Pretoria – The Professional Board for Optometry and Dispensing Opticians has recently become aware of a marketing campaign promoting “100% adjustable readers” and would like to raise your awareness around the dangers of purchasing readymade and/or adjustable readers without the advice of a recognised eye care practitioner.
The advertisement is misleading and contradictory to acceptable professional practice standards and protocols. It implies that persons with impaired vision will have the ability to self-diagnose and to sufficiently correct their visual problems by simply purchasing these spectacles. The advert suggests that the adjustable spectacles will ‘cure’ blurry vision, eliminating the need to consult with an optometrist.

Impaired vision may be caused by other eye conditions including cataract, glaucoma and agerelated macular degeneration (AMD), in addition to uncorrected refractive errors. Furthermore, certain conditions, such as diabetic eye disease and glaucoma, may result in permanent loss of vision if not detected and treated appropriately. A comprehensive eye examination by a registered eye care practitioner such as an optometrist or an ophthalmologist is fundamental for detecting and treating these conditions to help prevent permanent loss of vision.

Uncorrected vision problems, poorly corrected vision and untreated eye health conditions in children often result in learning difficulties and adversely affect social development. Therefore, it is essential for both adults and children with poor vision to consult registered optometrists or eye care providers who have the necessary expertise to diagnose, treat and manage the vision impairment or loss.
The Professional Board therefore emphasises that, “over-the-counter” and “self-adjustable” spectacles are NOT a substitute for a comprehensive eye examination and should not be considered as an alternative to a registered eye care practitioner.