Nov 2016

General Optical
Founded in 1976, during the Golden Age of Munich
(Modern Creation München), the German brand
MCM crafts luxury leather goods and apparel for
the world’s most seasoned travellers.
MCM Eyewear is a unique collection where
dynamic design meets with the artisanal heritage of
the Brand. The iconic MCM elements – the Visetos
pattern, the classic brass plate, the studs and
vibrant colours – are also the main features of this
new Eyewear Collection where strong and unusual
Transitions
CONTINUED FROM P14
Transitions range of adaptive lenses provides
choices for all ages and lifestyles. Compatible with
almost any frame and lens material, they are a
great solution for all patients throughout the year,
and especially during summer! Transitions lenses
adapt continuously through varying light conditions
Contact lenses and summer
BY ELEISHA DUDSON*
With the warming spring and summer
seasons approaching, we see an
increase in both new and existing
patients coming in for their contact lens review.
When renewing the patient’s script, we also have
the opportunity to emphasise good contact lens
routines and offer advice about new products
tailored for their specific needs.
Allergies in spring and summer
With spring we see the uncanny sight of thick
yellow pine pollen resting on every surface
outdoors. This is the harbinger of pollens to come.
The pine pollen though, due to its large size, is not
as big an allergy concern for allergy sufferers as
the smaller grass pollens that come later in the
season 1,2 . If we want patients who suffer from
these allergies to continue successful contact lens
wear, then there are a few things we should be
advising.
Artificial Tears We know for sensitive eyes that
preservative free artificial tears are a great option.
There is recent research suggesting that inflamed
and dry eyes settle quicker with drops that contain
hyaluronic acid 3,4,5 . For patients with dry eyes
and allergies, recommending hyaluronic acid eye
drops could help provide better comfort. Examples
of preservative-free artificial tears containing
hyaluronic acid include Hylofresh and Systane
Hydration.
Medicated Drops Oral antihistamine tablets
dry the eye out which can further exacerbate
an allergic eye. Therefore, for some contact lens
wearers, a topical medication can be a great
adjunct. I often talk to patients about the use
of Patanol over the summer. Because Patanol
is a preventer (mast cell stabiliser) and treater
(antihistamine) it works really well when using
twice a day, prior to and after contact lens
removal. From my clinical experience I advise that
Patanol should not be used immediately prior
to sleep as the patient could wake with stingy
eyes due to the lack of tear pump occurring while
asleep. Patanol is best used at least 15 minutes
before sleep and then artificial tears just prior to
sleep.
Travelling
One key thing to discuss with patients is their use of
contact lenses while flying. Patients usually know
they shouldn’t wear their contact lenses on long
haul flights, but they often don’t fully understand
why. Believe it or not, it’s not because their contact
lens solution is limited to 100mls or because toilets
on planes are unhygienic! Rather it is due to the
cabin pressure and oxygen levels. Aeroplane cabin
pressures can be likened to being on a mountain
at an altitude of 1800-2400m 6 . At this level there
is about 76-81% oxygen pressure compared to
sea level 7 and with the eye shut the oxygen levels
at the corneas drop by 60-75% 8 . This can be
uncomfortable and risky for the eye, especially as
there is usually some sleeping involved on long haul
flights. It’s also good to remind patients that as well
as skin and lip dryness from flying, eyes are affected
too.
Contact lens options
For both allergies and travelling there is the obvious
option of daily disposables.
I have many patients who are on what I call “dual
prescriptions”. They have their “usual” lenses for
their day-to-day lives, and then run a second daily
disposable prescription for travelling. This means
MCM range RRP $500
shapes are combined with colourful prints and
modern embellishments.
The brand is modern, progressive, cosmopolitan
and aspiring: while embracing the past and its
German origins it looks toward the future.
outdoors, enhancing the wearer’s vision and
reducing their eye fatigue. Additionally, they offer
well-rounded protection from the sun’s harmful
rays. Outdoors, the lenses not only block 100% of
UVA/UVB rays, but they also help protect eyes from
glares and harmful blue light from the sun, which
emits more than 100 times the intensity of blue
light than electronic devices and digital screens.
there is no need to worry about solutions while
travelling, especially for those sensitive patients
who use a hydrogen peroxide care system. The
hassle of travelling with AOsept has provided me
with some interesting stories; including the demise
of a mobile phone, drowned by a river of semineutralised
AOSept from a knocked-over case!
For dailies there are now more options than
ever with the latest releases including Oasys
1-day, Alcon Dailies Total 1, Cooper Myday and
Bausch and Lomb Biotrue. With all the options
now available there is really no reason why you
shouldn’t be able to find a compatible contact lens
for your patient.
Orthokeratology (ortho-k) For some adults who
suffer dry and irritable eyes, wearing contact lenses
throughout the day is just not an option. For these
patients it can be worth considering ortho-k.
New ortho-k designs with larger optic zones,
multifocal, and astigmatism options now make
ortho-k a viable option for more patients who are
intolerant to daily contact wear.
Ortho-k can be an effective myopia progression
control option in children. The understanding of
how ortho-k slows myopia progression has brought
about new designs, that are further improving the
efficacy of myopia progression control in ortho-k.
Ortho-k should also be part of any myopia
control discussion with younger patients and their
caregivers. With summer’s increased daylight and
potential for outdoor activities, it is also a great
time to discuss recent research about myopia
progression and light exposure. Research suggests
that 60-90 mins of outdoor activity a day is likely to
help slow myopia progression 9 . As good an excuse
as any to get out and enjoy some backyard cricket,
beach outings and BBQs!
