You won’t always notice early signs of eye disease: A warning to Australians

A regular eye exam could save your sight

The Facts around Eye health in Australia don’t lie:

• Every 65 minutes an Australian loses part or all of their vision^
• 42%* of people wait until their eyes deteriorate before having their vision and eye health examined
• In a recent Australian study, over 50% of participants found to have an eye condition did not know they had one prior to taking part in the survey
• 1 in 5 children suffers from an undetected vision problem and awareness around children’s eye health is low

 
Tamborine Mountain Optometrists is launching the ‘If you can’t see clearly, nothing is wrong. Right?’ Preventive Eyecare campaign to urge people to safeguard themselves and their families against preventable vision loss with an eyes test every 3 years, or every 12 months if over 65 years old.
​
Nicky Carr from Tamborine Mountain Optometrists said ‘the main reason someone visits an optometrist today is that they experience a deterioration in their vision. Many symptoms of eye disease are silent, so it is really important that Australians don’t wait until they experience a change in their vision before seeing their local optometrist.’

As part of the campaign, Tamborine Mountain Optometrists are highlighting that taking 40 minutes today may just save your sight tomorrow, because 40 minutes is all it takes for the team at Tamborine Mountain Optometrists to provide a holistic 360° comprehensive eye consultation. This consultation is the main weapon against avoidable vision loss and blindness by picking up early signs of eye disease so it can be diagnosed and treated.  

A 360° eye consultation not only includes an evaluation of the sharpness of your vision, but also an in-depth look into the internal and external health of your eyes to check for signs of eye disease, UV damage and other general health conditions. ‘We place an emphasis on our patients’ overall health and well-being, by looking at their diet and lifestyle as well, so that we can prescribe the most tailored eyewear solutions for maintaining healthy eyes and vision’ says Nicky.

Tamborine Mountain Optometrists has been operating on Tamborine Mountain for more than 19 years. The team has more than 58 years’ experience and is passionate about delivering the best possible eye care to the community. They can be contacted on 5545 0277 and are located at North Tamborine Shopping Square at 17-27 Main Western Road.

The facts and figures in this release are sourced from research conducted by: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW); Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2011–12 National Health Survey (NHS); Line of Sight  blueprint by Optometry Australia; Vision Australia; www.aihw.gov.au/hospitals/surgery-2010-11; www.visioneyeinstitute.com.au/article/facts-eye-health-australia/; ^ Ranzco Eye Foundation *ProVision Consumer Study, 2016 #NEHS 2016.