JulEYE

Jacinta Spurrett is the CEO of The Eye Foundation. Her five minutes start now…

What have been some of the most inspiring moments of this years JulEYE? 

We have been overwhelmed by the amount of people who have embraced JulEYE.

The donations from the general public and the national media coverage we have received has also been phenomenal. It’s support such as this that inspires the staff at The Eye Foundation to be able to keep up their quest to fundraise and support research into finding cures and preventative measures to help every person in our region be able to see.

What have been some of the highlights you’ve been involved in working at The Eye Foundation?

Being able to garner the donations required to distribute to our three national medical eye health research projects (which study glaucoma, retinal disease and rarer eye diseases) has been fulfilling. We have also been thrilled with the expansion of our programs into overseas development work in particular in regional Myanmar and East Timor. Our new Kimberley Diabetic Eye Care Program will deliver improved patient delivery services across the top end of Western Australia not to mention our training and education programs for younger Drs and Fellows.

Developing the ‘black spot’ campaign was also a highlight. Developed by Ogilvy & Mather Sydney we were thrilled with this execution as something the general public could identify with and of course it gave us legs to promote our organisation’s key messages at a much higher level with greater volume.

When julEYE is over, how can people continue to get involved?

We encourage all Australians to keep eye health top-of-mind all the time. Your eyesight cannot be restored once permanent damage is done. Seek an eye test at least every two years, eat green leafy veggies, wear sunglasses with proper UV protection, wear goggles when engaging in more dangerous activity such as mowing lawns at home, etc. Keep The Eye Foundation in mind when making charitable donations. Any donation you make to The Eye Foundation cannot be underestimated.

How do people become involved with JulEYE and The Eye Foundation? 

To save your eyesight and to get involved in JulEYE/The Eye Foundation’s invaluable work – all you need to do is get your eyes checked during the month of JulEYE each year and/or make a donation to The Eye Foundation’s extensive medical research work in the hope that future vision loss can be prevented or treated with new and improved treatments.

We wanted to give you the last word for this JulEYE — what’s your message?

Please take care of your family’s eyes. Eyes are just so important. Thank you for supporting JulEYE 2011.

You can read this and other inspiring stories at our blog: eyesiteblog.com 

It can happen at home, at work or at play – every year more than 125,000 cases of physical eye injury are reported in emergency departments across Australia. The good news is that 90% of all eye injuries are easily preventable, so it’s simply a matter of identifying the most common causes – such as sporting injuries, foreign bodies in the eye or lifestyle factors – and knowing how to protect against them. After all, you’ve only got one pair!

Here are the Top 5 ways to keep your eyes in tip top shape.

1:Cover up

They say the future’s so bright you’ve gotta wear shades, but glasses and safety goggles can provide much more than instant cool factor. Sunglasses with proper UV protection can save your eyes from the sun’s damaging UV rays, so they should be an essential part of your slip, slop, slap routine. Look for sunglasses that block out 99-100% of both UVFA and UVFB rays – there’s usually a label on each pair. Around the house, make sure you wear safety goggles whenever you’re doing home handyman jobs or operating tools.

2:Maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for lots of reasons, but did you know it’s crucial for eye health as well? People who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk of developing diabetes, a chronic condition in which the body cannot produce insulin properly. This in turn can cause progressive damage to the eye’s retina, known as diabetic retinopathy. There are usually no symptoms in its early stages but left untreated it can lead to severe vision loss and blindness.

3: Stop smoking

Thankfully it’s becoming a thing of the past, but many of us have experienced that feeling of dry, scratchy eyes after spending time in a smoky bar or club. Not only is cigarette smoke an irritant on our delicate eye tissue, but smoking itself also kills healthy cells and can make you more susceptible to developing eye diseases.

