AWARD-WINNING INDEPENDENT OPTICIANS
Please note that spectacle collections and adjustments require an appointment.
Services
Eye Examinations
History and Symptoms:
The Optometrist will ask various questions about your eyes and your health to gather specific information. This allows the eye examination to be individual to your needs. You may also be asked about the details of any medications that you are taking, as some drugs and medical conditions can affect your eyes and your prescription. You may want to bring a list of your medications with you.
Vision: It is important to check how well you currently see, either with existing spectacles or without any spectacles.
Spectacle Prescription: This will tell us whether you need spectacles to help you see comfortably.
Muscle balance: This tells us how well your eyes are working together. It may be possible to offer exercises to improve muscle balance, in some cases.
Ophthalmoscopy: This torch-like instrument enables us to
examine the eyes to ensure that they are healthy.
What else might be done?
Tonometry:
This measures the pressure within the eye. It is one of the tests for glaucoma and is typically carried out in patients over the age of 40.
Visual fields: This measures peripheral vision and is also a useful screening test for glaucoma as well as many other eye related problems. At Care Optics, we have invested in the best visual fields instruments which allow us to carry out specialist examinations for drivers as specified by the DVLA.
Colour vision: This detects colour vision defects and is typically done at a child’s first visit.
Stereopsis: This measures binocular vision by means of 3D pictures and is often carried out as part of a child’s eye examination.
Slit lamp Biomicroscopy: This enables a magnified view of the anterior surface of the eye. It is particularly useful in contact lens work.
Keratometry: This measures the shape of the front surface of the eye and is used extensively in contact lens fitting.
Optical Coherence Topography (OCT)
The REVO-OCT is the ultimate wellness scan that can detect numerous eye diseases/conditions, even in their early stages. The most prominent conditions that can lead to blindness when not treated are:
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Glaucoma: Impairs vision by damaging the optic nerve (cable of nerve fibres that transmits coded information from the eye to the brain). It usually involves an elevation of the pressure caused by excess fluid in the front part of the eye;
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Diabetic Retinopathy: Caused by damage to the small vessels in the retina. The effect of diabetic retinopathy on vision varies widely, depending on the stage of the disease;
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Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD): Degenerative condition of the macula, the part of the eye solely responsible for seeing in colour and for providing the sharp, central vision needed to see things clearly like faces, reading or even driving.
REVO-OCT can also detect other pathologies like Retinal Detachment, Macular Holes and others.
Retinal Photography
Why do I need a retinal photograph?
This photograph is useful to monitor changes in the eyes, so is particularly useful for people at risk of certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. It is also useful to have a retinal photograph as a baseline reference, so that any future changes can be picked up easily. Your optometrist will always recommend a photograph, if he/she thinks it is advisable, but do feel free to request retinal photography when booking your eye examination.
This photograph is useful to monitor changes in the eyes, so is particularly useful for people at risk of certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. It is also useful to have a retinal photograph as a baseline reference, so that any future changes can be picked up easily. Your optometrist will always recommend a photograph, if he/she thinks it is advisable, but do feel free to request retinal photography when booking your eye examination.
Diabetic Eye Care
Many of you will know that the NHS arrangements for screening for diabetic eye disease (retinopathy) has changed.
We have also made use of digital retinal photography to provide a permanent record and to enhance our ability to detect problems.
We have also made use of digital retinal photography to provide a permanent record and to enhance our ability to detect problems.
From the beginning of April 2007, the NHS adopted a new scheme, based solely on digital retinal photography. You will be sent an appointment to have the back of your eyes photographed by a technician using a mobile camera. The photographs will then be examined by a trained observer who will look for any signs of diabetic retinopathy.
This will not provide a full assessment of your vision and eye health and it is therefore important that you continue to attend for regular eye examinations.
We are, of course, happy to continue to examine your eyes specifically for signs of diabetic retinopathy but, since our NHS funding for this has been withdrawn, there is now a fee charged to cover the additional time taken. At the end of this examination we will send a report to your own doctor.
This does not affect your entitlement to a normal NHS eye examination at no cost.
Low Visual Aids
We offer a wide range of visual aids designed to help those with any visual impairment. We can demonstrate many of these aids to patients, following a visual assessment, to find the most suitable device for everyone.
