Sound Optometry by Sound Optometry

04.24.2024

38: Evidence-based practice – What, where, why?

In optometry, exciting new products or treatments are constantly coming onto the market. As practitioners, we need to keep our knowledge up-to-date, so that we can offer solutions to our patients if they present with an ocular condition. But is...

03.20.2024

37: Immunology and allergy – A not so obvious link

Ocular allergy can be more complicated than the seasonal conjunctivitis that optometrists see frequently in practice. To treat allergic reactions effectively, it’s important to understand how the immune system works. In this episode, Michelle and Dr Peter Frampton, an optometrist...

02.14.2024

36: SEN – The path to lifelong eyecare

Children with special educational needs (SEN) are 28 times more likely to have a problem with their vision—or how their brains interpret vision—than their peers. It’s essential that optometrists understand how to make appointments as successful as possible for SEN...

01.17.2024

35: Dry AMD – Hope on the horizon

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of sight loss in the UK, and the dry form is the most common type of the condition. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty visits a community practice in Harborne, Birmingham, to...

11.22.2023

34: YAG and SLT – Optometrist-delivered laser treatments

Laser treatments are a great way for optometrists to learn new skills and add some variety to day-to-day practice. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty brings us into her YAG laser capsulotomy clinic in Birmingham, where she treats posterior capsule opacification...

10.18.2023

33: Cataract surgery – Understanding risks and managing complications

Over 400,000 cataract procedures are done every year in England alone and the surgery is also one of the most successful in modern medicine. But complications can still occur, for a number of reasons. With optometrists becoming ever more involved...

09.21.2023

32: Managing Myopia – Now and for the future

Myopia can be much more than just shortsightedness. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty speaks to her friend Kathryn, who has severe myopia, to find out how the condition can cause further ocular health problems, like macular degeneration. Two years ago on...

07.26.2023

31: Diabetic Retinopathy – Screening & Treatment

Regular eye screening for the more than 4 million people in the UK with diabetes is essential. The chronic condition is difficult to manage, but high blood sugar over time can damage the blood vessels in the retina. These changes...

06.28.2023

30: Glaucoma – ISNT it suspicious?

Detecting and diagnosing suspect glaucoma isn’t an exact science, but the stakes are high—undetected or late-diagnosed optic nerve damage can lead to irreversible vision loss. Subtle changes in the optic nerve head can be confusing, though, so as an optometrist,...

05.17.2023

29: Hydroxychloroquine – Potentially toxic, potentially blinding

One of the side-effects for patients who take hydroxychloroquine, or chloroquine, can be retinal toxicity. The drug is usually taken to help treat rheumatic disorders, but around 7.5% of people who take hydroxychloroquine for over five years are thought to...

04.19.2023

28: Leadership and accountability in optometry – Essential not optional

Leadership in optometry can take many forms - from solving a patient’s complaint successfully, to managing a team of optometrists, to dealing with our busy workflows. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty asks Mat Pickering, the General Manager of Optegra UK,...

03.21.2023

27: Dry Eye? Think MGD and beyond

The impact of severe dry eye or ocular surface disease on quality of life has been compared to someone who’s had a renal transplant or unstable angina. In this episode, we hear how dry eye disease affected both the ocular...

02.21.2023

26: Patient Mental Health – Eyes and minds

Mental health isn’t usually the first consideration in optometrists’ minds when they see patients. But with conditions like anxiety and depression on the rise, optometrists, as primary healthcare providers, should be on the lookout for mental health concerns and how...

01.18.2023

25: Visual Field Tests – When, why and what it can mean

Visual field tests can be invaluable when trying to explain a patient’s symptoms, like headaches, or detecting early disease, from glaucoma to stroke, or rarer neurological conditions, such as pituitary tumours. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty asks Stephen Freeman, an...

11.15.2022

24: Mental Health – Optometrists, be well!

Mental health conditions can affect anyone and can have a negative impact on optometrists’ work. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty discusses these implications with Sheena Tanna-Shah, an optometrist who retrained in therapy after her own experience with anxiety. Also, avoiding...

10.18.2022

23: Eyelid lesions – Look for the sign: Malignant or benign?

Coming across eyelid lesions is an everyday occurrence for optometrists, but distinguishing them from each other can be a challenge. In this episode, we hear from Nina, who had a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on her lower eyelid. Michelle Hanratty...

09.13.2022

22: Corneal Disease – Big problems in young eyes?

Paediatric eye conditions can often leave optometrists concerned and confused about how to manage patients. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty explores both inflammatory and infectious causes of corneal disease in children. Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Mr Michael O’Gallagher of the Royal...

07.20.2022

21: Uveitis – Detecting the rare and managing the obvious

Uveitis is thought to cause around 15% of severe sight loss in the UK. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty explores both punctate inner choroidopathy or PIC, a form of posterior uveitis, and the more common presentation of anterior uveitis, with...

06.21.2022

20: Sudden loss of vision - Time is sight!

Many optometrists will have experienced a patient calling and saying that they suddenly can't see. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty travels to the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital to explore the loss of vision, focussing on artery and vein occlusions, with...

05.17.2022

19: Modern contact lens practice – The CLEAR way forward

Fitting contact lenses might be a straightforward task, but modern contact lens practice is constantly evolving. Last year, the British Contact Lens Association released a series of reports, called CLEAR, to help harness the most recent contact lens research and...

03.29.2022

18: Enhanced Optometric Services - Part 2 (Scotland & Northern Ireland)

The four nations of the UK each have their own Enhanced Optometric Services. This is the second of two episodes which explore how these pathways benefit patients, practitioners and the NHS. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty explores the services available...

