Your Community Vision and Eye Care Experts

For over 25 years Shepparton Optical Services has provided Eye Care and Vision advice to the people of the Goulburn Valley and surrounds. Our service is driven to identify and prevent the causes of vision loss in our community. Our eye tests are specifically tailored to identify the five most common causes of vision loss: Refractive Error, Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataract, Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma.

What Happens at the Eye Test and Why

Refractive Error: Accounts for the majority of vision problems in our population. Myopia, astigmatism, short-sightedness, long-sightedness, hyperopia, presbyopia, disorders of binocular coordination and focussing inaccuracies can all cause blurry vision and eyestrain. The simplest means of treating these conditions is with spectacles. Soft Contact Lenses are also a suitable alternative for correcting refractive error, particularly for people with an active lifestyle. We utilise the very latest in spectacle and contact lens technologies to help you see at your very best. Refractive error can sometimes be treated with surgery such as LASIK, PRK, laser eye surgery, cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange. We have many years’ experience assisting people determine which surgery is most appropriate for their vision condition. Our Optometrists can refer you to one of our trusted surgical colleagues if it is decided a surgical treatment is suited to you.

Diabetic Retinopathy: 33% of patients with Diabetes (Types I and II) will at some point in their life develop some level of diabetic retinopathy. Our Optometrists can recognise these signs and their potential threat to your sight. If you identify yourself to us as having Diabetes, you will undergo a longer than normal eye test and a report will be sent to your General Practitioner. Most people with well controlled diabetes will have no problems, but if you have vision threatening signs you will be referred to a trusted Ophthalmologist that specialises in retinal disease.

Cataract: Inside our eyes, just behind the pupil is a lens about the size of a pea. When we are born, it is usually crystal clear. It gradually loses its clarity throughout our life and eventually this impacts on our ability to see clearly. It could be said that each of us will require cataract surgery at some point in our life because of this gradual opacification. The key to when surgery is required depends upon what impact the blurriness is having on your visual function. A good example of this is when your visual acuity drops below the regulated Driving Standard. Often people with significant cataract can still see well on an eye chart but their real-world function is compromised. That is why our Optometrists will listen to your description of your visual problems because we understand cataract and will refer you to a trusted Ophthalmic Surgeon when your eyes tell us the time is right.

Macular Degeneration: MD causes changes to centre of our retina at the back of our eyes and is detected during the regular evaluation of your eyes using ophthalmoscopic techniques. MD can come in “dry” and “wet” forms. Each have their own characteristics and impact on vision and the management can vary from counselling as to diet and preventative measures right up to immediate referral to reverse acute vision loss. Our Optometrists have the experience and access to diagnostic equipment (OCT, Retinal Photography) to enable them to provide the correct advice and referral in a timely fashion where required.

Glaucoma: The most common variation of this disease, Chronic Open Angle Glaucoma, takes away your vision very slowly over a fifteen to twenty-year period if untreated. It does this by gradually causing the 1.1million nerves making up your retina to die one at a time. It has no symptoms until it is too late. Your eye test will involve measuring the pressure inside your eyes, measuring the thickness of your cornea, asking questions about your family history of eye disease and an assessment of your optic nerves using ophthalmoscopy and/or retinal photography. This information enables our Optometrists to develop an idea of the risk you have of developing glaucoma changes over the next five years. If a risk is identified then specialised testing of the structure and function of your optic nerves is undertaken using visual field testing and Optical Coherence Tomography scanning. Where it is determined that treatment is required referral to an Ophthalmologist is arranged for you and ongoing treatment can be comanaged by our Optometrists.

Naturally, many acute causes of vision loss or ocular discomfort can occur. Acute red eyes can be caused by any number of infective or inflammatory conditions such as viral conjunctivitis, anterior uveitis, foreign body, episcleritis, scleritis, chemical injury, allergic conjunctivitis, blepharitis, adverse contact lens reactions, acute angle closure glaucoma, dry eye, trauma, corneal ulcer, corneal abrasion, HSV (“cold sore”) infection, HZV (“shingles”) infection, posner-schlossman syndrome and subconjunctival haemorrhage among many others. Our Optometrists training and experience means they are very familiar with these conditions and are able to differentiate these signs and symptoms. Our Optometrist’s therapeutic training and endorsement mean they can treat the majority of these conditions for you using prescribed ocular medications.

Vision loss can also be acute. Arteritic optic neuropathy, retinal artery and vein occlusions, stroke, optic neuritis, retinal detachment, various retinopathies, retinal membrane, vitreous detachment and posterior uveitis are just some of the conditions that need urgent assessment. Our Optometrists are experienced in diagnosing and managing these conditions. They nearly always require referral to an Ophthalmologist for prompt attention.
As well as conditions causing vision loss there are many lumps and bumps that can occur on, in and around the eye. Many of these are benign but some are not. Pterygium, pingueculum, styes, hordeoleums, various sun related conditions (BCC, SCC, Melanoma, Keratoses), moles, viruses and freckles are frequently seen. Naturally each requires a specific management plan and/or referral and our Optometrists deal with these conditions on a regular basis. Once again, our training and equipment enables us to look after these problems for you.

Of course, humans can have “as much ocular disease as they please” and often there is an overlapping of symptoms and multiple problems that need addressing. Our optometrists will help you work through the cause or causes of your ocular issues, enabling you to experience trouble free vision throughout your life.