The Importance of Routine Eye Exams

It’s not just about new glasses!

Here at Niche, we care just as much about your eye health as we do finding you some fabulous frames.

Your routine eye test consists of several detailed parts, the two most important being:
- internal and external eye examination
- prescription check/modification

Let’s have a look at why these are so important:
Our Optometrist (See: Sonia) will have a look at the front surface of the eye, lid margins, and internal eye structures to assess the overall health of the eyes. Each part she looks at can give us further information into how the eyes are developing and ageing and can often detect things early, allowing us to manage certain conditions before they progress!

Using some of the most advanced technology available, we can take a deep dive into your eyes - layer by layer - and see what’s going on (we’re talking on a cellular level here – microscopic details!) This allows us to look all the way to the back surface of the eye (the retina) and from this we can interpret how your vision holds up in the grand scheme of things. Even those with little to no prescription might have issues with their sight overall, but equally those with the highest prescriptions can have the clearest vision out of anybody, once corrected!

It’s not all doom and gloom regarding eye health though (yes, we all age and sometimes things can pop up that we weren’t expecting) but often the physical eye examination can allow us to offer up advice on small irritations, infections and irks. If you suffer from dry eyes, ingrown eyelashes or any other type of annoyance, we can often see the source and give treatment options – sometimes these can be resolved there and then in the test room!

We always want to see if there have been any changes to your prescription, as often we find that even the smallest of changes can improve your scope and quality of vision - this is even more important when we consider those who are drivers…but more on them later!

Changes to your prescription can also indicate potential other areas for investigation, from general health concerns to more serious conditions – did you know that often your eyes are the first place to indicate issues across the whole body? This is due to the eyes being one of the most vascular organs, so they can be very telling of potential problems that may occur (before you would notice them anywhere else)!

As they often say: “Old age doesn’t come alone” and we find that people start to require a new or additional prescription for close work as the lens in the eyes starts to lose its elasticity.
Typically called a ‘reading add’ (although used more commonly for computers and phones these days) is a separate prescription which is given to assist with things we do at closer working distances.
Depending on whether glasses were generally needed before this change happens in the eyes dictates what sort of prescription gets issued, it is different for everyone and not as straight-forward as you might think - so don’t be fooled by the +2.00 glasses you can pick up anywhere – they’re not for everyone!

There’s a whole host of things our Optometrist can find and alter for your prescription – astigmatism, prism, near adds, intermediate adds…all of which can be incorporated into some lovely new specs with the help of a Dispensing Optician (See: Rory and Joanne).

Most people who are drivers can tell themselves if they are feeling a change to their prescription, but you should be aware that the difference of one line on the test chart can make or break your ability to drive (with or without spectacles). It is vital to have this checked regularly for your own safety as well as others’
You must be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate from 20 metres, this is something we can check easily in store, especially if you are unsure whether you need to wear glasses for driving.
We often find that people complain of the glare from headlights and there are several things we can do to help with this as well – even a small distance prescription or change to coatings on your specs can make all the difference at night time behind the wheel.

Whatever your concerns are, be it your eyes, specs or sunglasses - pop by the store to have a chat with us and we’ll see what we can do to help.

If you are due your routine eye exam or feel a change, please book in for a test which you can arrange:
-in store
-by phone ( 0141 553 2077)
-online (https://nicheopticaltailor.co.uk/)