Portsmouth Opticians Pioneers Revolutionary Technology
The team at Anne Gill Eyecare in North End are celebrating the arrival of ground-breaking technology from the US that has revolutionised the assessment and diagnosis of irritable eyes.
People suffering from dry, irritable or watery eyes are now being given the opportunity to identify the cause through the examination of their tears.  Anne Gill Eyecare is the only opticians in Hampshire to have invested in ‘Tear Lab’, which measures the ‘osmolarity’ (or content) of human tears to aid the diagnosis of Dry Eye Disease.
‘Dry Eye is the most common eye problem out there, but it usually goes undiagnosed when people put it down to tiredness or stress,’ explains Anne Gill, who opened her independent opticians in London Road at the beginning of the year. ‘There are few things more distressing than the constant discomfort of itchy, sore or painful eyes and now we are in a unique position to help manage it.’
Anne discovered the TearLab technology when attending ‘Independence Day’, the annual conference held every July for hundreds of independent opticians who gather at the Birmingham NEC to share best practice and the latest professional innovations.
‘I recognised the representative on the TearLab stand from when we used to work together for a previous company,’ says Anne, who has spent over 35 years working in optometry and eyecare. ‘I saw how TearLab could give a physical measurement and exact diagnosis of an eye’s condition which no other technology or assessment tool has ever been able to do.’
‘For example, when some people begin a treatment for Dry Eye, it can initially cause increased discomfort as the nerve endings in the eye come back to life, so the patient assumes it isn’t working and gives up.  With TearLab, we can monitor and show the patient that the eye is getting better and this gives them the strength to persevere.’

The technology, which arrived at Anne Gill Eyecare last month, has been fully tested, trialed and is now being led by Anne and her lead optometrist, Julie Wadey. ‘This is an amazing step forward for both Anne Gill Eyecare and optometry in our region,’ says Julie. ‘I am very excited and proud to be using TearLab as easing the suffering of those with eye problems makes such a difference to their lives.’

For more information or to book an appointment, give our team a call on 023 9269 4442