Eye tests

[SanG55]

Hi all, just wondering how you choose which optician to go to. I have always bought ‘over the counter’ glasses and these have been fine for me. I am noticing changes in my eyes and my sight since being diagnosed with PMR and feel it would be wise to get my eyes tested. Changes such as vision disturbance and heavy (not tired) eyelids, although sometimes all seems fine. I am wary of opticians - it goes back to my childhood! If anyone can recommend a good optician near Barnet, I’d appreciate it. Thank you.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

I think you’ll find that opticians have changed - for the better - over the ensuing years.

I have always gone for privately owned, as I think they need support from locals and have a vested interest in giving good service. Not saying that chains don’t give a good service, but I prefer to have a more personal service - especially since GCA and my issues. But that just my view. No pun intended!

Have you got work colleagues or friends who could also recommend locally?

[SanG55 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you.

[jinasc]

Specsavers - nearly all their opticians are trained at Belfast Uni. All opticians are trained to spot GCA and if I were you I would be going today, especially when you have noticed a substantial change in your sight. You just cannot take the risk of PMR's big sister GCA coming along.

Also, pred+sunshine, can and does cause cataracts to form or grow quickly.

They will probably tell you you need re-actolite rapide..........this stops the sunshine. If not sunglasses all the time the sun shines.

Make that appointment and tell them you need to see the quickly as you have PMR and have noticed a change in your eyes.

[SanG55 in reply to jinasc]

Thank you. I do wear sunglasses when outside as I read something on here previously.

I'll take your advice and make an appointment today. Thanks again.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I also support the use of independents - who often join together for purchasing purposes to make things cheaper. They are almost always cheaper for someone like me with a non-standard need or who wants one pair - the BOGOF offers don't work out good value for money for us.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

I think my one eyed varifocal, one eye plain, both reactolite might confuse the multi-chain computer! Plus my optometrist’s advice and knowledge saved my sight 8 years ago - so I'm sticking with him!

[pinks33]

In my experience both local opticians and chains have their pros and cons. With chains the test has always seemed a bit rushed, but they do have all the latest equipment and I have no doubt they are well trained. Local opticians have always given me more time but the facilities were a bit dated. I have visited both in the past three years and personally I would opt for the best equipped. It would also be worth getting a OCT (optical coherence tomography) scan to check the health of your eyes. Specsavers charge £10 for this, a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to pinks33]

My dislike of chains is based on experiences that both I and my daughter had where they had made the glasses up incorrectly so they were just plain wrong because the bit they measure to centre on the pupil was a tiny bit out. We both complained but they insisted the prescription was correct. And the same wonderful independent guy sorted it out in the cheapest possible way he could find - my large lenses allowed him to put them in small frames. But both of us had awful headaches after trying to wear them for half an hour.

[pinks33 in reply to PMRpro]

I do agree that chains can be hit and miss, but so can independents. My recent visit to a local Specsavers was astonishing. All was well until I got home and saw that there was no mention of an intermediate adjustment for computer use - odd since I specifically mentioned I used the computer a lot. Assuming this was an inadvertent omission I rang them up, and was flabbergasted to be told I could only have the intermediate figures if I came into the shop and bought a pair of glasses with intermediate lenses! The optician's explanantion for the omission was limited time during the examination, so it seemd to be deliberate. I wonder is this is a new rule in Specsavers? Anyway I persisted and eventually got an adjustment figure, the same as last year's. My visit to an independent the previous year - was also weird. He said that something was going on at the back of my eye but wouldn't elaborate, saying only that we shouldn't speculate as to what is was! Totally unsatisfactory and worrying. He promised to contact my opthamologist at the hospital to see if it was necessary to bring forward my appointment there, but he never did. The hospital opthamologist didn't find anything amiss. The previous independent got the prescription wrong - the added adjustment for reading was different for both eyes, when it should be the same, and thankfully an online optician spotted this. So you makes your choices and takes your chances.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to pinks33]

True - bit like private and NHS, all private docs also do NHS and both can be rubbish!

[MrsNails]

I’ve always gone for an Independent Optician with a good Dispensing Optician on Staff as they are invaluable when dispensing my high Prescription Myopic Lenses.

They have all latest technology & l always see the best Ophthalmic Optician in the Practice.

I’m prepared to go back up to Chester to get my eyes tested as it’s very hard to leave them as they’ve always been so good 😊

[Charlie1boy]

I changed from a chain to an independent optometrist, after the lady in question came to talk to us at one of our group meet ups in Coventry.

She knew all about GCA and PMR and we all learned a tremendous amount from her.

One of the best decisions I have made.

Good luck

Paddy