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When you come in to see your ophthalmologist, you are likely to undergo some simple, pain-free tests. These tests will allow the doctor to make a diagnosis and help her/him decide what kind of treatment you will need. You are advised not to drive to clinic appointments, as some of the eye drops used can temporarily blur your vision.
First, the pressure in your eye will need to be measured. An anaesthetic drop will be given to numb the front of the eye. You will be asked to place your head in a slit lamp and the doctor or nurse will shine a blue light into your eye. The surface of the cornea (window of the eye) will then be touched lightly with an instrument which measures the eye pressure.
You will also need one or more of the tests described below.
- Gonioscopy: an anaesthetic drop is given to numb the front of the eye. The ophthalmologist holds a special lens against the cornea. This gives them a better view of the inside of the eye for further examination.
- Visual field test: the visual field is the range of sight we have on each side of an object we are looking at, and the extent of the visual field can be measured. The field test takes about 15 minutes per eye. You will be asked to sit at a screen and keep your gaze fixed on a central light source. You will need to indicate (by pressing a button) if you can see a series of other lights, no matter how dim, shone during the test. You are not expected to see all the lights. This test detects if there are any missing areas in your visual field caused by damage to the optic nerve.
- Optic nerve assessment: drops will be put in your eyes to make your pupils bigger. The effect of these will wear off after a few hours but may temporarily blur your vision preventing you from reading or driving. The doctor will then look at the back of the eye through an ophthalmoscope (which looks like a small camera), to check the health of the optic nerve.
- Photographs: colour photos of the back of the eye will be taken and are kept in your file. These can be used to establish whether any changes occur later. Before photography, drops to make your pupils bigger (as above) are given.
Your doctor will examine the results of the tests, and will use these to help decide on the best method of treatment for you.
