Choose from any of the options below to learn more.

• NHS Eye Examination Benefits
• Safe Driving
• Eye Injuries
• Registering As Blind Or Partially Sighted
• Caring For Your Child's Eyesight
• Living With Low Vision
• Eye Ointments And Medicines And How To Use Them

Recent research produced by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has claimed that one third of adults in the UK have not had an eye test in the last 2 years - an alarming point when we know that over 50% of sight loss is avoidable through early detection of vision conditions.

At A Hurd Opticians we recommend that,

• Adults should have their eyes tested at least every 2 years
• Children and adults above 60 tested at least every 12 months

NHS Eye Examination Benefits

Those in the following categories are entitled to an NHS eye examination without charge and may also be entitled to a voucher to offset the cost of any spectacles or contact lenses prescribed.

• All those aged 60 and over.
• Children under 16 (or under 19 in full time education).
• Claiming benefits - Income support, income based jobseekers allowance or in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit or Disabled Persons Tax Credit (both less than £70 withdrawn)
• Diabetics.
• A Glaucoma sufferer or close relative aged 40 or over.
• At risk of Glaucoma, as advised by a hospital ophthalmologist (ocular hypertensive).
• Registered Blind or partially sighted
• On a low income (NHS low income scheme)
• Eligible for NHS complex lens vouchers

If you are unsure whether you qualify for NHS eye examination benefits then please contact A Hurd opticians for more information.

Click here to Book an Eye Examination with A Hurd Opticians

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The minimum legal requirement for all motorists is the ability to read a number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres (67 feet) and have a 120 degree wide field of view. This test is normally only carried out at the time of the driving test.

Recent research has shown that more than 10 per cent of drivers would fail a driving test if they re-took it today because of poor eyesight. The law states that it is a driver's responsibility to ensure that they can pass the number plate test at all times. They must also be able to see clearly out of the corners of their eyes, see clearly at night and must not have double vision.

For drivers, the importance of having a regular eye examination (at least every two years) is obvious, particularly bearing in mind that a persons eyesight changes over time.


Drivers' Eyewear
Some spectacles are better than others for driving, with rimless designs or those with thin rims being particularly suitable as they allow greater all-round vision than those with heavy frames. Spectacles with plastic lenses are lighter and safer. Anti-reflection coatings can be applied to any lenses at a reasonable cost, helping you to see more clearly and cut down on glare, especially when driving at night.

Make sure you keep your spectacles and contact lenses clean at all times - it's best to keep a cleaning cloth in the car. It's also sensible to keep a spare pair of glasses in the car so that you never forget them. This is also important if you normally wear contact lenses because on long journeys when your eyes get tired it is often more comfortable to switch to a pair of glasses. It's also a useful safeguard if you suffer from hay fever.

It's worth remembering that in some European countries it is a legal requirement to keep a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses in the car.


Sunglasses
If you need to wear prescription glasses to drive, never replace them with non-prescription sunglasses when it is sunny. It is dangerous and you will be breaking the law. Instead, get a pair of prescription sunglasses (which need look no different to normal sunglasses) or clip-on lenses over your prescription lenses. When using clip-on sunglasses make sure you check their suitability for plastic lenses.

The Highway Code says that you should never use tinted glasses at night. Nor should you use them in conditions of poor visibility such as heavy rain, fog and snow showers. This rule also applies to sunglasses and tinted motorcycle helmets.


Continuing your responsibility
If you think your eyesight does not meet the legal requirements you MUST tell the licensing agency immediately. It is a criminal offence to fail to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any eyesight conditions likely to cause a driver to be a source of danger to other road users. This applies to those suffering from cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes or any other relevant medical conditions, which constitute a noticeable disability.

If a driver is involved in an accident and is then found to have an undeclared notifiable disability, insurance cover could be at risk. Having a notifiable eyesight condition does not necessarily mean that you will be banned from driving.

If you think you have a notifiable eyesight condition you must write to the Drivers Medical Branch, DVLA, Swansea SA99 1TU and provide them with as much information about your condition as you can.

• The medical assessors at the DVLA will then do one of the following:

• Allow you to keep your licence without restriction

• Issue you with a licence for one, two or three years, in order to keep a regular check on your condition

• Refuse or withdraw your licence

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When eye injuries occur, knowing how to deal with them can mean the difference between minor eye damage and permanent injury, or even blindness. Here are some first aid suggestions for eye injuries. But, please remember, these suggestions are only first aid. It is important for you to contact your optometrist as soon as possible for any eye injuries.

