Eye tests with Optical Express
Just like a visit to the dentist or a check-up with your GP, an eye test in the UK should be part of your regular health checks.Our clinics are open. Patient safety is our number one priority, learn more.
The benefits of a regular eye test
A comprehensive eye test with Optical Express will identify early signs of eye disease, such as glaucoma and cataracts, as well as checking for a number of other general health conditions. Early diagnosis can prevent or delay more serious damage. Your optometrist will advise you on how frequently you should have an eye test, but for most people, it's every two years.
Your eye test procedure
Your eye test will analyse various aspects of your eye health, including your lifestyle, current prescription, eye pressure and muscle strength – all of which helps your optometrist to formulate a detailed eye health report.
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Health & Lifestyle
You'll complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire, as many health conditions and lifestyle choices can have an impact on your vision. Armed with this information, your optometrist can then offer you the best care and advice.
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Focimetry
An examination of your current glasses will determine their strength and prescription.
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Tonometry
A tonometer blows a soft puff of air at your cornea and measures intraocular pressure (IOP). Your IOP levels are then used to assess if you are at risk of glaucoma or other eye conditions and such as retinal detachment.
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Autorefraction
This computer-controlled technology will calculate how light passes through your eyes to identify your approximate prescription strength.
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Visual Acuity Testing
During this part of your assessment, you'll read differently-sized letters and symbols on an eye chart to show your optometrist how well you can read from a variety of distances.
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Refraction
Your optometrist calculates your prescription strength, comparing the up to date prescription that they have determined with your current glasses (if worn).
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Binocular Vision Assessment
Your optometrist will assess how well both eyes work together, both in normal viewing and in respect of the strength and flexibility of your eye muscles.
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Anterior Eye Health Assessment
A high powered microscope is used to examine the front section of your eye, including the eyelids, cornea, conjunctiva and lens.
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Retinal Eye Health Assessment
This detailed assessment places particular focus on the vitreous gel within the eye and the retina. The retina contains the light sensitive cells that help our brain process what we see. Key features assessed include the Optic Nerve and Macula.
Did you know that at selected Optical Express clinics you can upgrade your eye test to an Advanced Eye Test?
Ask in clinic for details.
| Essential Eye Examination | Advanced Eye Examination | |
| Online Health & Lifestyle Assessment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Detailed Discussion (on eye and health history, any symptoms of concern and lifestyle requirements) |
✓ | ✓ |
| Visual Assessment (including refraction) |
✓ | ✓ |
| Binocular Vision Assessment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Anterior Eye Health Assessment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Retinal Eye Health Assessment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Suprathreshold Visual Fields Assessment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Anterior Eye Diagnostic Imaging (of corneal shape, corneal thickness and natural lens - Oculus Pentacam) |
N/A | ✓ |
|
Retinal OCT Imaging |
N/A | ✓ |
| Further Diagnostic Tests (necessary on an individual basis) |
N/A | ✓ |
With our Advanced eye examinations, your Optometrist will use the latest in advanced diagnostic technology.
Your Advanced Eye Test Includes:
Oculus Pentacam
Providing precise and thorough diagnostics and imaging, widely recognised as the “Gold Standard” in anterior eye diagnostic technology. The Oculus Pentacam will equip the optometrist with anterior eye imaging of the corneal shape, corneal thickness and natural lens.
The Pentacam® is a rotating Scheimpflug camera system for anterior segment analysis. It measures topography and elevation of the anterior and posterior corneal surface and the corneal thickness. It provides the eye care professional with a wide variety of reports that allow best in class management of corneal health.
There are a number of conditions for which the Oculus Pentacam supports diagnosis, including corneal conditions such as keratoconus and cataracts.
In addition to the detection of the above conditions and the ongoing management of patients who undergo corneal cross linking, the Pentacam can be a useful diagnostic aid in the undertaking of complex contact lens fittings
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
Optical Coherence Tomography is a high resolution imaging test which helps the eye care professional to understand the health of a patient’s retina. It is used in the diagnosis of many serious eye conditions.
The OCT scanner uses light waves to take cross section images of your retina, allowing your clinician to see distinctive layers of the macula. Further it allows a detailed analysis of the Optic Nerve, a critically important structure for eye health. The images allow early detection of many conditions, to include the following:
- Glaucoma
- Macula degeneration
- Macula holes
Additional Diagnostic Tests
Further diagnostic tests will be provided when necessary on an individual basis.
Ask in clinic for details
Understanding your prescription
At the end of your eye test, you'll be given a new prescription. It contains different numbers and abbreviations, which can often be difficult to understand. We'll explain it in more detail.
Make sense of your prescriptionCorporate eye care
More and more employers are realising the benefits of employee health schemes. With our corporate programme, we can help your team to maintain good eye health and offer them the peace of mind of long term eye care.
Learn more
How much does an eye test cost?
The cost of your eye test can vary, depending on your personal circumstances and location. Find out more about the eye tests available at Optical Express here.
Book Your Eye Test| Location | Price |
|---|---|
| Essential Eye Test | £25.00* |
| Advanced Eye Test | £50.00 |
*Patients who are entitled to an NHS funded sight test will have the option to upgrade from an Essential Eye Test to an Advanced Eye Test. The fee for those patients who wish to upgrade to an Advanced Eye Test is £25.00. |
Free NHS eye tests
The NHS provides free eye tests for qualifying patients in the UK and in some cases, it will also contribute towards the cost of glasses.
Find out if you're eligible