People are required to attend regular eye tests to maintain their eye health and vision. An eye test is performed by an optometrist that has been qualified and regulated under the General Optical Council in the UK or other regulatory bodies around the world.

An eye test most commonly known for assessing vision dependant on how the eyes focus on the objects at a distance or nearby. This is an important part of the test however the most essential part of the test is the check on eye health, most eye diseases are undetectable to the individual and is likely only to be discovered during a routine eye test.

Some eye diseases are treatable if diagnosed early, however those that do not have regular eye tests or ignore symptoms relating to the eyes find that diagnosis is of certain eye conditions are made too late, and as a result total or partial vision loss can occur.

An eye test is not merely limited to the eyes, it can provide signs to other general health problems and also detect signs of tumours or other problems relating to the brain.

Case/Family History

The Optometrist, will ask you a series of questions to ascertain any previous eye conditions, close relatives with health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure or glaucoma, he will also ask if your are having any problems with your eyes at the moment.

What Eye Tests?

An eye test consists of several tests, the tests performed will differ widely depending on what the optometrist has ascertained from the case history provided.

The common tests that are nearly always performed during an eye test are:

External Examination

The Optometrist will check the external and internal parts of the eyelid, the iris and the cornea.

Visual Acuity – Using a Snellen Chart

The standard of visual acuity is the famous 20/20 vision or 6/6 in the UK and Europe. If a “person with normal vision” can see an object at 20ft/6mtrs away they are said to have 20/20 or 6/6 vision.

An Optometrist will use a Snellen chart to measure vision, this chart consists of letters, numbers, colours and dots to check vision in different ways.

Visual Field Test

This is a test to check peripheral vision, this is what people see from the sides of central vision. Peripheral vision is not as detailed as the central vision but is important for a person to have a full picture of their surroundings.

Ophthalmoscopy

This test is performed by an ophthalmoscope, which magnifies the image to check the back of the eye. This test is performed in a dark room to dilate the pupil to increase the amount the optometrist can see.

Slit-lamp

A slit lamp shines, usually, a long thin vertical or horizontal line in the eye to check the eye structure and the dryness of the eyes, the optometrist may insert dye in to the eye before performing this test.

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Field Loss (Hemianopia)

Depending which side of the brain the stroke occurred opposite eye may have problems in vision. It is likely that vision field loss occur to one half of the vision. Vision can be affected for around four months any longer than this amount of time it is unlikely that vision will return.

Those that are affected by field vision loss learn to deal with the problem over a period of time either moving their heads or eyes more.

Double Vision (Diplopia)

Where the stroke has affected the brain stem it is possible for it to affect eye movement, which may prevent the eyes moving together, resulting in double vision. Usually it is only one eye that is affected and that eye causes the double vision.

Booking an eye exam can relieve some of the stress relating to any eye problems that are being experienced. Seeing an optometrist in your eye test he will arrange to make the symptoms easier to live with. Such as providing appropriate glasses or exercises to compensate the vision loss.

Book an Eye Test today and alleviate some of your worries you may have after your stroke.

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Under the NHS entitlement scheme those over the age of 60’s are entitled to have regular free eye tests. The elderly require regular eye exams as their perfect vision becomes increasing important to them as their other senses start to deteriorate such as their balance and mental capacity.

Also, the older the eyes become the more they are at risk to eye conditions like glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts.

These conditions can be detected early through regular eye exams, it can be treated with little or no vision loss or distortion. These conditions are sometimes a symptom of other underlying health conditions.

A basic eye exam lasts a minimum of 20 min, however an eye examination for those over 60 or those with pre-existing conditions, will have an eye test of around 40 minutes to carry out a full eye examination. The optometrist may arrange to refer you to an eye specialist, (ophthalmologist) to carry out full investigation and prescribe medication.

Book eye test now and get 50%  off your eye test and even 10% off prescription glasses.

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To avoid any doubt for the employee or employer, all employees have the right to have an eye test if the employee uses a VDU for a significant part of their normal work. Regardless of whether the employer allows recommended breaks, if your work still requires you to use VDU’s for a significant period of time, your employer must still provide an eye test on a regular basis.

If employees are covered under the regulations, they must book an eye test themselves, unless the employer has their own optometrist to carry out eye tests for their employees. The employer, just like the first eye exam, must also pay for an eye exam if the optometrist requires you to visit again for a further check.

Any special prescription glasses prescribed by the optometrist, that are required for the use of the VDU, where normal spectacles are not adequate these must also be paid for by the employer.

Although, it is the employee’s duty as well as employer’s to ensure all Health & Safety Regulations are complied with. This means that your workstation, chair and VDU should be Health & Safety compliant and necessary adjustments should be made to ensure the health of the employee. However, this does not mean that if your vision is affected that it is ignored and the VDU is adjusted to compensate for poor vision. Some people choose to change the font size on the screen so that they can see better when in fact glasses is the best solution. Book an Eye Test now and make sure you have perfect vision to enable you to continue working effectively.

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Computer Vision Syndrome is a temporary affect from using a computer for an extended period of time without a break. Symptoms on the eyes can include blurred vision, eye strain, dry, irritated eyes and problems focusing again on the display. However, CVS can also affect other parts of the body, such as the neck, shoulders, back and head. You can experience all or some of the symptoms if you use a computer for long periods of time.

Regular eye tests can help to check if vision is affect with extended use of a computer, the optometrist can also provide advise on what can be done if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms.

CVS o vision develops due to the fact that, when using a computer for an extended period of time the blink rate of that person is reduced from 16-20 blinks per minute to 6-8 blinks this causes the eyes to become dry and irritated.

During an eye test the optometrist may check how dry your eyes are and recommend solutions for some of the symptoms that are experienced. Book an Eye Test and get some advise from the experts.

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