If you have a foreign object in your eye, don't rub it. Lift your upper eyelid outward and gently pull in down over the lower lash. This causes tears to flow and often wash the object out of your eye. You may have to repeat this several times. If the object does not wash out, contact your optometrist. Do not try to remove a particle that is embedded. You can cause more damage. If you are wearing contact lenses, remove the lens and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in your eye. If discomfort persists, remove, clean again and reapply. If discomfort continues, remove the lens and call your optometrist.

For chemicals splashed in your eyes, immediately flush your eyes with cool water for at least 15 minutes. If possible, hold your head under a slowly running faucet, or pour water slowly from a glass or clear container. Seek professional attention immediately. If you are wearing contact lenses, remove them immediately. Then flush your eyes and seek professional help as described. A blow to your face resulting in a black eye can be treated with cold compresses for about 15 minutes every hour. Your eye should be checked by your optometrist for internal damage. If the blow breaks your contact lenses, try to remove pieces of the lens immediately. Rinsing with water will help. Then call your optometrist.

Do not try to treat a cut, laceration or penetrating eye injury. Do not flush the eye with water or put any medicine in the eye. If you are wearing a contact lens, don't try to remove it. Gently cover the eye with a bandage or gauze pad and go directly to your doctor or a nearby hospital.

Remember, the best way to treat eye injuries is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Don't forget to be aware of potential eye hazards and wear appropriate eye protection.

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If you have poor sight, it's a good idea to think about registering as blind or partially sighted. This information can help you get the practical support you need.


What is the register?
Each local authority keeps a register of blind and partially sighted people living in its area. The register is held by the social services department, or by the local voluntary society for visually impaired people, acting as agents for the local authority. The register is totally confidential.


What is it for?
The aim of the register is to help local authorities provide the best service they can for people with a visual impairment. To do this, they need a record of all the people with a visual impairment in their area, and what kind of services they need.


Should I register?
Some people worry that registration is a backward step. They fear that it will lead to them losing their independence, or that family, friends or officials will become interfering or over-protective.

No-one can make you register if you don't want to, but it has been shown to be helpful in getting extra support. Obviously if your local authority knows about your needs, then they are more able to help you. A bit of support can make all the difference in keeping your independence.

Registering is also essential for claiming some financial benefits and concessions, and for getting help from some local voluntary groups.


What do I have to do?
If you are already attending an eye hospital, you should discuss the possibility of registration with your eye specialist. Or you might prefer to talk it over with a hospital social worker first. Alternatively, you can discuss it with your GP and ask to be referred to a consultant ophthalmologist (eye specialist).

The consultant will check your sight, and if appropriate will then certify you as blind or partially sighted by completing the certification form BD8 (BP1 in Scotland, A655 in Northern Ireland).


What does the examination mean?
The consultant will measure your distance vision, using the Snellen eye test chart. The chart has nine lines of letters, decreasing in size from the top line. If you can read only the top line, from 6 metres distance, you are described as having visual acuity of 6/60. This means that you can see at 6 metres distance what a normally sighted person would see at 60 metres. You would wear your usual spectacles or lenses (if any) for the examination.


How poor does my sight have to be?
If you are registered as blind this does not necessarily mean that you are, or will be, totally without sight. As a rough guide, you may be registered as blind if your visual acuity is 3/60 or worse, or 6/60 if your field of vision is very restricted because you do not have a full range of sight. For instance, you may have severely reduced side vision.

You may be registered as partially sighted if your visual acuity is between 3/60 and 6/60 with a full field of vision, or up to 6/18 (18 is the number of the fourth line down the chart) if your field of vision is very restricted.

Loss of sight in one eye only does not necessarily qualify you for registration, unless you have very poor sight in the remaining eye.


What is the legal definition of blindness?
According to the National Assistance Act 1948, a person can be registered as blind if they are 'so blind that they cannot do any work for which eyesight is essential'. A person may be registered as partially sighted if they are 'substantially and permanently handicapped by defective vision, caused by congenital defect or illness or injury'.


What happens to the certification form?
If the consultant agrees that you may be registered, he/she will complete the certification form, giving details of the assessment of your vision, and the certification that you are blind or partially sighted. You will be asked to sign the form as agreement to this information being sent to your local authority social services department. You will be given a copy for yourself.


What if I disagree with the consultant's decision?
If you are unhappy with the outcome of the examination you can ask your GP to refer you to a second specialist.


What Happens Next?
When social services receive your certification form, a worker should arrange to visit you to see if you want to be added to the register. They should also ask you if there are any services you feel you need. If you agree to be registered, then the date the consultant signed your certification form is the date of registration.

There can be delays between certification and registration, so it is important to remember that as a disabled person you are entitled to an assessment of your needs by your local social services department, whether you are registered or not. This is called a full needs assessment.


