We will start by having a full and thorough discussion about your history of spectacle wear plus any ocular problems you may have had in the past. We will discuss any new symptoms that you are experiencing, be that visual difficulties, headaches or disturbances, and any ocular pain or discomfort, to establish the general well being of your eyes. Your family history, general health and medication will assist us to look specifically at any ocular related issues. Occupation and hobbies will also be noted to help us establish the best solution for any eyewear required.

Autorefraction is used as a starting point to provide an objective measurement of a person’s prescription for spectacles. It is particularly useful if we haven't seen you before or you think there has been a significant change in vision. 
Tonometry is the 'puff of air' test which tells us the pressure of the fluid inside the eye. This helps us diagnose conditions such as Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension. Our machine also measures your corneal thickness which can affect your pressure reading. Analysis of the two combined can help prevent unnecessary alarm.

Our Optometrist uses an electronic refractor system to establish the final prescription and the best standard of vision possible.

Your ocular health will be examined using images from our retinal camera which capture the central retina containing the most important structures of the eye. The peripheral retina will be examined using other techniques and dilation of the pupil will be performed as required. The front of the eye can be examined by a high power microscope to show us the slightest changes in the lids, ocular surfaces, iris and lens.
The optic nerve head and macula require more scrutiny. This machine will scan both of these structures giving us an image of the anatomy of the retina in cross section allowing us to see what’s happening under the surface. It also measures the thickness of the retina. These scans are crucial in the identification of Macular Degeneration, monitoring for signs of early Glaucoma and diagnosing many other abnormal eye conditions. 

All of the data and examination results will be displayed for you to see and discussed thoroughly. We will make recommendations on how to look after your eyes and advise the best solution to resolve your visual difficulties, be that with spectacles, contact lenses or both.

Where necessary we will conduct a visual field examination to check your peripheral Retina. This is particularly useful in monitoring Glaucoma and where a stroke or brain lesion may be suspected. The Optometrist will decide if this is a test that needs to be completed.