Clinical Corner

We’ve had an OCT (Optical Coherence Topographer…if you like the finer details) for a few years in Ballymoney so I thought I’d share a little more information about what it does and the benefits.

Simply put it uses light to scan the back of the eyes. It allows the Optometrist to see more details, gain more information and make better decisions. It can literally save sight, especially if someone has been detected as having an eye condition. We have it in the consulting room so the Optometrists can use it and more importantly assess the images immediately while you are in the seat. This piece of technology is a more in depth assessment than that traditionally used for Diabetic Screening and it is used to monitor wet Age Related Macular Degeneration.

I recommend everyone over 40 to have a scan done and then when over 60 it can be repeated during every sight test. The software now installed in the OCT allows us to monitor change over time, which allows us to detect slow, degenerative conditions like glaucoma, quicker.