Comprehensive Eye Examination
A complete assessment of your eye health in a single, unhurried appointment.
Overview
A thorough eye examination involves considerably more than reading letters on a chart. It assesses the whole visual system: the tear film, which forms the first optical surface of the eye; the cornea and lens, which focus the light; and the optic nerve and retina, which convert that light into sight.
The purpose is not only to detect disease but to establish a baseline. Comparable images taken over the years make small changes obvious long before they affect vision. Where nothing needs treating, you will be told so plainly, along with when it would be sensible to look again.
When to seek assessment
- Blurred or changeable vision, near or far
- Difficulty driving at night, or glare and haloes around lights
- Tired, aching eyes or headaches after screen work
- A family history of glaucoma, macular degeneration or retinal disease
- Diabetes, high blood pressure, or long-term steroid treatment
- No symptoms at all — a routine check from your forties onwards
Diagnosis
How the assessment is made
Vision and prescription
Measurement of your sight with and without correction, including contrast and how the two eyes work together — establishing exactly how much vision glasses alone can restore.
Microscope examination
A magnified, layer-by-layer look at the eyelids, tear film, cornea and lens under the slit lamp — the microscope you rest your chin against.
Pressure and optic nerve
Eye pressure measured and adjusted for the thickness of your cornea, with a detailed scan (OCT) of the optic nerve to detect glaucoma long before vision changes.
Retinal scan and photographs
Wide-field images and a cross-sectional scan of the macula, which show the retina in microscopic detail and can reveal disease years before you would notice it.
Treatment
Options and what each one is for
Glasses and contact lenses
A precise prescription, including specialist lenses for irregular corneas and for reading difficulty after the mid-forties.
Treatment where it is needed
If a condition is found, treatment begins the same day and is reviewed against measurable results rather than impressions.
A plan for watching
Where a finding needs monitoring rather than treating, a clear baseline of images is stored and a review date agreed, so that any change is caught early.
Recovery
What to expect afterwards
Same day
Dilating drops blur near vision and make the eyes light-sensitive for four to six hours, so please arrange not to drive.
Next day
Everything back to normal. Your written report and images are yours to keep.
Ongoing
A yearly check for healthy eyes, and more often where there is a risk factor to watch.
Questions
Frequently asked
If your question is not answered here, it is welcome in consultation — or by message before you book.
Please allow ninety minutes. This covers the scans, the dilating drops, the examination itself and a full discussion of the findings, without any part of it being rushed.