What to Expect
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Eye
Exams: What to Expect
Eye examinations are a vital part of preventative care
that can detect vision problems while they are still in their earliest stages.
By scheduling regular eye exams with a certified eye care specialist,
you give yourself the best chance of avoiding eye problems and costly
treatments in the future. During these exams, your eyecare specialist can also
give you helpful tips on how to care for your eyes and reduce
unnecessary strain.
The eye examination itself is a painless series of tests
that are designed to make sure your eyes are functioning normally and free from
diseases. Although the instruments and optometric technology used during
these tests may be intimidating at first glance, the process itself is quick
and pain-free.
Your optometrist or ophthalmologist, may begin the
examination by asking you a series of questions related to your medical history
and any vision issues you are currently experiencing. Once the necessary
background information has been considered, tests are administered to evaluate things
like eye muscle control, visual acuity, overall eye health, and more.
Eye
Muscle Test
One of the common aspects
of eye examinations is the eye muscle test. This test is performed to identify any
extraocular muscle weaknesses which may result in uncontrolled eye movements.
The test itself involves moving your eyes in six different directions, often
following an object such as your doctor’s pen, while the movements of these
muscles are observed.
Visual
Acuity Test
The visual acuity test is
the aspect of eye examinations that people are usually most familiar with. The
point of the test is to determine how well you can see from a distance, and
involves simply reading various size letters off of an eye chart positioned 20
feet away. Your eye care specialist will have you read these letters with one
eye closed or covered to determine the strength of vision in each eye.
Refraction
Assessment
A refraction assessment
test will only be administered if you require corrective lenses. If you fall
into this category, your doctor will use this test to see how your cornea and
lens bend light waves as they enter your eye. These measurements will allow the
doctor to find the best prescription for your corrective lenses.
Refraction assessments may
be measured with a digital refractor, or your doctor may use a technique known
as retinoscopy. Once the initial measurements are obtained, they are fine-tuned
by a machine called a Phoroptor. Your doctor will have you look into this
machine and pick the lens that gives you the clearest, sharpest vision.
Visual
Field Tests
In order to evaluate the
strength and acuity of your peripheral vision, your doctor may include simple
visual field tests into your examination. By measuring when you can observe certain
objects moving into or out of your field of vision, the doctor creates a visual
field map that can help diagnose any potential problems.
Slit-lamp
tests
To get a better view of
the structures of your eye, your specialist may administer a slit-lamp
examination. This test uses a bright line of light to illuminate the front of
your eye, allowing your doctor to exam your cornea, iris, lens, and anterior
chamber for cuts, scrapes, or infections. Your doctor may use a special dye
called fluorescein during this process, which temporarily turns the tears a
light yellow color to allow for a sharper contrast and easier examination. Your
eyes’ natural tears will wash the dye away after the slit-lamp test is
finished.
Glaucoma
test (tonometry)
Glaucoma
is an eye disease that can cause the pressure inside your eyes elevate. In
order to test for this potentially blinding disease, your certified eye care
specialist may use tonometry to measure the intraocular pressure of your
eyes. There are a few different ways to perform this test: applanation
tonometry measures the amount of force needed to depress your cornea;
non-contact tonometry sends a small puff of air into your open eyes to test
their pressure; pachymetry uses ultrasound waves to measure the thickness of
your cornea.
More specialized tests may
be required depending on your age, medical history, and hereditary
predispositions.
Ophthalmoscopy
This part of the exam is performed
to observe your retina, optic disc, and choroid. In order to examine these
structures, which are located in the back of your eye, your doctor may give you
special eye
These tests make up the core of most eye examinations.
The important thing is to simply educate yourself and know how to prepare for
your eye examinations to ensure they go as smoothly, quickly, and
painlessly as possible. You’ll thank yourself for taking this valuable
preventative measure, which can identify eye problems and get you on the
path to effective treatment before conditions worsen.
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