I the UK, the standard charge for an eye test is up to GBP28, but some
opticians offer them for free. Lots of categories of people get free eye
tests on the NHS anyway - under 16, under 19 if in full time education, over
60, have diabetes or glaucoma, over 40 with a close relative with glaucoma,
plus others. You normally get an eye test every two years, but can have one
after a year if you have concerns. Diabetics get a free retinal scan every
year.
I used to take an old gent, who was nearly blind from glaucoma, shopping.
He'd become blind because he was tight with money and believed that
opticians weren't concerned with checking that your sight was OK, but were
just wanting to make a profit from selling spectacles and lenses. So he
never had an eye test. When he finally did go to his family doctor, who
referred him to the local eye hospital, nothing could be done to help him.
They said if he'd been diagnosed when he first had trouble he wouldn't have
been blind.
When I have my eye tests my optician wants to know exactly what I do. I'm
usually on my computer while watching TV, making lace while watching TV,
reading while watching TV or doing something else while watching TV.
Needless to say I have no idea what's on the TV - its just a reason to look
up to change focus. I do wear reading glasses for lacemaking and other close
work, and have just started wearing distance glasses for driving - I'm
borderline on sight requirements so an erring on the side of caution.
For lace I also resort to using a magnifying glass sometimes, especially as
I'm currently working in black and threads are difficult to see even in
perfect light, which it isn't now that autumn is definitely here. Don't know
what idiot decided to work in black!
Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK.
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