Eye Options

General information

At Eye Options we provide a full and thorough eye examination which takes between 25 and 30 minutes.

Retinal Photography is available -

Many patients are entitled to an NHS eye examination paid for by the Health Service (please ask our staff if you think that you may be entitled)

• We start our examination with some questions
to determine why you have come to see us and we also ask about your general health, any medication you may be taking and if there is a family history of any eye conditions.

•The next step is to measure the focus of the eye, we use a state of the art "auto refractor" that tells us whether you are short-sighted, long-sighted, astigmatic or have no optical error at all.

• Using a projection chart system
we will accurately measure your vision at distance and near and give advice on visual tasks (i.e. driving, computer or sports use). We can then determine the best possible prescription for you.

•The optometrist will then
carefully examine your eyes from front to back and can capture images if anything unusual is detected, either for referral or monitoring.

•We ensure we have the latest high-tech equipment including:
◦Slit lamp microscope see right uses up to 40x magnification teamed with a digital camera, this can be used to assess anything from the font to the back of the eye.
◦Tonometer for measuring the eye pressure to check for the presence of glaucoma or ocular hypertension
◦Visual field scanner that checks your peripheral vision and can rule out ocular or neurological disorders.

Finally, your optometrist will explain the results of your eye examination in simple terms and provide you with a record of your prescription for you to keep. He will also recommend as to when you should have a re-examination.

Our experienced qualified staff will advise you on the most suitable type of frame for your prescription and then the choice is yours.

We stock over 2,000 frames ranging from quality budget to the very latest fashion designer ranges. Prices start from as low as £49.95 including single vision lenses (these are available free of charge under the NHS)

•Spectacle frames are a lifestyle statement
as much as an optical appliance. Frame selection is very important and requires experience, skill and flare for fashion.

•We will help guide you through our extensive range of frames and will always be sensitive to your budget, ensuring you get the very best value for money.

•To help with your frame selection we can capture a digital image on our iPad to ensure you can clearly see what they look like when on. This application can also be used to compare several frames side by side and demonstrate how your completed spectacles may look with a variety of different spectacle lenses.

•When you are happy that this careful selection process has successfully found your perfect frame we will accurately measure the frames in a variety of ways to ensure the perfect fit ensuring both comfort and visual excellence.

•We will then guide you through the lens options to ensure you get the best cosmetic appearance as well as visual comfort. As we work with a variety of lens specialists we can ensure you always get the perfect lenses.

•Your spectacles will then be ordered and when complete a final fitting is carried out to confirm that you are happy with the finished product.

We pride ourselves on our well equipped in house workshop which ensures a perfect combination of lens and frame.

•Each individual spectacle frame requires a tailor made lens shape for machine cutting. Lenses must be aligned correctly and prepared for cutting.

Get this wrong and the lens ends up in the bin!

•Using the unique lens template, the high tech
computerised lens edgers accurately cut the lens to ensure the perfect lens/frame fit. The finished spectacles are subjected to a thorough inspection before finally being prepared for fitting and collection.

Contact lenses have revolutionised the way we live. But to get the most out of your lenses it pays to make sure you get the right ones for you.
Soft lenses?
Gas Permeable?
Disposable?
Multifocal?

•Don't gamble with your sight.
Eyes are delicate and easily damaged.

•Have your eyes properly examined by a qualified optometrist.

You will be advised on the most suitable lenses for your eyes and regularly checked to ensure that your eyes remain healthy.

•The very latest equipment
enables accurate verification of the prescription and measurement of the shape of the front of the eye (cornea).

•High precision optical equipment results in a highly magnified detailed image of the eye which enables the optometrist to ensure that the eye is suitable for contact lens wear.

•Hard or gas permeable lenses float in tear fluid and must fit perfectly. A special fluorescein dye is viewed using ultra-violet light enabling the optometrist to spot the slightest flaw in the fit of the lenses.

•With soft contact lenses the shape is all important and we are equipped with state of the art technology which ensures all parameters are correct and edges perfect.

•Contact lens orders must be accompanied by an up-to-date prescription for contact lenses (less than one year old) and an assurance that you have received after-care from a qualified optometrist during the last year. This is to protect your eyes!

We recommend that all contact lens wearers have an annual check up to ensure that their eyes are healthy and normal and to discuss any changes to lens availability with the fast moving advances in technology.
A regular eye exam is important to check the health of the front of your eyes as well as any changes to your glasses or contact lens prescription. In addition a thorough screening of the retina (back of the eye) is also required to check that your eyes are healthy.

Some eye conditions (e.g. age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal tears/holes) and other health concerns (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, risk of stroke) can be found in the retina.

Early detection is essential so that these can be successfully treated.Traditional ways of looking at the retina only show a small part of the retina at one time. The optomap retinal exam shows nearly the whole retina at once. It is quick, painless and normally does not require dilation drops.

The optomap story: in 1990, 5 year old Leif Anderson went blind in one eye due to an undiagnosed retinal detachment. He was getting regular eye exams, but conventional tests available at the time made a thorough examination difficult.

Distressed by the diagnostic methods available, Leif's father, Douglas, designed the optomap.

Retinal Photography
This is now the second choice of our optometrists for retinal examinations thanks to the amazing breakthrough technology of the optomap, Daytona laser scanner.

However, the latest digital retinal camera allows very detailed assessment of the central retina. These images are available instantly on the computer screen and saved for future reference or if necessary a high quality print out can be produced.

There is a brief flash of light which does not hurt, we normally take two photos of each eye, although this may vary for some patients.

We then have pictures of both eyes for the optometrist to examine and ensure that they are completely healthy and normal.

If clinically necessary, the optometrist may also examine the eyes using other equipment.

We thoroughly recommend that you have an optomap retinal examination carried out as part of your eye examination.

Introducing Eye Dream - a vision correction therapy that provides clear, comfortable vision without the need to wear contact lenses during the day. No more restrictions on how long you wear your lenses, no more irritation in dry, smoky environments or at the end of a long day

Ortho K is ideal for low-mid short sighted people who:
•Want clear natural vision all day - every day
•Find soft contact lenses do not fulfil the comfort demands their life-style places on their eyes
•Are involved in recreational and sports activities where periods without wearing contact lenses is ideal
•Have considered refractive surgery because of the freedom it provides, but are worried about the risks

So how is this possible? Very simply, Ortho K is a specially designed contact lens that reverses the power of the cornea, at the front of the eye during overnight wear. Once the full effect has taken place the eye is effectively 'normal' and can see clearly during the day.

With Ortho K you will benefit from:
•Freedom from contact lenses and glasses during the day
•Very easy adaptation, only overnight lens wear required
•A comfortable, semi-permanent alternative for the correction of short sightedness
•A safe and reversible vision correction therapy without surgery

Ortho K is a vision therapy that brings a modern approach to a technique known as orthokeratology Ortho K lenses are manufactured from special highly oxygen permeable material. When worn during the night these lenses apply a controlled shape to the 'window' at the front of the eye (the cornea), eliminating your short sightedness.

The effect stays strong enough for you to function the entire day without spectacles or contact lenses.