HEALTH
Be clear on eye tests! Cecil Amey Opticians & Hearing Care are the largest independent Opticians and Hearing Care provider in East Anglia, with 10 practices across Norfolk, Suffolk & North Norfolk. Here, they explain about the benefits of having an eye test and what to expect during your appointment. What is an eye test? An eye test is a vital health check for your eyes. Every adult needs one every two years, and some people may be advised to have a test more often; for example people aged 40 or over with a family history of glaucoma, people aged 70 or over and people with diabetes. What happens during an eye test? Your optometrist will ask about your medical history, medication and whether anyone in your family has eye problems. You should tell your optometrist about any difficulties you have with focusing, headaches or other problems. Your eye test will also look at the following:
can be improved for distant and near objects. How your eyes work together – the optometrist will ask you to look at a letter or object and will then cover one eye at a time to see how well your eyes work together. The pressure inside your eyes – the front of your eye is filled with fluid, and if the pressure of this fluid rises it can cause sight loss. The optometrist will check the pressure of your eyes at every test once you reach the age of 40. This can be done with a machine that blows a little puff of air on the eye.
Your eye health – the optometrist might shine a bright light close to your eyes to check the inside and outside of the eyes for signs of disease. Alternatively, they look through a special lens which helps give a clear, magnified view of the back of the eye, called the retina.
Your field of vision – the optometrist will check how well you can see in the centre and at the edge of your field of vision using a test that flashes faint spots of light.
Your vision – the optometrist will ask you to read letters on a chart and use different lenses to see how much your vision
Optical Coherence Tomography - OCT Scan There is an additional charge for an OCT scan, but the benefits
really are invaluable as it gives an on-going record of the health and condition of your eyes. This clever technology, which is quick and completely painless, allows us to see, in incredible detail, the back of the eye's distinctive layers. This helps our optometrists detect any early signs of glaucoma or other eye-related conditions such as diabetes and macular degeneration. We have OCTs in 8 of our 10 practices across Norfolk and Suffolk, so please ask about this when booking your next eye test. Do I have to get my glasses from the same optician who carried out the eye test? ABDO, the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, recommends that you do, to ensure your prescription and spectacle dispense are interpreted and made up correctly. It also ensures that any problems can be handled more easily. cecilameyopticians.co.uk 67
