857 Chesterfield Road
Woodseats, Sheffield, S8 0SQ
Tel 0114 274 8582
48 Sandygate Road
Crosspool, Sheffield, S10 5RY
Tel 0114 266 7066
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857 Chesterfield Road |
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alex gage optometrist news
January 2012 Kidney charity benefits from visionary donation A Sheffield kidney charity has benefitted from a fund raising initiative by a local family optometrist. Clients and staff at Alex Gage’s practices at Woodseats and Crosspool were inspired to raise money for SAKA (Sheffield Area Kidney Association) after Cara Smith, manager at the Woodseats practice, had a kidney transplant in 2009 and were delighted to hand over a cheque for £510 to SAKA Treasurer Ken Tupling recently. Of the initiative, Alex Gage said; “Cara has been with me for 13 years and is a vital member of our team. Supporting SAKA is our way of thanking them for the support that they have given Cara over the years. We’re delighted to say that, despite all the odds, Cara is expecting her first child and will go on maternity leave at the end of February. We have nick-named her ‘Cara 5 kidneys’ as she has two of her own, one from her husband and two for the baby!” Cara was diagnosed with chronic renal disease when she was 13 years old. Her kidney function deteriorated slowly but at the end of 2008 Cara was advised that she would need to go on dialysis or have a transplant. Both Cara’s husband Carl & brother Kristian went for the initial tests and both proved to be a match but her husband selflessly insisted it be him. Cara explained what happened next; “In June 2009 we went in for the operation. They removed Carl’s kidney first and then transplanted it into me and hey presto it worked first time, but I never expected to be able to have children, so it’s doubly amazing!” Ken Tupling was delighted to receive the donation and said that the money would be used to fund valuable research; “At SAKA we have a policy of using our money as best we can for the greater benefit of all kidney patients, whether they are members or not. We feel that one of the ways we can do this is by helping the research into kidney related diseases at the Sheffield Kidney Institute Research (SKI). Without research there is never going to be a cure for the illness from which most of us suffer.” SAKA was formed in 1976, the year that Cara was born, to help kidney patients and their families cope with kidney failure and to help fund research into kidney disease. If you would like to support SAKA, please visit www.saka.org.uk or call Treasurer Ken Tupling on 01709 371 949. For more information about Alex Gage or to book an appointment, please contact Alex Gage at 857 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats on 0114 274 8582 or at 48 Sandygate Road Crosspool on 0114 266 7066.
November 2011 Healthy eyes mean safer winter driving A Sheffield Optometrist is appealing to drivers to ensure that their eyes are fit for winter driving as the shortest day of the year looms. Alex Gage, owner of practices in Woodseats and Crosspool, is advising patients that winter driving can cause eye strain and is offering the following advice to minimise the risk of accidents;
Alex said; “Many drivers admit that they find it harder to see clearly when driving after dark and it’s a fact that more road accidents happen at night than during the day. Common night driving problems can be minimised by using common sense and ensuring that your eye health is as good as it can be. If you still experience problems, a visit to your local optometrist is recommended.” For more information or to book an appointment, contact Alex Gage at 857 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats on 0114 274 8582 or at 48 Sandygate Road, Crosspool on 0114 266 7066.