4: Eat your greens

Everyone knows that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables provides your body with lots of important vitamins and nutrients but it can also help  keep your eyes healthy. Next time you’re at the supermarket or green grocer, pick up some dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and yellow vegetables like pumpkin and carrot. Fish containing Omega 3 fatty acids like salmon and tuna, or nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts, are also great additions to an eye-friendly diet.

5: Get regular eye tests.

Many eye diseases and conditions are entirely treatable if caught early, so regular eye tests are your best defense against them. The Eye Foundation recommends you get your eyes tested every two years.

Fiona McCallum shares her first-hand account on  the importance of have your children’s eyes tested regularly.

Her five minutes start now….

1: How has your child’s eyesight been affected?

Mia has a lazy eye, or amblyopia. Her right eye is affected, and prior to diagnosis she would not have been able to read the largest letter on an eye chart – she was essentially legally blind in her right eye.

2: Before this, did you realise that children should have their eyes checked as often as the research shows?

I had not realised that you should have children’s eyes tested quite so frequently–- I suppose I held the belief that there would be some sign that there was a problem with your child’s sight. That was not the case with Mia. Even though Mia’s sight was so poor in her right eye, this was only detected through the StEPs eye-screening program at kindergarten. Mia had been struggling emotionally and socially at kindy – she just didn’t seem happy. We put it down to the fact that she is a quiet little girl. I had also noticed that she would trip or stumble occasionally, but I put this down to gross motor development, and that this would mature with time. When she was diagnosed and we realised the issue, we noticed the very small things – she always wanted to sit in the middle of the couch to watch the TV and she tilted her head to the right just ever-so slightly – this, we would never have noticed.

3: How has Mia’s condition improved since seeing a professional?

Mia has now had glasses for two years and she has worn a patch two hours per day for two years. With her glasses, she can now read the third smallest line on the eye chart. It’s fortunate that she had the eye test. We are incredibly lucky Mia’s eye condition was detected before it was too late to address the damage – we understand that had this gone undetected, there would have been nothing we could have done by the time she reached the age of 8 or 9 years. This is really scary when you consider that she would have relied on sight from only her left eye and indeed that if anything ever damaged her sight in that eye, she would have been legally blind. Mia adjusted to wearing her glasses and the patching extraordinarily well – very quickly her confidence developed and her interactions with other kids and adults improved. 

Mia is now six years old and has been wearing glasses for a year. Her eyesight is improving. Her whole world changed. She’s now at school, happy, and taking great interest in learning.

4:What would you advise other parents to look for with their kids?

This is a really difficult question to answer and a really easy one at the same time – I now understand that children rarely complain about eye problems. Mia did not ever complain about her sight or an eye problem and there were no real obvious signs. I firmly believe the only way to be sure about your child’s sight is to have regular tests. This was absolutely true in Mia’s case and it was abundantly clear that she had a sight problem when her “good eye” was covered during the eye test.

5: What would be your message for people on why it’s important to support children with regular eye tests?

You just never know with your child’s eyesight – the only way to be certain is to have an eye test. In Mia’s case, if we had skipped the eye test, she would have struggled at school and more importantly, if the problem had gone undetected, she would have remained legally blind in her right eye.

From check-ups to playground injuries to coughs and colds, there is plenty to think about when it comes to your child’s health. Surprisingly, research has shown that only nine per cent of Australian parents believe that their child’s eyesight is the most important aspect of their health, even though it can have a direct impact on their learning and development from a very early age.

Here are the Top 5 things you need to know about caring for your child’s eyesight…

1: For decades children have been chomping on carrots in the hope that they’ll help them see in the dark but there is actually a link between healthy eating and your child’s eyesight. A balanced, nutritious diet rich in fruit and vegetables will help keep your child’s eyes healthy. In particular, go for dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and yellow vegetables such as pumpkin and – of course – carrots. How you get them to eat it is up to you!

