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Diabetic Blog
Nazarian Optometrist • Mar 13, 2022

At Nazarian Optometry, we are passionate about our work and concerned about the prevalence of Diabetes in our community. I'm here to discuss in this newsletter, the importance of having your Diabetes assessed and the damage that it could cause to your eyes. I have been involved in setting up the C-EYE-C Clinic in Western Sydney at my premises in collaboration with Westmead Eye Hospital (the second largest Ophthalmology service in NSW) to screen and triage patient and provide a express pathway for treatment. In doing so we have won two state awards. Before I started this project there was a 9 month wait for treatment, we have reduced that now to less than 3 months, and in doing so we have reduced the cost of the eye hospital by 22%.


I want to discuss now about Diabetes and the eye disease it can cause, the following points are what I want you to consider:


  • Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and visual disability.
  • Diabetes eye disease affects 1 in 3 people with Diabetes.
  • 2014-2015 National Eye Survey found 28.5% of Diabetics had Diabetes eye disease and 4.5% had vision - threatening eye disease.
  • 98% of this can be prevented.
  • Vision screening is essential in preventing eye disease.

People living in Western Sydney have twice the chance of having Diabetes compared to people living in Coastal or Northern suburbs, this is a huge concern to me and my practice, and it has long been known that at least 50% of Diabetics eye disease is undetected. It is projected that prevalence of Diabetes will rise between 15-45% in the coming years.

Map

A study done at Blacktown Hospital named DR SPOC study showed that 40% of patients admitted to Blacktown Hospital had Diabetes compared to the national average of 28%, and of those 16% had vision-threatening eye disease compared to national average of 4.5%. This shows the severity of the problem in my community, and this is why we like to share this information with my patients.


At Nazarian Optometry we are passionate about our work, individuals who don't have there eyes checked are more likely to develop eye disease. At our practice we are fully equipped with the latest technology and can provide quick access to Westmead Eye Hospital to all our patients using the C-EYE-C pathway. Please if you have family history of Diabetes or feel that you're overweight, see your GP and have a HBA1c blood test to rule out diabetes, and visit Nazarian Optometrists for eye assessment, we don't charge like other practices we Bulk-Bill all our eye examinations for your convenience.


Thanks,

Joseph Nazarian

B.Optom. M.Sc.Optom.

children

Children Blog

By Nazarian Optometrist • 06 May, 2022
We at Nazarian Optometry are concerned about the rising number of school aged children with short sightedness (Myopia). In our community we are seeing an increase in cases, especially if there is a family history of Myopia. Myopia has become an almost epidemic for school age children around the world, for example the incidence are: China 85% South Korea 73% Europe 43% North America 40% In Australia the prevalence of Myopia is about 5% and increasing, this has doubled in the last 10 years. To prevent the progression of this problem, at our practice we have been treating patients with Atropine drops for a few years. Atropine as a pharmaceutical medication has been known for many years to reduce myopia progression; researchers found that low concentrations of atropine is effective in controlling myopia. The ATOM1 Myopia study in Singapore found with a low-dose form of atropine, there was around 50% reduction in rate of progression. Atropine eye drops are placed in the child’s eyes once a day, at nighttime before sleep. A one-week trial is recommended to ensure no unexpected side effects. The child's usual form of vision correction; glasses and/or contact lenses — are worn. Treatment effect is monitored every 3 months. Length of treatment is typically 2 years but can vary after evaluation of its myopia control effect on the child. In addition to Atropine treatment we advise all parents wanting to minimize the progression of short sightedness to consider the following: Reduce unnecessary near work on digital devices such as mobile phones and iPads. Increase outdoor activity Don’t use LED lamps for homework but use florescent lamps. We at Nazarian Optometrist are passionate about our work and want to assist all children in our community. Our goal is to minimize progression of short sightedness. We have specialized clinics and equipment to monitor and treat all school aged children with Atropine eye drops. We continue to bulk bill all our treatments. If you have any concerns about your child’s vision or want to prevent any worsening of their eyesight, please contact us for a bulk billed examination.
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