October 2011 Alex Gage gives gift of vision to people in need Alex Gage Family Optometrist is joining the World Sight Day Challenge during the month of October to help give the gift of vision to people in developing countries. To celebrate World Sight Day on 13th October, Alex Gage in Woodseats and Crosspool will decorate the practices and make a donation that will help provide eye exams and glasses to children in developing countries who can’t see well enough to learn at school, as well as adults who don’t see well enough to provide for their families. Optometry Giving Sight and Vision Aid Overseas, joint organisers of the World Sight Day Challenge in the UK, fund programmes that provide eye exams and glasses, train local eye care professionals, and develop vision centres that deliver long-term vision care to people in desperate need. There are 670 million people who are blind or vision impaired simply because they don’t have access to an eye examination and glasses. “We have supported Optometry Giving Sight for many years and we are proud to donate to such a worthwhile cause,” said Alex Gage. It’s easy for us to take good vision for granted, so taking the World Sight Day Challenge is a great way to raise funds to help people who don’t have access to even basic vision care.” Alex and his wife Sarah, also an optometrist, were inspired by stories like that of 18 year old Donglian Lei from a rural province of China – although her blurred vision stopped her from seeing the blackboard, she hadn’t told her teacher as she didn’t want to make a fuss. Caring for her mentally ill father and working the family’s farmland for four hours each day before school, Donglian couldn’t afford an eye exam. Thanks to a visit from a team of newly trained local eye care professionals and a pair of glasses, Donglian now has the opportunity to fulfill the potential she has already shown in her young life. Donations will enable Optometry Giving Sight and Vision Aid Overseas to fund more sustainable programs that provide eye exams and glasses to millions of people in need. Funds raised will be directed to projects in over 16 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Just £2.50 can provide an eye examination and a pair of glasses for someone in a developing country. The team at Alex Gage in Chesterfield Road, Woodseats and Sandygate Lane, Crosspool are also inviting their patients to make a donation at the practice throughout October. For more information about Optometry Giving Sight and the World Sight Day Challenge, visit www.givingsight.org or call 020 7202 8168.
September 2011 Sheffield Optometrist celebrates move with family fun day Sheffield Optometrist Alex Gage is celebrating his move to spacious new premises with a family fun day. Alex and his wife, fellow optometrist Sarah Gage, started practicing at Sandygate Road, Crosspool on Monday 5th September following an extensive programme of refurbishment and will hold a launch party this Saturday (10th September). There will be fun for all the family with magic and balloon modelling from Professor Shell between 11am and 1pm and refreshments and home-made cake for all the family throughout the day. Sarah is delighted with the move and said; “Crosspool is a thriving, family focused community and we wanted to host a little party to get to know people and to show people how important healthy vision is to all the family.” Alex continued; “The move to Crosspool practice was prompted by a desire for more space so that we could increase the number of frames that we stock and gives us the capacity to offer sports vision testing and behavioural optometry services.” For more information, pop in to the new practice at 48 Sandygate Road, Crosspool or call 0114 266 7066.
August 2011 Alex Gage on the move to bigger premises A desire to develop the sports vision and behavioural optometry sides of his business has resulted in a new practice for a popular Sheffield Optometrist. Alex Gage has signed the lease on the former Wine Rack store on Sandygate Road in Crosspool and will start practicing there next month after the double fronted property has undergone an extensive programme of refurbishment. Alex, who practices with his Optometrist wife Sarah, will relocate his current Broomhill practice to Crosspool on September 4th and will be having an opening event on 17th September. Commenting on the move, Alex said; “The Crosspool practice will give us the opportunity to double the number of frames that we stock and that means much more choice for our patients. The extra space also gives us the opportunity to offer sports vision testing and behavioural optometry services. Crosspool is a thriving family focused community and we’re looking forward to becoming a part of it.” Alex Gage, who has over 20 years experience, a diploma in sports vision and is an accredited member of the British Association of Behavioural Optometrists has also just invested over £50,000 in a 3D OCT Screening camera and equipment at his Woodseats practice so that he can help to safeguard the eye health of his patients. Behavioural optometry is where an optometrist works with an individual to help them gain a better understanding of what the eyes are seeing. This often helps people, especially children, to understand the information that the eyes give them. Through the careful use of lenses and vision training activities, Behavioural Optometrists facilitate the development of a more efficient and complete visual process. This enhanced visual process leads to improved performance in many areas of life including general movement and co-ordination skills, academic development, in the workplace and in sports and other recreational activities. For more information, pop in to the new practice at 48 Sandygate Road, Crosspool or call 0114 266 7066.