2: Everyone knows how important it is to ‘slip, slop, slap’ to protect our skin against the harsh Australian sun but sun safety is crucial for our eyes as well. Make sure that your child always wears a broad-brimmed hat when playing outside to reduce the amount of UV reaching your child’s eyes by up to half. Even better, get them to accessorise their hat with a pair of sunglasses to further protect their eyes from damaging UV rays.

3: Sporting injuries are an inevitable part of childhood and most of us can remember getting walloped in the face with a tennis ball or netball at some time or another. While most injuries heal within a few days, an eye injury can be much more permanent.

4: Unlike when a sibling pulls their hair or they fall off the swings at the park, children are unlikely to let their parents know about vision problems, so it’s important to know what symptoms to look out for. Warning signs include rubbing their eyes when they’re not tired, poor hand-eye coordination, lack of concentration, avoiding activities like drawing which are done close to the face, squinting to see things, sitting close to the TV and complaining of headaches or blurred vision.

5: Prevention is better than cure, so early detection and treatment is vital when it comes to your child’s vision. The first eight years of a child’s life are critical for eye development, and if problems aren’t picked up during this time the damage can be permanent. Health professionals recommend that you have your child’s eyes tested once every two years to make sure any issues are identified before they become serious.

Natalie is 12 years old and has Keratoconus, a thinning of the central zone of the cornea. As a result, the normally round shape of the cornea is distorted and a cone-like bulge develops, leading to significant visual impairment. Natalie’s mother Virginia has the same condition but it came on later in life. This is their story.

Natalie Dignan, 12. I first realised my eyes were being funny at school when I couldn’t see the board anymore. It was doing strange things and I thought that maybe it wasn’t meant to look like that.

One day I was practicing my spelling after school and mum told me I had spelled one of the words incorrectly. I said it couldn’t be wrong because I’d copied it straight down from the board. We realised I wasn’t seeing the board properly so mum took me to have my eyes tested.

After the eye test I was taken to see a specialist who told me I had Keratoconus. Sometimes my eyes go full on blurry and I can’t see things but other times I can see alright. I don’t find it upsetting anymore but it was quite frightening at the beginning because I was only 11.

My friends don’t find it as scary as people might think. That’s why it’s good for other people to realise you shouldn’t be scared to get your eyes checked. Sometimes people are surprised because they don’t pick up that I have eye issues and that I might not see things like they do. That’s kind of the only reaction, it’s more surprise than anything else.

It has affected my schooling, though. Not being able to see as well and not being able to see the board meant I used to be a bit shy to ask questions. Now I am used to asking so I can get on with my schoolwork, but at the beginning it was really hard.

When my eyes began to go blurry I went straight to my mum, so my advice to other kids is that they should tell their parents if they think something is wrong. It’s also important to get your eyes checked regularly.

Virginia Dignan, Natalie’s mother.

Natalie’s diagnosis was a bit scary at first, I suppose. Even though I have the same disease, I was diagnosed much later and it wasn’t as progressive. I was worried about what it meant but now, having gone down the road of seeing specialists and working through it, the bottom line is that she isn’t going to go blind.

Natalie has already had surgery in one eye, which so far is proving to be successful and is slowing down the disease in that eye. She is also scheduled to have the other eye operated on very soon. Her eyesight is never going to be perfect but they are coming up with new solutions all the time. It’s just trying to stop it.

It’s also the fear of the unknown. You ask anyone with glasses what their problem is and nine times out of 10 they don’t know. Eyes seem to be one of those things that people don’t really understand or talk about. There are advertising campaigns for cataracts and things but a lot of the other ones people don’t even know about.

If you have kids, get their eyes checked. Just do it. Natalie’s eyes had been checked two years before and there wasn’t anything wrong at all, there wasn’t an issue. Two years later, we were lucky we caught it because it didn’t show up the first time. It’s just that quick.

People need to see it like going to the dentist. It can seem scary but you need to do it, at the very minimum through their primary school years. If you don’t pick it up they could miss out on so much.

