Bill Harvey: Soma

An ECP who assesses any ocular or visual anomaly purely in terms of the eye, without considering the potential systemic, psychological or external influences, will never be able to fully address the presenting problem.

Management of even the commonest of conditions like dry eye require a full appraisal of systemic health and lifestyle. Never trust recommendations of a lid wipe or eye drop if not issued with an accompanying list of information addressing associated factors, such as systemic health concerns, lifestyle and environmental influences, and offered with a timescale for any expected outcome and review. Thankfully, this more holistic approach to eye care is gradually taking hold.

Similarly, it is rare to find a systemic disease without some ocular impact so it is important for us all to keep up to date. I confess to some surprise at how little has been published about the impact of menopause on the eye. Society is finally coming round to taking menopause seriously; I have seen the impact on both my excellent wife and my sister. But this paucity of eye research is changing and new studies are popping up, such as one in this month’s OPO showing increased cataract presentation in women using tibolone. Optician will be publishing a review of the ocular impact of menopause in May.