What is a VisionSafe check, and who would benefit from having the test?

Well, at the heart of the VisionSafe check is an assessment of your vision function, and allied to that is an optical coherence tomography or OCT scan which allows us to look at the back of the eye in great detail.

By combining these two elements of the examination, and asking you about your concerns and symptoms, we’re able to reach a diagnosis about the condition of your eyes and your eye health, and that allows us to determine the risk of the problems getting worse or, indeed, problems developing in the future.

Who should have a VisionSafe check? Anyone with a family history of an eye condition is recommended to have a VisionSafe check, and in general, if you have a family history of glaucoma, we recommend a check from about your forties onwards.

If you are short-sighted, highly short-sighted or highly long-sighted, then we recommend a VisionSafe check, because these are risk factors for glaucoma.

If there’s a concern about macular disease, perhaps age-related macular degeneration and some people may have a family history or symptoms indicative of a problem such as AMD, then we would generally recommend you come and see us if you’re in your fifties or older.

So if any of what we’ve discussed describes you or any of your concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch and book in to see us in the clinic.