“Helping patients continue to enjoy their hobbies and have a better quality of life is my favourite part of the job.” We speak to optometrist Mohammed Asghar about his lifelong passion for optics.
Mohammed Asghar has worked as an optometrist at Optomeyes Eyecare for five years. At his weekly clinic in Wickham Square, he sees up to eight patients each day, allowing up to an hour for an eye exam. This is more than double the time allocation in well-known high-street opticians, but he explains this means he can provide personalised eye care to his patients.
Mohammed, also known as “Mo” in the practice, grew up in Coventry and studied Optometry at Aston University in Birmingham. Mo said, “I enjoyed the sciences and mathematics from a young age, but I wasn’t entirely sure what career path to take. As time went on, I narrowed it down to either becoming a doctor, pharmacist, dentist or optometrist.
“After some good (and bad!) work experience opportunities at the age of 16, I discovered optometry was the career for me. I did work experience at a cataract clinic in a hospital and found it absolutely fascinating. I enjoyed looking into the eye, the level of patient interaction and putting together a treatment plan.”
Wanting to live somewhere new, Mo carried out his qualifying year in Newcastle. Just as he had adjusted to the accent and made a group of friends, Mo took on another adventure and accepted a job at a high-street optician 350 miles away in Bournemouth.
He continued, “I eventually settled in Southampton and was employed by an independent practice. Following this, I spent some time working alongside consultant ophthalmologists at Salisbury Hospital, which gave me a wealth of knowledge to bring into my day-to-day clinics. “From there, I decided to go self-employed and have worked for myself for almost 10 years now and for independent practices like Optomeyes Eyecare.”
“High-street opticians can’t compete with the level of care and attention to detail taken by an independent practice. I feel I can give my all to my patients in this setting.”
Between work and starting a young family, Mo completed a post-grad in clinical optometry, focusing on advanced contact lenses, glaucoma, medical retinas, ocular nutrition, and ocular therapeutics.
In addition, he completed an independent prescribing course with Aston University, which allows him to prescribe drugs to treat the eye and surrounding tissue, within his competence. This additional education, paired with recent experience in secondary care settings such as hospitals, gives Mo a holistic view of the industry.
Mo detailed, “It’s a great toolset to have because it means I can offer patients more than just a basic sight test. I detect and diagnose any causes for concern and can treat some issues with therapeutic interventions or by fitting specialist contact lenses.”
Spending time with patients is Mo’s favourite part of the job. He explained, “Looking after my patients’ eyes is important to me. I recently had a patient tell me she was struggling to carry out her favourite hobby, cross-stitch, because of her poor vision. Providing an ocular solution for her so that she could carry on with her hobby was just fantastic.”
Sue Wassall, founder of Optomeyes Eyecare, said “The wealth of knowledge that Mo can bring to the team is second to none. He’s a valued member of the team, and patients love coming to see him for his sound advice and warm character.”
Are you experiencing changes to your vision? Book your next sight test with Mo by calling Optomeyes Eyecare Wickham on 01329 832706.
Quick fire questions
What one piece of advice do you find yourself repeating to patients?
I encourage all my patients to wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with strong UV protection. UV exposure, just like it can age the skin, can also age the eyes. So, no matter your age, wear sunglasses if you’re out and about in the sun.
Our Maui Jim range has good protection. Their lenses are polarised, which helps reduce a lot of glare.
What most common eye symptoms do patients come to you with?
Typically, we see people with blurry vision. From an ophthalmology perspective, I’ve seen more patients coming in with dry or itchy eyes recently.
A major cause of this is Blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelids that may be caused by an infection, allergy, or even facial mites known as Demodex. An in-depth examination of the anterior eyes can help identify the specific cause for each patient.
Tell us a fun eye-related fact
As you get older, your pupils get smaller! This is a natural part of the ageing process, as the muscles that control the pupil size can weaken.