When should you get a general eye check up? – Part 2

When should you get a general eye check up? – Part 2

How do the ophthalmologists examine you?

The ophthalmologists will do ancillary testing with the SLO (scanning laser ophthalmoscope) which is a wide angled camera which can take a picture of your retina through an undilated pupil and give 270 degrees view. It is excellent for scanning for abnormalities and providing detail of the retinal blood vessels and optic disc.
The autofluorescence view shows the deeper choroidal blood vessels. Also, they frequently use the OCT (optical coherence tomography) machine which displays the anatomical layers of your retina, macula and nerve fibres and vessels at your disc. These two technological machines help the ophthalmologists decide whether you require medical treatment or surgical treatment.
When you go to see your ophthalmologist, they will want to take your history. You need to bring your along your most up to date glasses so they can accurately assess your vision. They will probably put numbing drops and even dilating drops in your eyes so you should not drive afterwards. The ophthalmologist will do the basic tests and any other tests, as required, such as visual field analysis (Perimetry).
They also examine you on the slit-lamp which is a microscope that magnifies and illuminates the front of the eye and then uses lenses to use the same piece of equipment to look at the back of the eye for the retinal examination. They will also screen you for glaucoma, screen for cataracts and test you for the three main causes of maculopathy which are ageing maculopathy, diabetic maculopathy and hypertensive maculopathy.
Here at Clinica London, we have ophthalmologists Ms Laura Crawley , Mr Jaheed Khan, Professor Michel Michaelides, Mr Sajjad Ahmad and Ms Jane Olver, all of whom will do an eye check if you are over 55 years old.