Many apologies to everyone receiving our news Emails - it seems that an error in the system has triggered an old post from December 2010  to be sent out again almost a year later - which could easily cause some confusion.

Please rest assured that our Eyeplan draw has not yet taken place, in fact the letters with the entry slips should be arriving in the post to our Eyeplan clients this coming weekend.

Sorry again for the error – so much for modern technology!

We’ve had some beautiful autumn days recently, but when the sun comes out at this time of year it is very low in the sky and seems to dazzle us more than ever. At both practices we have a great range of non–prescription sunglasses on display all year round – maybe you know someone who would like a new pair for Christmas, or why not treat yourself?
Don’t forget, our Eyeplan clients are entitled to 20% off the standard price – and now we have decided to extend that benefit to all Eyeplan family and close friends too!

Other news - our annual Eyeplan Christmas letters are being printed right now and will be posted out shortly. We have four beautiful hampers from Barrington’s Delicatessen in Bishops Waltham to give away, so remember to send back your entry slips for our prize draw by Monday 18th December.

Cameron-Davies are pleased to be joining a campaign run throughout April 2011 by Luxottica, one of our major frame suppliers. For every Luxottica frame we dispense we will donate £3.00 to OneSight, a charity that is committed to restore and preserve clear vision for more than 314 million adults and children worldwide who cannot see clearly. Our donation will be matched by Luxottica, meaning that for every Luxottica frame dispensed by us in April, £6.00 will be donated to OneSight.

OneSight are also desperate for donations of ‘gently used spectacles and sunglasses’. Therefore during April both our Southsea and Portchester branches will have a collection box in store. So, if you have any old spectacles and/or sunglasses (prescription or non prescription), that are in good condition and you’re happy to part with, please bring them along – they may just change someone’s life.
www.onesight.org

Polarized lenses have been used by sailors and fisherman for a number of years as they eliminate the glare off water. They have recently become increasingly popular with drivers, cyclists, skiers, runners and other outdoor sports enthusiasts, as they also cut out the glare off roads, snow, pavements, cars and other horizontal surfaces. The polarization enables the wearer to see more clearly and therefore react faster to obstacles and other hazards.

As the technology improves, many more non-sports people are now buying polarized sunglasses because they not only look great, but are highly effective in cutting down everyday glare, which can cause visual fatigue.

At Cameron-Davies we have a wide selection of polarized sunglasses to choose from, including Ray-ban, Oakley, Maui Jim and Bolle. From wrap-around to more traditional, fashionable to sporty styles, you will be able to find a pair of polarized sunglasses that meet your needs and your tastes.

In addition to non-prescription sunspecs, our dispensing opticians specialize in making up prescription polarized sunglasses from Oakley and Maui Jim, or we can make up a pair using your chosen frame glazed with top-quality single vision or varifocal lenses from Essilor or Nikon.

Please feel free to phone, Email or, best of all, drop in to find out more.            

Without polarized lenses              With polarized lenses                           (Images courtesy of Essilor Ltd)

OCT or Ocular Coherence Tomography is the latest ‘state of the art’ eye scanner .

It takes high resolution cross sections and 3d images of your retina, optic nerve and cornea allowing us to asses every individual layer of each structure. This results in earlier diagnosis of diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetes and allows us to monitor your eyes more accurately than ever before.

The scan takes a few seconds and is completely harmless, painless and non invasive. The amazing images are available to be viewed immediately and will be talked through with you by your optometrist.

From 1st March this advanced technology will be available as part of the eye examination for all our Eyeplan, Private and Enhanced NHS clients at our Southsea practice.

We were delighted to receive so many entries to this year’s  Christmas Hamper Draw, open to all our Eyeplan clients. Congratulations to the four lucky winners who were drawn on Saturday afternoon after close of business.

Many thanks to all of you who have contributed additionally to our chosen charity ‘Help for Heroes’ www.helpforheroes.org.uk. We will be sending a cheque off early in the New Year, so there is still time to make a donation if you so wish.

Please note that if you are a Cameron-Davies Eyeplan client with dependents under the age of 19, your Eyeplan benefit now extends to the purchase of their spectacle frames. This means you have the opportunity to upgrade to better quality glasses for your children at the reduced Eyeplan price.

Dry-eye is a common problem for many of our patients and we are always keen to find  products on the market to help relieve the symptons. We have been stocking Eyebags for about two years  now and are delighted with the positive feedback from our patients who have purchased them. 

The EyeBag is a silk and suedex eyemask filled with flax seeds (also referred to as linseed). To use it just heat it up for 30 or 40 seconds in a microwave and place it over the eyes for about 10 minutes while it gradually cools down.

 
  Conditions which usually benefit from regular twice daily EyeBag treatment are:
* Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)
* Blepharitis
* Dry Eye Syndrome
* Styes
* Eyelid Cysts (Meibomian cysts know as chalazion)
* Contact Lens Dry Eye
* Corneal Laser Dry Eye
* Seborrhoeic dermatitis
* Rosacea

Symptoms which are relieved by EyeBag treatment are:
* Grittiness
* Tiredness
* Redness
* Bleary Vision
* Burning Discomfort
* Foreign body sensation (feels like there’s something in the eye)
* Dry eye
* Eye irritation

Eyebags cost £20 (£18 to our Eyeplan clients) and can be reheated  approximately 200 times.

From now until 30th September 2010 we are giving a 10% discount on presentation of this voucher on any pair of non-prescription sunglasses available from stock at either of our branches.

Just print out a copy of the voucher and bring it along when you come in to choose from our extensive selection, which includes brands such as Chanel, Prada, Oakley and Rayban.

(To print the voucher ‘right-click and print picture’).

Johnson and Johnson have recently released the 1-Day Moist for Astigmatism as an upgrade to their 1-Day contact lens range.
This new product gives the widest available power range of any daily disposable astigmatism (toric) contact lens and this will enable us to achieve improved vision in a significantly increased number of patients who have astigmatism.

Through the use of ‘Lacreon technology’, a wetting agent is embedded in the lens matrix which helps the contact lens stay moist and enhances end of day comfort. Also a unique stabilisation method is used to maintain stable vision regardless of head or eye movements.

Having been involved in research studies over the past ten years, we will soon be taking part in a nationwide clinical trial, investigating the performance of this 1-day Moist for Astigmatism.
We are currently enrolling study participants, so if you are a contact lens wearer, an interested non-wearer, or someone who has worn contact lenses in the past, do not hesitate to contact us for details – study subjects will be reimbursed for their participation in the study.