Help from Social Services
If you are having difficulties because of your poor sight, you should not hesitate to get in touch with your local social services department. Your town hall, library or Directory Enquiries will be able to give you the address and phone number. Services for blind and partially sighted people vary from area to area.

In some places there are rehabilitation workers who can teach a range of skills to blind and partially sighted people. These include indoor and outdoor mobility, communication and other skills for daily living.

The rehabilitation workers may be part of a team that specialises in working with people with a sight or hearing loss, or they may work in a team that covers a particular geographical area.

Sometimes, specialist workers are based in the local voluntary agency for blind and partially sighted people. However, it is still the responsibility of the social services department to arrange for your needs to be assessed.

Not every local authority employs specialist workers. However, it should be possible for social services to 'buy in' any services that were agreed following your needs assessment.

If you later move to a different area, you should let the new local authority social services know that you are a registered blind or partially sighted person. Arrangements can then be made for details of your registration to be transferred to your new local authority.

If you would like further information, please contact:

RNIB Welfare Rights and Community Care
The Community Care Advocacy Officer
Advocacy Service
Royal National Institute for the Blind
224 Great Portland Street
London
W1N 6AA
Tel: 0171-388 1266

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Your child's eyesight is precious. Without good vision children can suffer enormous setbacks to learning and the development of all their life skills. Many parents do not realise that eyesight can be tested from a very early age and that it is recommended that children should have an eye examination at least by the age of three, or earlier if you think there may be a problem. Special tests have been devised for very young children and the earlier a problem is detected, the more effectively it can be treated. The great thing to remember is that eye examinations don't hurt!


Early eyesight
Until relatively recently it was assumed that a baby could not see at birth, and would not be able to focus properly until a few months old. Although the eyes are not fully developed at birth, and vision needs to be stimulated in order to develop correctly, it is now known that the majority of babies are born long-sighted, and the ability to focus on fine detail is acquired during the early months.

At birth the eye is approximately three-quarters the size of an adult's and in the first six months of life the six muscles around the eye develop. It is quite usual for a baby's eyes to seem uncoordinated in the first few weeks, as visual co-ordination begins to develop.

It's never too early to take your baby for an eye examination. Any defect - such as a squint - will cause problems later on unless treated at an early age. A child's vision is fully developed by the age of 8. Vision screening checks are often carried out by doctors, health visitors and other medically trained personnel, but these are not as comprehensive as a full eye examination by a qualified optometrist. It's a common misconception that children's eyes cannot accurately be checked until they can read, but in fact, several special tests can be carried out at a very early age. As the child develops and communication skills improve, more detailed tests are also possible. 3-D vision, for example, can be tested with pictures of familiar objects.


Ensure good vision
Just as children visit the dentist at regular intervals from infancy, so it's worth making regular visits to the family optometrist. Many eyesight defects, such as long or short-sightedness, astigmatism or squint can be inherited, so if there is a history of any of these in your family your child's eyesight should be tested on a regular basis.

Sometimes parents believe they see a squint in their child when, in fact, this is simply due to a fold of the skin as the nose is not fully developed. Conversely, eyes sometimes appear to be straight when a squint really is present. Only a full eye examination can detect this type of defect.

If left uncorrected for too long some sight defects cannot be put right, but establishing a routine of regular eye examinations can minimise the chances of a sight defect being carried into adulthood. At certain stages children's eyes may need to be examined at intervals of months rather than years, and your optometrist is the person to advise you on the frequency of visits. Despite greater public awareness of the importance of regular eye examinations, many parents do not take their children to an optometrist either pre-school or throughout school life.


What if your child needs glasses?
If the time comes when a child needs to wear glasses, this need not be seen as a disadvantage. The wide variety of spectacle frames now available for children are comfortable and practical as well as stylish. They are well designed and attractive, with features such as adjustable nose pads and saddle bridges for small, unformed noses, and spring hinges for durability and comfort. Plastic lenses are recommended for children, being lighter and safer than glass, and these can be treated with anti-scratch coatings for durability.


Can children wear contact lenses?
Young children would normally only be prescribed contact lenses for special conditions. Older children may wear contact lenses, but both they and their parents must be aware of the high level of care required to keep their lenses clean and safe, as well as the need for frequent check-ups to keep their eyes healthy.


What is available under the NHS?
Under the NHS an eye examination is available without charge for all children up to the age of 16, and under 19 if they are in full-time education. As an indication of the importance of children's sight care, only a qualified practitioner - an optometrist or dispensing optician registered with the General Optical Council, or a registered medical practitioner - is permitted by law to supply children's spectacles. Following an eye examination, parents are entitled to a voucher towards the cost of any glasses or contact lenses prescribed. The value of the voucher will be determined by the prescription needed. Most optical practices are able to offer a range of good quality, low cost frames for children.

