Covid eye test

[Sausages100]

Hi,
Had Specsavers eye test today. Had OCT scan, back of eye photographs, eye test and optician looked in eyes. Needed new prescription but otherwise healthy and normal.
However, no eye pressure test or Visual Field Test.Due to covid spread.
My mum had glaucoma and very concerned about pressures. Never had issues before.
Anyone had this. My HA is thought the roof!!
Many 3

Many thanks even

Last week at my eye test they did the pressure test and peripheral vision test (is that the same as visual field?) At vision express. We were tier 3 then.

Hi, where was that to? I'm in the SW

I had the pressure done a few weeks ago when we were still in lockdown. That was an independent optician.

It’s probably an individual optician’s discretion thing. Maybe ask them when the pressure test will be available again or phone other opticians to see if they’re doing it at the moment.

I'm really surprised they didn't do any pre screening especially with your family history of glaucoma. We have never stopped where I work (independent opticians in Hull). We wear masks gloves and disposable aprons and clean the equipment down between each patient. However the OCT and retinal photography would have flagged up any concerns and the optometrist would maybe ask for pressures and fields to be carried out if he had spotted anything he was worried about.

We've been advised not to do any aerosol generated procedures such as non-contact tonometry (the air puff thing to check pressure) as there is an assumed extra risk. However, it's up the the practice and if it's felt to be clinically necessary, it can be done.

There are other methods for checking eye pressure, which are safer, but not all practices have the equipment to do it. (called contact tonometry).

How old are you OP? How old was your mother when she was diagnosed with glaucoma, when was your last eye exam and can you remember what your pressure was.

I always did the contact tonometer with the blue light, as I'm crap at the puff test. My mum was 40 when diagnosed. My pressures have been 23/24, 23/ 20, etc. I've been referred on those before, but when a consultant has done it at the hospital, they were around 18/19. They think the opticians does it wrong. I was discharged last December after 3 years of yearly checks at the eye hospital. The consultant thought my pressures were just a bit higher than average, but my eyes never showed damage etc.
I'm not happy, so might phone up and around other opticians.
Specsavers have a home visit where they test your pressures using a hand held tonometer. Why not do it in the shop?
Thanks for replies.

Probably because the probes for the hand held tonometer are expensive. Sadly it all comes down to cost and the volume of customers Specsavers see in a day.

Eye pressure can vary slightly throughout the day.
It definitely needs checking , but as the OCT was clear (and didn't show any glaucomatous damage to the optic nerve head), it can wait until the new year.
I'd contact specsavers again and ask to speak to the franchisee after Christmas and see what they suggest.

Hi everyone, thanks for replying. I spoke to Specsavers and I have an appt tomorrow for a pressure and visual field check. The optician had no concerns saying my eyes were healthy but was happy to put my mind at rest.