Dr Angus Turner is the Head of Indigenous and Remote Eye Health Unit at Lions Eye Institute and Assoc. Prof. at the University of Western Australia.  His five minutes start now…

How did you come to be an ophthalmologist?

I’ve been in Perth for two years. It’s my hometown, where I went to medical school – but I then went and trained in England and Melbourne. I returned to follow my main interest, remote and rural ophthalmology.

I always wanted to go on as many bush trips as possible, and the Kimberley and the Pilbara are spectacular parts of the world, but there are a lot of remote areas, which means it can be tricky for people to get regular eye check-ups.

What are some of the challenges?
The trick is getting access to eye health services. It’s a lot of very small communities spread over a very wide area, so trying to provide a service is difficult. You don’t need someone here full-time, but you still do need to have it available.

How does eye care differ for people in rural areas?
When people are faced with emergency eye problems in the city, they just wander into a hospital. But out here, people just don’t have that. So often they don’t get the help they need.

Also there is quite a large indigenous population there. Sometimes people of indigenous background are not aware of certain things needing to be screened differently, particularly where diabetes is concerned.

How does diabetes play into this?
With diabetes, everyone needs a check every two years. But with indigenous people, it’s every year because it seems to digress quite quickly.

In an ideal world, patients would be able to turn up for other health problems and opportunistically, they would be able to be checked for diabetes. However, because of the remoteness of the area, that’s often not the case.

Ophthalmologist Margie O’Neil  has been working up there for more than 10 years, visiting small communities and coordinating other ophthalmologists.

In WA they are building a type of camera that can be used in remote locations to take photos of the retina, which can then be sent into the city for screening. So another factor for us, is working out how that information is read and distributed.

What would be your message?
Diabetes can affect the eyes, but can be prevented with early and regular screening. To ensure that good access to screening is available, we are trying to improve the services through efficiency and coordination. To do this we need the support of the Aboriginal health clinics, ophthalmologists and the eye specialists. The general public can also contribute by supporting JulEYE and spreading the word of the importance of eye health and having your eyes checked regularly.

When people think of diabetes they often think of insulin and blood sugar, but many don’t realise the significant impacts it can have on the eye. Along with cardiovascular disease and renal failure, retinal damage can be one of the long-term complications of diabetes. The good news is that more than 90% of diabetes-related vision loss is preventable and treatable. To help fill in the gaps, here’s five things you might not have known about diabetes and the eye.

1: What It Is ?

Diabetic retinopathy is progressive damage to the retina caused by complications of diabetes, in which the blood vessels at the back of the eyes swell and leak fluid. It often has no early symptoms but many people experience blurred vision to begin with.

2:What Causes It ?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body is producing little or no insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the body to convert glucose (sugar) to energy. The result is abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood, which affects the eye because its small blood vessels are especially vulnerable to poor blood sugar control. Excess glucose can damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina, leading to diabetic retinopathy or macular edema.

How Many People Suffer From It ?

Diabetes sufferers are 25 times more likely than the general population to develop vision loss. Of the 1.2 million Australians diagnosed with diabetes, around one in six are affected by diabetic retinopathy. It is the most common cause of blindness in Australians under the age of 60, and accounts for 10 per cent of all blindness in Australia. Despite these statistics, nearly 40 per cent of Australians living with diabetes neglect regular eye examinations, with more than a third admitting to never having had their eyes tested.

4: How Difficult It Can Be To Detect ?

In its early stages, there are usually no warning signs for diabetic retinopathy. Many patients do not exhibit symptoms until more than five years after diagnosis. By the time deterioration becomes noticeable it may be too late to reverse the damage, however much of the vision loss that people experience from diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with early detection and treatment.

5: How It Is Treated ?

Laser surgery seals leaking blood vessels. However prevention is always better than cure, so health professionals recommend regular eye exams to detect any deterioration before permanent damage is caused.

References: The Eye Foundation Diabetes Release & website.