For further information or to find out how we can help you take care of your child's eyesight please contact A Hurd opticians.

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What is visual impairment, is it blindness?
Whilst, there are visually impaired people, less than 1 in 10 are totally blind. Being visually impaired means that even with glasses, you cannot see what you need to see.


How many visually impaired people are there?
The best information suggests that there are over 1.5 million people in the UK who have significant impairment of vision.


What is the best source of information?
The BBC produces a handbook for its long running Radio 4 programme, 'In Touch', which covers all aspects of getting help if you have a vision problem (see address below).


If glasses can’t help, why ask an optometrist or optician?
Because they are able to advise on the best use of the vision you have or, if they are not an expert in the field, they can refer you on to someone who is.


What is a low vision aid or LVA?
This is any optical device that can be used to make better use of remaining vision. It may be no more than a simple magnifier, or it may look like a pair of opera glasses or even a TV set.


Will it hurt my eyes to make more use of them with LVA?
Absolutely not. All eye experts agree that you can do no further harm and trying to use your eyes will keep you in practice. If you get a headache on some occasions, simply rest.


Can I buy one in a shop?
Some magnifiers can be bought this way. They tend to be the weaker ones. An LVA should really be prescribed by a practitioner after a full eye examination.


What can you do with a LVA?
In general, they make things bigger so that you can read print that is otherwise too small, or a street sign that is too far away. As the magnification increases, the useful field of vision becomes smaller.


Will I be able to read a newspaper again?
It may be possible if remaining vision is good enough, your motivation is good and you are prepared to try and use your vision differently.


What else can a LVA help with?
Mostly, LVA's enable you to regain a little independence as you may be able to read price tickets, count money or keep up with correspondence yourself.


Do I need more than one LVA?
Most often there isn't one LVA that will do everything, you may need more.


How do I know if my vision is good enough to benefit from a LVA?
If you can read the biggest headlines in the paper, you probably have enough vision to work with.


How can I help my practitioner when I ask for a LVA?
Take along examples of the print you need to read and think carefully about the different sizes of print you need to see in everyday life. Have a good idea of what sort of lighting you have at home and be clear about particular difficulties.


Are LVA's expensive?
They are complicated lenses and this makes them more expensive than a standard magnifying glass.


Can I get one on the NHS?
Everyone is entitled to have a LVA provided by the NHS. They are loaned to you permanently. You need to attend a hospital LVA clinic. Ask your practitioner to refer you.


What about training?
You may need special instruction in the use of the LVA. Ask your practitioner.


Is lighting important?
Good lighting is often the best help of all. It is essential to have a light that can be moved close to what you need to see. A light up in the ceiling is no good, whatever the wattage. Good daylight is the best, but you need your back to the window.


What about TV?
Sit as close as you like.


Is a LVA the only answer?
A LVA is only one part of the process of vision rehabilitation. You may need to get help with other things from other professionals, e.g. a social worker or mobility officer.


Should I be registered Blind or Partially Sighted?
If you are not registered, the authorities will not know you have special needs as far as vision is concerned. Registration sounds worse than it is and there are benefits, practical and financial. Consult the "In Touch" handbook.


Contacts
Royal National Institute For The Blind RNIB Tel: 0171 388 1266
Partially Sighted Society Tel: 0171 372 1551

For further information on living with a visual impairment please contact A Hurd opticians.

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Treatment for certain eye conditions, diseases or infections may require you to put ointment in your eyes. If your optometrist or doctor prescribes ointments, be sure to follow all directions about using them. Before you use any medication, be sure to tell your optometrist about any other prescription or non-prescription medications you are using or allergies that you have.

Here is some general advice about correctly putting ointments in your eyes.

• Always wash your hands before handling medications

• Begin by expressing and discarding a ¼ inch of ointment from the tube at each use.

• If applying to your eye's surface, form a pocket by gently pulling the skin of your lower eye-lid between your thumb and index finger to create a pocket for the ointment. Then express a ¼" to ½" strip of ointment into the pocket (unless your doctor prescribes a different amount).

• Twist your wrist to break the strip of ointment from the tube.

• After placing the ointment in your eye, blink or close your eyes briefly. Your body heat will melt the ointment so it can spread across the surface of your eyes.

• If you are applying the ointment to the edges of your eyelids, express about a ½-inch strip of ointment onto your finger and glide it across the length of your closed lids near the base of your lashes.

• Use a soft, clean tissue to remove any excess ointment from the skin around your eyes. Be sure not to disturb the ointment placed in your eyes or on the edges of your eyes.

Be sure to follow all the directions that your optometrist or doctor gives and complete the course of medication that he or she prescribes. If you experience any side effects, (such as burning, inflammation, puffiness or itching) call your optometrist immediately.

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