Eye Examinations
At Tracy Vanderplank Opticians, we believe that a thorough eye examination is the cornerstone of good vision and eye health. Nestled in the heart of your community, our practice is dedicated to providing you with the most comprehensive eye care, ensuring your vision is at its best and your eyes are healthy.
The Importance Of Regular Eye Examinations
For most patients, the obvious reason for having an eye examination is to ensure that they can see properly and to determine whether or not they need glasses or contact lenses or, if they already wear glasses or contact lenses, to check whether their prescription has changed. However, the importance of regular eye tests extends far beyond this obvious reason. A comprehensive, professional eye examination is a vital health check for your eyes that can pick up early signs of an eye condition before you are aware of any symptoms. If they are diagnosed early enough, many eye conditions can be treated. Your eyes do not usually hurt when something is wrong, which means that, if you do not have regular eye examinations, you may potentially suffer vision loss before you are even aware that there is a problem. A full eye examination by a Qualified Optometrist will include tests that will rule out disorders such as glaucoma, cataracts or retinal problems. In addition to eye-related concerns, your Optometrist may also be able to detect other health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even cancer. Manx Care funds free eye tests for all Isle of Man residents. Following recent changes by the Manx care, most people are only entitled to one free eye test every two years, but children under 16 and people aged over 70 are entitled to an annual free NHS sight test, as are diabetics and people aged over 40 who have a family history of glaucoma. There are also other medical conditions which may entitle you to an annual free NHS sight test. In addition, if you feel that your vision has deteriorated due to a prescription change, you may still be entitled to a free eye test, even if it has been less than two years since your previous one. If you are in any doubt as to whether you are entitled to a free NHS sight test, please call us on 673643. At Tracy Vanderplank Opticians, we strongly recommend that you have a comprehensive eye test at least once a year or more frequently if you have a particular condition or concern. If you are not entitled to a free eye examination in any year, we offer a private eye test for £45.
Your Eye Test
Your eye examination at Tracy Vanderplank Opticians will comprise three stages:
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Pre-testing - including measuring your intra-ocular pressures and assessing your visual field;
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Refraction – essentially measuring your prescription;
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Eye examination - to assess the health of your eyes and certain aspects of your general health.
You will also be offered the opportunity to have an Optomap image of your retina. An Optomap ultra-widefield retinal image can facilitate early protection from visual impairment or blindness and can also provide early detection of potentially life-threatening conditions such as cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
At Tracy Vanderplank Opticians we allow a full 45 minutes for an Eye Test. This ensures that there is sufficient time for proper discussion of your history and any particular issues or concerns that you may have and, of course, for a comprehensive Eye Test.
Every aspect of your Eye Test at Tracy Vanderplank Opticians will be carried out by a qualified Optometrist, including pre-testing and dispensing of glasses or contact lenses.