Specialist Eye Centre

01/10/2025

Wishing all our Jewish patients, friends and family a very blessed Yom Kippur.

30/09/2025

October is World Sight Month!

The South African Guide-Dogs Association launches the third annual Wear Your Shades Day
Campaign!

This initiative celebrates World Sight Month by raising awareness about the importance of eye health and generating vital support for individuals with visual impairments.

“Every year, our mission is to transform the lives of approximately 800 individuals through the
provision of Assistance Dogs and long-cane training,” says Pieter Van Niekerk, spokesperson
for the SA Guide-Dogs Association.

Van Niekerk, who is visually impaired and a proud Guide Dog owner himself, adds: “Wear Your Shades Day is a fun and powerful way for the public to take part in making a tangible difference for people living with disabilities.”

How to Get Involved
• Purchase a R20 sticker
• Online: Buy your digital sticker via the SA Guide-Dogs website at
www.guidedog.org.za.

• By Phone: Contact the Johannesburg or Cape Town offices to order stickers. Collect
them in person or have them delivered.
• At Stores: Stickers are available at participating retailers, including Pick n Pay
(selected stores), Spar (selected stores), Falco Milano, Big Blue, Pet World, and
BUCO Hardware.
• Wear your shades: On 17 October 2025, put on your coolest sunglasses and your
sticker to show your support and raise awareness about visual impairment and eye.

On Wear Your Shades Day, participants are encouraged to tag on social
media while wearing their shades and sticker and use the hashtag for a chance
to win exciting prizes.

For more information or to get involved:
Visit www.guidedog.org.za or email info@guidedog.org.za.

Media Enquiries:
Nicole Barros | NicoleB@Guidedog.org.za

23/09/2025

Eye Care Awareness Month is commemorated from 21 September to 18 October to raise awareness about the importance of eye health, specifically around the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness.

Love Your Eyes – Test Your Eyes

Did you know that 80% of the sensory information your brain receives comes from your eyes? Vision is central to how we navigate the world, make decisions, and stay safe. Yet, many people remain
unaware of visual problems—especially in the early stages when intervention is most effective.
Early detection saves sight.

This World Retina Week, Retina South Africa, Vision Works and the South African Optometric Association have joined forces to offer
FREE vision screening to all South Africans.

Vision Works Optometrists is also offering a FREE comprehensive
eye test for children aged 6 to 12 yrs old.
This “Kids See free 6-12” offer includes:
• A FREE eye test
• FREE Single Vision - standard lenses
• FREE Frame - from a selected range

Why Visual Screening Matters.
Many eye conditions are treatable if caught early. These include:
• Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Glaucoma
• Childhood Myopia (near-sightedness)
1
Diabetes is a growing health crisis and can cause severe vision loss in advanced stages. Retinal screening can detect subtle changes in
the eye’s blood vessels - often before vision loss or elevated blood
sugar levels are noticed.

Early intervention and lifestyle modification can prevent progression to diabetes, vision loss, kidney failure, and even amputations.

Hope Through Innovation: Genetic Vision Loss.
Breakthroughs in genetic research are paving the way for treatments that offer hope to millions affected by inherited retinal diseases such
as:

• Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)
• Stargardt Disease
• Usher Syndrome (deaf-blindness)
• Many other rare retinal diseases

Early diagnosis and genetic testing are critical to accessing these emerging therapies.

Take Action!

Find a participating optometrist near you:
www.vision-works.co.za – Store Directory
info@saoa.co.za or 011 805 4517

All screening by appointment only.

Learn more or support Retina South Africa’s mission to restore sight: www.retinasa.org.za

23/09/2025

23/09/2025

The ladies of Servest graving us this morning with their beautiful Venda and Xhosa traditional wear!

22/09/2025

Wishing all our Jewish patients and families a very blessed New Year!

18/09/2025

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/15/health/tooth-in-eye-surgery

When Brent Chapman was 13, he took ibuprofen during a Christmas basketball game. It was a drug he had taken before, but what happened next was anything but routine: He had a severe reaction that caused burns all over his body, including on the surface of his eyes.