Comprehensive Eye Examinations

Comprehensive eye examinations assess both vision clarity and overall eye health, providing far more than simple vision tests. Standard eye examinations typically last 30 to 45 minutes, involving multiple assessment stages. Optometrists begin by discussing your visual symptoms, medical history, family eye health history, and lifestyle visual demands. Vision testing includes measuring visual acuity at distance and near, assessing how well eyes work together, checking eye movements and alignment, and evaluating focusing ability and eye coordination. Refraction testing determines precise prescription requirements for glasses or contact lenses, using sophisticated equipment ensuring optimal visual correction. Eye health examination involves dilating pupils with eye drops allowing thorough internal eye examination, checking for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye changes, and other conditions. Intraocular pressure measurement screens for glaucoma risk. Advanced imaging technology including digital retinal photography and optical coherence tomography provides detailed images of eye structures, allowing early disease detection and baseline documentation for future comparison. Optometrists recommend examination frequency based on age and risk factors—children should have initial assessments around age three to four, then regular checks throughout school years, adults typically need examinations every two years, whilst those over 65 or with risk factors require annual assessments. Regular examinations detect vision changes and eye diseases early when treatment proves most effective.

Glasses and Spectacle Lenses

Prescription glasses correct various vision problems including myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), astigmatism (irregular corneal shape), and presbyopia (age-related near vision loss). Modern spectacle lenses offer numerous options beyond basic vision correction. Single vision lenses correct one focal distance—either distance or near vision. Bifocal lenses incorporate two prescriptions in one lens, providing both distance and near vision. Progressive or multifocal lenses offer seamless transition between multiple focal distances without visible lines, appearing cosmetically like single vision lenses whilst providing distance, intermediate, and near vision correction. Lens materials include standard plastic, high-index materials reducing lens thickness for stronger prescriptions, and polycarbonate offering impact resistance suitable for children and safety glasses. Lens coatings enhance performance and comfort—anti-reflective coatings reduce glare and reflections improving visual clarity, scratch-resistant coatings protect lens surfaces, and UV protection shields eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Blue light filtering coatings reduce exposure to high-energy blue light from digital screens, potentially reducing eye strain. Photochromic lenses darken in sunlight, eliminating need for separate sunglasses. Frame selection involves both aesthetic and functional considerations—frames must fit comfortably, position lenses correctly for optical performance, and suit your face shape and personal style. Optometry practices typically stock diverse frame ranges from budget-friendly options to designer brands, with staff providing expert fitting advice ensuring comfort and optimal lens positioning.

Contact Lens Services

Contact lenses offer convenient vision correction alternative to glasses, particularly valued for sports, active lifestyles, or aesthetic preferences. Modern contact lenses suit most prescriptions and many eye conditions, with optometrists providing comprehensive contact lens services. Initial contact lens fitting involves assessing eye health and suitability for lens wear, measuring corneal curvature and eye dimensions, discussing lifestyle and wearing preferences, and trialling appropriate lens types. Contact lens options include daily disposable lenses worn once then discarded, fortnightly or monthly replacement lenses requiring cleaning and storage, soft lenses offering immediate comfort, and rigid gas permeable lenses providing excellent optical quality for complex prescriptions. Speciality lenses address specific needs—toric lenses correct astigmatism, multifocal contact lenses provide multiple focal points for presbyopia, and orthokeratology lenses worn overnight temporarily reshape corneas allowing clear daytime vision without lenses. Contact lens care instruction covers proper insertion and removal techniques, appropriate cleaning and storage procedures, wearing schedule recommendations, and recognising signs of problems requiring attention. Follow-up appointments assess lens fit, comfort, and vision quality, allowing adjustments if needed. Regular contact lens check-ups—typically annual—ensure ongoing eye health, confirm lenses remain appropriate, and update prescriptions as needed. Proper contact lens hygiene and following recommended replacement schedules maintains eye health and comfortable lens wear.

