Subjective Refraction

- Checking of the power of the eye
This is the process whereby your optometrist will either put a trial frame on you, or use an equipment called the Phoropter, to check the prescription of your eye. Your optometrist will ask you appropriate questions to compare between a series of lenses, to determine the lenses that are appropriate to correct your vision. This in turn, is the prescription of your eye. However, it may not be the final prescription that will be put into your glasses. Your optometrist will still have to let you try on the lenses and fine tune your prescription if necessary, to ensure your best comfort when wearing your new glasses.

General Eye Examinations

- External preliminary tests of the function of the eyes
This battery of tests is to check if your eyes are working well from an external standpoint. Your optometrist will first check your vision (with your current glasses) by asking you to read letters on a chart. The extra-ocular muscles will be checked by asking you to look at a target and you are requested to move your eyes along with the target. Your optometrist will also check your eyes’ resting alignment, by covering and uncovering your eyes. The reactivity of your pupils will also be checked by shining a torch onto your eyes one at a time. Other tests include the checking of your focusing ability, colour vision, cornea curvature, as well as peripheral gross vision.

External eye tests are important as many individuals suffer from eye discomfort, reading fatigue, headaches. Much of these symptoms can be diagnosed by performing these tests.

- Checking of the power of the eye
This is the process whereby your optometrist will either put a trial frame on you, or use an equipment called the phoropter, to check the prescription of your eye. Your optometrist will ask you appropriate questions to compare between a series of lenses, to determine the lenses that are appropriate to correct your vision. This in turn, is the prescription of your eye. However, it may not be the final prescription that will be put into your glasses. Your optometrist will still have to let you try on the lenses and fine tune your prescription if necessary, to ensure your best comfort when wearing your new glasses.

c.         Slit Lamp Examination

- Checking of the health of the anterior eye
In this test, your optometrist will use a slit-lamp biomicroscope to look at the front surface of your eyes in greater details. The slit-lamp shines a bight slit of light onto your eyes, and your optometrist will look through the scope and focus a the structures of your eyes that are illuminated by the light. This test can check the health of the eyelids, eyelashes, cornea, conjunctiva, sclera, iris, and the crystalline lens.

By using another lens that is placed just a couple of centimetres from your eye, your optometrist can look into the eye and check the structures at the back of your eye, which includes the retina, its blood vessels, and the optic nerve.                      

- Checking of the health of the retina and the internal eye
By using an instrument called the Ophthalmoscope, your optometrist will be able to look into your eye and check your optic nerves and other structures of your retina. The health of your retina is vital, as health problems such as hypertension, diabetes will show up as abnormal changes in the retina. There are diseases of the eye that may manifest itself on the retina, which may be left undetected if no checks on the retina were performed. These diseases include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and may cause gradual loss of vision.

- Checking of the internal eye pressure
Tonometry is the checking of the intra-ocular (eye) pressure. This test is often neglected at many optical practices/shops as it is not vital to the prescription and sale of eye glasses and contact lenses. However, eye pressure testing is the first line screening test for glaucoma, which can be left undetected and cause loss of vision. High Intra-ocular Pressure (IOP) can cause mechanical pressure on the delicate nerves on the retina and optic nerve, damage these nerve fibres. Loss of nerves can ultimately cause vision loss, which can be very gradual (Open Angle Glaucoma) or very quick (Acute Angle Closure Glaucoma).

Contact Lens Fitting

This is a process whereby your optometrist will check your cornea and anterior (front) eye health to see if your eyes are healthy for contact lens wear. Your optometrist will ask your needs, preferences, and schedule of wear, measure your cornea curvature, and then choose the appropriate type of contact lens to try on you.

Tests that are normally performed during contact lens fitting are:

- Checking the prescription of the eye
This test checks the prescription of the eye by using a trial frame or an equipment called the phoropter. Your optometrist will show you a series of lenses for your response on the vision between those lenses. The power that has been found will need to be converted to contact lens power. Contact lens power is lower than spectacles power when above -4.00 D (400 degrees).

