Health Advice

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Head Lice – Help!!!

Every parent’s heart sinks when they receive the dreaded note from school warning about head lice. Don’t worry – Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy in Donabate is here to to give us advice and tips. The first thing to do is to check the child’s head. You will need some tea tree conditioner, a... Read more >

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Are You SunSmart?

We ask Jane Brennan from Brennan’s Life Pharmacy Donabate how to make the most of great sunny summer days whilst protecting our skin from harmful rays. Jane says “The Irish Cancer Society SunSmart program has great guidelines to keep us safe. See below for some useful tips and advice” Ways to protect your skin: Shade... Read more >

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Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes

Pollen Highs & Watery Eyes… Talk to Jane Brennan, your Hay Fever Expert in Donabate Are your eyes itchy, red or watery? Is your throat scratchy? Are you sneezing? Do you have itchy ears, nose or mouth? Do you have a blocked or runny nose? Do you wake up feeling exhausted? Hay fever can cause... Read more >

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Life Pharmacy Ireland – Live Better

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Diagnosing diabetic retinopathy

(17/11/2014)

In the early stages, diabetic retinopathy does not cause any noticeable symptoms. Therefore, it tends to be diagnosed as a result of a diabetic eye screening test.

You should receive a letter from your local Diabetic Eye Screening Service inviting you to attend a screening appointment. 

Everyone with diabetes who is 12 years of age or over should be invited to have their eyes screened once a year.

A trained person will put eyes drops into your eye to enlarge your pupils, and photographs of your retina will be taken.

Within six weeks, both you and your GP should receive a letter letting you know your results.

The screening results may show either:

  • no retinopathy
  • background retinopathy – also called stage one retinopathy
  • degrees of referable retinopathy – this means retinopathy that requires referral to an eye specialist for further assessment and/or treatment

For more information, visit our page on diabetic eye screening.