It’s easy to neglect your eyes because they rarely hurt when there’s a problem.

Having an eye test won’t just tell you if you need new glasses or a change of prescription, it’s also an important eye health check.

It can spot many general health problems and early signs of eye conditions before you’re aware of any symptoms – many of which can be treated if found early enough. – source: NHS

Book your test online today!

Childrens Eyecare

Concerned about your childs or baby’s eyesight? Thie Optometrists are also qualified to examine children of any age – and is normally done for FREE under the NHS services we offer.

Low vision is when a person’s sight can’t necessarily be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
Low vision doesn’t develop just because of old age. Your vision can get worse as a result of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.

See how Thie Optometrists can assist you with Low Vision Assessments at our practice in Hemel Hempstead.

To take high-resolution pictures inside the eye, we use a computer-integrated digital imaging system to record a detailed view of the retina. Since nothing touches the eye, photo-documentation is painless. This digital image provides an excellent reference point for future comparisons and also serves as a benchmark for comparison for subtle future changes, which may not be so obvious to detect otherwise.

Retinal photography assists in the detection and management of problems such as diabetic changes, hypertensive retinopathy, macular degeneration, optic nerve disease, and retinal holes or thinning.

At Thie Optometrists, we recommend that all our patients receive this test. It is especially important for people with a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, retinal diseases, flashing lights, floaters, headaches, or a strong spectacles prescription.

A lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, is a childhood condition that occurs when the vision in an eye does not develop properly.

This usually means that the child can see less clearly out of one eye and relies more on the “good” eye.

An estimated 1 in 50 children will develop a lazy eye and children are usually diagnosed with the condition around the age of four. – source: NHS

You may be entilted to a free sight test under the NHS.

Listed below are the criteria for a Free Eye Examination. Are you entitled ?

Based on Age:
If you are under the age of 16
If you are a full time student aged 16,17 or 18
If you are aged 60 or over

Based on Income – if you or your partner receives:
Income Support
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Working Families tax credit

Disabled persons tax credit
A HC2 certificate

Based on Health:
If you suffer from diabetes / glaucoma
If you are aged 40 or over and are the parent, brother, sister or child of a person with glaucoma
If you have been prescribed with complex lenses under the NHS optical voucher scheme

If you are registered blind / partially sighted
You may be eligible to partial help with your eye examination and /or spectacles, if you receive a low income. You will need to complete a HC1 form to apply, and these are available from Thie Optometrists and the Post Office.

Astigmatism is a common and usually minor eye condition that causes blurred or distorted vision.

It occurs when the cornea or lens isn’t a perfectly curved shape. Many people who wear glasses have some degree of astigmatism.

Astigmatism belongs to a group of related eye conditions known as refractive errors. Other common refractive errors include:

• short-sightedness (myopia)
• long-sightedness (hypermetropia)

If you have astigmatism, it’s likely you’ll also have one of these conditions.

Left untreated, astigmatism can cause headaches, eye strain and fatigue (tiredness), particularly after doing tasks that involve focusing on something for long periods, such as reading or using a computer. – source: NHS