Category Archives: News

We all love spring. The days are warmer, gardens are waking up, there’s the wonderful aroma of Jasmine… but this also brings the irritation of pollen floating around in the air.  If your eyes become itchy, red, watery or irritated when the seasons change, you may be experiencing seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, commonly triggered by airborne allergens such as grass, weeds, flowers and tree pollen. And you're certainly not alone. Research has found that around 40% of people have reported experiencing at least one ocular symptom related to allergy in the previous 12 months.  Why do allergies affect your eyes?  When pollen makes contact with the surface of your eyes, your immune system may react by releasing inflammatory chemicals such as histamine. The result can be the familiar combination of itching,…

Why a white reflection in a child’s eye should never be ignored  Parents spend the better part of their children’s lives taking hundreds, sometimes thousands, of photos. We capture birthdays, holidays, milestones and everyday moments that become lifelong memories.  But what if one of those photos was trying to tell you something important about your child’s eyes?  A white, silver or golden reflection in a child’s pupil – not to be confused with red-eye caused by a flash - can sometimes be more than a camera effect. This reflection is called leukocoria, often referred to as “the glow.” While it can occasionally be caused by lighting or photography, it can also be an early warning sign of a number of serious childhood eye conditions, including some that can lead to…

For millions of people, contact lenses are part of everyday life. They’re convenient, discreet and are usually a simple solution to blurry vision.  But what many contact lens wearers may not realise is that lenses don’t just correct vision. They also change the environment of the eye in subtle ways that can affect comfort, dryness and long-term eye health.  If you’ve been wearing contact lenses for years, this article will help you understand what’s happening on the surface of your eyes and why regular eye examinations matter, even when your vision seems perfectly fine.    1. Your cornea needs oxygen One of the most important things that contact lens wearers often don’t know about is that your cornea gets its oxygen directly from the air.  Unlike most tissues in the…

How donor corneal tissue is helping preserve vision when other treatments aren't enough  When most people think about eye health, they think about eye tests, glasses, contact lenses or laser eye surgery. Few have heard of Keratoconus, and even fewer know about one of the latest advances in the treatment of advanced Keratoconus, namely CAIRS.  Yet for people living with Keratoconus and feeling like they're at the end of the line when it comes to minimally invasive treatment options, this innovative procedure is offering renewed hope by improving the shape and stability of the cornea while potentially delaying, or even avoiding, the need for a corneal transplant.  So, what exactly is CAIRS, and where does it fit into the journey of treating Keratoconus?    First things first: What is Keratoconus?  The cornea is the…

Dry eye may sound like a minor infliction but anyone who has lived with chronic dry eye knows it can quietly take over daily life. Eyes burn. Vision fluctuates. Screens become exhausting. Wind feels aggressive. Contact lenses become unbearable. Some people wake up feeling as though their eyelids are lined with sandpaper.   And then there’s the question or interesting contradiction that needs answering: Why does severe dry eye cause the eyes to water constantly?  For people who have tried “every eye drop under the sun” without much relief, one treatment is drawing increasing attention for a very simple reason: it works differently.  The eye-drop treatment is called autologous serum tears, or serum tears for short. And unlike ordinary lubricating drops, they’re made from something your body already knows intimately... your own blood.    So, what exactly are serum tears?  Serum tears are specialised eye drops created from a patient’s own blood serum, the…