- Checking the curvature of the cornea
This test measures to curvature of the cornea. This is important for your optometrist to decide which type of lenses and which curvature is suitable for you. Corneas that are less curved will need flatter lenses, and corneas that are more curvy will need steeper lenses.

- Checking the health of the anterior eye
Your optometrist will need to check the health of your eye before deciding whether you are suitable to start or to resume contact lens wear. This is because unhealthy eyes can get worse by having the contact lens in the eye. Your optometrist will use a special microscope to zoom into your eyes and check its health.

- Checking the suitability of the contact lens in the eye
Once you are deemed suitable for contact lens wear, your optometrist will discuss with you your requirements and needs, before choosing a type of lens that may be suitable for you. He/she will help you insert the contact lens into your eye. After resting for 10 minutes, your optometrist will then check the fitting of the lens using the slit-lamp biomicroscope. He/she will assess how the lens moves in the eye, as well as ask you how you feel with the lens. Once a type of lens has been decided, the lenses can be ordered for you.

Glaucoma Screening

This service is catered to individuals who have a strong family history of glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease whereby the nerves of the retina gets damaged, which is caused by high IOP (intra-ocular pressure). Glaucoma can also occur, if the IOP is normal. Therefore, glaucoma screening involves

a.         Visual Acuity

- Vision check by reading letters.
This is to ascertain the best ability of your usual vision.

b.         Tonometry

- Testing of IOP (eye pressure).
This is performed using a Non-Contact Air Puff computerised tonometer. The machine will blow a puff of air into your eye to measure the amount of ‘rebound’, thereby giving a value for your eye pressure.

c.         ORB-Scan

- Non-invasive checking of cornea thickness.
This is performed with the ORB-Scan, which uses a beam of light to scan your eyes, giving a value to your cornea thickness. Cornea thickness may be related to the eye pressure, as thicker corneas may give falsely high readings, where thinner corneas may result in lower pressure readings.

d.         Ophthalmoscopy

- Checking of retinal health and cup/disc ratio of the optic nerve. Glaucoma causes damage to the nerve fibres and optic disc at the back of the eye. By using a special scope, your optometrist can view the back of the eye, and check the health of the retina nerve fibres and optic nerve.

e.         Referral to Ophthalmologist

- Referral to eye specialist
If your condition requires treatment or consultation by an eye specialist, our optometrists will be glad to write a referral letter for you.

To learn more about Glaucoma, please click here to go to common eye conditions.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) Screening

ARMD is a degenerative disease of the retina that affects individuals above 50 years old. The retina starts to function abnormally, and is unable to get rid of waste products. This accumulation of the waste products on the retina hinders the ability of itself to perceive light properly. ARMD can ultimately lead to blindness. A few tests can be performed to check for any signs of ARMD.

a.         Visual Acuity

- Vision check by reading letters at both distance and near. This is to ascertain your best ability to view details. People suffering form ARMD may have poor visual acuity.

b.         Fundus Photography

- Photographic documentation of your retina, with particular focus on the macula (area of central focus of retina). The documentation is important, to monitor if there’s any minute change in the retina, in particular the macula.

c.         Amsler Grid Test

- Viewing a special chart, to test if your vision is regular and normal. This is done to find any metamorphopsia (distortion in vision), which may be caused by the abnormal retina owing to ARMD.

To learn more about ARMD, please click here to go to common eye conditions.

Children’s Eye Examination - Myopia Prevention and Control

It is important to give your child an eye check even before he/she starts schooling. If the child’s eyes are not functioning normally to begin with, he/she may grow up with undeveloped vision. If eye diseases and dysfunctions are not detected early, poor vision or even blindness may ensue.