August 2011 Make an Eye Test Part of the Back to School Routine The new school year is looming and as parents stock up on stationery supplies and smart new school uniforms, Sheffield independent optician Alex Gage is urging families to also book in an eye test as part of the back to school routine. Independent opticians across the UK, coming together under the Eye Love My Local Independent Optician campaign, are stressing the importance of regular eye exams for children which will help prevent them falling behind at school. “Children will often not recognise if their eye sight is poor and can become frustrated when they feel they are struggling, but not know why,” said Alex Gage, who owns practices in Broomhill and Woodseats. “Timely identification of a child's vision problems can be crucial because they are more responsive to treatment when these problems are diagnosed early. Appropriate eye sight testing is vital to ensure a child has the visual skills he or she needs to perform well in school and to ensure normal vision development.” For school-aged children, an eye exam at least every two years is recommended if no vision correction is required. Children who need spectacles or contact lenses should be examined annually or as recommended by their optometrist. Alex added: “The start of the new school year can often be chaotic but eye examinations are an important part of health maintenance for everyone. They are especially important for children who are making the transition from primary to secondary school as the amount of reading and computer work increases dramatically. “Independent optical practices are there to learn about every family member’s lifestyle and help you take care of your long term eye health. Getting your children into a routine of eye testing now will help them recognise the importance of taking care of their eyes throughout their life.”
August 2011 Alex Gage warns against sun damage As we head towards the peak weeks in the school summer holidays, a leading independent Sheffield optometrist is advising people to make sure that they take care of their eyes in the sun. Alex Gage, who owns practices in Broomhill and Woodseats, is warning people that it’s as important to protect our eyes as our skin to prevent UV damage that can result in associated eye health conditions including cataracts. According to The Eyecare Trust charity, our eyes are 10 times more sensitive to UV light than our skin. This means protecting our eyes against harmful UV rays should be the priority for us all. People who have high sun exposure have a greater likelihood of developing early macular degeneration changes, but the likelihood of this is considerably reduced by wearing hats or sunglasses. The College of Optometrists warned that children are particularly at risk from damage to UV exposure. A survey it carried out in 2009 with 2,000 parents, showed that 29 per cent of those questioned did not buy sunglasses for their children, and of those who did, many admitted opting for "cheap and cheerful" over quality. Alex said; “Our eyes are incredibly sensitive to sunlight exposure and repeated unprotected exposure to UV rays can cause as much damage as it can to our skin. Unlike the visible effects of too much sun on your skin, early detection of eye damage is only apparent from a 3D OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) eye examination that has the ability to detect problems in the eye prior to any symptoms being present in the patient. It’s vital therefore to protect your eyes at all times by wearing prescription lenses that have a built-in filter or sunglasses that have the CE mark or British Standard BSEN 1836:1997.” Alex Gage stocks a range of affordable, quality sports and leisure sunglasses from leading brands including Bolle, Cebe, Adidas, Rudy, Serengeti and Maui Jim. He can also offer onsite glazing of prescription sunglasses at his Chesterfield Road, Woodseats practice. Alex Gage is one of only a few optometrists in Yorkshire who has invested in sophisticated OCT equipment that is a non-invasive technology used for imaging a cross section of the retina. It can detect the early onset of a variety of eye conditions and eye diseases such as macular degeneration, macular holes, diabetic retinopathy and even optic nerve damage. Using an OCT allows for early treatment in patients and dramatically improves the success of these treatments, especially in diseases such as wet macular degeneration – where the eye disease progresses rapidly. The OCT is similar to a CT scan which is used to image internal organs inside the body. The OCT uses an array of light to rapidly scan the eye. These scans are interpreted and the OCT then presents an image of the tissue layers within the retina. These layers can be differentiated and their thickness measured. By comparing the thickness of the layers measured by the OCT scan against the normal thickness of healthy retinal layers, eye doctors can determine which retinal disease or eye condition exists in the eye, even before the patient is aware of any symptoms.