References
1. Zealand, Allergy New. A-Z Allergies. s.l. : www.allergy.org.
nz/A-Z+Allergies/Pollen+allergy.html, 2010.
2. Crump, Vincent St Aubyn. Pollen Allergy and Cross-Reactions
in New Zealand. s.l. : www.allergyclinic.co.nz/pollen_allergy.
aspx, 2014.
3. A randomized, controlled study of the efficacy and safety of
a new eyedrop formulation for moderate to severe dry eye
syndrome. F, Chiambaretta. s.l. : Eur J Ophthalmol. 2016 Jul
20:0. doi: 10.5301/ejo.5000836., 2016.
4. Efficacy and safety of two new formulations of artificial
tears in subjects with dry eye disease: a 3-month,
multicenter, active-controlled, randomized trial. PA,
Simmons. s.l. : Clin Ophthalmol. 2015 Apr 15;9:665-75. doi:
10.2147/OPTH.S78184. eCollection 2015., 2015.
5. Comparison of treatment with preservative-free versus
preserved sodium hyaluronate 0.1% and fluorometholone
0.1% eyedrops after cataract surgery in patients with
preexisting dry-eye syndrome. D, Jee. s.l. : J Cataract Refract
Surg. 2015 Apr;41(4):756-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2014.11.034.
Epub 2014 Dec 5, 2015.
6. WHO. International travel and Health: Cabin air pressure. s.l.
: www.who.int/ith/mode_of_travel/cab/en/, 2016.
7. Baillie, K. Altitude air pressure calculator. s.l. : www.altitude.
org/air_pressure.php, 2010.
8. 8. Oxygen transmissibility corneal Oxygen. Weissman, B. A.
s.l. : Contact Lens Spectrum, Volume: 30 , Issue: November
2015, page(s): 25-29, 55 , 2015.
9. Light exposure and physical activity in myopic and
emmetropic children. SA, Read. s.l. : Optom Vis Sci. 2014
Mar;91(3):330-41. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000000160.,
2014.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
* Eleisha Dudson is an
optometrist at Stevenson,
Sangster and Matthews in
Wellington, and has a special
interest in orthoK
Style-Eyes
BY JO EATON*
et’s talk about sunglasses
L trends for summer
2016/17. Things finally
seem to be shifting from
the gigantic acetate frames
that have dominated the
past several years. Here’s a
rundown of what you can
expect this season.
Frame shapes
Rounder shapes are still a
popular choice.
Phil Thomas at Edel-Optics
says, “This summer, we shall see glasses in
panto or butterfly styles everywhere… Men
and women alike are going for round frames
with lenses that are slightly flattened at the
top. …This year, the glasses will not be quite as
oversized as last year.”
Interesting geometric shapes are also in many
collections.
Colours
Pastel colours are coming through again. Gold
and rose gold are popular in metal frames.
Lenses
In non-prescription glasses, flat-look lenses are
having their moment in the sun.
Mirrored lenses are big again this year. Super
are offering unusual colours to choose from,
such as bright pink mirror lenses.
Transitions
Transitions has been working on marketing with
well-known opticians, bloggers and designers
in the States in an effort to banish the daggy
reputation of photochromic lenses. They’re
pushing the fact the lenses clear when you walk
out of UV light a lot faster than they used to.
Coyote DeGroot of Labrabbit Optics in Chicago,
fashion blogger Leandra Medine of Man Repeller
and eyewear designers Coco & Breezy have been
some of the stars of the resulting campaign.
Check out the lookbook at www.transitions.
com/en-us/look-book/
Clips
Clip-on sunglass fronts, to be fitted over a
related pair of prescription spectacles, have been
making a quiet comeback for the past several
years and they’ve finally dropped the dorky
sports-dad feel. You’ll find them everywhere
from Luxottica brands like Oliver Peoples to
avant-garde Korean brand Gentle Monster,
through to many affordable brands.
Metal frames
With smaller frames making
a comeback, metal frames are
also on the way back in.
Karen Walker has just
released a range of metal
frames making use of
negative space, as if they are
outlines of her classic acetate
styles. It’s very clever!
As with spectacles, there is a
move towards smaller metal
frames in sunglasses for this
season. Check out AM Eyewear’s NOJ and Chico
frames and RVS Eyewear’s Palladium range.
Luxury
High-end eyewear brand Barton Perreira are
leading the way with sunglasses this year. Their
beautiful frame Belvedere is small, round and
comes with a clip.
Their rectangular Rango frame combines both
metal and acetate in a very masculine way,
while Beauregard does the same for femmes.
The real stunner of their latest collection,
however is the Boleyn frame, of which they
say, “[Its] name inspiration becomes very
apparent once seen, as it has a metal top half
and a plastic bottom, a reverse of the norm in
which the plastic half is traditionally on the
top. The metal has a filigree of very intricate
detail that evokes the distinctive car grills of
the past, it can be thought of as a spin on an
aviator, creating a unisex frame for the fashion
forward.”
Bold and unusual
If you’re going to go for big acetate sunglasses
this season, they have to look bonkers. Brands
leading the way here include Fakoshima, Stella
McCartney and Super.
You do you
Something I particularly love about 2016 is, that
while there are definite themes emerging as
trends, anything is acceptable as long as they are
worn with confidence. I’ve noticed sunglasses
styles associated with every decade from the
past 60 years worn lately without a sideways
glance from the arbiters of style! So, as my
friends are fond of saying, you do you!
* Jo Eaton is a native Wellingtonian, now studying optical
dispensing in Melbourne. She runs eyewear fashion blog,
Eye Heart Glasses’.
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
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