Eye screening is conducted to identify potential vision problems or eye disorders. If a problem is detected during the screening process, you will be either prescribed with glasses or referred to an eye specialist for diagnosis and treatment. Early detection of vision problems through routine screenings can prevent the onset of more serious eye disorders.

The cornea is the transparent part that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber of the eyes. The cornea’s main function is to refract and focus most of the light that enters the eyes, making it accountable for approximately two-thirds of the eyes’ total optical power.

Composed of proteins and cells, the cornea has the ability to repair itself quickly from most minor abrasions or diseases. However, when there is a deep injury to the cornea, the healing process may be prolonged, possibly resulting in a variety of symptoms, such as:

• Pain
• Blurred vision
• Tearing
• Redness
• Extreme sensitivity to light
• Corneal scarring

Our optometrists use a microscope, more commonly called a slit lamp to examine the structures at the front of your eyes under magnification. The slit lamp is named as such because it uses an intense line of light, a slit, to illuminate the cornea, iris, lens and the space between the cornea and iris. This allows the optometrist to view these structures in small sections, which makes it easier for them to detect tiny abnormalities.

A cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eyes. Contrary to popular belief, a cataract does not form at the outside layer of the eyes, it instead forms inside the eyes — on the intraocular lens.

A cataract prevents light from passing through the lens correctly, causing blurry vision and glaring at night. Modern technology allows optometrists to track the progression of your cataract and advise you when the time is right to surgically remove it. Cataract surgery involves the replacement of the affected lens with an intraocular lens. This surgery is simple and relatively cheap.

Everyone is at risk for glaucoma — from babies to senior citizens. Older people are at a higher risk for glaucoma but babies can be born with glaucoma. Young adults can get glaucoma, too.

Glaucoma is an eye condition that damages the optic nerve and can get worse over time. This damage is often linked to abnormally high pressure in your eye. Glaucoma, often hereditary, is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.

Glaucoma is not curable and vision loss cannot be reversed. Early diagnosis is important as with medication and surgery, further loss of vision can be prevented.

The retina is the light-sensitive tissue which lines the inside of the eyes. The central area of the retina, called the macula is the functional centre of the retina and is of particular interest to retina specialists. A perfectly functioning macula gives us a 20/20 vision and the best colour vision.

During a retinal assessment, the optometrist uses a high-resolution imaging system to take pictures of the retina. A routine retinal assessment allows the specialist to keep a permanent and historical record of changes in your eyes. Images can be compared side-by-side, year-after-year, to discover even the subtlest changes and monitor your overall eye health.

The enlarged view of your retinal can help our optometrists to assess for conditions such as:

• Retinal Detachment
• Glaucoma
• Age-related Macular Degeneration
• Diabetes
• Hypertension

With the increased usage of digital devices in both adults and children today, dry eye conditions are becoming more common. The symptoms of dry eyes are:

• A stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes.
• Stringy mucus in or around your eyes.
• Sensitivity to light.
• Eye redness.
• A sensation of having something in your eyes.
• Difficulty wearing contact lenses.
• Difficulty with nighttime driving.

Dry eye disease occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough tears or the tears produced are not high enough in quality to create a nourishing, lubricating tear film over the front of the eye to protect it.

The condition is progressive and often gets worse as you age. It has a myriad of causes including age, gender, medications, medical conditions and environmental factors.

Optometrists use dyes that help assess the integrity of the ocular surface and diagnose dry eyes. Epithelial damage due to this condition is most commonly measured by applying either fluorescein or rose bengal.

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a painless, irreversible, degenerative eye condition that affects the macula, which is the small central area of the retina that maintains our sharpest vision. The health of the macula determines our ability to read, recognize faces, drive, watch television, use a digital device, and perform any other detailed visual task.

ARMD is one of the leading causes of blindness among the elderly. There are two types of ARMD, dry and wet; dry ARMD is far more common, but wet ARMD is usually a more advanced disease state and is associated with rapid distortion and sudden loss of central vision.

At early stage of ARMD, there is no signs or symptoms. Then the symptoms may begin with impaired vision, eg: shape of an object seen as a straight line seen to be crooked. Over time the image disturbance area will turn into a black shadow that can become increasingly large and interfere with the view.

To date there is no effective treatment to completely cure the eyes of ARMD patients. For now, the treatment given is to slow ARMD from deteriorating as well as help restore the patient’s vision. Protect your eyes from the sun’s rays by wearing sunglasses or wearing a hat while outdoors or buildings. Every elderly is adviced for regular eye examination yearly and consult eye care practioners immediately if you have persistent vision impairment.

Diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision impairment among adults with diabetes, involves damage to the blood vessels of the retina. Early detection through comprehensive screening is crucial for preventing significant vision loss. At Top One Optical, we are committed to providing advanced diabetic retinopathy screenings, employing cutting-edge technology and expert care to monitor and manage this condition effectively.

A child’s vision gets stronger each year. This improved vision is needed as the child explores the world more fully and begins schooling.

The developing eye is learning to do many things better, such as:

• accommodation or eye focusing. This allows the eye to quickly change focus between distances.
• seeing things in 3D (three dimensions). This is known as depth perception.
• tracking, which helps the eyes follow a moving target.
• convergence, which helps both eyes focus together on an object at the same time.

It is important to have an eye doctor conduct an examination to determine the right fit for your contact lens. This is to ensure that you feel comfortable and your eyes get what they need to perform at their best.

To find the right match, your doctor will measure the curvature of your cornea using an instrument called a keratometer and ensure that the curve of the lens properly fits the curve of your cornea.