Richard Petrie Opticians eye examinations

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Eye Examinations, What to Expect	It is a long time since an eye examination consisted only of being asked to read from a chart, such as this one on the left, from a certain distance - whether with one eye covered or not. In fact it is unusual now to find such a chart in an optician's practice as the letters are created by a computerised projector. Although you may still see the beautiful wooden boxes full of the optician's test lenses - these are rarely used during a modern examination. So what can we expect the next time we go to Richard Petrie Optometrist?
	You will still have a full check of your ability to read figures both in the distance, and at a normal distance for reading. We have a suite of equipment which checks the health of your eye in many different ways and allows us to look for any trends or changes in the condition of your eyes. These tests are included in our normal Private eye examination and allow us to spot the early onset of various medical conditions.
Private Eye Examination The following is what is included in a full private eye test. Many patients are entitled to an NHS funded eye examination which does not include all the in depth tests we provide. ( It is possible to upgrade from the NHS test to our full test - see Fees.) The eye examination is carried out by an optometrist and usually takes about 20 - 30 minutes (but may take longer if extra specific tests are required) and will normally include:

	Symptoms - Why are you having your eyes examined? Is it a routine check-up or have you come for a specific reason such as VDU screening. If you are experiencing problems with your eyes or vision your practitioner will need to know what symptoms you have, how long you have had them and whether any changes have happened suddenly or slowly over a period of time.

	History - Your optometrist will need to know about your general health including any medication you are taking, whether you suffer from headaches, currently wear spectacles or contact lenses, or have any close relatives with a history of eye problems etc.

	Additional information - which will help your practitioner to make an accurate assessment, includes your occupation, whether you play sports or have any hobbies etc. Your eyes will be examined both externally and internally. This will enable an assessment to be made of the general health of your eyes. The interior of your eye will be examined using an ophthalmoscope which shines a light through the pupil allowing a view of the internal structures.

	Tonometry - is a method of measuring the pressure of the eye. This is done by measuring the "tone" or firmness of its surface. The main reason for this test is to pick up any early signs of glaucoma in a patient. The earlier any evidence of glaucoma is found the better and more successful the treatment. Glaucoma, if left untreated, can cause blindness. No more fondly remembered 'puff of air' test. Richard Petrie optometrist now uses the "Icare tonometer". A small disposable probe touches the cornea very lightly for a fraction of a second. The measurement is barely noticeable by the patient and therefore suitable even for sensitive patients. The higher the pressure of the eye, the quicker the bounceback of the probe.

	Visual Fields Screening - This procedure maps out your field of view and shows your blindspot and any other areas of reduced vision. The test is done individually for each eye. This is useful to the optometrist as it can show up areas that may be less sensitive than others where vision is not so good. It can also be useful in backing up any problems that may have been detected by the optometrist. The image on the left is an example of a typical visual fields plot which is printed at the end of the visual fields test. The small dark spots represent the blind spot of each eye - where the optic nerve meets the retina. The central area shows where visual acuity is greatest. The visual field map on the far left shows an example of a field defect affecting one eye in particular The defects are shown as the darker areas and here vision will be poorer than lighter areas.

	Fundus Photography - This involves taking a picture of the back of your eye (fundus) which is very helpful to the optometrist as it gives a detailed image of the retina, blood vessels, optic disc and macula. All photos taken are saved on the patients individual record. When taken on subsequent visits the records can be used to detect any changes. On the photograph on the left the yellowish round shaped area is called the Optic Disc. This is where blood vessels leave and enter the eye in order to supply it with nutrients. The dark red blood vessels are veins via which blood leaves the eye and the lighter red blood vessels are arteries via which blood enters the eye. The network of the blood vessels is often referred to as the vascular tree. The darker area in the middle of the picture is called the macula and in the centre of this area is the fovea where we see in detail and have the highest acuity. The fovea is densely packed with cone cells which give rise to colour vision. These tests help the optometrist not only check the health of your eye but in some cases can give early indications of the onset of more general conditions such as diabetes.


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