June 2011 Reward yourself by loving your eyes
13-19 June 2011 is National Eye Health Week and people in Sheffield are being urged to love their eyes and get them tested as part of the national Eye Love My Local Independent Optician campaign. As an additional incentive, other than health and well being, and as part of the Eye Love My Local Independent Optician campaign, Alex Gage is offering anyone who books an eye exam at either his Woodseats or Broomhill practice during National Eye Health Week, entry into a free prize draw to win an iPad. The national awareness week aims to promote the importance of eye health and the need for regular eye tests and is pulling together eye care charities, organisations and health professionals from across the UK to persuade people to take their eye health seriously. Alex Gage said: “Each year we support National Eye Health Week and encourage people to really think about their eye health. It is important that everyone has an eye exam every two years or perhaps more frequently if their optometrist advises, and children should be tested annually.” Independent community opticians associated with the campaign are dedicated professionals keen to take care of the nation’s sight. It’s often the case that people only book an eye exam when they think they have sight problems, however, an eye exam can identify worrying general health issues that if detected early can be referred. In a survey* conducted by www.eyelovelocal.co.uk, a quarter of respondents admitted to not having been for an eye test for more than two years, despite over half thinking they would benefit from an eye test now. More than 40% confessed to not visiting the opticians regularly, with a fifth citing a lack of time for not doing so. Alex continued: “The health of your eyes is important, and as part of the large awareness drive around Eye Health Week, we are encouraging more people to discover the added value received when visiting an independent optician. “Practices up and down the country, that are part of the Eye Love My Local Independent Optician campaign, are full of highly skilled professionals that take the time to understand a person and their lifestyle when reviewing the health of their eyes.” *The survey of 3,000 people was commissioned by www.eyelovelocal.co.uk and was conducted by One Poll.
May 2011 Sheffield optometrist offers overnight vision solution for hayfever sufferers
As the pollen levels continue to rise, a Sheffield optometrist is offering patients a revolutionary, non surgical treatment for short sightedness (myopia) that helps hayfever sufferers. Independent optometrist Alex Gage launched the i-GO ortho-k (overnight vision correction) night time contact lens at his practice in Broomhill last year and has been delighted with the success, especially for patients who suffer from hayfever. Commenting on the night time lens, Alex said; “A high pollen count can present a nightmare for contact lens wearers as the pollen gets trapped beneath the lens and aggravates the eyes that may already be itchy and we don’t recommend the use of eye drops with contact lenses.” Alex continued: “The number of people affected by hay fever and shortsightedness is on the increase. Experts warn that hay fever, which currently affects around 25% of the UK population, could rise to almost 50% by 2030. Shortsightedness has also increased by 66% in the last 30 years and 42% of westerners need eyesight correction. With 7.5% of the adult UK population now wearing contact lenses, the issue of eye problems caused by pollen allergy is a major problem in summer. The i-GO lens is worn overnight and acts by gently reshaping your eyes whilst you sleep and creates a temporary new structure to the cornea that means that you can read without glasses or contact lenses for up to 24 hours – perfect for when hayfever strikes.” Alex’s wife, Sarah, a hayfever sufferer who is also an optometrist and partner in the business, has been wearing the i-GO overnight lenses for over a year and said; “I used to wear monthly contact lenses and it was very uncomfortable when the pollen count was high and my eyes were streaming – I couldn’t wait to take my lenses out at night, but now I put the i-Go lens in at night and can use anti-histamine drops safely during the day to minimize the redness and itching. It’s a win win for me.” To find out how i-GO Overnight Vision Correction contact lenses work and to see if you are suitable to benefit from this groundbreaking treatment, call either Woodseats (0114) 274 8582 or Broomhill (0114) 266 7066 practice.
April 2011 Alex Gage invests in state of the art 3D screening equipment Patients visiting a Sheffield Optometrist will now be able to benefit from revolutionary 3D screening.
Alex Gage, who has over 20 years experience, invested over £50,000 in the 3D OCT Screening camera and equipment at his Woodseats practice so that he can help to safeguard the eye health of his patients.
