Author: Andy Willmott

As you age, eye diseases become a lot more common. As many common eye diseases are age-related. In this blog post, we will be discussing the most common types of eye diseases, their symptoms, and how they are treated. If you think you have an eye condition, then it’s very important to visit your local optician where you can have your symptoms checked out. 

Looking after your eyes as you age is vital to their health. Remember to always protect your eyes from the sun, digital screens, and incorporate nutritious food into your diet. If you do all these things as well as regularly visit your local optician, then you may improve your eye health and may even help prevent the development of certain eye conditions. 

With that being said, let’s delve into the most common eye diseases.

1. Cataracts 

Cataracts occur when the lens of your eye becomes cloudy, making it difficult to see. This happens largely due to age. Cataracts are one of the most common eye diseases, with an estimated 30% of people over the age of 65 having at least one. There is also a chance that you can develop cataracts in both eyes too. 

Luckily, there is a surgery that those with cataracts can have. The risks are minimal, and the surgery helps the patient see much more clearly after they have recovered. 

2. Glaucoma  

This eye disease occurs when there is damage done to the optic nerve. The cause of this is usually when there is too much intraocular pressure within the eye. The main symptom of this is blurred vision and seeing rings in your vision, headaches, and tenderness near your eyes. 

Glaucoma is often age-related, and there are other factors such as family history and ethnicity that can play a part in its development. 

3. Age-related macular degeneration 

AMD for short, age-related macular degeneration is an eye disease that involves your central vision becoming blurred. The macular is responsible for your central vision (your ability to see clearly straight ahead), so when the macular becomes damaged, it can result in your vision becoming blurred and dark spots appearing.

AMD is largely due to age, however, smoking, family history, and being overweight could all contribute to the cause of this eye condition.

Here at R Woodfall, our teams of professional opticians in our practices can help diagnose and catch any eye conditions you may have. With advanced technology, our opticians can examine your symptoms and check for any potential problems. If you’re experiencing any symptoms or simply want a check up, do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We’d be happy to help.

One common question that those with vision problems tend to ask is, how do I know if I need glasses? People need glasses for a variety of reasons at all sorts of different ages. If you’ve gone your whole life without needing glasses, then this could change as you get older. If you’re unsure whether or not you need the help of glasses, we’re here to assist. Below are some of the following signs to look out for that may indicate you need to visit your local optician. 

Blurry vision 

Having blurred vision often is a sign that you may need to have prescription lenses. Blurred vision is a common symptom of a variety of vision problems and eye conditions, but only a licensed professional can assess and diagnose you. Blurry vision is usually associated with refractive errors, which is a general term for a few common types of eye conditions. Myopia and hyperopia (near-sightedness and farsightedness) are all characterised by having blurry vision when trying to focus on objects up close or far away. 

Difficulty driving at night 

Having trouble driving at night could indicate a vision problem that you’re unaware of. For example,  if you notice a lot of glare and street lights seem to be very blurred, it can be a sign of astigmatism. Astigmatism is a refractive error that involves blurred vision, with a common symptom being difficulty driving during the night.

Depending on the severity of it, if you have astigmatism you will need prescription lenses to see better. Toric lenses are the best course of action when it comes to treating and correcting astigmatism. If you believe you have this eye condition, it’s always best to get it checked out. You may need lenses that can significantly improve your vision.

Frequent headaches 

Headaches are a very common symptom of eye strain. If you struggle to see clearly due to an eye condition or digital eye strain (from staring at screens for too long), you can experience headaches amongst other symptoms. 

Eyestrain is a common symptom of refractive errors, computer vision syndrome, and various other eye conditions. So if you’re having frequent headaches as well as struggling to see clearly, you should visit your optician as you may be in need of glasses.

Here at R Woodfall, we can assess your vision in one of our practices and map out a treatment plan for you, for more information please contact us anytime.

Protecting your eyes from the sun is vital for your eye health. The sun, as lovely as it can be, can be very harmful to our bodies if we aren’t careful. You may associate the skin as the main cause of concern when it comes to the sun, but did you know that your eyesight is at risk too? Overexposure to the sun can increase your risk of many eye conditions, which we will be discussing in this blog post. 

At R Woodfall, we have a wide range of high quality UV protection lenses to help protect your eyesight, and also allow you to see clearly and confidently when the sun is shining. In this blog post we will be discussing the risk of overexposure, as well as how UV protection helps prevent this.

