Eye test - how do you know it’s a good one ?

[Turn7]

I am of the understanding that a good eyesight test is similar to
An MOT, in that a proportion of the results are done lwb to the testers interpretation .

My question is, how do you know id you are getting good advice/ quality assessment of your vision and the required adjustments ?

Reason I ask, I have been told before that I am very critical of my own vision and now need a fresh eye test.

I am short sighted and have borderline glaucoma- have had laser slit surgery for this.

Edited by Turn7 on Wednesday 2nd November 13:54

[Riley Blue]

I had one done on Monday, the first since 2017, and was surprised to be told there was only a relatively minor change in one eye (from +1.50 to +2.00).

At my age (72) I find that difficult to believe I'm going to have another test done elsewhere.

[sherman]

Had an eye rest at spec savers the other month as I woke upnto my eye full of blood. No white at all just red all round the pupil.

Suprisingly at coming up to 40 and the fact both my parents have glasses and did have by 40 my sight passed fine.

Blood went away after a few days. One of those things according to the optician.

[motco]

I haven't had new spectacles for years. I'm long sighted with astigmatism. The glasses I have currently were from a high street name and have served me well to date. Previously I had been going to Specsavers and been happy, but these were from a well known chemist chain that bought out a chain of opticians run as a franchise operation. So far so good. I changed to the current company because where I now live (since 2013) Specsavers is an awkward place to visit but the current one is in the local town four miles away. They keep pestering me saying I must have an eye test so eventually I succumbed. The test was pretty well the same as Specsavers and I was told there wasn't a lot of change (Riley Blue take note, change can be slow or absent after an initial onset I gather) but they said it was sufficient for new glasses. c.£400 later (Varifocals) I went to collect them and discovered that the pupillary distance (separation between the eye centres) was wrong and that I could only have clear vision in one eye at a time by slightly turning my head. The vision they gave me was indistinguishable from the old ones anyway, eye spacing notwithstanding. I rejected them and received a full refund.

A subsequent Specsavers visit showed no change worth a mention from my current prescription! Incompetence is always with us in every trade and every profession.

[pteron]

Find an oldie who still uses a box full of lenses instead of these over the eye dial type jobbies.

The chap who used to do mine got it spot on - he understood how my eyes are happy to absorb correction, the younger ones with the automatic machine would over correct me and I'd end up returning to have the lenses adjusted.

Sadly, he's retired.

[Freakuk]

I've used a local specsavers for years for an eye and contact lens test/check. But I buy my glasses from bespoke retailer in Manchester.

Recently needed some new glasses and was convinced my prescription had changed since my last test, rather than go to specsavers then travel to Manchester I thought it would be quicker to kill two birds with one stone and get everything done in Manchester. Anyway, eye test in Manchester and they identified possible glaucoma in my right eye, which had never been raised previously. I've now got a consultation to hopefully confirm everything is OK.

I'm not saying SS are any worse but it's made me think the same after this recent experience.

[Boosted LS1]

"My question is, how do you know id you are getting good advice/ quality assessment of your vision and the required adjustments ?"

For me it's when SS or any other brand can show me any changes from the previous photographs and when the new glasses suddenly produce astonishing visual improvements. I've been happy every time and like the tests which I think are pretty thorough.

[mike9009]

I suppose it depends what you are after?

8s it just an accurate prescription or are you worried about the general health of your eyes?

It is quite often down to the individual optician rather than a particular high street brand. I have had loads of complications with my eyes (cataracts, retinopathy, laser treatment, injections, vitrorectomy and now borderline glaucoma) and have had various different opticians at my local Specsavers. They have all been spot on......

If not confident, just get a second test at another branch.....

[Turn7]

I cant find my current prescription, but IIRC, one eye is quite high astigmatism wise.

About 14 months ago I had an eye test at a small local place and bought some pretty pricey varifocals - I paid £500 just for the lens, but I did insist on a higher quality Essilor as I always use variofocals.

Today, these dont seem to have an area in them that is better than about 7.5/10 and closeup wise Im really struggling.

Thats why I want another test.

[juggsy]

Went for a test at vision express recently, I’ve used the chain consistently but this time at a different branch.

