Eye Examinations
When it comes to Optometry Services in Carlton, Eye examination is one of them.
Full eye examinations are conducted to check your vision and assess your eye health.
Many eye conditions do not present with obvious symptoms so it is important to check your eyes at least every 2 years to detect little problems before they become big ones.
A comprehensive eye exam includes testing for glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes and macular degeneration.
Focusing ability and eye muscle control are also evaluated to provide clear comfortable vision with your new spectacles.
Regular eye tests can also detect underlying general health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol.
If further examination or evaluation by an ophthalmologist is required, a referral can be provided.
Visual Field Testing
Visual Field Testing is available at Carlton Eyecare Consultants.
Your Visual Field is how much you can see of what is going on around you outside your line of direct vision.
A Visual Field Test measures how wide an area you can see and can detect defects or “gaps” in your central or peripheral vision.
These changes may not be noticed by the patient until the damage is severe. They may be caused by conditions such as Glaucoma, Stroke, Brain tumours and other neurological problems, macular degeneration and diabetes.
Visual Field Testing is vital for the management of Glaucoma and other diseases of the optic nerve. It is also necessary for assessing fitness to drive.
Glaucoma Checks
Glaucoma is a complex disease in which damage to the optic nerve can lead to progressive irreversible vision loss.
It is usually, but not always, associated with high intraocular pressure. Most people have no symptoms and no early warning signs.
This is why a Glaucoma check is always part of your initial comprehensive eye exam, as early detection reduces the progression of this disease.
A Glaucoma check involves assessment of the optic nerve and retinal photography to document the appearance of the optic nerve for future reference, as well as measuring your intraocular pressure.
Visual field testing can also be organised if necessary or if there is a family history of Glaucoma. A referral to a Glaucoma Specialist can be provided if required.
Children Vision
Children may have clear vision (20/20 vision) yet still have inaccurate eye movements, inadequate focusing ability and insufficient coordination of the two eyes.
These children struggle with near tasks and learning and do not reach their full potential in their educational or social development.
Two thirds of children with visual problems are not detected and struggle through school.
Regular eye examinations help detect visual problems that can affect a child’s performance at school.
Children are not old enough to understand if there is a problem. They think that ‘everyone sees like this’, or that they “are not that good at reading”.
More often than not the appropriate prescription can greatly improve both their vision and the ease with which they read and subsequently their performance at school.
All school age children should have yearly checks as vision can change rapidly.
Contact Lens Fitting
An accurate contact lens fitting is additional to a routine eye exam. Assessment of the shape and size of the eye is made to provide the best fitting contact lens for your eyes.
The appropriate contact lens is then prescribed according to the patient’s requirements. A variety of contact lenses are available from the daily disposable contact lenses to the latest “breathable” monthly contact lenses that you can sleep in.
These contact lenses allow much more oxygen to flow through to the cornea and so can be worn for longer periods with increased comfort.
These “breathable” contact lenses are available in spherical form (for those patients with short-sightedness and long-sightedness), in toric form (for those patients with astigmatism) and in multifocal form (for those patients who also need to wear reading glasses).
The new multifocal contact lenses on the market will surprise you allowing you to see near, medium and far distances with better visual acuity. You’ll be able to read your GPS and look up and see the road signs while driving.
They might not be suitable for everyone but are definitely worth trying for times when wearing your spectacles is not desirable.
Retinal Photography Carlton
Retinal photography is an important tool for recording and managing any changes to the retina and optic nerve.
A special camera is used to take a digital image of your retina, your optic nerve and your blood vessels.
This information is stored on your record helping to track any changes to your eye health over time.
Patients with diabetes, macular degeneration, Glaucoma, other retinal disorders or reduced vision, or a family history of these, will benefit from our ability to record and compare the condition of their eyes over several years.
Retinal photography is free and part of your initial comprehensive eye exam at Carlton Eyecare Consultants.
Dry Eye Assessment
Dry eyes are very common and can be caused by a number of different factors.
Age, gender (more common in females due to hormonal changes), environment (air-conditioning), certain medications, screen time (due to reduced blinking), other ocular and systemic conditions, and contact lens wear can all contribute to dry eyes.
Symptoms of dry eye can include grittiness, tired eyes, tearing, burning, stinging, redness, itchiness and blur among other things.
Treatment of dry eyes is based on determining the underlying cause of the problem.
Whether it be from inadequate tear production or from evaporation of the tears present, an individualised treatment plan is prescribed and the patient is monitored until improvement is seen.
