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Meet a Trader: Adrian Vecchio of EyeQ Optometrists in Camberwell

Article posted: September 22, 2015

An optometry practice in Camberwell is helping people to see things more clearly.

EyeQ Optometrists has been based in Camberwell for about 30 years and began operating under the EyeQ brand about five years ago.

Optometrist Adrian Vecchio said a key focus for the practice was focusing on patient eye health, including finding solutions for frames and contact lenses as well as monitoring for eye-related diseases.

“We have staff experienced in problem solving. It’s something I feel we do very well,” he said.

In one instance, a woman came into the practice and expressed she didn’t feel right when wearing her polarised sunglasses.

The store where she purchased the sunglasses from couldn’t work out what was wrong, so she went to EyeQ in Camberwell, where she had her prescription done, and asked Mr Vecchio for help.

“After looking into it, I worked out that one lens was polarised one way and one was polarised the other way,” Mr Vecchio said.

“Her brain was getting two different images – although each were clear individually, together they didn’t work. It was a case that the glasses were made incorrectly. So, one lens had to be rotated.

“The problem solving is the fun part. It’s challenging but I enjoy it, it makes you think.”

EyeQ glasses display | Image credit: EyeQ Camberwell Facebook page

One challenging task is prescribing contact lenses, said Mr Vecchio, because what might work for one person may not work for another.

“It really is something you need to practice and get used to but it’s also about picking the right lens,” he said.

Sometimes finding the right brand of contacts or changing the contact solution can make a world of difference, Mr Vecchio said.

Other times, there may be eye health issues, such as dry eyes, that need to be addressed before someone can wear contact lenses.

Treating common eye health issues is also a big part of being an optometrist, said Mr Vecchio.

In children and teenagers especially, eye strain is a common problem because of the amount of screen time they’re having with increased use of laptops and iPads at school, and smart phones for leisure.

The best recommendation for managing eye strain is to take regular breaks from screens, Mr Vecchio said, but he understands it’s not always easy to do.

“That’s where we look at different types of glasses and contacts to help take some of that strain away when you can’t avoid it,” he said.

“Eye strain is something that perhaps not every optometrist checks for because it takes that bit of extra time. But it’s something I check for in everybody regardless of whether they complain about it.”

For people over the age of 40, macular degeneration and glaucoma, as well as diabetes and blood pressure are key eye health issues that Mr Vecchio checks for.