Eyecare

Eyecare is not just about glasses or contact lenses; it's about caring for the health of your eyes.

We recommend that you visit your Optometrist every 2 years to maintain optimum eye health, unless advised otherwise by your Optometrist. At Matthews we will not only assess your vision but determine the health of your eyes.

Matthews has a full Optometry Practice service for our extensive patient base. All Optometrists at Matthews are qualified and trained to detect and correct eye problems. Our commitment is clear - to provide you with the very best in Eye Care.

Each of our Matthews practices are equipped with an extensive range of diagnostic/clinical equipment which we upgrade regularly. This equipment allows us to complete a range of visual examinations to provide a full eye health check-up and a full visual performance assessment.

Eye Examinations

An eye examination is not simply about reading eye charts and peering into technical equipment, it is also a vital eye health check.

Each eye examination is tailored for your needs and will include some of the following:

• We start by asking a few questions about your vision, family history, work, life-style, medications, and any existing problems with your sight.
• We then measure your level of vision and assess whether you require optical correction or need to adjust an existing prescription for both distance and/or near tasks.
• We also assess the co-ordination of your eyes (how well they work together), and look at both the internal and external health of your eyes.
• Checking for the 'pressure' of the eyes to rule out Glaucoma is also carried out.
Once we have all of the relevant information we discuss the results with you, and recommend any Further Tests which may be necessary.

The final stage in the examination is to discuss any corrective vision requirements to improve your sight. Your Optometrist may also wish to discuss your suitability for contact lenses. These provide great convenience for some, but not for all.

If you require glasses or wish to upgrade your existing glasses, you will then be introduced to a Dispensing Optician who will advise you on which lens options are most suitable, and assist you with the selection of frames. Matthews has a wide selection of Eyewear to suit any number of style and lens combinations.

To make an appointment, simply phone your nearest Matthews practice or request one online.

Further Tests

After the completion of your eye examination your Optometrist may suggest that you undertake a Visual Field Examination or have a digital (Fundus) photograph taken as a result of their findings. This may be for documentation and future reference, or to rule out certain eye conditions or diseases.

Visual Field Examination

A Visual Field exam detects any problems in your peripheral vision of which you may be unaware.
This examination is especially important for anyone who has a career where perfect eyesight is critical. It is also one of the key tests used to diagnose Glaucoma.
The test is painless and takes around half an hour to complete. It can be a little tiring so make sure you 'feel fresh' when you come to do the test.
An Optometrist will view the results and post then to you at a later date.
Sometimes defects that show up may be due to lack of concentration, so if you are recalled to repeat the test it is not necessarily an indication that there is a problem.

Fundus Photography

Fundus Photography involves taking a photograph of the back of your eyes using our retinal camera.
This equipment is highly specialised and enables us to take a snap-shot image of the back of the eye. From this we can more effectively monitor your eye health and changes in eye conditions over time.
Once your eyes have been photographed, your Optometrist can e-mail the photos to your personal e-mail address for your records or, if you don't have an e-mail address, we can have them printed and posted to you.
We recommend that patients take advantage of this additional service as part of their regular eye examinations.

For more information on eye examinations, or to make an appointment, simply phone your nearest Matthews practice, or request one online.