Eye Health

 Patient UK
Has information leaflets on a wide range of eye conditions and an extensive directory of patient support and self help groups. In addition, our extensive web directory lists many other sites which provide information and support on specific eye conditions (such as glaucoma, etc). Below are links to large or general sites that cover many eye related topics.

The end of this page includes links to sites dealing with laser eye surgery.

 Eyecare Trust

Dedicated to educating the public on the importance of occular health, promoting an interest in eyewear and improving awareness of the benefits of modern optical technology. Lots of info and leaflets available.

 Royal College of Ophthalmologists

A professional organisation for eye surgeons but their website contains a number of booklets aimed at the general public on various eye conditions including:

• Understanding Age-Related Macular Degeneration
• Understanding Cataracts
• Understanding Retinitis Pigmentosa
• Understanding Retinal Detachment
• Understanding nystagmus
• Understanding Glaucoma
• Understanding Eye Conditions Related to Diabetes
• Congenital Cataract
• Congenital Glaucoma
• Retinopathy of Prematurity
• Corneal Disease
• Laser Refractive Surgery

 Goodhope Hospital

NHS hopital eye department with pages useful for patients with dry eyes, blepharitis, glaucoma, low tension glaucoma, intraocular hypertension, visual field testing, glaucoma drops and their side effects, macular degeneration, poor vision rehabilitation, retinal vein occlusion, Yag laser capsulotomy, cataracts, watery eyes, squints and posterior vitreous detachements.

 Moorfields Eye Hospital

Information on a range of eye conditions.

 Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB)

Extensive eye information. Includes information on many eye conditions including: macular degeneration, retinal detachment, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, etc.

 Eye Tests

Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provide a wide range of patient information leaflets including one in this area.

 Eye Care Services

Information from the Department of Health.

 Medicine Guides for Various Eye Conditions

Medicine Guides provide reliable information about medicines, conditions and the different treatment options available for various conditions.

 Medicine Guide for Myopia

Provides detailed information about the drugs available to treat this condition. Medicine Guides provide reliable information about medicines, conditions and the different treatment options available. They have been developed in the UK as part of the Medicines Information Project.

 Teenagers!

Information from RNIB aimed at teenagers with sight problems.

 General Optical Council

The General Optical Council (GOC) is the regulator for the opticalprofessions in the UK. Its purpose is to protect the public by promotinghigh standards of education and conduct amongst opticians.

 Squint

Information from the British and Irish Orthoptic Society

 Eye Care Services

Policy and guidance from the Department of Health

 Look Up

Look Up is an information service focusing on eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities.

 Children with Sticky and Watery Eyes due to Failure of Tear Drainage

Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provide a wide range of patient information leaflets including one in this area.

 Optical Consumer Complaints Service

OCCS is an independent body set up to settle complaints from members of the public who are not satisfied with the optical services received in an optical practice. The site explains what to do if you are unhappy about services.

 College of Optometrists

The professional, scientific and examining body for Optometry in the UK, that works exclusively for the public benefit. A section on their website is aimed at the general public and has information on eye care, contact lens care and on some eye conditions. The old name for optometrists is "ophthalmic opticians".

 Injection Treatments in the Eye

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust provide a wide range of patient information, including one in this area.

 PharmWeb - How to Use Medicines

The information provided on these pages are based on patient information leaflets supplied by the National Pharmaceutical Association. Includes advice on how to use eye drops and eye ointment.

 Tissue-cultured limbal stem cell allograft transplantation

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Tissue-cultured limbal stem cell allograft transplantation.

 Macular translocation for age-related macular degeneration

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Macular translocation for age-related macular degeneration.

 Radiotherapy for age-related macular degeneration

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Radiotherapy for age-related macular degeneration.

 Arteriovenous crossing sheathotomy for branch retinal vein occlusion

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Arteriovenous crossing sheathotomy for branch retinal vein occlusion.

 Scleral expansion surgery for presbyopia

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Scleral expansion surgery for presbyopia.

 Photorefractive (laser) surgery for the correction of refractive error

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Photorefractive (laser) surgery for the correction of refractive error.

 Laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for the treatment of refractive errors (laser) surgery for the correction of refractive error)

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for the treatment of refractive errors (replaced by 1PG164 Photorefractive (laser) surgery for the correction of refractive error).

 Insertion of hydrogel keratoprosthesis

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Insertion of hydrogel keratoprosthesis.

