SPECSAVERS in Galashiels has invested in a new, top of the range scanning machine to help detect the signs of degenerative eye health years in advance.

The investment in the OCT (optical coherence tomography) machine cost over £50,000, however, opticians will now be able to offer scans which allows them to see deeper into a patient's eye.

In some cases, the OCT scan can detect conditions such as glaucoma up to four years sooner than an ordinary eye test.

According to a study conducted by Specsavers in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), almost half of all eye conditions are preventable.

Store director Stuart Forrester, explained: "This investment gives our team the ability to enhance our services to the local community by helping to detect and manage conditions, with a level of diagnostic capability which previously would have needed a hospital visit.

"An OCT scan uses light to take more than 1,000 images of the back of your eye and beyond, looking right back to the optic nerve and creating a cross-section view.

"You can imagine it like a cake – we can see the top of the cake and the icing, but the image produced from an OCT scan slices the cake in half and turns it on its side, so we can see all the layers inside,’ says Stuart. ‘It gives the optician an incredibly accurate picture of your eye and its structures, allowing them to check your eye health."

Early detection measures to combat the development of glaucoma or macular degeneration, such as eye drops, laser treatments or surgery, can all be prescribed before any significant damage is done to the eyes.

Images taken from an OCT scan are saved by an optician to track any changes in eye health and can be monitored over time.

An OCT scan is not part of a normal eye test and can be added to a Specsavers appointment for an extra £20.

For more information, visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/eye-health/oct-scan