Eye Examinations
Did you know that eye examinations come in a range of forms? Technology has advanced at lightning speed over the years, which has enabled Mincher-Lockett to provide industry-leading optical examination techniques – all under one roof.
Refraction Eye Tests
As part of your routine eye examination, you'll have a refraction eye test. Also known as a vision test, a refraction eye test plays a vital role in determining the health and visual capability of your eyes. 20/20 vision is a term that describes normal visual ability and a refraction eye examination determines how close or far away you are from achieving adequate 20/20 vision.
This test will enable the optometrist to determine whether the patient has a refractive error. This means that the light is not passing through the lens of the eye to be focussed at the retina as it should. A specially prescribed lens will correct this error and help towards attaining clearer vision for the client.
If you would like to find out more about these eye conditions, take a look at our eye examinations page. Here, we go into detail about exactly how each condition impacts the patient and what we can do to help.
Clinical Eye Tests
Using specialist equipment, the Optometrist examines the interior and exterior of the patient's eye to check for any abnormalities that may require further investigation.
The Optometrist will be looking for a range of abnormalities that will determine whether or not the patient is developing an eye condition. For example, a clinical eye test is the best way of detecting early signs of glaucoma, which can cause partial and full loss of sight.
What Equipment is Used to Perform a Clinical Eye Test?
A clinical eye test uses a range of techniques to help determine the health of a patient's eye. As well as using manual techniques, the Optometrist will also use machinery to gain a broad understanding of eye health.
Retinal Imaging
Retinal photography is extremely important in monitoring the evolution of a patient's eye health. As well as detecting eye conditions early, they provide historical data and comparison reports for each visit to the Opticians.
What diseases and eye conditions can retinal imaging detect?
Age-related Macular Degeneration – the gradual deterioration of eye health due to ageing. This is a common eye condition that occurs in the majority of the population over a certain age.
Cancer – also known as melanoma, cancer of the eye can be detected early using retinal imaging, allowing early treatment to prevent spreading to other areas of the body. Without retinal imaging, this cancer can develop unnoticed.
Visual Field Tests
Automated Perimetry – Using an advanced piece of technology, we are able to determine whether the patient has any blind spots. The machine is non-invasive and requires the patient to set their head on a rest and press a button when a flash of light can be seen.
Confrontation Visual Field Testing – In this test one eye is covered, whilst the other must fixate on a target object. The patient is then asked to describe what they are able to see in certain areas. If an eye condition is suspected then more visual field tests are required.
Amsler Visual Field Test – This test involves looking at a small grid with each eye in succession . It is for the central area of your vision and checks the health of your macula. It is useful for differentiating between different types of macula degeneration and also for checking for the side-effects of some medications.
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