Specsavers’ most advanced eye exam has landed

A time machine for your eyes

Specsavers’ hospital-quality OCT (optical coherence tomography) scan can help detect treatable eye conditions such as macular degeneration sooner.

It can also help detect glaucoma up to four years in advance. This means conditions can be managed before they get worse and can help prevent potential sight loss.

An OCT scan only takes a few seconds and allows your optician to look deeper into your eyes than ever before.

Thanks to the latest investment by Specsavers, OCT is now available in local communities across Scotland.

Jill Mcarthur, Chair of Specsavers in Scotland, says: ‘This investment gives our team the ability to enhance the services to the local community by helping to detect and manage conditions, with a level of diagnostic capability which previously would have needed a hospital visit.

‘We’re passionate about providing the best service to all customers which is why we continue to invest in leading technology.’

How does it work?

An OCT scan uses light to take more than 1,000 images of the back of your eye and beyond, looking right back to the optic nerve and creating a crosssection view.

You can imagine it like a cake – we can see the top of the cake and the icing, but the image produced from an OCT scan slices the cake in half and turns it on its side, so we can see all the layers inside. It gives your optician an incredibly accurate picture of your eye and its structures, allowing them to check your eye health. The images will be stored so they can note changes over time which is a real benefit to monitoring someone’s overall eye health.

Eye conditions don’t always have signs

Glaucoma is a condition that can creep up on you without any signs or symptoms. In fact, for many people, glaucoma is caused by a painless rise in pressure inside the eye. This rise in pressure can cause gradual but irreversible damage to nerve fibres and may lead to tunnel vision if left untreated. Fortunately, there are treatment options for glaucoma, and the earlier it’s picked up the better. Early detection means that treatment with prescribed eye drops, laser treatment or surgery can be started before you experience any significant sight loss — and an OCT scan is a key way to help detect any early changes.

How do I book this scan?

An OCT scan is in addition to your normal eye test and can be requested when you book your appointment or when you arrive in store.

Jill continued: ‘OCT is a fantastic addition to the eye examination process. At Specsavers, we’re embedded in the local community meaning we strive to offer the best possible service to the people on our doorstep.’

‘Our team is always on hand to answer and questions or queries in store if you have any concerns regarding your eye health.’