Sun damage related eye conditions 

It’s been found that overexposure to the sun may increase your risk of the following eye conditions:

Cataracts

A cataract is a very common eye condition that involves the lens of your eye developing a cloudy patch that obstructs your vision. Cataracts are seen as an age-related condition as most people will develop them when they get older. Luckily, a quick surgery can remove the cataract and allow you to see clearly again. 

As well as age, damage from the sun is a known factor to increase your risk of developing this eye condition.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye condition that affects your vision. This is a result of macular ageing. Although this condition occurs due to age, long-term sun damage can also increase your risk of developing this condition.

Photokeratitis 

This condition occurs as a direct result of sun exposure. Photokeratitis is when your cornea becomes damaged due to too much sun exposure. The UV rays damage the cornea which can result in some uncomfortable and sometimes painful symptoms. 

How does UV protection help? 

UV protection is the best and most effective way to protect your eyes from the sun. Wearing your sunglasses every time you’re in the midday sun can really help to protect your eyes and avoid any sun damage. 

This is because UV protection lenses effectively reflect the harmful rays from sunlight away from your eyes. This stops the UV rays from entering your eyes and damaging them. Which is why it’s so important to protect your eyes and invest in quality UV protection sunglasses. 
If you’re in need of some high quality sunglasses that offer the best UV protection, feel free to contact our team today.

Did you know that there is a wide range of optical lenses to treat every vision problem? From correcting refractive errors to protecting your eyes from the sun, there’s a type of lens to help solve your vision problem, and improve your eye health. Here at R Woodfall, we have a wide range of high quality lenses that are made to help correct and protect your vision from the moment you put them on. 

If you’re curious to know more about the different kinds of lenses and how they function to fix your eye health, keep reading as in this blog post we’ll be discussing some of the different types of lenses we offer at R Woodfall, in more detail.

Single vision lenses 

Single vision lenses are a common type of lenses that are designed to treat refractive errors. A refractive error is a common type of eye condition that involves light not being able to focus as it should on the retina. The most common types of refractive error are myopia (near-sightedness) and hyperopia (far-sightedness). These two vision problems make it difficult for the person to either see objects up close, or objects at a distance. 

Not being able to see clearly can impact your daily life significantly, which is why those with a refractive error are prescribed corrective lenses. A common type of corrective lens is a single vision lens. Single vision lenses are designed to help with just one vision problem. They contain just one prescription, allowing for clear vision for those with one refractive error. 

If you have one eye condition such as near-sightedness for example, you may be prescribed a single vision lens to help correct your vision and allow you to see much more clearly again.

Varifocal lenses 

Varifocal lenses, or commonly referred to as progressive lenses,  differ slightly to single vision lenses. These lenses allow for more than one prescription at the same time, which is a fantastic solution for those that struggle with both myopia and hyperopia at the same time. Varifocals reduce the need for you needing multiple pairs of glasses for each vision problem, which is very convenient. 

If you have more than one refractive error then you will most likely be told you need a pair of varifocal lenses to help you see clearly and smoothly, every day. 

Photochromic lenses 

Photochromic lenses are special lenses that help protect your eyes from UV light. They often combine the effect of sunglasses with a single vision prescription lens, to help keep your eyes protected from the sun as well as allowing you to see clearly. 

Photochromic lenses are very convenient, as they provide a solution to constantly having to swap your prescription lenses for sunglasses in the summer months.

For more information about the types of lenses we offer, get in touch with our friendly team of professionals.

Refractive errors are a group of very common eye conditions that many people experience in the UK. Many refractive errors affect children as young as 6, and stay with them well into adulthood. In this blog post, we will be discussing the different types of refractive errors and the treatment options available. If you suspect that you or your child may have a refractive error then it’s important to visit your local optician as they can help fix this issue before it worsens. 

The different types of refractive errors 

Here are the common refractive errors that most people are already familiar with. If you have any of the following symptoms you should visit your optician as soon as you can.

Myopia

More commonly known as short-sightedness, myopia is a common refractive error that is characterised by not being able to see things at a distance clearly. Those with myopia report having blurred vision when trying to concentrate on objects far away from them. 

The main symptoms of myopia include: blurred vision, headaches, rubbing eyes, difficulty concentrating on things at a distance. These are the key symptoms to watch out for in children too, as myopia is a common eye condition that affects young children. Myopia usually develops anywhere between 6-13 years old. 

Hyperopia 

The opposite of myopia, hyperopia (or commonly called far-sightedness) is when those affected struggle to see things up close to them. This condition affects being able to read things up close, or concentrate on objects nearby. However, objects in the distance are still seen clearly. 

