Digital retinal cameras which take a photograph of the back of your eye have been around for some years. They are invaluable for helping your optometrist to diagnose certain diseases. Their major drawback however is that they only take a 2D image of the very top layer of the back of your eye. Optical Coherence Tomography, or OCT for short, takes things a step further by taking an extremely detailed 3D image of the many different layers of the back of your eye. This is vitally important because many eye diseases begin beneath the surface of your eye. An OCT can 'see' the signs of these diseases much earlier than a retinal camera, making effective treatment far more likely.
What can OCT detect?
OCT can detect signs of glaucoma, retinal detachment, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and more at an incredibly early stage. Any one of these eye diseases is potentially sight threatening.
How does OCT work?
OCT is non-intrusive, painless, and works by taking tens of thousands of photographs which make up a detailed 3D model of your eye. It does all this in just a few seconds! The resulting image allows your optometrist to view the condition of your eyes beneath the surface!
Could I benefit from an OCT examination?
Yes. The OCT will most likely show that you’re eyes are healthy, which is fantastic! Apart from giving you peace of mind it will give our optometrists an excellent ‘base line’ reading to use as a reference point when looking at future scans. If the OCT does find an anomaly we can quickly begin treatment.
Please note that this service is available at our Ramsbottom & Bury practices only.