During your eye examination, you may have been offered an OCT scan of your eyes and wondered what this new scan was all about. OCT (optical coherence tomography) is a new, completely painless and advanced imaging system suitable for people of all ages. It checks for potentially serious conditions such as glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration, vitreous detachments and more. Similar to ultrasound, OCT uses light rather than sound waves to image the different layers that make up the structures of your eye. The OCT machine captures both a photograph and a cross- sectional scan of the eye at the same time, enabling your optometrist to see deep into the tissues and structures of the eye. Using our new state-of-the-art 3D OCT system, we will take both a digital photograph and a three dimensional cross sectional scan of the back of your eye in one sitting. This allows both instant and early diagnosis of a number of common ocular conditions. The scan is non-invasive, painless, simple and quick. What’s more, the software can automatically detect even the most subtle changes to the retina with every eye test you have. This gives you an invaluable ongoing record of the health and condition of your eyes. OCT scans can detect a large number of conditions that may affect many different structures within the eye. Common conditions that can be identified and monitored through regular OCT screening include: AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the UK. It causes gradual deterioration of the macula (the central portion of your retina which enables detailed vision). There are two types of AMD; dry and wet. Wet AMD can caus rapid reduction in vision and must be treated in hospital rapidly. OCT can help to identify the earliest signs of AMD, determine whether it is the dry or wet form and help monitor its progress over time. DIABETES Over 4 million people are now diagnosed with diabetes in the UK, with experts claiming that over half a million people are currently suffering from undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in people of working age within the UK. OCT examination helps enable early detection of diabetic retinopathy, allowing early referral and management which can greatly improve the success rate of treatment. GLAUCOMA Glaucoma is a condition which causes damage to the optic nerve – the part of the eye which connects to the brain – and causes gradual loss in peripheral vision. Recent statistics suggest that some form of glaucoma affects around one in 50 people over the age of 40, rising to almost one in 10 in people over 75 years. Because the early stages of chronic glaucoma do not cause symptoms, regular eye examinations are essential to pick up glaucoma at its earliest stage so that ongoing damage can be prevented. OCT examination can measure numerous features at the back of the eye and facilitate early diagnosis of glaucoma – often several years before it can be detected by other means. Furthermore, it can enable close monitoring of your eye health year-on-year, allowing identification and surveillance of glaucomatous changes over time. VITREOUS DETACHMENTS Vitreomacular traction can be easily diagnosed through OCT providing invaluable information about the current relationship between the vitreous and the retinal surface of the eye. As people get older the vitreous jelly that takes up the space in our eyeball can change. It becomes less firm and can move away from the back of the eye towards the centre, in some cases parts do not detach and cause ‘pulling’ of the retinal surface. The danger of a vitreous detachment is that there is no pain and your eyesight will seem unchanged but the back of your eye may be being damaged. MACULAR HOLES As the name suggests, a macular hole is a small hole in the macula – the part of the retina which is responsible for our sharp, detailed central vision. This is the vision we use when looking directly at things, when reading, sewing or using a computer for example. Macular holes usually form during a complicated vitreous detachment, when the vitreous pulls away from the back of the eye, causing a hole to form. OCT is able to detect these movements enabling rapid referral for management by an ophthalmologist in hospital. Never before has it been easier to locate and identify eye conditions that affect the layers below the surface. Using our 3D OCT linked to specialised computer equipment, your optometrist can review the images on a screen and pinpoint areas of concern. Using this equipment, your optometrist can more confidently diagnose, manage or refer you to a hospital specialist for further treatment, should this be required. For the majority of patients, OCT provides significant reassurance that the deeper layers of their eye are healthy.