WHAT A £695 EYE MOT REVEALED ABOUT MY HEALTH
As the technician puts me through a battery of diagnostic tests, with red, pulsating lights searing into both eyeballs, I blush inwardly. Can they tell that I hated wearing sunglasses in my youth, which raised my risk of cataracts in my 50s? Or that I will develop glaucoma, like my poor father and grandmother. Or even suffer from declining brain health?
Welcome to the world of advanced eye-scanning machines. We’ve come a long way since the awful eye tests of the 1970s where they stuck a postcard in your eye and shouted at you – and now they reveal a lot more about your health than ever before.
Sheraz Daya is an ophthalmic surgeon and founder of Centre for Sight, whose clinic I am visiting today for my eye MOT (at the somewhat eye-watering price of £695).
It is a service for people aged 40 and over, offering a consultant-led assessment to detect early signs of eye disease – including cataracts, glaucoma, macular disease, corneal problems and even tumours – rather than waiting for them to develop in later life.
His centre is known for taking on some of the world’s most complex cases, including treating presenter Katie Piper’s sight after her terrible acid attack.
“The retina is an extension of the brain,” explains Mr Daya. “Hopefully in the future the scans will be able to pick up signs in the retina that correlate with Alzheimer’s disease earlier.”
It’s a bold claim, and not one that can be pinned down in my scan today, but the science will be there soon, experts believe. “I predict that in five to 10 years patients will walk into a 3D kiosk, have all the tests, and AI will immediately interpret the data and help assess brain health risks.”
Here’s what I find out when I test-drive the eye health MOT.
What an eye health MOT covers
“This assessment is particularly suited to those who have noticed changes in their vision or have a family history of eye conditions,” says Daya.
Five years ago I had bilateral cataracts removed and monovision lenses implanted. Today I have great long and short sight, but I still have high pressure in my right eye. Usually, as well as having my free 60+ NHS eye check, I pay extra for a 3D image of the back of my eye and an optomap eye scan (see the box at the end of the article).
In contrast, the Centre for Sight’s Eye MOT offers a full gamut of tests, which “would normally cost well over £1,000”, Daya says. “We’re trying to pick up at the eye-surgeon level what might be going on in the eye.”
Together with retinal surgeon Professor Tom Williamson, Daya has invented game-changing 3D eye imagery technology (called IMVIS), which enables fully remote glasses-free eye exams and high-definition images. “If somebody develops a cornea problem later in life, we will be able to go back and look at good 3D imagery from the past to see if it’s changed.”
At the clinic, I have machine vision checks (distance, intermediate and near); a full refraction test (to fine-tune the prescription) and my own special torture, a visual field test, where patients press a button when they see light flashes while focusing on a central target.
This assesses peripheral vision, detecting any blind spots or gaps in your vision, and identifies potential early indicators of glaucoma or neurological concerns. “Patients might have had a stroke,” he explains. “Or have a tumour at the back of the eye or even a brain tumour.” This scan could identify these.
There’s huge demand and a very long waiting list for glaucoma referrals in the UK. “It’s so important for it to be picked up early.”
At the clinic, they can offer a much faster non-invasive procedure for glaucoma or ocular hypertension, which uses laser pulses to improve fluid drainage, and reduce eye pressure by up to 30 per cent. The NHS can also offer this treatment but their machine takes much longer.
The test is also designed for 70+ drivers with talk of new stringent requirements coming in. “People are really worried about losing their driving licence,” says Daya. “Glaucoma, for instance, is called the sneak thief of sight. You don’t know you’ve got it if you don’t get checked regularly with thorough tests.”
Yet sight loss is not an inevitable part of ageing. “Fifty per cent could be prevented with timely intervention such as regular checks,” he says.
The consultation – and my results
“You have high myopia with a slightly increased risk of retinal detachment,” says Daya. This is where the retina separates from the back of the eye, he explains, and can no longer send information to the optic nerve resulting in vision loss. Called an ocular emergency, it would need to be treated immediately to preserve vision.
He presents me with a 12-page Eye Health Report. There are no holes or tears, but if I get a “sudden rain” of new floaters [shadows of the small specks on the retina], flashing lights, shadows or a curtain of loss of vision, I must go straight to an eyecare professional.
Floaters can’t always be distinguished from retinal detachment which, if left untreated, can cause vision loss, even blindness – my poor Mum lost some sight after a retinal tear in her 50s. Hence the importance of regular checks.
My family history of glaucoma also means I need regular eye pressure checks.
In addition, the OCT scan of the back of my retina shows I have a right epiretinal membrane – a delicate layer of scar tissue that grows on the surface of the retina, responsible for sharp, detailed central vision.
“It can be treated by retinal surgeons but it will need to be monitored by periodic OCT scans,” says Daya. “So make sure you see your optometrist annually.”
Is it worth the money?
It’s not the cheapest exam on the whole, I admit, but when I go for my new glasses prescription a few weeks later, I take along my report and ask my usual optometrist proper, detailed questions. It’s empowering as a layperson to know what’s going on with my eyes (both good and bad). I’ve been having eye tests since I was six, and have often felt like the idiot in the room.
“You’re usually looking at £280-£300 for a private consultation with a consultant ophthalmologist, depending on whether you want to have additional scans, such as an OCT, that might cost more,” says Mr Scott Robbie, a consultant ophthalmologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and The London Clinic.
And there is no ignoring that eye health is a serious challenge for all of us as we age. “The average number of eye problems you have in your 40s is one, in your 60s two, and, in your 80s, three,” says Daya. “Everybody needs to be seen.”
How to protect your eyes and stave off ocular decline
- Eat a fish and plant-based diet: “I have smoked salmon every day and a green juice with a teaspoon of moringa powder, a nutrient-dense leaf grown in Latin and South America,” says Daya. “It’s anti-inflammatory and has 90 different antioxidants in it which help slow down progression of macular degeneration.” Maybe a glass of red wine every few days, he concedes too: “It has the antioxidant Resveratrol in it.”
- Stay hydrated: Especially if you have floaters or flashing lights. Eyes are approximately 98 per cent water. Hydration supports the production and quality of the tear film, essential for lubricating eye surface, washing away debris, protecting against infections.
- Supplements: “Dry eyes can be helped by Omega 3s, especially in menopausal women,” says Daya. “Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing and allow production of the oily portion of the tear film, preserving tears.”
- Wear good-quality sunglasses: Just like skin, eyes are vulnerable to sun damage, and long-term UV exposure can accelerate cataracts and macular degeneration.
- Limit screen time: We call it the 20-20-20 rule,” says Daya. “Every 20 minutes, close your eyes for 20 seconds to rehydrate your cornea, then look out the window for 20 seconds to relax your eyes.”
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