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Eye health is something many of us take for granted. But looking after our eyes is important for maintaining eyesight and protecting against conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration.
Having regular optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans is one way to do this. By analysing eyes in finer detail, OCT scans can track subtle changes and detect early signs of potentially sight-threatening conditions.
We’ve partnered with Boots Opticians to take a closer look at OCT scans and explore why they’re so important for eye health.
OCT scans are available at most Boots Opticians stores – you can use this locator to find your nearest store. You don’t have to book an OCT scan in advance, just ask on the day of your eye test appointment. Eye tests cost from £29.95 at Boots Opticians.
What is an OCT scan and how does it differ from a general eye test?
An optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan is a non-invasive advanced eye scan. It allows optometrists to examine your eyes in greater detail, going beneath the eye’s surface.
OCT scans use reflected light to create pictures of the back of your eye. They work a bit like ultrasounds, but use light waves instead of sound waves to map and measure the thickness of the retina. The retina consists of light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue located at the back of the eye. Once the retina receives images, it sends them to the brain as electrical signals through the optic nerve – allowing us to see.
Unlike regular eye tests, which check eye health and vision, OCT scans allow your optician to look deeper beyond the eye’s surface and into its structures.
What happens during an OCT scan?
During an OCT scan, you sit in front of the machine with your head on a chin rest and focus on a blue cross. A high-tech camera will then take 3D images of your eyes, using light waves to scan your eye without touching it. Using specialist built-in analysis tools, your optometrist will examine the images and discuss the results with you.
OCT scans are quick, painless, and non-invasive – nothing will even touch your eye. It’s normal to feel slightly dazzled for a few seconds after the test because it’s similar to having your photo taken with a bright flash, but this should pass quickly. There are no known side effects or complications and the scan will be over in just a couple of minutes.
Each time you have an OCT scan, your optometrist will compare results with previous scans, looking out for subtle changes to the retina that may signal eye disease. How often you need an OCT scan will depend on individual risk factors, eye health, and underlying conditions. Generally speaking, if you have an eye condition or a family history of eye diseases, annual OCT scans are recommended. Even if you don’t have any known eye conditions, it’s still a good idea to have an OCT scan every two to three years.
Free NHS eye tests plus 10% off glasses for over 60s
Booking an appointment online has never been easier, and with a range of offers from 10% off if you’re over 60, 2nd pairs half price & a free NHS eye test if eligible, our expert optometrists are here to help you on your journey to clearer vision.
What are the benefits of OCT scans?
There are several benefits of OCT scans. We’ll cover some of these below…
OCT scans offer a clearer overall picture of eye health
Unlike regular eye tests, which examine the surface of your retina, OCT scans provide a more detailed view of the inside of your eye. For example, OCT scans can examine the…
- Vitreous (the jelly-like substance that fills the eye)
- Retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye)
- Macula (area at the centre of the retina, which is responsible for our central vision)
- Optic nerve (transmits light impulses to the brain to produce the images we see)
OCT scans can help diagnose eye conditions early
Many eye conditions, such as glaucoma, detached retina, diabetic retinopathy, macular hole, and age-related macular degeneration form at the very back of the eye, which means they often don’t cause symptoms and can remain undetected until vision is affected.
By creating cross-sectional images of the back of your eye, including the layers beneath the surface of the retina, OCT scans can be useful for detecting early signs of potentially sight-threatening conditions. Because OCT scans are often repeated over time, optometrists can compare scans to spot any subtle eye changes.
As a result, research has found that OCT scans can help to detect glaucoma one to two years earlier than traditional imaging methods.
OCT scans can monitor eye disease progression and reduce the risk of sight loss
Depending on personal circumstances, OCT scans should be performed every year or so. This allows optometrists to compare results and monitor the progression of eye diseases.
This can make all the difference in managing the impact of eye diseases, as research has highlighted the importance of detecting conditions like glaucoma and cataracts early. Among other things, early diagnosis allows people to address symptoms before they progress, reducing the risk of sight loss.
For example, experts estimate that early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy can prevent or delay blindness in 90% of people with diabetes. Other research suggests that tests like OCT scans could reduce cases of low vision or blindness caused by glaucoma by around 50%.
OCT scans provide insights into overall health
OCT scans are primarily used to assess eye health, but research has found that their benefits stretch far beyond this. Whether we realise it or not, our eyes can reveal plenty about our overall health.
According to Boots Opticians, OCT scans can help detect several underlying health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, tumours, and autoimmune diseases. For example, OCT scans can detect high blood pressure by spotting abnormalities such as thicker blood vessel walls, retinal swelling, and narrowed blood vessels.
Who should get an OCT scan?
OCT scans are particularly important for people with existing eye conditions or underlying health conditions, or those with a family history of eye diseases. For example, if you have diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
That said, OCT scans are recommended for all adults over 25 because they’re a valuable part of overall eye care – even if your vision and eye health are perfectly fine. OCT scans can be conducted as part of a regular eye test.
While suitable for most people, OCT scans can’t be performed if you have a condition that prevents light from passing through the eye – for example, dense cataracts or scarring or clouding of the cornea.
Free NHS eye tests plus 10% off glasses for over 60s
Booking an appointment online has never been easier, and with a range of offers from 10% off if you’re over 60, 2nd pairs half price & a free NHS eye test if eligible, our expert optometrists are here to help you on your journey to clearer vision.
Final thoughts…
By examining the area beyond the eye’s surface, OCT scans provide invaluable insights into eye health – helping to detect and manage potentially sight-threatening conditions significantly earlier than other methods.
While they’re particularly important for those with existing eye conditions or a family history of eye disease, you don’t have to fall into these categories to have an OCT scan. Plus, as they’re quick, painless, and easy to add to your regular eye test, having an OCT scan is one of the simplest ways to look after your eyes.
To find out more about OCT scans or to book an appointment, head over to the Boots Opticians website. OCT scans are available at most Boots Opticians stores – you can use this locator to find your nearest store. You don’t have to book an OCT scan in advance, just ask on the day of your eye test appointment. Eye tests cost from £29.95 at Boots Opticians.
For further reading, head over to the vision and eye health section of our website. Here, you’ll find information on everything from short-sightedness to eye problems linked with menopause.
Have you had an OCT scan before? What else do you do to look after your eye health? We’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below.
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Free NHS eye tests plus 10% off glasses for over 60s
Booking an appointment online has never been easier, and with a range of offers from 10% off if you’re over 60, 2nd pairs half price & a free NHS eye test if eligible, our expert optometrists are here to help you on your journey to clearer vision.