Optician was 15 mins late to arrive (I was first appointment), and skipped over the pressure and camera tests, said I didn’t need them at my age (late 30s). He also couldn’t get some of the equipment to work and resorted to manual methods. The main test felt rushed.

At the end he said my prescription had actually improved. I was dubious, and after reflecting on the experience, spoke to the branch manager who told me that he shouldn’t have skipped the first tests, that he was a locum, and I could have a re-test with the regular optician.

Re-rest was more thorough, included the expected camera/pressure tests, and subsequently told me I’m not the first time who had this experience with the locum. Prescription was quite different from my first test, shows my gut was right to get re-tested.

[anonymous-user]

I have worn glasses and contact lenses since I was 7, and have probably had more than 40 eye tests in that time, and in my opinion, it isn’t really dependent on the brand of opticians, chain or independent, large or small, and whilst good modern test equipment is important, that isn’t the main factor either.

The main factor in having a good eye test/exam is a good optician, who actually cares about what he/she is doing. There is no rhyme or reason here either. I have had excellent opticians at Boots and less careful ones at ‘well respected’ local/independent places.

I have tried all kinds of places, and always keep coming back to Boots. In my experience they always have the newest and most advanced equipment, and tend to keep their opticians well trained. When I do have problems with them, and I have done on occasion, a quick complaint gets taken seriously and rectified.

Your mileage may vary, but I’ve always been happier with Boots over anyone else, but again, it all depends on which optician you get.

[essayer]

I went to my local independent place and got talked into some £30 ‘upgrade’ which supposedly allowed an even more accurate test result. Turns out the more accurate data was only used if I bought lenses from one manufacturer (who subsidise the test). Made no difference to the prescription I got. Bit miffed. Don’t pay for upgrades.

[Riley Blue]

When I went to SS on Monday I paid a tenner to have an OCT scan of them. I thought it was well worth it, looking at images of my eyes and having it all explained was fascinating. Nothing amiss but for some floaters in my left eye and early signs of cataracts.

[Boosted LS1]

^ Thats what I do and it's quite amazing to look at the images.

[anonymous-user]

essayer said:

I went to my local independent place and got talked into some £30 ‘upgrade’ which supposedly allowed an even more accurate test result. Turns out the more accurate data was only used if I bought lenses from one manufacturer (who subsidise the test). Made no difference to the prescription I got. Bit miffed. Don’t pay for upgrades.

I agree don't pay for 'upgrades' for eye tests. They should just be giving you the most thorough eye test they can. End of.

But, I would recommend paying for better lenses. I usually buy the Boots 'thin and light' and then pay extra for the AR coatings, however a couple of years ago I paid extra for the Zeiss lenses and I have to say they were absolutely worth the money.

[Riley Blue]

Lord Marylebone said:

essayer said:

I went to my local independent place and got talked into some £30 ‘upgrade’ which supposedly allowed an even more accurate test result. Turns out the more accurate data was only used if I bought lenses from one manufacturer (who subsidise the test). Made no difference to the prescription I got. Bit miffed. Don’t pay for upgrades.

I agree don't pay for 'upgrades' for eye tests. They should just be giving you the most thorough eye test they can. End of.

But, I would recommend paying for better lenses. I usually buy the Boots 'thin and light' and then pay extra for the AR coatings, however a couple of years ago I paid extra for the Zeiss lenses and I have to say they were absolutely worth the money.

The NHS doesn't fund the additional scans, just the 'basic' sight test. The OCT scan I mentioned previously reveals much more about the condition of your eyes; for a fiver an eye every two years it's very good value.

[HelenT]

Riley Blue said:

The NHS doesn't fund the additional scans, just the 'basic' sight test. The OCT scan I mentioned previously reveals much more about the condition of your eyes; for a fiver an eye every two years it's very good value.

I'm an optometrist (local/independent), the NHS hardly funds a basic sight test, the current payment is £22.14,which hardly covers switching the lights on never mind anything else. My normal appointment length is 45 minutes (1 hour for some patients) and I carry out all of the test myself not delegating it to other staff members. The OCT is a truly fantastic piece of kit giving a detailed view of the layers of the retina, also giving much more accurate data to compare against at future visits (find an Optician and try and stick with them, having something to compare with really helps in early diagnosis of many conditions). You've only got one pair of eyes don't skimp on looking after them.