EYE EXAMINATIONS

The comprehensive eye examination at Barnard Levit Optometrists is designed to investigate thoroughly both the health of your eyes & visual system and the refractive status of your vision. Please explore this section of our website to find information more specific to your needs.

Your appointment will usually take 1 hour. Please also allow more time than this for choosing spectacles.

Please mention if you are a contact lens wearer when you make your appointment, as you will need to be allocated additional time for this aspect of your eyecare.

History & Symptoms

 Your optometrist will:

• Invite you to describe any symptoms or visual difficulties you might be experiencing

• Ask about your general health and whether you are taking any medications. It is helpful if you bring with you a written list of medications as some can cause ocular side effects.

• Ask about your past eye health and optical correction history.

• Ask about family eye history, particularly with regard to macular degeneration, cataract and glaucoma

• Discuss your visual requirements and their optical implications. For example, your optometrist will be interested to know if you use a computer, drive, have specific hobbies or play sports. There are optical as well as eye safety issues associated with most visual activities, particularly some sports such as squash, tennis, golf, cycling and sailing.

  
  

The Health of your Eyes and Visual System

A comprehensive series of examinations are carried out to investigate the health of the external and internal eye as well as your visual system as a whole.

Eye Movements and Eye Muscle Balance. These tests are fundamental to understanding how your two eyes work and move together.

Visual Fields. Using either a screening strategy or a full threshold Humphrey SITA machine, the gold-standard test used to investigate the integrity of the visual pathway from the eye to the cortex at the back of the brain. This is a crucial, routine test used to detect a wide range of eye and neurological disease.

Pupil Reflexes. This is an important routine neurological test.  We use the IRISS Medical Technologies Pupil Analyser to assess pupil sizes when necessary

Anterior Chamber Angles  This screening is performed to assess the risk of a future acute glaucoma. If the angles appear narrow your optometrist will assess further using a gonioscope  - a special contact lens with mirrors to view into the angle -  or using the Zeiss HD-OCT anterior segment technology which gives a 2-D cross sectional scan of the angle.