Hi, just thought I'd jot this down for information .

I had a glaucoma test done today, I was told that you can only have it done at an Eye doctor but I found a great opticians in Oerlikon that have the pressure machine there.

Wanner Optik, Welchogasse 4, 8050 Zurich www.wanneroptik.ch
043 311 4044. The optician was very pleasant indeed and spoke very good English, so highly recommended.

The test cost chf 15, I suspect a hell of a lot cheaper than an Eye doctor would charge! Happy testing!

Hi Catherine,
I was told at Feldman that only an eye Dr was allowed to do this test,so that was`nt true.

Annie

Hi Annie,

No it wasn't! It really isn't that technical! All they do is have a machine that blows a gentle puff of air into your eye to measure pressure, this is then shown on the gage.

The recommended level is between 12 and 20, higher being worse of course.

The optician did say that very few opticians have these devices so maybe that's what they meant. (or just a moneymaker for Eye doctors!!)

Cath x

My optician in Brugg told me that the opticians in the UK have a higher (or different) qualification than the standard opticians here, which is why they are certified to make the pressure test.

I went to an Augen artze last month and it cost over 100chf together with other tests. (checking the nerves after the high result) My pressure was just hovering around the 20 mark so I have to go again in 6 months. The first test was nearer 21 and the second below 20.

Must admit, for the extra money I would prefer to have it done properly, but I am sure if the place in Oerlikon detected anything slightly high, they would refer you anyway to an eye doctor.

I was looking for a hassle free quick eye pressure test. Google sent me here. I had a specialist booked, but it was a few days later and I didn't want to wait if there was a serious pressure problem. He let me feel the air puf on my hand first so I wasn't worried. Very gentle. I walked in around 5pm. It took 5 mins, was a pleasant experience, and still only costs 15chf!

The reading was basically the same at the specialists a few days later.

Which gives biased results depending on the thickness of your cornea. No problem if your pressure is low, but if you have 14 and above, go see a doctor.

Sadly, my mum became blind because the local opticians didn't have the qualification and equipment to test for glaucoma! For years I checked that my mum had been for all the tests at the optician here in CH- and as dad and her assured me they had - I was re-assured (as I lived in UK).
During one of my stays, I insisted we went to see an ophtalmo, and made an appointment from the UK in advance. Turned out she had advance glaucoma, combined with macular degeneration, and it was too late. In the UK, ANY optician, be it in some little back street, or great big chain- will automatically to the glaucoma test as routine. The ophtalmo agreed it was tragic that this is not done routinely here.

Anybody over the age of 50 should have a glaucoma test done every couple of years. It is very easily treated - and yet can so quickly lead to tunnel vision blindness.

This also is different compared to the US - in most (afaik "all"), the Opticians are not doing the glaucoma test BUT it IS a routine part of exam from an Optometrist. Here in Europe, it seems the Opticians take over part of what's done by Optometrist in the US, leaving the rest to the Opthalmologist (medical eye doctor), how this division is made depends upon country regulations.

So, I can not stress this enough: It is alright / good to have your eyes checked every year to two years, the recommendation is every year up to 20'ish, 2yrs between 20 and into 40s and every year again after that. If your family has a history of glaucoma, high blood pressure / heart disease and / or diabetes, you should have your eyes checked at least every two years someplace that does ALL the tests, including glaucoma, visual fields and if possible, retinal photos.

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The Joys of Opticianry

My husband is very near-sighted and has retinal tear/detachment issues. He goes to the eye clinic at the Lindenhof in Bern and these guys are great.

If you are near-sighted, your eyeball is more oblong than round, the more nearsighted, the more oblong, or elliptical, I guess. This is why there is a greater risk of retinal detachment and tear in very near sighted people.

But anyway, he's often had widely fluctuating eye pressures and last time his doc told him that in very near-sighted people, there is a lot more fluctuation and error in measurement.

So if you are very near sighted, you probably should see an opthamologist regularly because of the retinal tear risk, but also to check on your pressures. If you have bizarre fluctuations, it could be eyeball shape.

Surgery to repair detached retinas sucks, tho if the tear is small, it can be repaired in the office with a laser. My husband's had the sucky surgery and the laser repair, both with good results.

I wasn't aware of this. My pressures read 14 both eyes with the puff, then 13 & 14 at the specialist with the Slit lamp microscope and blue filter a few days later. I guess they work OK for me. People tell me I have large eyes. 8-)

Proper testing is also less often done now- as people keep their prescription and just re-order glasses via the Internet to save on costs. Nothing wrong with this per se- but please get your eyes properly checked every couple of years. Must say I get mine checked in the UK- much cheaper than an ophtalmo here and I know all the checks are done properly.

I generally found the costs reasonable here, when I have had hourly pressure tests & 2 full consultations on the same day costs were 150chf this was at Basel Eye hospital. When I have field of vision tests every 2 years it's 100 more. When the exchange rate was 2.40 I think it was cheaper here.

In the UK, the opthalmic optician I used usually did the air puff test only, this 15chf job in Oerlikon. I am getting this in between proper visits to the pros, their schedule. I think the recommended one or two years between visits is crazy. All the other extra tests look for existing damage. Pressure is the one preventative check. Pressure can vary a lot. If you are unlucky, normally have high pressure and your pressure is unusually low and hence normal on a two year visit cycle, you are stuffed for the price of a burger!

My wife is eternally grateful to Ramstein Optik in Basel for sending her to an eye doctor in Binningen. Where she discovered she has glaucoma and also problems with the macular. Since then she has had a operation to repair the macular and now takes drop every day to keep the eye pressure down. The optician had a machine to test eye pressure but did not say what he thought was wrong but sent her immediately to the eye doctor. I wonder if they are not supposed to make diagnosis of it in the opticians.

All they can see is an elevated pressure, they are not qualified do diagnose why it's high, which is where the eye Dr comes in.

Perhaps but it is a recommendation for everyone in general - whether they visit for vision correction or not.

Since many people don't visit a doctor for anything unless they think they have a problem (and even then, it's a matter of dragging them in sometimes), to have a "rule of thumb" for everyone isn't a bad thing. Sure, experience tells you (and tells me too, having seen it from the other side) that someone who knows their family has a history of eye problems really should see their eye doctor more often, to many of the people who are not experiencing problems themselves, even every two years can seem like all we want is their money.

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The Joys of Opticianry