Opticians Eye Tests - how often should they be?

[Eurobuff]

Hi. I went to the opticians today, last eye test was Feb 2021. I had several reminders over the last few months, but put it off as I was dealing with other issues (family ill & in hospital etc).

When I went into to see the optician, he asked the normal “how do you think your vision is, are you having problems”. I said I thought me reading vision had, as I was now struggling at work reading paperwork etc. He then looked at my notes and asked if there was a special reason I was down as a yearly recall. I said that I was diabetic. He asked if I go for retinopathy screening, and when I said yes, he said that I only needed to go to the opticians every 2 years??? I then mentioned that I use computers at work all day and that I thought you were supposed to go every year for that reason anyway. He replied “not really”???

Is this more NHS cutbacks?? Has something changed? Does anyone know how often you are supposed to / or entitled to have eye tests?

I am diabetic type 2. My mother was diabetic type 2 and lost her sight because of it, so I think eye tests are important. (He knew that my mother had lost her sight through diabetes)

 

[EllieM]

I am diabetic type 2. My mother was diabetic type 2 and lost her sight because of it, so I think eye tests are important. (He knew that my mother had lost her sight through diabetes)

I'm really sorry about your mother and I agree that eye tests are important. My understanding is that while high street opticians often notice changes and tell people to see their GPs for diabetic testing, once in the system the diabetic retinopathy screening tests are the ones that detect sight threatening changes in your eyes: opticians are more for new glasses and optical prescriptions.

In an ideal situation, you should be getting sufficient diabetic eye screening tests to keep your eyes safe from diabetic caused blindness (assuming your regular tests haven't been cancelled). Of course, there are other eye issues that may occur, (eg glaucoma?) which are independent of diabetic issues, and you'd hope the opticians would pick those up.

Disclaimer: I have lived in the Antipodes for the last 22 years and the situation may be different in different countries.

Hopefully you'll get more informed answers from UK members in due course.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

My understanding is that the free eye tests are encouraged to be every two years unless you notice changes.
Is that a NHS cut back? I don't think so as it was what I was told nearly 20 years ago.

This is in addition to the retinal scans which should be annually.

 

[Hopeful34]

I've always had yearly recalls from my opticians due to having diabetes. I read on this forum that recalls had changed to every 2 years, but don't know if that's correct.

 

[Goonergal]

I read on this forum that recalls had changed to every 2 years

It seems to have changed a few years ago: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/eye-tests.125641/

 

[LittleGreyCat]

I go every year, more if I think I have major changes.

I have been diagnosed with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and have a scan each year at the optician's.
I am not convinced that the retinopathy scan will detect AMD (mine certainly didn't report it).
So another good reason to be checked every year.

Mind, my mother had glaucoma so I have been on free eye tests for a long time.

 

[markpj31]

Mine is down for every 12 months.

I always pay the extra £10 for the deep scans which they keep on record and compare to the last visit - predicting diseases in advance of 4 years.

I went to my opticians 2 weeks ago. She has scans of my macular from back in December 2020 when I had lost some vision (diabetic eye screening was constantly cancelled for a year before at what was an important time for me). She said that my swelling had gone down dramatically since then - in both eyes, even though my right eye had no treatment. So, I guess they do look at a whole aspect of different things.

 

[markpj31]

you should be getting sufficient diabetic eye screening tests to keep your eyes safe from diabetic caused blindness (assuming your regular tests haven't been cancelled).

I'm abit confused by this, because I have attended all of my eye screening appointments and I'm having/have had vision issues. Do they just wait for something to actually happen before they act (like vision loss)? I thought it was all about preventing vision loss?

 

[EllieM]

I'm abit confused by this, because I have attended all of my eye screening appointments and I'm having/have had vision issues. Do they just wait for something to actually happen before they act (like vision loss)? I thought it was all about preventing vision loss?

To be honest, I'm not sure. I know they can up the frequency of the tests if you start issues. I'm still at the stage where I have a bit of background retinopathy but none they yet want to treat. I thought the idea was that they monitored till you got to the stage where you needed treatment and then treated, you may or may not have symptoms at that stage.

And I've got non diabetic eye issues (cataracts which will probably need treatment sooner rather than later because it's starting to get difficult to check for retinopathy behind them) and a condition where the surface of my eyes gets damaged easily (needs immediate treatment if it happens, but luckily it's a once in every ten years event). So don't assume that all visual issues are diabetic related.

There are normal vision deteriorations (hello reading glasses at age 50 and cataracts at an older age) which opticians should pick up. My non diabetic husband went from not needing reading glasses to +3s in the space of a couple of years....

 

[Deleted member 489048]

Hi. I went to the opticians today, last eye test was Feb 2021. I had several reminders over the last few months, but put it off as I was dealing with other issues (family ill & in hospital etc).

When I went into to see the optician, he asked the normal “how do you think your vision is, are you having problems”. I said I thought me reading vision had, as I was now struggling at work reading paperwork etc. He then looked at my notes and asked if there was a special reason I was down as a yearly recall. I said that I was diabetic. He asked if I go for retinopathy screening, and when I said yes, he said that I only needed to go to the opticians every 2 years??? I then mentioned that I use computers at work all day and that I thought you were supposed to go every year for that reason anyway. He replied “not really”???

Is this more NHS cutbacks?? Has something changed? Does anyone know how often you are supposed to / or entitled to have eye tests?