The symptoms of hyperopia are similar to that of myopia and other refractive errors. The main symptoms are: blurred vision on objects up close, headaches, eye strain, difficulty concentrating on tasks up close.

Astigmatism 

This refractive error occurs when light enters the eye and focuses on more than one place on the retina. This results in blurred vision, especially in dim lighting. Those with astigmatism often struggle driving at night due to glares, which is very dangerous. If you suspect you have astigmatism you need to visit your local optician and receive treatment before you can drive again.

The symptoms of astigmatism include: blurry vision, eye strain, headaches, squinting, and difficulty seeing clearly at night.

Why do refractive errors happen?

Refractive errors occur due to having a misshapen eyeball or cornea. If your eyeball is too long or short, this causes eye conditions such as myopia and hyperopia. Having a misshapen cornea is the cause of astigmatism.

Treatment for refractive errors 

Corrective lenses are the best option when it comes to treating refractive errors. Here at R Woodfall, our optician practices offer a range of quality lenses, contact lenses, and frames to provide you with the best support. 
For more information about refractive errors and the treatment options we offer, contact our friendly team today.

Here at R Woodfall we put our customers’ comfort above all. We believe in high quality eye care services and products. This is why our range of frames are of the finest quality and all come with a one year warranty. 

All glasses-wearers know the importance of good frames. Frames quite literally frame your face, and you wear them everyday, so it’s vital that you’re happy with them. This is why we have an extensive selection of frames to suit everyone’s taste.

Complementing your face shape

Frames should complement the shape of your face. Did you know that it’s suggested that you match your frames to your face shape?

There are 7 face shapes that everyone falls into. The first step to finding your perfect lenses is identifying which face shape you have. Below we have the recommended frame shapes to complement your own face shape. Whether you have a round, square, heart, or oval shape, we have the right frames to suit you.

Round: A pair of square or rectangle frames work well on round faces. This is because the square-ness creates a nice contrast.

Square: Small and round frames are a great choice for those with square faces. Round frames balance the angular features of a square face shape, complementing it well.

Oval: If you have an oval face then a wide variety of frames suit your shape well. Larger square frames are an excellent choice, but rounder ones also work. This is due to the natural symmetry of oval faces. 

Heart: Having a heart shaped face means you’re most likely to suit oval and rounder frames. This is because the curves contrast nicely to the angular shape of a heart shaped face. 

Diamond: Cat-eye frames work exceptionally well with diamond shaped faces. This is because the angular upswept look of cat-eye frames compliments the pointy features of those with diamond faces.

Pear: Like having a heart shaped face, there’s also a wide variety of frames that suit pear shaped faces. These include: cat-eye, round, rectangle, and square frames. These frames work well with wider jaws.

Oblong: Wider and larger frames look best with an oblong face. This is because narrow frames may make your face appear longer, so opting for wide lenses is a better choice.

Match your skin tone

Your frames should be seen in a similar way to jewellery. As jewellery should compliment your features and your skin tone. Everyone has skin undertones that certain colours match better with. For example, those with warm yellow undertones often wear gold jewellery as the tones complement each other well. 

When looking for frames you should use this logic. For example, those with cool pink undertones would suit silver, grey, and blue frames. Whereas those with warm tones would match well with red, brown, and gold coloured frames. 
We stock a range of well known brands and some lesser known ones to offer a full variety of high quality frames for you. For more information about our frames, contact  our friendly team today.

Many people who rely on corrective lenses to see clearly wear glasses to see clearly. Glasses tend to be the more common option as they’re very practical. Wearing glasses is the simple choice, but contact lenses come with a wide range of benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked either. If you’re thinking of switching to contact lenses then this blog post is for you. 

At R Woodfall, we believe that both glasses and contact lenses are excellent options to treat common eye conditions such as myopia (near-sightedness). But for those who want the option of contact lenses as well as glasses, we’re here to guide you through making the change.

The benefits of contact lenses 

Contact lenses offer a variety of benefits that can make your life easier. Below are a few of the main advantages to wearing contact lenses and why you should consider them if you haven’t already. 

Excellent for sports 

When it comes to sports and activities, glasses definitely get in the way. The last thing you want when playing sports is to be worried about your glasses falling off and becoming damaged. But you also shouldn’t compromise on your vision by going without. This is why contact lenses are the best solution for this, as they do not get in your way, and they provide the same clarity of vision as glasses do. This makes them a fantastic alternative for those who regularly play sports.

Adopt the curvature of your eye 

Contact lenses allow for a full range of vision as they bend to the curvature of your eye. As contacts move with your eye, it allows the wearer to see naturally. Contacts do not obstruct your vision in any way or steam up like glasses do. This is very convenient for many people. 

