Vision plays a vital role in the reading and learning process for children. Unfortunately about 20% of children struggle to see clearly. Common problems include long-sightedness, short-sightedness, squints and lazy eyes. Some children suffer from dyslexia, derived from the Greek meaning for ‘difficulty with words’. Children with dyslexia often have trouble with reading, writing and spelling, maths, following instructions, and confusing left and right. It can also affect concentration, coordination, communication and short term memory.Whatever the problem, the sooner it is detected the more effectively it can be treated, with the most appropriate treatment or product tailored to the child’s age and specific needs.

Eyeform stock a wide and varied range of childens eyewear and we pride ourselves on the care we provide for children and parents.We have both optical glasses and sunglasses for children ranging from newborns through to young adults. This includes well known brands such as Active, Little Wingels, Ray-Ban, Zeiss and Zoobug. Eyeform kids dedicates itself to providing the best in children’s frames, assuring for all age brackets, that they are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. When dispensing our high quality eyewear, we take into account the advice of specialists, the needs of the child and wishes of their parents.

For children glasses must be comfortable, colourful and fun, and allow them to see better and undertake their daily activities without limitations and with this in mind we offer a vast selection in all different shapes, colours and sizes for both boys and girls.

One of our most popular products are our soft and flexible frames designed for babies and children aged from approximately three months to eight years. They are made from a lightweight allergy free material, and contain no screws or nose pads which may present choking hazards. A special adjustable head band keeps the frame snugly in place to improve optical correction. All of the frames are durable and safe and so come highly recommended for babies and active children.

Eyeform kids also cater for high and complicated prescriptions, often for children born with congenital cataracts who have recently undergone surgery. We supply polycarbonate high density lenses for all of our children, which are both non-breakable and scratch resistant.

We strongly recommend transition or tinted prescription lenses for reduced glare and full protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays. In addition we provide a full range of children’s sunglasses which aid them in dealing with the sun.These also come in snazzy and exciting colours and styles.

On top of all this we are pleased to announce that we will be stocking SWISSFLEX  eyewear for children. This eyewear is super light, does not apply pressure, does not slip and slide when children play and they look great. SWISSFLEX kids are unbeatable eyeglasses for children, absolutely reliable – even when the going gets tough.

Feel free to contact us or pop instore to see all these glasses or to pick up a brochure with further details of the eyecare services we can offer to children. In addition more news can be found on our pages via twitter and facebook.

In addition we are pleased to announce that we will be stocking sunglasses from Lanvin one of the world’s most revered fashion houses. Under the guidance of creative director Alber Elbaz the sunglasses are designed to add a touch of style and glamour to any outfit with a mix of retro and modern lines. Lanvin have used exclusive materials such as precious stones, sparkle crystals and gold or horn as decoration on metal frames. As worn by people such as Rihanna and Beyonce it is the perfect combination of Lanvin’s couture sensibilities with retro touches that produces striking effects in eyewear perfect for the upcoming summer.

As always we welcome all customers to come in and view these as well as the new seasons stock in trusted brands like Rayban, Chopard and Roberto Cavalli.

No better time to remind you then of the need to protect your eyes from the potential harm of the sun’s UV radiation.

Rarely do we neglect our skin, applying sun-cream regularly to prevent premature aging or worse skin cancer but what about our eyes?!

It may be less immediately visible but the damage done to them from the sun can be just as bad, eventually leading to:

Cataracts- a clouding that develops in the lens of the eye varying in severity from slight opacity to complete blindness if left undetected

Photokeratitis – essentially painful sunburn of the eyes cornea and conjunctiva

Pterygium -  a growth in the corner of the eye which may grow sufficiently large to obscure vision and require surgical removal

Basal cell carcinoma -  skin cancer on and around the delicate eye lids

There’s no need to spend a fortune to save yourself from the above. Simply buy a pair with lenses that protect from 99-100% of both UV-A and UV-B rays from a reputable retailer such as us. Ensure too that they fit reasonably close to your eyes so minimise any UV slipping in from the sides.  Wrap around styles are particularly good in this respect.

In other words WEAR SUNGLASSES!

You could look as cool as this:

N.B: Beware of rip offs because if the lenses haven’t got UV protection, they will not only fail to prevent UV rays from harming your eyes but may actually exacerbate the problem. The dark lenses will serve only to open your pupils wider actually exposing your eyes to more harm.

Glaucoma  affects half a million of us in Britain. Sadly 1 in 10 who suffer will go blind due to either late detection, the sheer severity of the disease or the drugs being ineffective.

Ophthalmoscope view of the retina of an eye with glaucoma

However experts at University College London are currently testing the use of stem cells to heal the damage caused by glaucoma. They have taken healthy stem cells from humans, and using chemicals have turned them into retinal ganglion cells- those that die from glaucoma.

These manipulated cells have then been injected into the eyes of rats with glaucoma like conditions.

After only four weeks, the cells were connecting with the rats’ own existing nerve cells and their eyes were working fifty percent better.

Though the research is in its early stages, the researchers say that this method could be tested in humans by 2015 and in common use by the end of the decade.

The research team, partly funded by the General Medical Council and charity Fight For Sight, are also looking into developing a drug that can replace healthy stem cells within the eye removing the need for operations, and using stem cells in the treatment of macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness in the elderly.

Go team!

Sadly however, he later felt that he simply couldn’t cope with his blindness and decided to take his own life less than two years after the shooting. He seemed to think that his blindness made him a burden stating in a BBC interview ‘I hear people’s voices when they are talking to me and I feel the resentment in their voice for having to guide me around.’

Blindness can be extremely hard to take, especially if you have previously had good eyesight. At first you may feel dependant, and frustrated that little tasks that once came easily to you are much more difficult. However with time and advice from the experts, life can begin to seem normal again.

RNIB offer specially made products for blind people helping them not to just ‘get by’ but enjoy their lives. There has recently been pioneering stem cell surgery with success having already been reported from patients such as Katie Piper. PC Rathbone himself had put himself forward for the BrainPort device that translates information from a digital video camera to the tongue, through gentle electrical stimulation.

What we are trying to say for anyone who may lose their vision or knows someone who is blind, please don’t give up hope.

However the Oscar-winner was adamant it wouldn’t beat her, amidst fears that if she gives up acting because of it, her body and mind would also follow suit. The good news is she’s currently taking injections which seem to have stopped its progress for the time being.

It is surprising, but our eyes actually have a remarkable ability to see in the dark. They are simply not used to having to do so as in this modern world, with electricity and artificial light we rarely need to.  With regards to the Titanic, Mr Anthony believes the naked eye is best for spotting hazards on a dark night. What’s important is to keep ones eye’s still allowing them to focus, something the watchmen failed to do . At the inquest one said ‘We were looking all over the place, all around.’ This would have enabled their peripheral vision to recognise at least the outline of the iceberg.

Kanti and the staff at eyeform hope that all our valued customers have enjoyed their holiday break. In particular that they have been able to share a joyous Christmas with their loved ones.

In addition we would also like to extend to all the best wishes for the New Year ahead & hope that 2012 will bring with it much happiness and success. We would remind you that eyeform is open throughout the holiday period for all your eyecare needs so we can be reached by phone, online or in the shop itself under our normal working hours. In addition regular updates are available on our twitter and facebook pages

The good news is that she remains positive and is making good progress, surrounded by friends and family who have so far raised $15,000 for her medical bills. We here at Eyeform wish her all the best with her recovery.