Examination

Although you may have assumed that an Optometrist is only concerned with whether you can see accurately, you may be surprised to learn that in fact, examining the health of your eyes (and potentially what they might indicate about your general health) – is of the highest priority too.

Since the eye may not always provide any symptoms of an irregularity or possible health issue, it is very important that our Optometrist is able to see you at suitable intervals. Conditions such as Glaucoma or Diabetes can be picked up at an early stage and treated before they become serious health issues. But there are other considerations too: for example, if you are a driver, it is actually a legal requirement that you have satisfactory vision and often, you may not be especially aware that your sight may have deteriorated – which could make driving actually hazardous to yourself, passengers and other road users.

Young people in particular, need to be able to see well in order to progress their education at school and parents may not necessarily realise that a child is having sight problems.

The techniques and equipment that are employed by our Optometrist are nothing to be nervous about. An eye examination is not an unpleasant procedure and normally, will not last much longer than about 30 minutes.

We will require some information about you prior to undertaking the exam. Please bring a list of your medications and any current spectacles you have with your to your appointment.

Also we will ask you your occupation (since this can have an impact on eye strain); family history (to determine whether there are any family members who may have relevant conditions, such as diabetes); your general health of course and any lifestyle considerations such as sporting activities which might make a difference to how your vision may be best maintained using spectacles of perhaps contact lenses if needed.

A range of vision tests will be undertaken, principally to determine whether correction may be needed, but also to discover whether you have any blind spots in your peripheral vision. Range of movement and possibly tests for colour too are undertaken by our Optometrist. You will be given your prescription at the end of the examination along with any necessary advice.