The sight examination

Whether you pay privately for your sight examination, or have it paid for by the NHS, we at Clamp’s promise to thoroughly examine your eyes. Regular eye examinations are an integral part of your overall healthcare and some health issues can be spotted early through a thorough eye exam. The eye examination takes 30 minutes but may take longer if further specific tests are required.

Your regular eye examination will include:

History and symptoms
Your optometrist will ask about:

  • Any visual problems or symptoms you may be experiencing.
  • Your medical history - many medical conditions or the medications taken for them can have an affect on the eyes.
  • Your family’s medical history, as some eye conditions can be hereditary.

 

Assessment of eyes
Your optometrist will examine:

  • The visual performance of your eyes and level of prescription needed.
  • Your existing prescription and whether your vision can be improved.
  • Your binocular vision to ensure your eyes work properly together.

 

 

Eye health check
Your optometrist will perform a variety of tests to check the health of your eyes including routinely testing for glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and any damage to the eyes caused by diabetes. This will include examination and assessment of:

  • the front of your eye and surrounding area.
  • the nerves, veins and arteries inside your eyes.
  • the lens for signs of cataract (cloudiness of the lens)
  • the pressure within the eye. We have 3 different ways we can measure the presure of your eye, depending on your clinical needs.  I-care (Non-air puff), Air puff and Goldmann  

 

Even if you don’t need glasses we recommend everyone has their eyes examined at least every 2 years.

Additional tests, as required
As no two eye examinations are the same, we tailor our additional testing to your individual needs. A consideration of family medical history may suggest that a patient would benefit from a visual fields test, an optic nerve scan or a detailed 3D macular assessment. Clamp’s have invested substantially in state-of-the-art equipment in the last two years so that our patients can benefit from the latest technology available in eye care. If we feel that you are at greater risk of developing specific eye problems we will recommend further tests that could include any of the following:

  • Retinal Photography - to monitor eye health.
  • Visual field assessment - to detect early signs of glaucoma.
  • OCT (optical coherence tomography) - to detect macular degeneration, early signs of glaucoma and other retinal changes. This enables us to view in 3D and record the health of each layer of your retina and optic nerve.
  • Blue Peak Fundus Autofluorescence (FAF) - To assess the health and metabolic acivity of your retina, in particular to detect and measure dry and wet macular degeneration.  This test importantly enables us to give you prognostic advice about how quickly dry macular degeneration may progress in its earliest stages.
  • HRT3 optic nerve scan - for detecting early glaucoma by surveying in detail the optic nerve.
  • Hess Screen Assessment - for measuring muscle coordination, to enure your eyes are working together properly.
  • Pachymetry - for measuring the thickness of your cornea, to ensure the presure reading we take are correctely calibrated for your eyes.
  • Gonioscopy - for assessing how well the fluid drains out of your eyes
  • Cycloplegic refraction - Using drops to relax your focusing muscle inside your eyes we can find subtle prescriptions that may be causing eyestrain or headaches, especially useful for young children.

As with most medical conditions, early detection and intervention of these diseases can limit their effects on the eye.
A more detailed description of the tests and equipment can be found in our clinical services section.

After the eye examination
At the end of your eye examination we will explain our findings and recommendations and give you a copy of your prescription, if one is necessary. Please feel free to question anything you are unsure about.

Dispensing Consultation

Our Dispensing Optician will then be able to interpret your prescription and advise you on which type of lens and frame would be most appropriate for you. We encourage you to book a bespoke dispensing consultation with your next eye examination; increasingly we tailor design and manufacture both spectacle frames and lenses, for the optimum clear vision, comfort and aesthetics.   

The extended eye examination
For patients with more complex requirements and who need a longer consultation time, we offer a private-only 1 hour eye examination. This is a bespoke service particularly suited to those who:

  • May require a written report regarding their ocular health and prescription.
  • May have a family history of inherited eye disease, and would like to be more informed about risk factors and likelihood of onset.
  • May have been recently diagnosed with an eye disease and would like to discuss this with a qualified optometrist and gain a better understanding of it.
  • Simply prefer more time and a relaxed pace to the eye examination.
  • May have a specific requirement for additional diagnostic procedures.
  • May feel they have more challenging prescriptions or visual requirements.

A full written report will be supplied, summarising all your optometrist’s findings. You will also receive colour photographs and an OCT report of your retina with written advice regarding key points, prognosis and any action plans if appropriate.