02.22.2022

17: Enhanced Optometric Services - Part 1 (Wales & England)

The four nations of the UK each have their own Enhanced Optometric Services. This is the first of two episodes which explore how these pathways benefit patients, practitioners and the NHS. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty discusses the Enhanced Optometric...

01.25.2022

16: Binocular Vision - Managing convergence anomalies

Binocular Vision disorders present themselves frequently to optometrists but the most appropriate solution is not always obvious. In this episode, Michelle Hanratty discusses the path to single vision with Dr Aleks Mankowska, an optometrist and lecturer in the Bradford School...

12.03.2021

15: Vitreomacular disorders - Smoothing wrinkles and mending holes

Vitreomacular conditions can be sight-threatening if they are not picked up by practitioners. In this episode, optometrist Michelle Hanratty speaks to Mr Kam Balaggan, consultant ophthalmologist and consultant vitreoretinal surgeon. They discuss how to recognise vitreomacular disorders and how to...

10.19.2021

14: Glaucoma – Assessing the risk to resolve referral dilemma

Glaucoma is a difficult condition to diagnose. Optometrist Michelle Hanratty discusses referral dilemmas and the impact of the NHS backlog with optometrist, Paddy Gunn, and consultant ophthalmologist, Mr Imran Masood. Paddy Gunn, Principal Optometrist Education and Training at Manchester Royal Eye...

09.15.2021

13: Infection control – Protect the patient, protect yourself

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness of infection control measures in all professions. As optometrists, there are particularly important precautions to take. In this episode, optometrist Michelle Hanratty discusses the mechanisms of transmission for respiratory infections, gastrointestinal pathogens and eye...

07.20.2021

12: Anterior Ocular Lesions – Benign or malignant? Change is significant!

Discovering a new ocular lesion whilst carrying out an eye examination can lead to a management dilemma for optometrists. Michelle Hanratty talks to Professor Heinrich Heimann, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Clinical Lead of the Ocular Oncology Unit at Royal Liverpool...

06.15.2021

11: Myopia Management – Active not passive

Myopia is thought to affect half of the population by 2050, which is why management from optometrists is required, to potentially reduce the extent of myopic progression in patients. Michelle Hanratty talks to Professor Ed Mallen about the threat of...

05.18.2021

10: Keratoconus – Screening, surgery and saving sight

Early keratoconic corneal changes can start even before the age of 10 and those that are at risk are mostly not detected until the condition is moderately advanced. The only way to pick these patients up early is to routinely...

04.20.2021

9: Suspicious Discs – When is a disc a disc at risk?

In this episode, we hear about a clinical scenario where a case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension led to severe visual symptoms and bilateral optic disc swelling. Michelle Hanratty then recaps the key features of papilloedema, its presentation and causes with...

03.16.2021

8: Cataracts – A tale of two surgeons

In a special edition, optometrist Michelle Hanratty talks to Consultant Ophthalmologist, Arijit Mitra, about his personal experience of developing a unilateral cataract at a relatively young age and what it was like to be operated on by a friend. They are...

02.16.2021

7: Speaking Up – Putting patients first

What if you witness something that you feel puts patients at risk – an unsafe practice or procedure you’re not happy with? This month optometrist Michelle Hanratty discusses the concepts of Speaking Up and Whistleblowing with David Hewlett, Group Director...

01.19.2021

6: Medical Retina – Investigations and injections

Conditions of the retina can be genetic or acquired but, even with advanced imaging, it can be challenging for optometrists to decide when people need to be referred. This month optometrist Michelle Hanratty discusses diagnosis and treatment of wet AMD, dry...

11.17.2020

5: Acute Red Eye – Stay calm and keep it simple

Most cases of acute red eye are due to fairly benign conditions such as conjunctivitis. However, a small proportion are more serious and require urgent treatment. This month, Michelle Hanratty and consultant ophthalmologist David Lockington discuss the challenges of differentiating...

10.20.2020

4: Binocular Vision – The trouble with double

Managing binocular vision is important. Eliminating the differentials requires a good theoretical knowledge so it’s essential to keep that knowledge fresh. This month, Michelle Hanratty speaks with specialist optometrist Janice McCrudden, from the Belfast Health Trust, to delve deeper into...

09.15.2020

3: Flashes & Floaters – Retinal detachment waiting to happen

Retinal detachment is one of the most common reasons for “Fitness to Practice” complaints to the General Optical Council. This month, Michelle Hanratty is joined by vitreo-retinal surgeon Steve Lash, and Roshni Kanabar from the Association of Optometrists. The team...

07.14.2020

2: Papilloedema – A swell of concern

In 2012, optometrist Honey Rose was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter for failing to detect papilloedema. Although later overturned, this conviction shook the optometry profession. This month, Michelle Hanratty and consultant neuro-ophthalmologist Naz Raoof from Moorfields Eye Hospital discuss the...

06.16.2020

1: Ocular Allergies – Relieving the itch

It's hay fever season and DOCET launches Sound Optometry with the timely topic of ocular allergies. Michelle Hanratty and Dr Peter Frampton explore the causes of ocular allergies, treating patients in lockdown, and how to keep them comfortable when the...

05.27.2020

Trailer – Sound Optometry

Sound Optometry is the podcast from Docet that provides high quality continuing professional development for all GOC-registered optometrists in the UK and abroad. Monthly, we are exploring the topics that matter most to us optometrists with case studies and in-depth conversations. Plus,...

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