 Corneal implants for the correction of refractive error

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals on the same topic.

 Intraocular Lens Insertion for Correction of Refractive Error, with Preservation of the Natural Lens

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Intraocular Lens Insertion for Correction of Refractive Error, with Preservation of the Natural Lens .

 Implantation of an Opaque Intraocular Lens for Intractable Double Vision

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Implantation of an Opaque Intraocular Lens for Intractable Double Vision.

 BiOptic Driving Network

A not for profit network concerned with developing/advancing the use of BiOptics for driving. The BiOptic telescope is a useful driving aid for people with conditions that reduce resolution or visual acuity while maintaining the peripheral vision substantially in tact. Such conditions include albinism, nystagmus, cataracts, and corneal diseases, as well as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and other conditions that affect the central macular area.

 Retinopathy of Prematurity

An information booklet from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists on Retinopathy of Prematurity.

 Astigmatism

Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.

 Double vision

Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.

 Watering eye

Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.

 Diabetic retinopathy

Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.

 Colour vision deficiency

Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.

 Eye injuries

Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.

 Age-related long-sightedness

Information from BUPA.

 Astigmatism

Information from BUPA.

 Scleritis

Information from BUPA.

 Herpes Simplex Eye Infection

Information from BMJ best treatments.

Commercial sites with some eyecare information

 Get Lenses

Supplies contact lenses online to patients throughout the UK. Owned and staffed by registered, qualified optometrists. Includes an opticians online service to answer any queries about contact lenses or eyecare in general.

 Glasses Direct

Supplies low cost glasses custom made to your prescription.

 Laser Eye Surgery at Moorfields Hospital

A provider of laser surgery for short and long sight. Some good general information about laser surgery.

 Optical Express

Another provider of laser surgery for short and long sight but also gives some good general information about laser surgery.

 Ophthalmic Surgery Centre

A private ophthalmic day surgery in North London. Their website includes information about various eye conditions and their treatment such as short sight, long sight, other refractive eye problems, and catarats.

 Jonathan Luck Consultant Opthalmic Surgeon

Site contains detailed information regarding Laser Vision Correction (Lasik and Lasek), Cataract surgery and refractive surgery.

 London Vision Clinic

Includes the "UK Guide to Laser Eye Surgery".

 Centre for Sight, UK

A UK provider of independent medical and surgical eye care, including Lasik laser vision correction, cataract surgery, Ferrara rings, Intacs, corneal transplants, glaucoma and cosmetic eyelid surgery. Then centre is based at Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust, East Grinstead and has consulting rooms in London in the Harley Street enclave. The centre works in close association with the Corneoplastic Unit and Eye Bank and its staff are involved nationally and internationally in education and research.

 Optimax laser eye treatment specialists

Another provider of laser surgery for short and long sight but also gives some good general information about laser surgery.

 Advance Vision Care

A provider of laser eye surgery using 'wavefront' technology (Bausch & Lomb Technolasr Laser).

 Optrex

Details of Optrex but contains useful information on eyecare and minor eye problems such as dry eyes, hay fever, watering eyes etc.

 Robert Stanley Opticians

Commercial site but contains useful information on eyecare and eye problems.

 Dollond & Aitchison Opticians

Details of their services plus some eyecare advice.

 David Crystal Eyecare

An information site regarding new technology in preventative eye care, maintaining healthy eyes and caring for dry eyes.

 Postoptics

Large UK mail order supplier of contact lenses andsolutions. Owned and managed by UK qualified optometrists.

Further sources / more detailed information

Some non-UK sites

The following list popular non-UK health information sites with content aimed at the general public. They are mainly from the US. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included but these large sites are comprehensive.

• Non-UK disease / illness sites
• Non-UK self-help / support group sites

More detailed medical information

The following list online sources of more detailed medical information, mainly from the UK. These sites are mainly aimed at health professionals, but are of interest to all. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included, but information about most medical topics can usually be found.

• PatientPlus - hundreds of medical reference articles provided by Patient UK.
• Evidence Based Medicine - such as from Clinical Evidence, The Cochrane Library, etc.
• Database of UK Clinical Guidelines - from NICE, SIGN, Clinical Knowledge Summaries, etc.
• Medline - abstracts available from thousands of journals.
• Sites listing free online medical textbooks and journals.
• Sites listing free medical images - pictures, atlases, anatomy, skin diseases, etc.