I am diabetic type 2. My mother was diabetic type 2 and lost her sight because of it, so I think eye tests are important. (He knew that my mother had lost her sight through diabetes)

I go for diabetic retinopathy eye testing ONCE A YEAR. It takes place at my local hospital. As for the opticians I have a free eye test ONCE A YEAR. I have glaucoma and take drops to keep eye pressure in check. The hospital eye testing is totally different to optician eye test. Local optician is to keep check of your vision reading glasses etc; and the other is to check there is no problems behind your eye and that is why they take a photos of your eyes.

 

[EllieM]

I go for diabetic retinopathy eye testing ONCE A YEAR. It takes place at my local hospital. As for the opticians I have a free eye test ONCE A YEAR. I have glaucoma and take drops to keep eye pressure in check. The hospital eye testing is totally different to optician eye test. Local optician is to keep check of your vision reading glasses etc; and the other is to check there is no problems behind your eye and that is why they take a photos of your eyes.

Just curious, which checks your glaucoma?

 

[Goonergal]

Just curious, which checks your glaucoma?

I don’t know about @WHT but I attend a separate glaucoma clinic at the hospital. I don’t have glaucoma, but it’s in my family and I have a precursor to it, pigment dispersion syndrome (as does one of my sisters) so am checked out for that. Annually at the moment, so 3 sets of checks a year for me and 2 sets of the delightful eye drops (eye screening and glaucoma clinic).

 

[ianf0ster]

I have 3 sets of eye checks currently:
1. Normal Optician for normal vision, reading etc every 2yrs.
2. Eye Doctor for possible low pressure Glaucoma currently every 6 months until they are confident about diagnosis
3, Yearly retinopathy checks.

All 3 are different parts of the health service and are completely separate tests.

 

[Pipp]

I attended my opthalmology appointment (used to call them opticians) at my local high street store in May this year. Since T2 diagnosis, 17 years ago, I have had annual eyesight checks there. This has included a test for glaucoma, and photographs of retina, as well as the usual reading the letters on the big chart. I am quite short sighted and have been wearing spectacles for at least 40 years, but fortunate that I have no diabetes damage, or signs of glaucoma. There is family history of glaucoma. The optometrist told me at that last appointment that my NHS check up would now only need to be every two years. I was a bit taken aback at this. Kicking myself later for not checking whether he meant the FREE check had been changed to two years or there was no clinical need for me to be seen annually.
I had my annual NHS diabetes eye screening at local centre a few weeks ago. Mentioned to the practitioner the move to two years. He was adamant that I am entitled to an annual sight check with opthalmologist, and gave me a letter stating that I am, to show any opthalmologist who challenges this.

 

[markpj31]

To be honest, I'm not sure. I know they can up the frequency of the tests if you start issues. I'm still at the stage where I have a bit of background retinopathy but none they yet want to treat. I thought the idea was that they monitored till you got to the stage where you needed treatment and then treated, you may or may not have symptoms at that stage.

I would have thought screening would mean prevention? When I mentioned some faded text in my right eye appearing (above centre vision) the ophthalmologist looked at the scan again and said 'your eye is below the threshold'. So, I guess they have a 'threshold' as to how much vision you can lose before action is taken?

And I've got non diabetic eye issues (cataracts which will probably need treatment sooner rather than later because it's starting to get difficult to check for retinopathy behind them) and a condition where the surface of my eyes gets damaged easily (needs immediate treatment if it happens, but luckily it's a once in every ten years event). So don't assume that all visual issues are diabetic related.

I believe cataracts can be diabetic related, as in sorbitol clouding the lens from excess glucose present in the eyes? I too have cataracts which actually started in my late 30's. I cancelled my op which was supposed to be last week as I just can't fit the recovery aspect into my life right now. Then again my auntie had cataract surgery in her 40's and she wasn't diabetic.

There are normal vision deteriorations (hello reading glasses at age 50 and cataracts at an older age) which opticians should pick up. My non diabetic husband went from not needing reading glasses to +3s in the space of a couple of years....

Yep. I know of people in their 20's who require glasses for various vision problems non-related to diabetes. I'm pretty lucky at this stage to not have to wear glasses for reading or computer usage. My Chrome zoom is set to 100% still (which I think is default setting).

 

[Deleted member 475901]

Ordinary optician appointment went from annual to every two years during a previous round of austerity - some years ago.
The diabetic eye checks are annual.
However, I still get optician appointments annually because I have limited vision in one eye (refractive amblyopia) so I'm at a higher risk of legal blindness if something went wrong with my 'good' eye.

 

[markpj31]

Ordinary optician appointment went from annual to every two years during a previous round of austerity - some years ago.
The diabetic eye checks are annual.
However, I still get optician appointments annually because I have limited vision in one eye (refractive amblyopia) so I'm at a higher risk of legal blindness if something went wrong with my 'good' eye.

I guess it depends on which optician you go to. Mine are every year.
Diabetic eye checks for me were every 3 months until recently which are now every 6 months. I had no eye screening during the pandemic (a year) and waited over a year for treatment.

 

[Eurobuff]

Thanks everyone. For some reason I didn’t get any notifications of the replies.

I had another problem (cooper wiring) that my optician spotted a few years ago. It was a cardiovascular problem caused by the tablets I was taking at the time (non diabetes related) so I do think the opticians appointments are important as it didn’t show up on my eye screening.

I have my eye screening appointment next month so I might ask what they reckon. By reading the other thread though it looks like some people have come across the same thing.

They used to say if you were working on computers all day that you should go yearly for an eye test, but the optician just said that isn’t the case either ?

 

[markpj31]

Thanks everyone. For some reason I didn’t get any notifications of the replies.

I think that happens when somebody doesn't directly quote your initial message and just writes on the thread, although I could be wrong.