Get your eyes checked professionally or risk losing your vision to macular degeneration.

That’s the stark warning from South Australian optometrists about a condition that often goes unnoticed until it blinds or seriously damages the vision of thousands of Australians.

As part of Macular Degeneration Awareness Week 2017 (from 21-27 May) Flinders University optometrists are among those backing the Macular Disease Foundation Australia’s call for people to “Face the Facts about Macular Degeneration”.

They say an eye test can save people’s sight from the condition, which affects one in seven Australians over fifty, and 50% of people with a direct family history.

Flinders University’s senior Optometrists Jason Booth, Neil Murray, Luke Higgins and Tony Phillips have years of experience and are helping train the next generation of optometrists.

“As an optometrist I am frequently helping people who are dealing with the visual limitations caused by macular degeneration,” says Booth.

“Increasingly there are more treatment options for exudative macular degeneration and treatments for the non-exudative form there is some promising research.

“That being said early detection is still put the person in the best position to maintain functional vision for the longest. This early detection can only occur with regular comprehensive eye examinations.”

Flinders Vision offers bulk billed appointments to the general public, university staff and students and we are also able to bulk bill holders of OSHC (overseas student health cover).

Their clinic at Flinders’ Sturt campus is state-of-the art in terms of the equipment they have available to help diagnose conditions such as Macular Degeneration and others.

Digital Retinal Photographs and OCT’s (Optical Coherence Tomography) are some of the best tools available to help diagnose and monitor Macular degeneration.

The cost for a retinal photo is $30 and for an OCT it is $80. Flinders Vision also offers a discounted $100 imaging package that covers patients for imaging over a period of 12 months.

Appointments can be booked on-line via www.flindersvision.com.au, by phoning the clinic on 08 7221 8700 or by emailing flindersvision@flinders.edu.au

1-2 days’ notice is required for an appointment.

A free information kit is available from Macular Disease Foundation Australia by calling 1800 111 709 or order online.

Photo: eek the cat Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)