The Spectator

We’ve invested in the very best professional equipment that accurately and precisely checks your vision and general eye health.

First things first – what is your Macula?

The macula is located in the centre of the retina, which is the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (you may know them as rods and cones). The retina's function is to convert light into electrical signals for the brain. It is the macula area of the retina that is responsible for detailed vision and colour perception.

So that might sound familiar… as you may have heard of this relating to Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is a group of diseases characterised by the gradual breakdown of the macula (the central portion of the eye). This is responsible for central detailed vision essential for reading, driving and recognising faces.

The risk of developing macular degeneration increases with age. The disease most often affects people in their sixties and seventies. Macular degeneration is the most common cause of vision loss in individuals over the age of fifty.
Prevention is better than cure – a cliché perhaps but an accurate one nonetheless…

There is a growing awareness of the disease, as well as the need to measure the risk of getting it and how to take preventative action.

Whilst there is no recognised "cure" for ARMD, recently-developed state of the art technology now allows an optometrist to identify potential sufferers at an early age.

Until recently there was no screening equipment available that could easily identify potential future ARMD sufferers, but a breakthrough has now been achieved in a new macular pigment screening instrument.

The MPOD is the world's first fully portable macular pigment screener. It is a remarkably simple to use device that allows optometrists to detect low levels of macular pigment, which may lead to potential vision loss caused by ARMD.

Take action! The MPOD is here!

The MPOD is a simple non-invasive test takes us just a few minutes to perform. For those patients identified as being "at risk" we will advise on various lifestyle factors that may reduce the risk of developing ARMD, including smoking, diet, general health and UV protection. The MPOD must be booked in advance.

We may also suggest nutritional supplements, in particular lutein and zeaxanthin, which are two carotenoids found exclusively at the macular region of the eye.

When taking supplements we may also recommend regular macular pigment screening, say every six months, to monitor the progress of the supplementation whilst increasing the level of the all-important macular pigment just so we are keeping a really close eye on you and your eye health, potentially saving sight.