Children's Vision Care

Children's vision significantly affects learning, development, and overall wellbeing, making regular eye examinations important from early ages. Many vision problems affecting children show no obvious symptoms, with children often unaware their vision differs from normal. Early eye examinations detect conditions including amblyopia (lazy eye) where one eye develops poorer vision, strabismus (eye turn) affecting eye alignment and depth perception, significant refractive errors affecting visual clarity, and colour vision deficiencies. Children should have initial comprehensive eye examinations around age three to four, before starting school, with regular follow-ups throughout school years—typically every one to two years unless problems require more frequent monitoring. Children's eye examinations use age-appropriate techniques—optometrists skilled in paediatric care make examinations comfortable and engaging for young children, using pictures, toys, and games rather than requiring reading ability. Vision screening at school nurse checks, whilst valuable, doesn't replace comprehensive optometric examinations assessing full range of visual functions and eye health. Myopia (short-sightedness) increasingly affects children, with progression during growth years. Myopia control strategies including specialised contact lenses, atropine eye drops, and increased outdoor time can slow myopia progression, potentially reducing future eye health risks associated with high myopia. Children's glasses require durable frames and impact-resistant lenses withstanding active play. Many optometry practices offer frame warranties and lens insurance recognising children's needs.

Eye Health Conditions and Treatment

Optometrists diagnose and manage various eye conditions, with therapeutically qualified optometrists able to prescribe medications for certain conditions. Common conditions managed include dry eye syndrome causing discomfort, grittiness, and sometimes paradoxically watery eyes, treated with artificial tears, warm compresses, lid hygiene, and prescription medications. Conjunctivitis (red eye) from bacterial, viral, or allergic causes receives appropriate treatment—bacterial infections respond to antibiotic drops, viral conjunctivitis requires supportive care, and allergic conjunctivitis benefits from antihistamine drops. Blepharitis, eyelid margin inflammation causing irritation and crusty eyelids, responds to lid hygiene routines and sometimes antibiotic ointments. Optometrists also diagnose more serious conditions requiring specialist referral including glaucoma causing optic nerve damage from elevated eye pressure, cataracts where natural lenses cloud affecting vision, macular degeneration affecting central vision, diabetic retinopathy where diabetes damages retinal blood vessels, and retinal detachment requiring urgent surgical intervention. Therapeutically qualified optometrists prescribe medications for infections, inflammation, and certain chronic conditions, providing convenient primary eye care. For conditions beyond their scope, optometrists provide timely referrals to ophthalmologists—medical doctors specialising in eye surgery and complex eye disease management. Many optometry practices provide pre-operative and post-operative care for cataract surgery and other procedures, working collaboratively with surgical specialists ensuring comprehensive patient care.

Digital Eye Strain and Computer Vision

Prolonged digital device use increasingly causes eye strain symptoms including tired eyes, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. Computer vision syndrome, though not causing permanent damage, significantly affects comfort and productivity. Multiple factors contribute—reduced blinking during screen use causes dry eyes, focusing demands create eye muscle fatigue, poor viewing distances or angles cause postural strain, and blue light exposure may affect sleep patterns. Optometrists address computer vision through several approaches. Specialised computer glasses optimise vision at screen distances—typically intermediate ranges between reading and distance vision. Anti-reflective lens coatings reduce screen glare, whilst blue light filtering may improve comfort. For presbyopic individuals needing multifocals, computer-specific progressive lenses offer wider intermediate zones than general progressive lenses. Environmental modifications help significantly—positioning screens at arm's length approximately 20 degrees below eye level, ensuring adequate ambient lighting without glare or reflections, adjusting screen brightness and contrast for comfortable viewing, and using larger text sizes reducing focusing demands. The 20-20-20 rule provides relief—every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, allowing eye muscles to relax. Conscious blinking and artificial tears combat dryness. Ergonomic workstation setup reduces neck and shoulder strain affecting overall comfort. For children, managing screen time and encouraging outdoor play benefits both vision development and myopia control.

