The eye examination

We all rely on our eyes and good eyesight in almost every aspect of our daily lives but our eyes don't always let us know in an obvious way when something is wrong. Often, because sight deterioration can be very gradual, people may not notice that they are not seeing as well as they could. Regular examinations are important as the sooner a vision problem is detected, the greater the chance of successful treatment - this is particularly true of young children and the elderly.

More than just identifying whether your eyesight needs correcting, the eye examination can reveal a number of other underlying health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes. It is a vital health check which should be part of everyone's normal health regime.

New!! Macular Pigment Screening

The MPOD is now available at Farmilo Optometrists. It’s a simple non-invasive test which takes just a few minutes to perform. We also have a computer program which analyses your risk of developing macular disease, taking into account such factors as lifestyle and family history.

We can advise on reducing your risk by changing lifestyle, such as stopping smoking, protecting your eyes from harmful UV radiation and general health considerations. We may also suggest nutritional supplements, in particular lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin, which are substances found exclusively at the macular region of the eye.

Regular testing with the MPOD can monitor your macular pigment level to ensure that the changes you make are having the desired effect and increasing your levels of macular pigment.

Retinal photography

Our state of the art equipment includes a fundus camera at each practice which takes a digital photo of the retina inside the eye. It gives an image which we store on computer and to which we can refer in the future to monitor any changes. It is a much more sensitive way to screen than the traditional method of looking with an ophthalmoscope and making notes on the records. Due to the high quality of the image it is possible to detect problems which would not otherwise be visible. If we need to refer you to a specialist we are then able to send a copy of the image which helps with accurate diagnosis and treatment.

NHS Eye Examinations

You are eligible for a free NHS eye examination if you belong to one of these groups:

  • You are under 16, or under 19 in full-time education
  • You are aged 60 or over
  • You suffer from glaucoma or diabetes
  • You are aged 40 or over and are either the parent, brother, sister or child of a person who has or had glaucoma
  • You are considered to be at risk of glaucoma by an ophthalmologist
  • You have been prescibed complex lenses under the NHS voucher scheme
  • You are registered blind or partially sighted
  • You or your partner receive either income support, working families' tax credit, income-based job-seeker's allowance or disabled person's tax credit.
  • You or your partner have a valid HC2 certificate