Many people are initially a bit apprehensive about eye examinations and contact lens fitting, so here is a bit of information to (hopefully !) ease your minds....
The Eye Examination:
There are four main aims of an eye examination:
1. To check up on the health of the eye
2. To check that the level of vision achieved is sufficient to comfortably perform tasks that you undertake - eg driving, school / college, computer use, sports etc
3. To establish if there is a need for a (new) spectacle prescription
4. To address any concerns that you may have regarding your sight or the health of your eyes
Many people assume that because they feel they can see adequately, their eyes must be alright - sadly this is quite often not the case. Many people also assume that we will try to "sell them glasses" - we pride ourselves on our professionalism, and as a small family business we would like to both see you return in the future and hopefully recommend us to your friends, so you can be rest assured that we will not suggest glasses unless we genuinely feel they would be of benefit to you
During the eye examination itself we will initially ask a few
questions to lead us in the right direction during the
examination. For example, is there a family history of eye
problems or disease ? Are you on medication ? Do You drive a car or
operate a computer terminal ?
We then perform various checks to establish the level of vision in
each eye, whether a problem exists and if so, what we need to
do to correct it. We also carefully examine the inside of each eye
with a gadget called an ophthalmoscope to check that it is healthy,
and with adults, usually monitor the pressure inside the eye,
to check for a condition called Glaucoma.
We also offer a retinal imaging service. This enables us to take a
photograph of the retina at the back of the eye, and we will
normally be doing this routinely every few years on most patients
over 30. (If you would specifically like to take advantage of this
service, please make this known to a member of staff when checking
in for your appointment) It is completely painless, does not touch
the eye, and does not usually require drops to be
administered. It enables us to examine the retina in tiny detail
and to monitor any changes that may occur in the future. Most
people are amazed when they see their own retina on screen - it's
not something you get to see very often ! As these images are
confidential, we only store them with your patient records,
and we do not make them available to anyone else
To finish the eye examination, we will then discuss our finding with you, and make any recommendations we feel appropriate. If glasses are necessary, we will then advise you of all the options, frame, lens and pricewise
Our current fee for a private eye examination is £40.00 (£35.00 for
students who are not eligible for NHS eye
examination)
We are happy to offer (free) NHS eye examinations to all eligible groups, including Children and Young People under 19 in full time education, Diabetics and Glaucoma patients, persons over 60, persons over 40 with an immediate family history of Glaucoma, persons registered blind or partially sighted, persons with "Complex" prescriptions, persons on various Income Benefits (please enquire for details)
The retina at the back of the eye is totally unique. It is different in each eye, and even identical twins have different retinal appearances. An Optometrist can glean a lot of information from viewing this, not only about the health of the eye, but about the general health of the individual also
Unlike many Opticians, we make no extra charge for the Retinal Imaging service. If, however, you would like your own copy of the photos, for £5.00 we can email them to you
Dry eye is an increasing problem in todays world - air conditioning, central heating and computer use all contribute - giving rise to sore, gritty, often red and (somewhat bizarrely) watery eyes. There are many solutions to this problem.
For heavy users of electronic devices, TV's, tablets, computers, phones etc., there are "Blue Control" lens coatings available now that help considerably with this phenomenon
There are also numerous very effective forms of over-the-counter eye drops that can re-wet, re-lubricate and refresh tired, sore eyes
A recent innovation is the "Eye Bag". This is a fabric, flax-filled eye mask, that is microwaved for 30 seconds then applied to the (closed) eyes for 10 minutes. This softens the natural oils and greases in the meibomian glands of the eyelids, which tend to solidify and clog in time. This heating should be followed by massaging of the eyelids. This process is excellent for the treatment of Dry Eye, Grittiness, Burning, Transient Smeariness of Vision, Blepharitis and Styes and Cysts
