OCT
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) with our Brighton, Trenton, and Bellville Optometrists
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a diagnostic test that uses laser light to take a picture of the layers of your retina. At Dr. Coward & Associates, in Brighton, Trenton, and Belleville, we use this to test for a variety of conditions. The test is non-invasive and provides the eye doctor cross-sectional images of your retina. The retina is an inner eye structure that serves the role similar to film in a camera; the eye creates a visual image on the retina, and the retina translates that image to the brain to create the perception of that image.
The retina has many layers and OCT allows your doctor to see and evaluate all of those layers. Your Optometrist will measure the layer thicknesses to look for any diseases like glaucoma or other retinal diseases like diabetic retinal disease or macular degeneration.
What happens during OCT?
OCT is a painless test that takes about 50 seconds. It may require for your doctor to dilate your eye to make your pupil bigger in order to get a better picture of the retina. During the test, patients are required to sit in front of the OCT machine and keep their head motionless. Patients look into a viewfinder and a camera in the OCT machine scans the eyes. Afterwards, your eyes may be sensitive to light if dilation was needed.
What Conditions can OCT diagnose?
Doctors use OCT to evaluate retinal conditions and optic nerve disorders. OCT is useful in diagnosing several types of eye conditions:
- Macular degeneration particularly when sight is threatened by fluid leakage
- Macular disorders like a macular hole, pucker or edema
- DGlaucoma
- Diabetic retinopathy and other types or retinopathy
Contact our Optometrists in Trenton, Belleville, or Brighton
If you’ve never had an OCT test done, contact Dr. Coward & Associates in Brighton, Trenton, and Belleville. We will do a baseline OCT test for you so that we can watch for signs of these and other disorders.
To contact our Belleville optometrists, call 613-968-6560.
To contact our Trenton optometrists, call 613-392-6211.
To contact our Brighton optometrists, call 613-475-3900.