Alex is delighted with the new camera and explains why he made the investment; “3D OCT cameras allow us to take both a digital photo and a 3D cross sectional scan of the back of the eye at the same time. The 3D scan is also linked to a photograph of the back of the eye so if we see something on the photo then we can go to the related point in the scan and vice versa.”
Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) works like ultrasound but uses light, not sound waves, to illustrate the different layers that make up the back of the eye and it is thought that Alex is only one of a handful of optometrists in the North of England to have invested in the state of the art equipment.
Alex concludes; “It is highly unusual to find this sort technology outside of an eye hospital we’re delighted that we can now offer this advanced ocular health check. There is a charge of £35.00 for two scans of each eye, one of the disc looking for glaucoma and one of the macula looking for macular changes, both of which have their own photo plus a full analysis of the results by one of our fully trained optometrists.”
For more information about OCT, call Alex Gage’s Woodseats practice on 0114 274 8582 or visit the team at 857 Chesterfield Road.
March 2011 Ignorance may be bliss, but it could leave you blind! Local optician Alex Gage aims to raise awareness of glaucoma*, one of the UK’s leading causes of preventable blindness, with a new sight-saving initiative. The ‘Know your Risks’ initiative – launched to mark World Glaucoma Week (6 – 12 March 2011) – is designed to educate people about the condition, which threatens the sight of half a million people in England and Wales alone**. “Glaucoma is a devastating eye condition” explains Alex of Alex Gage Family Optometrist, “you can lose 40 per cent of your vision without even realising there is anything wrong!” The condition slowly erodes your peripheral vision before attacking your central detailed vision. At the outset you won’t notice a change in your ability to see as your eyes can work together to trick your brain into thinking you can see clearly but your sight is gradually deteriorating. National sight charity, the Eyecare Trust*** estimates as many as 250,000 Britons are living with the condition without knowing – despite the fact that glaucoma can be diagnosed during a routine eye examination. Damage caused by glaucoma cannot be recovered – worrying news for all drivers who by law must have visual fields of 120°+. Motorists who unwittingly drive around with the condition are also five-times more likely to be involved in a serious road traffic accident****. While anyone can develop glaucoma, the ‘Know Your Risks’ initiative aims to highlight those who are most at risk. High-risk groups include: people aged 40+; those with a family history of glaucoma; diabetics and people of African-Caribbean origin. To assess your chances of developing the condition Alex is inviting everyone to take a simple test to discover whether they have a high, moderate, or low risk of developing glaucoma. Anyone at high risk of the disease is then being urged to take URGENT action to prevent needless sight loss and the inevitable impact this can have on your quality of life. Alex Gage explains: “Early detection of the condition through routine sight testing is vital for the successful treatment of glaucoma which, when caught early, can often be easily managed using eye drops or in certain cases laser treatment. Unfortunately all too often we see patients who have put off having a sight test until the condition is advanced and it’s too late to save loss of vision.”
Everyone should have a routine eye examination once every two years and those who are most at risk of glaucoma (for example people aged 40+ with a family history of the condition or with ocular hypertension) are entitled to annual eye examinations paid for by the NHS. The free ‘Know Your Risks’ test, fact sheets plus general advice and information about diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma is available from Alex Gage Family Optometrist at Crookes Road, Broomhill and Chesterfield Road, Woodseats. For more information about World Glaucoma Week visit www.wgweek.net The ‘Know Your Risks’ test was created by the Eyecare Trust www.eyecaretrust.org.uk - click here to see the questionnaire
*Glaucoma is a name given to a group of eye conditions that affect the optic nerve and disturb peripheral vision. The condition accounts for around 15 per cent of all blind registrations in England and Wales. **Two hundred and fifty million people in England and Wales have been diagnosed with glaucoma and a further quarter of a million are estimated to be living with an undetected form of the condition. ***The Eyecare Trust is a registered charity that exists to raise awareness of all aspects of eye health and the importance of regular sight testing. ****Roadmap to driving wellness, American Society on Aging, 2006. |
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