Ophthalmology - Caring for Your Eyes (AH)

Ophthalmology

Caring For Your Eyes

Your eyes and you At Alexandra Hospital, we have a dedicated team of ophthalmologists that specialise in treating a wide range of acute and chronic eye problems in adults and children.

Why is eye screening important?

An eye screening can detect, treat and prevent common eye problems from worsening.

Such eye problems include: •

Cataracts: clouded lenses

•

Glaucoma: damage to the optic nerve from pressure exerted in the eye

•

Retinal Disorders: problems with the nerve layer at the back of the eye

•

Conjunctivitis: an infection known as red eye

Regular eye screenings can detect conditions that sometimes show no symptoms. It is therefore important to consult your doctor immediately if you notice: •

sudden changes in your vision

•

things appearing dim to you

•

flashes of light and double vision

•

pain in the eye

•

inflammation

Source: National Eye Institute (NIH)

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Eye screening is important for people with: •

Diabetes Mellitus

•

A family history of blinding eye conditions, such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration

•

High myopia (more than -6.00 dioptres or “600 degrees”)

Things to take note of when you come for your eye screening •

Bring your glasses

•

Avoid wearing contact lenses

•

Do not drive to the screening

Eye drops will be used at the eye screening. This could blur your vision.

You are advised not to drive because of this.

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What are some of the tests available?

Air puff tonometry This checks for pressure in your eyes and uses a non-contract device for basic glaucoma screening.

Amsler grid test This screens for abnormalities or distortion in the macular area of your eye, responsible for your central vision.

Auto-refraction This measures the refractive power of your eyes using a computerised device.

Basic glaucoma screening test This screens for obvious glaucoma changes through investigative eye tests.

Corneal pachymetry This measures the corneal thickness of your eyes using a computerised device.

Cover/uncover test This detects squints in your eyes, or what is known as ‘lazy eyes’.

Dry eye evaluation This checks for the presence of dry eyes, a condition found commonly in computer users, contact lens wearers, post-LASIK patients and the elderly.

Heidelberg retinal tomography III scan This is a three-dimensional scan of the optic nerve’s head.

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Humphrey visual field This picks up defects in your field of vision. It is useful for glaucoma diagnosis and follow-up.

Ishihara colour vision test This checks for defects in your colour vision.

Ocular motility evaluation This observes the abnormalities in your eye movement and is associated with squints (misaligned eyes), nerve and muscle diseases.

Optical coherence tomography scan This captures a three-dimensional image of the retinal nerve and the fibre layers around the optic nerve head.

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Red reflex examination This screens for abnormalities in the ocular media such as cataract and retinal diseases.

Refraction This tests the refractive power of your eyes and your need for a spectacle prescription. Refraction for children may include eye drops to relax the eyes for a more accurate reading of the spectacle prescription.

Retina & optic disc evaluation This is a detailed examination of the back of your eyes to detect diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Retinal photography This detects eye conditions within your eye affecting your optic nerve, macula and retina. It does so by photographing the back of your eyes.

Stereoacuity (Titmus test) This measures your ability to perceive depth and visualise objects three-dimensionally, or what is known as ‘stereo vision’. Stereo vision is abnormal in some eye conditions, especially in people with squints (misaligned eyes) or amblyopia (lazy eyes).

Visual acuity This tests your distance vision using a Snellen chart or Sheridan – Gardner cards (for children). For near vision, an N-notation near test chart is used.

For more information Alexandra Hospital 378 Alexandra Road Singapore 159964 Tel (65) 6472 2000 Fax (65) 6379 3880 www.alexhosp.com.sg Clinical and appointment hours Monday – Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm To make an appointment please call 6476 8828.

Getting to Alexandra Hospital

IKEA

AIA Tower

Free shuttle service Provided for visitors alighting at Queenstown MRT Station.

Buses available from AH SBS 14, 33, 51, 93, 100, 195, 197 SMRT 61

Disclaimer: The information in this brochure is meant for educational purposes and should not be used as substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. Please seek your doctor’s advice before starting any treatment or if you have any questions related to your health, physical fitness or medical condition.