Are all opticians equal?

[adolf hamster]

I just use me local, its rarely busy and the fella has time to have a chat etc, very relaxed experience.

He's never blasted air into my eye either, although he has started photographing my retinas past few years.

 

[Uther]

I use my local indy rather than the bigger chains, They take the time to show me through the pictures they've taken of my eyes and any issues etc.

The optician does this in my local Specsavers.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

They all work to the same standards and are licensed.

I'm not so sure about this.
Specsavers: Left Eye 2.75 Right Eye: 2.5
Tesco: Left Eye 3.0 Right Eye: 2.0

2 years later -

Specsavers: Left Eye 2.0 Right Eye: 1.75

There is no way my eyes have got better.
I have the Specsaver tests in front of me if you want a picture.

 

[Housey]

They are not all equal and some have more advanced technology and a broader range of tests. Also, if you have a family history of Glaucoma for example, it is useful if you have an optician who has provided service to your parents and grandparents, especially if it's a rarer version of Glaucoma as some of the normal tests are not enough and it helps if the optician has experience of this. My grandmother and father both had/have it, so it's coming down the line at me at some point. I get a test ever 6 months and my father is under a top Glaucoma specialist in London (he travels from Devon to see him) who actually works with the local optician, which is useful when it comes to early catching and keeping on top of the problem so it is well managed.

My optician moves around, so I see him locally now in a private practice. However, don't get me started on the making of glasses as in my experience that has been a car crash experience, especially with Boots!! Find a good optician and find someone who is good at making glasses as experience has shown the 2 are not one and the same.

 

[bloodiedathame]

Just googled what that is. What is the prognosis? Some websites say that eventually glasses will not give corrected vision???

Well I go back to hospital in a few months to see if it's getting worse. If it is then I can do something called Cross Linking, which basically hardens up the cornea (something that happens naturally in early 30s), to stop the condition worsening any more. I'm 28 so it might be an option for me.

There's not really a 'fix' for it as far as I'm aware. There are soft and hard contact lenses that are designed to act as a corrected cornea when they're used, but they don't 'correct' they eye, only correct the vision.

The last specialist I saw said that as my problem is only slight, that lenses probably could cause more problems than they solve. And that I'd have 20/20 vision if it wasn't for the condition. I'm quite lucky though, I work with a guy who has keratoconus, and is basically blind without his lenses.

It is a total PITA to have though, makes all my vision slightly blurry/haloed, and glasses tend to just magnify the blur. I tend to notice it most on anything high contrast, driving at night, white text on black backgrounds on TV etc.

Basically I'll just be putting up with it with glasses for the time being.

 

[HardwareGeek]

Are they supposed to all do the same mandatory test or do some do extra tests on top or some skip certain tests?

Went to a local independent (approx £35/40) a few years back and the testing took a long time, they did a field of vision test with a machine you looked into holes mounted into a cabinet and had flashing lights to test peripheral vision, equipment was older but they seemed more through.

Went to vision express (£25) more recently didn't do field of vision test but did do retinal photos and pressure test which the independent didn't - maybe did glaucoma test as i am older now? vision express did seem to take a 'your young you don't need to worry' attitude and didn't spend long on which lens is better part just tried 2 or 3 rather than loads etc.

 

[Caged]

I use Vision Express and have no complaints about them. They seem to have better equipment than Boots did but mainly it's just more convenient.

 

[nutcase]

I used to have fairly good results with Dolland and Aitchison but once they were taken over by Boots it just wasn't the same.

Several of my family have had problems with Tesco with very wrong (and should never have happened) prescriptions, etc.

Are you me? Same - used D&A for years - decades. Since became boots went rubbish. Tried Tesco - diabolical. Last ones I tried were specsavers. Test was ok but the quality of the glasses is awful.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I can't trust the results.
For instance my prescription is Left Eye 2.75 Right Eye: 2.5 but I'm sitting here at the computer and my Tesco £1 1x are perfect.
At my test I made sure I was sitting the same distance away (arms length) and they came out with the prescription above.
If I put my £1 Tesco 2.5x on everything is blurred.

 

[thedoc46]

Try a couple out and 'see' which you like the best.

 

[IC3]

I went to boots and the lenses had fingerprints on them, some were hazy and had skin oil on them... so I guess not all of them are equal even though the procedure might be similar.

 

[BDEE]

I use a local independent - I like to try and keep the high street alive and not feed the big chains and their offshore funds.

 

[shatpank81]

I had an issue a few years ago now with specsavers (wolverhampton)
Had my eye test, required glasses as per usual my right eye is perfect and my left eye needed a small prescription
Got the glasses and was getting slight headaches, went back to specsavers and they said the prescription was the wrong way round, they tried to blame the glasses making process but when they checked my prescription, the optician had in fact put the prescription the wrong way round

Ok, probably an honest mistake to make, but one still the same
I went to asda after that

 

[enkoda]

It really does depend on the experience of the person examining you.

I've been wearing contacts for over 20 years and never had a problem, and I go to same independent opticians as I always have.
About 18 months ago a new optometrist began working there and straight away he is concerned over the health of my eyes and the possible onset of diabetes. He got me an emergency appointment with my GP, which resulted in.... an all clear.
Since the new year I've been back for check ups with regard to dry eyes (that's 5 visits in 4 months, as opposed to my normal 1 in every 3 months), and a referral to the emergency eye department at hospital. Before I see the ophthalmologist, one of the nurses cannot fathom why my optometrist is wasting their time for dry eyes, and duly acknowledges that it isn't my fault (phew!).
So I get checked by the doctor who says, surprise surprise, there is nothing unusually wrong with my eyes, just a small amount of dryness.

Guess who'll be looking at alternative opticians very soon....

 

[DXP55]

I go local as well and found out the puff test has changed dramatically - You can hardly feel it now.

I don't think I would go to a chain.

One thing to note is Opticians do not give you your pupil distance if you don't buy their glasses.

 

[Freakbro]

It's probably been said already, but I think it just comes down to the Optician you get rather than the company you go to.

Chain, independant....they can all have good or bad opticians.

 

[roadie]

I return to the same, independent optician in Bristol that I have seen since I was 7 for my annual eye and contact lens check. I trust her.

 

[LionOfJudah]

I use my local indy rather than the bigger chains, They take the time to show me through the pictures they've taken of my eyes and any issues etc.

Feels less like being in a cattle market like I felt at Specsavers.

Plus frames and lenses work out a lot cheaper at the local indy than Specsavers even with their deals.

^^ this

Vision Express took retinal photos and discovered that I in fact do not have Astigmatism, as Optical Express seemed to think, but mild Keratoconus. So I prefer them at the moment.

you generally have astigmatism with keratoconus. astigmatism is not a condition but a part of the prescription whereas keratoconus is a condition. retinal photos do not discover astigmatism nor keratoconus as those occur at corneal and lens levels and corneal level respectively while retinal photos are photos of retina

 

[Rroff]

you generally have astigmatism with keratoconus. astigmatism is not a condition but a part of the prescription whereas keratoconus is a condition. retinal photos do not discover astigmatism nor keratoconus as those occur at corneal and lens levels and corneal level respectively while retinal photos are photos of retina

I have no idea what I'm talking about but would not some lens conditions show up when photographing the retina?

 

[Tom0]

I remember a story about a dads friends that went to the doctors and was told to visit the opticians immediately. They went to specsavers and were sold glasses. Still having the same problem went back to the doctors and were told "no go to a proper opticians". To which they did and were diagnosed with something that didn't require glasses but eye drops.

What the hell.