Your Eye Examination Explained
Your eyesight is your most precious sense and deserves the highest standards
of professional care. Without good vision it is difficult to enjoy most everyday
activities, including reading, driving and watching TV. Poor sight may also
indicate the presence of potentially serious eye diseases such as glaucoma and
macular degeneration, or general health problems like diabetes and high blood
pressure.
Because eye conditions often develop slowly, you may not notice any initial
symptoms. That's why it is essential to have your eyes examined regularly by an
optometrist of ophthalmic medical practitioner. The sooner any problem is
detected, the greater the chance of it being treated successfully.
This page explains what happens during an eye examination at our practice and
how we will take care of your vision. We recommend that you read it carefully as
it will help you to understand and look after your eyesight.
If you have any concerns about your vision, you should contact
us immediately. We provide quality eyecare and will always take as much time as
necessary to examine your eyes thoroughly and answer any questions you may have
YOUR EYE EXAMINATION
There is much more to your eye examination at our practice than finding out if
you need spectacles or contact lenses. We also carry out a range of tests to
assess the health of your eyes. And because everyone's eyesight is different, we
tailor the eye examination to your individual circumstances. This may include
the following elements and other tests where appropriate, based on our
professional evaluation of your visual requirements.
HISTORY AND SYMPTOMS
First of all, we discuss any problems you might have with your eyesight and
general health. Many eye conditions are health-related and it is important that
you let us know if you are taking any medicines as these may affect your vision.
To assess your visual needs, we also discuss your work and leisure activities.
SPECTACLES ASSESSMENT
If you already wear spectacles or contact lenses, you should bring these to your
appointment. We will then check the lenses to establish their type, optical
power, and how well you can see with them
REFRACTION
This part of the examination finds out whether you need an optical prescription
and, if so, which lenses give you the best vision. We check your near vision
(for reading), your distance vision (for driving or TV), and your intermediate
vision (for hobbies or computer work). These refraction tests will reveal if you
are short-sighted, long-sighted, presbyopic or have astigmatism. As
everyone's vision changes over time you may experience one or more of the above
conditions. However all can be corrected with spectacles or contact
lenses.
OCULOMOTOR BALANCE
It is important that your eye muscles work together. This test checks that both
your eyes are co-coordinated and that you have comfortable vision at all
distances.
PUPIL REFLEXES
The pupil controls the amount of light reaching the retina at the back of your
eye and so affects images seen by the brain. An unusual pupil reflex may
indicate neurological problems.
INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE
This test measures the pressure inside your eyes.
Too much pressure can indicate glaucoma, a disease that eventually leads to
blindness if untreated. The test is usually carried out on people over 40 or
those with glaucoma in the family. The results are evaluated in conjunction with
a visual field test and ophthalmoscopy.
VISUAL FIELD TEST
Testing your all-round vision can detect glaucoma and other neurological
conditions. Particular attention is paid to your peripheral sight as losing your
field of vision is one of the main signs of glaucoma.
OPHTHALMOSCOPY
This is a very important part of your examination because it checks the health
of your eyes. Using a hand-held instrument called an ophthalmoscope, a light is
shone through your pupil into the eye. This enables us to see the internal parts
clearly, such as your lens, retina and optic nerve, and so check for problems
like diabetes, cataracts, hypertension, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
VISUAL ASSESSMENT
When your eye examination is finished, we'll give you an explanation of your
vision and your eye health, plus a copy of your optical prescription. We'll then
recommend a time for your next eye examination based on your visual needs.
Our practitioner will also be happy to answer any questions you may have about
your eyesight and the examination