Prescription Sunglasses and UV Protection

Ultraviolet radiation damages eyes over time, contributing to cataract development, macular degeneration, and other conditions. Quality sunglasses providing 100% UV protection shield eyes from harmful rays. Prescription sunglasses combine vision correction with UV protection, eliminating need to wear contact lenses with non-prescription sunglasses. Options include custom tinted prescription lenses in sunglasses frames, polarised prescription sunglasses reducing glare from reflective surfaces like water or roads, and photochromic (transition) lenses darkening outdoors in response to UV exposure. Prescription sunglasses prove particularly valuable for driving, outdoor recreation, and extended time outdoors. Lens tints suit different activities—grey tints provide neutral colour perception suitable for general use, brown or amber enhances contrast beneficial for variable light conditions, and green maintains colour balance whilst reducing brightness. Polarised lenses prove excellent for water sports, fishing, and driving, virtually eliminating reflected glare. Mirror coatings reflect additional light useful in very bright conditions. For people not requiring vision correction, non-prescription sunglasses with quality UV protection still provide essential eye protection. Children's eyes transmit more UV than adult eyes, making sun protection particularly important for young eyes. Not all sunglasses provide adequate UV protection—darker lenses without UV filtering may actually harm eyes by dilating pupils allowing more UV penetration. Quality sunglasses from optometry practices guarantee UV protection standards.

Specialty Vision Services

Some optometry practices offer specialised services beyond standard eye care. Low vision services help people with vision loss from conditions like macular degeneration maximise remaining vision through magnifiers, specialised lighting, electronic aids, and training in compensatory techniques. Sports vision training enhances visual skills important for athletic performance including eye-hand coordination, tracking moving objects, peripheral awareness, and reaction time. Vision therapy addresses eye coordination and focusing problems through structured exercises, particularly beneficial for children with learning-related vision problems. Orthokeratology uses specially designed rigid contact lenses worn overnight temporarily reshaping corneas, providing clear daytime vision without glasses or lenses whilst also slowing myopia progression in children. Dry eye clinics specialise in diagnosing and treating various dry eye causes using advanced testing and treatment options including intense pulsed light therapy, meibomian gland expression, and prescription medications. Some practices offer Civil Aviation Authority approved examinations for pilot medical certificates, ensuring aviators meet vision standards. Driver's licence vision screening confirms vision meets licensing requirements. Workplace vision assessments ensure employees have appropriate vision correction for job-specific visual demands, particularly important for specialised occupations or those requiring intense visual concentration.

Frames and Eyewear Fashion

Eyewear serves dual purposes—functional vision correction and fashion accessory. Frame selection involves both practical and aesthetic considerations. Frames must fit correctly—proper width, temple length, and bridge fit ensure comfort and optimal lens positioning. Frame materials include metal offering durability and classic aesthetics, plastic providing diverse colour and style options, titanium combining strength with light weight, and flexible materials ideal for children or those requiring durable frames. Frame styles range from full-rim providing maximum lens support and stability, semi-rimless offering lighter aesthetics, rimless creating minimal visual presence, and various shape options including round, oval, rectangular, cat-eye, and geometric designs. Face shape influences flattering frame choices—angular frames soften round faces, curved frames balance angular faces, wider frames suit narrow faces, and narrower frames complement wider faces. Personal style and lifestyle affect frame selection—professional environments may suggest conservative styles, active lifestyles benefit from secure-fitting sports frames, and fashion-forward individuals might choose trendy designs. Optometry practices typically offer diverse frame selections spanning budget to premium designer brands. Frame warranties and adjustment services maintain proper fit over time. Many practices provide frame styling advice helping you select flattering, appropriate eyewear suiting your face, colouring, and personal preferences. Trying multiple frames allows comparison finding options that feel comfortable and look appealing.

Choosing Your Optometry Practice

Selecting appropriate optometry care involves several considerations. Verify optometrists hold current practising certificates issued by the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board, confirming they meet professional standards and maintain continuing education. Check whether optometrists are therapeutically qualified if prescription medication capability matters to you. Consider practice reputation—reading reviews from other patients provides insights into service quality, professional competence, and patient satisfaction. Assess practice location and opening hours, ensuring convenient access fitting your schedule. Some practices offer weekend or evening appointments accommodating working schedules. Enquire about available technology—modern equipment including digital retinal imaging and optical coherence tomography enhances diagnostic capability. Ask about frame selection range and whether they stock preferred brands or styles. Clarify pricing structures—some practices clearly display prices, others provide quotes upon examination. Check whether your health insurance provides optical benefits and whether the practice accepts your insurance, potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs. Consider whether bulk billing options exist for examination fees if eligible. For contact lens wearers, confirm the practice provides comprehensive contact lens services including fitting, follow-up care, and lens supply. Some practices offer online booking convenience, whilst others require phone appointments. Our directory provides information about Whakatāne optometry practices including their services, location details, and contact information, helping you find appropriate eye care providers for your needs.