Welcome to JS Eyecare

Welcome to our website. We have been trading in Cornwall since 2004 and now have two branches, Redruth and Camelford. We offer a professional, friendly and welcoming service to all our clients. We supply an NHS service as well as private.

With special offers to match the high street chains, we believe that we have the pride in our service to help you feel comfortable and satisfied with our products.
Our eye examinations are always carried out in a professional and friendly manner with all staff making sure that every patient fully understands the outcome of the examination.
On the occasions that new spectacles are required the Optometrist will discuss the benefits of various frame and lens options as to which type would be most suitable for each individual's lifestyle.
In the event that the patient follows on from the eye examination with a contact lens consultation this would also be carried out by staff that are qualified to fit contact lens and we continuously stride to keep up with the latest developments in a rapidly changing sphere within Optics.

The importance of eye care

Your eyesight is your most precious sense and deserves the highest standards of professional care. Without good vision it is difficult to enjoy most everyday activities, including reading, driving and watching TV. Poor sight may also indicate the presence of potentially serious eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration, or general health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.
Because eye conditions often develop slowly, you may not notice any initial symptoms. That is why it is essential to have your eyes examined regularly by an optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner. The sooner any problem is detected, the greater the chance of it being treated successfully.

If you have any concerns about your vision, you should contact us immediately. We provide quality eyecare and will always take as much time as necessary to examine your eyes thoroughly and answer any questions you may have.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the name for a group of diseases that can lead to damage of the eyes optic nerve and result in blindness. In the UK, about one per cent of people over 40, and about five per cent of people over 65 develop glaucoma. But through early detection and with proper treatment, satisfactory sight can usually be preserved indefinitely. Call into the surgery today for a check up.

Diabetics

Estimates suggest that nearly one person in twenty-five in the UK is affected by diabetes mellitus, a condition which means that, due to a lack of insulin, the body cannot cope normally with sugar and other carbohydrates in the diet.

Diabetes can start in childhood, but more often begins in later life. It can cause complications which affect different parts of the body, the eye being one of them. There are two different types of diabetes mellitus:

  • Type 1 diabetes, which can also be referred to as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). This type of diabetes commonly occurs before the age of 30 and is the result of the body producing little or no insulin. Type 1 is controlled by insulin injections.
  • Type 2 diabetes, which can also be referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). This type of diabetes commonly occurs after the age of 40. In this type of diabetes the body does produce some insulin, although the amount is either not sufficient or the body is not able to make proper use of it.

Type 2 diabetes is generally controlled by diet or tablets, although some people in this group will use insulin injections.

Why annual eye examinations are important

If you have diabetes this does not necessarily mean that your sight will be affected, but there is a higher risk. If your diabetes is well controlled then you are less likely to have problems, or they may be less serious. However, if there are complications that affect the eyes then this may result in loss of sight.

Most sight loss due to diabetes can be prevented, but it is vital that it is diagnosed early. This can only be detected by a detailed examination of the eye. Therefore, regular, annual eye examinations are extremely important, as you may not realise that there is anything wrong with your eyes until it is too late.

How the eye worksA cross section of the eye

In understanding how diabetes can affect the eye, it is worth looking at how the eye works.

Your eye has a lens and an aperture (opening) at the front known as the pupil, which adjust to bring objects into focus on the retina at the back of the eye. The retina is made up of a delicate tissue that is sensitive to light, rather like the film in a camera. It also contains a fine network of small blood vessels.

At the centre of the retina is the macula, which is a small area about the size of a pinhead. This is the most highly specialised part of the retina and is vital because it allows you to see fine detail for activities such as reading and writing and also to recognise colours. The other parts of the retina give you side vision (peripheral vision). Filling the space in front of the retina is a clear jelly-like substance called the vitreous gel.

How can diabetes affect the eye?

Diabetes can affect the eye in a number of ways. The most serious eye condition associated with diabetes involves the retina, and, more specifically, the network of blood vessels lying within it. The name of this condition is diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is usually graded according to how severe it is. The three main stages are described below.

Background diabetic retinopathy

This condition is very common in people who have had diabetes for a long time. Your vision will be normal with no threat to your sight.

At this stage the blood vessels in the retina are only very mildly affected, they may bulge slightly (microaneurysm) and may leak blood (haemorrhages) or fluid (exudates). The macula area of the retina mentioned earlier remains unaffected.

Call one of our branches if you are unsure how it may affect you.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

AMD is a common eye disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Central vision is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving. In some people, AMD advances so slowly that it will have little effect on their vision as they age. But in others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in one or both eyes.

Types

AMD occurs in two forms. Wet (vascular) and dry (atrophic). Although only ten percent of all people with AMD have wet AMD, it is responsible for the vast majority of severe, AMD-related vision losses. As dry AMD worsens, new blood vessels may begin to grow and cause wet AMD. Because these new blood vessels tend to be very fragile, they will often leak blood and fluid under the macula. This causes rapid damage to the macula that can lead to the loss of central vision in a short period of time.

Dry AMD affects the other ninety percent of cases. The earliest sign of dry AMD is the development of waste material deposits, called drusen, that appear as tiny orange or yellow dots among the retinal pigment epithelial cells. These deposits are initially tiny and few in number, but they may grow larger and become more numerous. Scientists are still not sure what causes dry AMD. Studies suggest that an area of the retina becomes diseased, leading to the slow breakdown of the light-sensing cells in the macula and a gradual loss of central vision.

Causes

Most cases of macular degeneration are age-related, meaning older people are more likely to have it. Risk factors include: being white or female, having a family member with AMD, smoking, high blood pressure, farsightedness and obesity. The exact causes are still unknown. Because the condition often runs in families, AMD may be hereditary.

Symptoms

The main symptom is central vision loss, which is gradual in dry AMD and sudden in wet AMD. Other symptoms include blurry or fuzzy vision, dark spots in the center of vision, difficulty reading or performing detail work; and seeing straight lines as wavy or bent.

Treatments

No treatment currently exists for dry AMD. It has been suggested that taking certain extra vitamins and minerals may slow the progress of the disease. But this treatment needs much more research before scientists can know for sure if it's helpful.

Call one of our branches if you are unsure how it may affect you.