EVER WONDERED WHAT THE BACK OF YOUR EYE LOOKS LIKE?

Posted 3 years ago

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Or just how healthy your eyes are? An OCT scan will provide just that.

Did you know people with perfect vision can still have eye problems or even an eye disease? It pays to get those peepers checked regularly. You know the saying about how we can only see the tip of the iceberg, without what’s really going on underneath? Well, it’s the same with your eyes – there’s a lot that traditional digital imaging can’t detect. Luckily, we live in modern times and have access to some pretty amazing technology, like 3D printing and now, 3D scans for the back of your eye. Is your interest pinged yet? Allow us to introduce you to OCT scans…

Firstly, what is an OCT scan?

An OCT (optimal coherence tomography) retinal scan is a lot less scary than it sounds. It’s an advanced 3D scan, that allows us to see through to the back of your eye. Which means optometrists are able to see all the different layers that make up the back of the eye – providing a lot more detail than the traditional 2D digital image.

Okay, that doesn’t sound so bad. How does it work?

OCT scans are similar to an ultrasound, but for your eyes. They’re non-invasive, are quick to perform and are completely painless. It takes only a few minutes and will give us both digital photos and 3D images of the back of your eye. Pretty clever huh?

During an OCT scan, a light beam is directed at your retina (the layer at the back of your eyeball that contains cells sensitive to light). It measures and maps the thickness and condition of each of the layers.

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The results are instant – your optometrist will review and share these with you, during your consultation. An OCT scan is a fantastic way to gain a better understanding of your eye health.

Just like your dentist keeps past x-rays of your teeth, we will keep your scans on file, so we can monitor any changes to your eyes and their health over time.

Who needs an OCT retinal scan?

We recommend OCT scans for anyone over 25, those who would like a better understanding of their eye health, or who have diabetes, glaucoma or a family history of eye disease.

Even if your vision and eye health are perfectly fine, we still recommend an OCT scan with every eye test.

Remember the iceberg? Eye conditions don’t always show physical symptoms and aren’t always visible on the surface of the eye. As we age, serious eye diseases can develop; including age-related vision loss (macular degeneration), diabetes of the eyes (diabetic retinopathy), glaucoma (one of the leading causes of blindness for those over 60 years) and in some cases, even tumours.

Click here to book an appointment with one of our friendly, experienced optometrists today.

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