Types of Eye Tests
Retinal Imaging
Sparks & Feros now offers digital imaging when you visit us for your regular eye exam. This new technology helps us to monitor and detect any changes to the back of your eyes by taking detailed pictures of the retina. We strongly encourage the use of this new technology as an integral tool in determining your eye health as well as creating a more comprehensive record of the current condition of your eyes. Digital flash photography has the added safety benefit of no radiation or X-ray exposure to your eyes. We have invested in this new technology because we are committed to providing you with the highest standard of eye care available. You can now have your retina photographed with the latest camera – the ‘CF 1’ from Canon – the world leader in retinal imaging systems. The CF1 allows a resolution of up to an amazing 16 megapixels. High resolution is most important for detecting the early signs of retinal disease.
Optomap® Ultra-Wide Digital Retinal Imaging
Optomap® Ultra-Wide Digital Retinal Imaging introduces a new standard of care.
Sparks & Feros Optometrists is the first Eye Care Provider in the Carlingford-Epping area to offer patients High-Resolution Optomap® Ultra-Wide Digital Retinal imaging. The Optomap® system is a scanning laser ophthalmoscope that captures an image of virtually the entire retina.
“I am extremely pleased to offer this new technology to my patients,” said Principal Optometrist, Norm Sparks. “Most patients feel they should only be examined when they need a change in prescription. In reality, the most important part of the examination is determining the health of the retina. The Optomap® provides us with a permanent digital image which I can manipulate and magnify to have the most comprehensive view of the back of the eye in order to better and more effectively discover abnormalities that may be present.”
We have the new the Optomap® Tx 200 system non-invasively captures an instantaneous, ultra-wide field digital scan of the retina, revealing important information for the comprehensive evaluation of systemic and ocular health. The 200 degree internal scan captured in a quarter of a second enhances clinical care, patient satisfaction and practice efficiency. It is performed quickly and easily enabling practitioners to spend more time analysing, diagnosing and educating rather than gathering information. Optomap® imaging is performed as an initial step in a comprehensive eye exam, giving practitioners a tool to help discover retinal disease. This offers an opportunity to diagnose eye conditions – as well as other health conditions – early. Importantly, it enables the practitioner to effectively determine the next course of action.
Early detection of any retinal abnormality may lead to earlier and safer treatments and in many cases prevents vision loss. Optomap® imaging should be performed annually regardless of symptoms, thereby allowing optometrists to observe subtle changes occurring as patients age.
Since the Optomap® system’s inception in 1999, millions of exams have been conducted worldwide, aiding in the detection and diagnosis of serious eye conditions.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Test
OCT has been proven to detect early signs of Glaucoma years ahead of previous testing methods. In fact, you could have up to a 40% vision loss before the traditional Visual Field Test can detect any change!
If you are over the age of 40 or have a family history of eye conditions or have experienced symptoms associated with glaucoma or macular degeneration, an OCT scan is essential in providing the best eye care possible.
We recommend that OCT be part of every regular eye health examination and more frequently depending on your eye health status. Considering it provides earlier diagnosis against very devastating diseases, we believe it is well worth it. The cost of OCT will be discussed with you beforehand.
It only takes a few seconds for a specialised laser camera to capture the data required. No part of the machine actually touches your eye, so it is completely painless. Once the images are transferred to your digital health record, the Optometrist will take a few minutes to review the information on screen and then discuss their findings with you.
Your OCT scans will be stored for future reference and will be used to compare and monitor changes over time. We can also transfer the data to your Ophthalmologist where appropriate.
Soft-Pressure Glaucoma Test
The Nidek REF 11 Tonometer is also the latest in technology when it comes to the important job of checking your eyes for glaucoma. It features super-sensitive auto-tracking of your eyes and therefore requires only the gentlest puff of air to determine your eye pressure.
These tests are completely painless, non-invasive and can usually be carried out as part of your routine eye examination.
Visual Field Testing
Our office uses a Humphrey visual field analyzer in order to detect vision loss in any part of the visual field. This is important when evaluating patients diagnosed with glaucoma, or suspected of having glaucoma. There are characteristic patterns of vision loss associated with damage to the optic nerve in glaucoma. Visual field testing allows us to detect these early vision changes and also helps us to monitor the progression of the disease.
Although rare visual field testing is also helpful in detecting vision loss caused by neurological disorders such as stroke, or certain brain conditions.
Contact Lens Fitting & Teaching
For anyone looking to wear Contact Lenses for the first time, you would first need to go through a fitting session. This will allow the Optometrist to try different types of contact lenses to find a suitable product, as well as judge your suitability to become a Contact Lens user.
Following a fitting session, there also needs to be a Contact Lens teaching session. This is where the Optometrist teaches you how to prepare your eyes for Contact Lenses, how to put them in and take them out correctly, and how to take care of the lenses if they are not disposable products.
