More than 13 million, or over half of Aussies have reported a long-term vision disorder. The most common conditions are macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and uncorrected refractive error.
Preventing or slowing down vision loss is the best medical science that allows us to achieve with vision therapies and equipment. A significant investment in modern precision opticians, optometrists, and ophthalmic equipment is needed to provide the most efficient, holistic, and effective testing and care.
What general questions would you ask an instrument company as you are planning your optometrist office, testing, or laboratory?
- Can the equipment company we choose help us with equipment layout design? Where do we place machines in the given space for smooth deliverable products and services?
- Will they install and network all the equipment with an easy user interface so your staff can use it? Nice equipment is useless if no one can use it. As your business grows you may have to relocate and expand. What are their relocation fees and scheduling requirements?
- Do they offer a calibration and service package? When machines shut down, your business shuts down.
- Every manufacturer and software company discovers issues and issues updates and revisions. Will they install updates and train staff on new formats to prevent problems and provide continuity of service to customers?
- How well do they communicate? Timely and effective communication can solve equipment and software problems, and answer questions saving time, and discomfort from symptoms. You will need direct technician access, not a 3rdparty account manager, you can keep your eyes on your business.
Before people find themselves in front of retinal cameras, phoropters, distometers, or keratometers they need to be educated on preventing vision damage.
- If they don’t have a regular eye examination how can a baseline be established?
- Control your blood sugar. Diabetes is dragging people through a painful long death that is difficult for families. Control your blood sugar. Swelling of your eyes will cause blurry vision. When your sugar stabilizes, vision can return to normal.
- Use eye protection on bicycles, and motorbikes, when running, swimming, or working in a dangerous environment.
- Wearing UV and IR protectant glasses when outdoors will reduce your exposure to strong rays that don’t increase sight.
- How many of us work at a computer screen all day, then get home to do the same thing? Low tint (below 20%) will reduce some spectrum protection.
- Reading glasses should be removed for 15 minutes every hour. During that time, you should be outside in natural light allowing your eyes to adjust and correct.
- Is your vision bothering you? Increase your intake of eggs, leafy greens, citrus fruits (not sugary juices), nuts, seeds, berries, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, beans, meat, poultry, and fish. That is not a limiting menu.
Wavefront-guided and topographic-guided LASIK is the most advanced technique to improve eyesight by precisely mapping out irregularities for laser correction. As medical science and nanotechnology advance new therapies will be ushered in with capable equipment.