It’s like they aren’t there

Contact lenses are an excellent alternative to wearing glasses as they are much less noticeable. This is great for those who are always busy moving and participating in sports or activities. Also, some people do not like how their face looks when wearing glasses, so contacts are a great solution to this. With contact lenses, you never have to sacrifice your vision clarity for looking the way you want to.

If you’re considering making the switch from glasses to contacts then get in touch with your local optician. They will start the process for you. If you’re in need of a professional optician in South East England, contact R Woodfall today.

Here at R Woodfall, we offer a wide range of eye care services across our South East clinics. We believe taking good care of your eyes throughout your life is essential for good eye health. The best way you can look after your eyes is by visiting your local optician every couple of years. This way, professional eye care experts like ourselves can properly assess your eyes and give you the eye care you need. 

So what type of eye care services do opticians offer, and how does it benefit you? This blog post explores these questions and breaks down the different kinds of eye care you can expect to receive at an optician practice. 

Routine eye test 

A routine eye test is a basic examination that your optician will carry out to assess any changes to your vision. Think of it as a general check-up test, where your optician will ask you about your eye health and any vision problems you may be having. A routine eye exam then involves a series of eye tests to assess different aspects of your vision. These tests include testing things such as your pupil reflexes, visual fields, intraocular pressure, and more.

These tests do not hurt, and are very helpful in assessing your eye health. So it’s well worth going for a check-up to ensure your eyes are healthy. 

OCT scans 

A more advanced and detailed kind of test is called an optical coherence tomography scan (OCT) and is an excellent way for opticians to see what’s going on behind your eye. An OCT scan involves a machine taking 1000 pictures of your eye and optic nerve, and it layers these images together to create a detailed image of your eye that your optician can use to detect any abnormalities. 

Lens solutions 

If you’re someone that wears glasses or contact lenses, then you know how essential they are to everyday life. At R Woodfall, we are experts in providing lens solutions that massively improve your vision by allowing you to see clearly and sharply. Visiting your local optician means they will assess your current lenses and prescription, and adjust it if necessary. This allows you to have the best possible vision. 

Frames and eyewear 

As well as making sure your eye health and vision are the best they can be, we also offer a wide range of eyewear that allows you to look and feel your best. We have a variety of frames from different brands to choose from. We know how important it is to make sure your glasses suit your face shape, which is why we have a range of options to suit everyone.

If you’re looking for an optician located in South East London, Surrey, or Kent then contact R Woodfall today.

It’s just as important to take care of your eyes like you would to the rest of your body. Your eyes are so important, they’re your way of processing information about the world around you. If you want to take better care of your eyes, but you’re not sure how, then you’re in the right place. In this blog post, we want to give you some of the best ways to maintain your eye health to help prevent the chances of visual impairments in the future.

The following is a list of ways you can help keep your eyes healthy. 

Wear your sunglasses 

Protecting your eyes from the sun is vital for maintaining good eye health. The sun emits harmful UVA and UVB rays that can damage the eye if overexposed. If you send too much time in the sun without protecting your eyes then you’re at risk of developing photokeratitis, an eye condition that results in temporary discomfort and pain.

It’s been found that long term overexposure to the sun may also increase your risk of developing serious eye conditions such as cataracts, eye cancer, and macular degeneration. This is why it’s important to protect your eyes with UV protection. 

Here at R Woodfall, we have a range of sunglasses that provide protection and comfort to your eyes in the sun. Our UV filtered lenses can combine with your usual prescription lenses, so you don’t have to keep switching between the two in the summer months. 

Visit your local optician 

The best way to keep your eyes healthy is to visit your local eye care provider. Your local optician can perform a comprehensive eye examination on you to determine the health of your eyes. These tests can also detect the early onset of a variety of eye conditions, giving your optician the chance to catch them before they worsen.

If you’re looking for a professional optician practice in and around London, we have clinics in these various locations. We’d love to help you with any eye concerns you have.

Diet & exercise 

Like the rest of your body, diet and exercise can also help improve your eye health. Eating a nutrient rich diet can really help keep your eyes healthy. It’s been found that fatty fishes that contain a lot of omega 3 are great for your eye health. Dark leafy greens such as spinach are also beneficial. 

Exercising and maintaining a healthy weight is also a great way to reduce your risk of developing vision problems. It’s important to get a bit of exercise regularly when you can to reduce the amount of intraocular pressure within your eyes that can lead to glaucoma.If you’re concerned about your eye health, feel free to contact us today.