Children’s eyes which continually increase in power by a considerable amount should be monitored very closely. Our optometrists are trained to perform refraction (checking of power) for children both objectively and subjectively. Sometimes, the focusing muscles of the child’s eyes cause pseudo-myopia. This amount of pseudo-myopia can be on top of his/her true amount of myopia. Checking of your child’s eyes involves:

a.         External Eye Exams

            i.          Visual Acuity
Vision check by reading letters at both distance and near. This is to check your child’s ability to view small details.

            ii.         Amplitude of Accommodation
This test is to find the amount of your child ability to use his/her focusing muscles to the fullest extent.

            iii.        Near Point of Convergence
This test checks the extent of your child’s ability to look at a particular object while its moving closer towards his/her eyes.

            iv.        Color Vision Testing
This test uses special charts to test your child’s ability to differentiate between colours. Children with colour deficiency may find this test difficult.

            v.         Cover Test
The optometrist uses an occluder (cover), to cover and uncover your child’s eyes, to check for the alignment of the eyes which its at rest.

b.         Refraction

           i.          Objective Refraction
To check the prescription (power) of your child’s eyes, by using a retinoscope or a special refractor machine, without the child’s response.

           ii.         Subjective Refraction
Checking of the prescription with the response of your child. This is necessary to check for your child’s best corrected vision, as well as for the prescription of eye glasses.

c.         Eye Health Examination

           i.         Slit Lamp Biomiocroscopy
By using a Slit-lamp Biomicropscope, your optometrist is able to check the health of your child’s cornea, crystalline lens, and other front parts of the eye.

           ii.         Ophthalmoscopy
Your optometrist will use an ophthalmoscope to shine a light into your child’s eyes. This is to check the health of the retina and optic nerve at the back of the eyes, as well as for documentation for further comparison.

d.         Cycloplegic Refraction (Optional)
On a case by case basis, if your child’s focusing muscles are very reactive, the subjective refraction may be insufficient to investigate the true prescription of the eye. Therefore, your child may need to be referred to the eye doctor’s office for the instillation of eye drops to fully relax the eye’s focusing muscles. After which, refraction will be performed again to check for your child’s prescription, to compare with the prescription before the eye drops.

Binocular Vision Evaluation

Your eyes need to work together in good alignment for comfortable and usable vision. When the one or both of the eyes is not well aligned, this can cause headaches, discomfort, fatigue or even double vision when reading or doing task which require more concentration. There are cases when the focusing muscles of the eye do not work efficiently or sufficiently as they are supposed to. This can also result in difficulty and discomfort in reading and seeing.

Tests are done to evaluate how the eyes are aligned, and the amount of focusing muscles that one have. If your eyes are found to be having binocular vision problems, vision therapy may be required to help you regain functional and comfortable vision. Sometimes, special types of lenses are prescribed to aid in comfortable vision.

To learn more about various Binocular Vision Dysfunctions, please click here.

To assess whether you have any Binocular Vision Problems, please evaluate your vision with this survey.

Binocular Vision Symptoms Survey

Score of 9 or above suggests significant BV symptoms. You should see an optometrist for a Binocular Vision Evaluation.

Please click here to learn more about various Binocular Vision Anomales.

Eye Glasses Dispensing and Adjustment Services
           
It is important that your glasses fit your face nicely, and are not out of alignment. We provide dispensing services to help adjust your glasses such that they are worn properly on you.

The optical centre of each lens should be in alignment with your eyes, and the glasses should not be tilted. This may cause unnecessary prismatic effect more on one eye, and can result in nausea and dizzy spells if the power of the lens is high.

Eye glasses should not be worn too low and droopy at the edge of the nose. They should be adjusted such that the weight is distributed evenly on the nose, and the ears. In this way, there will be no, if not minimal discomfort.

We are pleased to provide free glasses adjustment services. But please do note that we do not warrant for the eyewear that are not purchased from The Eye Boutique. We will try our best to adjust your eyewear for you, but if there is any breakage or damage, we are not liable for the damages.

Referral to Eye Doctor

The purpose of our comprehensive optometric services is to provide our clients with the best care they can get without the need to pay expensive consultation fees. By providing you with comprehensive eye examinations, as well as specific screening tests, we will be able to rule out any possible eye conditions or diseases.

However, in cases when we find any anomaly or eye conditions that need to be managed or treated by an eye doctor, we will write a letter of referral, and help you make an appointment with an appropriate eye doctor (ophthalmologist).

If you have any ophthalmologist of choice, we will be happy to refer you to him/her for his/her professional opinion or treatment. If you do not have any ophthalmologist of choice, we will be glad to recommend experienced ophthalmologist that we are affiliated to.