can be fitted to the most comfortable and suitable contact lens for your eyes.

Medicare rebates are only available for those clients who fit the criteria for contact lens wear. (As defined by Medicare). Please speak with our staff for further information on this consultation.

Colorimetry

Many adults and children suffer from visual discomfort when reading or using computer screens due to the glare. These people have reduced reading fluency, comprehension and early fatigue. This is known as ‘visual stress’ or ‘Meares-Irlen Syndrome’ and may be treated with coloured lenses.

Some symptoms of visual stress:

• Words on a page move or change shape
• Patterns are visible in text, sometimes described as ‘rivers’ through text
• Blurring of print
• Tiring easily with low comprehension and concentration

Coloured lenses or overlays are well established to assist individuals affected by visual stress.  Around 5% of the population is severely affected by visual stress and 20% to a lesser degree. Through the use of a coloured lens/overlay, the contrast between letters and their background is changed, reducing the glare visible on screens or bookwork.

Colourimetry is a technique used to determine a specific lens colour for reducing visual stress. Colourimetry testing is performed with the aid of the Cerium colour machine by one of our qualified optometrists. Not all patients with vision difficulties need colourimetry. In fact colourimetry is not performed in a general initial consultation, it is often in a secondary consultation where colourimetry will be performed if necessary for you.

Children’s Vision

As a parent or guardian, you may wonder when your child should have their eyes examined. Without an eye check vision disorders are often undiagnosed. Children do not always report that they are having difficulty, as they think everyone else sees the same as them. In fact, 5-10% of preschoolers and 1 in 5 school aged children are known to have vision problems. This interferes with their learning and attention in the classroom, ultimately putting them behind their peers.

A first vision check with our qualified optometrists should occur when the child is 6 months of age. This is to check that there is no eye turn or high prescription that may interfere with your child’s eyes or learning development. It is also to check that the retina (the light-sensing tissue of the eye) is normal.

If this early check is normal, another check should be performed at 3 years of age and then again before year 1.

Children need to have effective and efficient eye skills to learn at school. Given that 80% of information that is presented during learning is presented visually, their eyes sure do get a work out! For reading and learning the eyes must work well as a team, focus quickly from distance to near and back again, sustain focus for reading books and move smoothly to read along a line. If any of these vision tasks are under-developed a child can spend more time trying to see rather than trying to learn. Early intervention gives the best chance for success.

CASA Testing

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) have entered into a relationship with Optometry Australia, so they may be able to conduct vision and eye examinations for the purposes of pilot training.

Dr Tim Duffy is certified by CASA for this examination.

For further details on requirements for this testing, please contact our office.

Equipment

Optos

The Optos machine is the latest technology in digital retinal imaging. It captures 200° of the retina. Most Optometrists only have retinal cameras that capture 45°. Our new technology allows for a much greater area of the retina to be captured in one single image. The image is displayed on a high resolution monitor that can be used to detect the earliest stages of retinal change.

Macula degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachments and diabetic retinopathy are just a few of the common eye disease that the imaging system is helpful in identifying and tracking overtime.

The Optos image is a part of every eye examination, and will be taken on each visit to ensure any changes to your eyes can be identified.

We offer the very latest in technology to give our patients the best possible service. To avoid travelling to bigger towns, we can provide much of the testing here.

Visual Field Testing

Visual field testing (also known as computerised perimetry examination) provides the Optometrist with specific information about the status of your eye health.

It helps determine where your side vision (peripheral vision) begins and ends and how well you can see objects in your peripheral vision. This test is often done when there is a suspicion of the eye disease Glaucoma.

You will be required to have this test done if your Optometrist has any concerns.

This testing is Medicare bulk billed.

Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a powerful non-invasive diagnostic imaging technology. It provides our Optometrists with invaluable information about the health of the retina and aids diagnosis for retinal disease and glaucoma.

The OCT can also detect and monitor a range of macular conditions including macular degeneration, diabetic retinal disease oedema and glaucoma.

This test is NOT a Medicare claimable service and there will be a cost involved. Please speak with our team for costs involved.