Minor Eye Condition Service (MECS)
The Minor Eye Condition Service (MECS) is a service provided by certain Opticians around your living area for Dry Eyes, Flashes & Floaters, Red Eyes, etc. This is a free service under NHS and the main target is to stop patients from filling in GP’s appointments and losing time in their offices, as they are not equipped with the right instruments to do the full extended eye health check that you might need. We provide care for the following symptoms:
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Dry Eyes: This is a common chronic (long-term) condition that may be caused because our eyes do not produce enough tears, or because the tears we have evaporate too quickly or do not spread evenly across the front of the eye. The symptoms usually happen in both eyes that can feel itchy, irritated, sandy or gritty, stinging and, in severe cases, can experience blurred vision. Dry eyes can be very uncomfortable, but rarely causes any serious eye damage.
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Flashes & Floaters: Floaters are very common, normally harmless and more common in short-sighted or older people. They often look like small dark spots or small pieces of hair/cobweb that appear to be floating in your eyes.
You also can experience flashes of light instead and these are usually due to movement of the gel inside the eye. Very occasionally, flashes or an increase in floaters can be a sign of a retinal detachment which needs treating as soon as possible.
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Red Eye: Red eye has many different causes, which can be only diagnosed when the patient has a full eye health check. Might be due to dry eyes, air conditioning, allergies, etc., so it definitely needs a MECS appointment to determine what seems to be the condition causing it.
Children's Eyecare
Children’s eyecare is something that we are passionate about at Care Optics. We work closely with UK Optical Confederation’s Children’s Eyecare Initiative. This group aims to improve awareness of the need for ALL CHILDREN to have their eyes checked, among parents, teachers and other health care professions. The group also supports the optical profession to ensure that standards of eyecare for children are second to none.
At Care Optics, we offer eye examinations to children of all ages, fully funded by the NHS. Here are some commonly asked questions about children’s eyecare.
Why is it important for children to have their eyes checked?
It is estimated that one in five children have an undiagnosed eye problem,
and this could range from not being able to see the board at school to an undiagnosed cataract. It is easy to assume that if a child doesn’t complain about visual problems, then their vision must be fine, but this is certainly not the case. Most children who have undiagnosed visual problems, simply assume that everyone sees the way they do. Only 53% of children in the UK have ever had any kind of eye test and this accounts for all those undetected visual problems that children have to cope with. School work will certainly be affected, and this will affect the child’s development in many ways.
Don’t school nurses check their vision at school?
Many parents assume that school nurses check children’s eyes and, although, there is still provision for school nurses to do a vision check in reception class.
A vision check alone, however, will fail to pick up many eye problems that a full eye examination by a qualified optometrist would.
Eye examinations are funded by the NHS for ALL children in full time education until their 19th birthday.
How can you do an eye examination if my child doesn’t yet know letters?
Vision can be assessed in many ways. We can assess vision in children under a year old by using objective, preferential looking techniques. We can use picture matching charts in toddlers who can name or point to pictures shown on a chart.
How early should I bring in my child for an eye examination?
There is no lower limit to how soon we can examine your child’s eyes. Even in babies, we are able to check that the eyes are healthy, measure the prescription and check that the eyes are working together. If you have any concerns, bring your child in to see us. If you have no worries, a check before the age of three is suggested. A condition called amblyopia, or lazy eye is best treated before the age of three, and your child would not necessarily show any signs or symptoms.
NHS Eye Examinations
The only optometric service that is funded by the NHS is the standard eye examination. At Care Optics, we aim to offer the most comprehensive NHS eye examination that we can, but because funding is limited, additional investigations such as digital eye photography may entail a fee. Any additional fees that you may incur will be explained in advance.
Who is entitled to an NHS eye examination?
NHS-funded eye examinations are available to the following groups:
• Under 16's
• Under 19's, still in full time education
• Over 60’s
• Those receiving income support
• Those receiving family tax credit
• Those receiving job seekers allowance
• Those in possession of a current HC1 certificate
• People with diabetes
• People with glaucoma
• People registered blind or partially sighted
• People over 40 with a direct relative with glaucoma
• People whose prescription has complex lenses
Please note that the NHS will not fund unlimited eye examinations for any individual. The standard period between examinations is two years, unless your optometrist advises you of a clinical reason for more frequent examinations. If however you have any concerns about your eyes or vision, but are not due for your routine eye examination, please do not hesitate to contact the practice and we will tell you whether a further NHS-funded eye examination can be carried out.
Hearing Services
Like your sight, hearing is one of your keys senses and important to your quality and enjoyment of life. Hearing loss can be a daunting experience and can leave you feeling isolated and frustrated. Care Optics provides a new Hearing Service to help you choose the best solution for your hearing loss so that you can live your life to the fullest. Care Optics takes pride in providing a excellent hearing healthcare service, and has a dedicated team of experts who will work with you through each stage of the process to make sure that you take back that control of your hearing - and your life.