When I walked in to Specsavers for an eye exam last week, three things immediately hit me;
- I prioritise every other aspect of my health and wellbeing (and that of my family) over my own vision
- I had absolutely no idea why this was the case!
- I had absolutely no idea what constituted ‘good eye health’ or how this was measured
I’ve had my eyes checked twice in the past 10 years (it’s recommended you have them checked every TWO years fyi!) so was conscious that I’m long sighted, I should be wearing my prescription glasses when I’m reading or working online – so pretty much ALL day long! Have I been wearing my glasses? No. Would I have made my boys wear their glasses if they needed them? Yes.
So my reasons for visiting Specsavers were twofold. I was super keen to see how my vision was doing and it’s also World Glaucoma Awareness Month, about which I knew nothing! Sitting down with optometrist Maheep in the Albany store was the most interesting ‘health’ appointment I’d ever had and got me totally on board with spreading the word about the devastating and irreversible effects of glaucoma on vision.
After some preliminary tests (including one very strange one where air was puffed at my eyeballs!) I had a big chat with Maheep and got the scoop on why we ALL need to be glaucoma savvy.
What you need to know about glaucoma
Maheep dubbed glaucoma the “silent killer of vision” – how scary is that!
- Glaucoma is the #1 cause of preventable blindness in NZ
- Glaucoma has strong hereditary links – talk to your family about vision and blindness, find out if you’re potentially at risk
- Glaucoma results from the gradual deterioration of the optic nerve, narrowing vision from the periphery. This is why it’s nearly impossible to self-diagnose, there’s no way of noticing this as it happens!
- That strange test I experienced where air was puffed into my eyes? That was measuring the intraocular air pressure in my eyes which is an important risk factor in developing glaucoma. My left eye measured 11 and my right 13, both are within the normal range of 10-21. When pressure in the eye is too high, delicate structures in the eye get damaged.
- The progression of glaucoma can be halted with early detection and treatment. It’s a simple as applying eyedrops to reduce pressure within the eye!
I’m not generally very ‘proactive’ about my own health (though I definitely kid myself on this one lol), but I now feel like I’ve got a good handle on protecting my vision and that of my family’s. Once you know about glaucoma and the HUGE risk associated with it, you can’t unknow it. It’s not complicated, prevention just requires a biannual appointment to track any changes in your eyes.
Too easy!
So, the fun part of any eye exam is picking out frames! I’m fairly decisive and know what I like so was able to make some quick decisions but I can imagine this process taking ages for some people as the range at Specsavers is so huge!
Here’s what I picked out;
For my standard prescription I chose a rectangle frame from Tommy Hilfiger – clean lines with a preppy, nautical vibe. Shop them here
So excited about these, I’ve never had prescription sunglasses before. I chose a classic black Collette Dinnigan Frame with lace detail on the arms. Shop them here
Win!
Find your local Specsavers here (and maybe book an appointment for an eye exam : P ), come back and comment below with which store you would visit if are our winner who will receive a free eye exam and one pair of designer glasses from Specsavers! Amaze!
Competition closes Sunday 24 July, NZ residents only. Thanks so much Specsavers for sponsoring this post and spreading the word about Glaucoma!
Follow
