Many of us visit the dentist twice a year to ensure the health of our teeth. Many of us also go to our family doctors to get regular examinations. However, we often take one aspect of our health for granted, our eyesight. Just like a physical or dental check up, regular visits to your eye care practitioner are necessary to guarantee healthy and normal vision.
In fact, less than half of us have our eyes test at the recommended interval of every 2 years. It may need to be more frequent depending on you age and medical history. Your optometrist will normally advise you when you should return for your next Eye Test.
A regular test can reveal very early signs of sight and underlying health problems and the earlier they are treated the better. Potential health problems include diabetes, high blood pressure, some brain tumours and multiple sclerosis. The eye test will also detect if your vision can be improved. You may just be used to seeing less clearly and therefore do not realise your sight can be improved upon. For children, it is essential that their eyes are functioning normally for them to perform well at school. Older adults should be aware that the probability of having vision disorders increases with age; but don’t accept that your vision will decline with age, as it may be possible to improve it further.
The message is clear, early diagnosis of any potential problems decreases the chances of severe damage to your sight and increases the probability of earlier diagnosis of many other disorders.
If you are entitled to an NHS Sight Test there will be no charge. Click here to see if you qualify.
For private patients, Optical Revolution charges just £10 for an eye test if you buy glasses (or order the reglaze of your existing pair) on the same day. Otherwise our charge is £20.
Each persons eyes are individual and our fully trained optometrists will tailor your eye test, using the following areas, to your specific needs.
1) Eye and Family HistoryThe optometrist will ask about you and your family’s medical history, as many eye conditions are hereditary and many others relate to underlying health problems.
2) Motility (Visual Screening )Checks your all round vision and can help diagnose neurological conditions. The test comprises of the optometrist moving a pen around in front of your eyes to check how your eyes move and focus properly.
3) Pupil ReflexA small torch will be shined into your eyes to determine how your pupils react, and can indicate underlying neurological problems.
4) Objective RefractionThe optometrist will look at your eyes through a small instrument (retinoscope) that also shines a light into them. This test measures the light bouncing off the back of your eye and allows the optometrist to get a starting point of the lens power you require (if any).
5) Subjective RefractionYou look at differing images while your optician puts varying lenses in front of you eyes. This test is the well known procedure of “saying what you see”, such as telling the Optometrist whether the images are clearer or more blurred than when using the last lens.
6) Cover TestThis test checks the muscle balance between the eyes. You will be asked to look at a small fixation object, such as a pen. One eye is covered for a few seconds and then the cover is quickly removed. The optometrist will observe how well the eye moves when it is uncovered. The test is then repeated for the other eye.
7) Health of the Interior of the EyeA bright light is shone into your eye so the optometrist can examine the back of the eye. Conditions being looked for include high blood pressure, glaucoma and cataracts.
8) Health of the Exterior of the EyeThe optometrist checks the outside of your eye, using a slit lamp (a machine like a microscope) for scratches and abnormalities.
9) Internal Eye PressureThis test looks for the presence of glaucoma, a condition which is usually found in older adults, generally over the age of 40. A machine blows a puff of air into the eyes to measure the internal pressure.
10) Colour PerceptionThis test is quite often used for children. A book called the Ishihara Test is used which has a series of ‘hidden’ numbers, placed within a circle of coloured dots. The aim is to identify the hidden number from the mass of other colours, this indicates to the optometrist which colours are harder for the patient to see.
Older children and adults may also take a test for colour blindness. However as this condition is usually a hereditary and stable condition you will only take this test once, on your first visit.
11) Visual Field TestThe majority of adults over forty and those with a family history of glaucoma will have this test. The patient will be asked to press a button everytime a flashing light appears at any postiion on a screen. This assesses the patient's peripheral vision.
12) Your ResultsYour examination results will be fully explained to you by your Optometrist and a record given to you to keep. If you need corrective spectacles or contact lenses you will be given a prescription, otherwise you will be given a written statement that you do not need them.
13) ReferralThe optometrist may record his results in a letter to your GP or hospital for further examination.
