The Eyes Have It

A new generation of high-tech scans can detect everything from brain tumours to heart disease

Tests offered by high street opticians and optometrists have always been useful for spotting eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration and some other conditions such as diabetes, which can be detected by tiny bursts in the eye's blood vessels. But now, if you're prepared to pay that bit extra, Silverberg Opticians are offering high-tech tests involving laser scanning, digital photography and computerised assessment of your eye's structure that can help to give an early diagnosis of other health problems too.

More than half of all sight loss is due to preventable causes and experts believe that up to a quarter of people with undiagnosed diabetes would have the condition spotted if they went for an eye test. Traditionally, the optician has found ill-health hotspots by peering into your eye with a hand-held light/magnifier (an ophthalmoscope). But now, new advanced instruments are making eye examinations not just more accurate but capable of diagnosing a much wider range of conditions.

New technologies, such as Optomap examines up to 80% of the retina in a painless, non-invasive process that takes a fraction of a second. The Optomap examination scan produces high quality images improving the chances of detecting conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, diabetes and brain tumours through a simple eye check. The digital imaging techniques now available at Silverberg Opticians allow us to carefully examine the eye and its vital structures at our leisure.

Conventional examination techniques enable a clinician to see only 20-25 per cent of the retina. If dilating drops are used on the pupil 70 to 75 per cent of the retina can be examined, but the patient is left with blurred vision for several hours.

These high resolution images of the retina at the back of the eye can reveal breaks or abnormalities in blood vessels that might suggest circulation problems or hypertension. Inflammation of the optic nerve can sometimes indicate multiple sclerosis. Small blobs of cholesterol in the retina can indicate high stroke risk.

We at Silverberg Opticians believe that our patients should not feel afraid or to be frightened into having these tests as they can provide a lot of reassurance to your health. If there is any cause for concern a referral to a specialist will be made immediately giving a full breakdown of the situation and condition and treating any problems at the early stages of their development.

It's an extra reason for having an eye test, at a time when sight organisations are concerned that too many of us are skipping them.

Get the reassurance that not only are your eyes healthy, but basically you are too!