Demystifying Eye Exams – What Your Eye Doctor Wants You to Know

No matter whether or not you wear glasses or contacts, regular eye exams are an integral part of good eye care. Regular exams help detect early signs of eye disease while keeping vision as sharp as possible. Unfortunately, eye exams can sometimes feel intimidating; therefore we’ve put together this list of common tests so you can feel at ease at your next appointment.

At your eye exam, your doctor will ask you to read letters on a chart (known as Snellen chart) from various distances and indicate which ones you can see best – this helps determine your prescription needs. They may also use a device known as phoropter to try different lenses on you in order to see which ones make letters look better or worse (known as refraction).

If your eyes are healthy, the results of visual acuity and refraction tests will allow your doctor to issue you a valid prescription for corrective lenses. Otherwise, they may recommend additional specialized eye tests, including:

Visual Field Test: Your doctor can conduct a simple and painless visual field test to assess the quality of your peripheral (side) vision. He or she will move his or her hand around your face in an attempt to detect whether you can detect his/her hand’s movement, as well as specific areas in which side vision exists for you. This can help identify blind spots caused by eye disease such as glaucoma, or from certain medications taken, among other sources. Eye doctors in Lancaster

Fundus photography and optical coherence tomography: After your dilated pupil exam, these imaging tests allow your doctor to see the inner structures of your eye more clearly. Images created can reveal any retinal, optic nerve, and corneal conditions present; you will likely need someone to drive you home after this test as your eyes will likely become sensitive to light for some time after.

Your doctor will use your medical history to assess both the overall health of your eyes and overall wellness. Conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes can have detrimental effects on the eyes and vision, so it’s essential that you keep your doctor updated about any changes to your health or any medications you might be taking; then they can work in collaboration with your primary care doctor to ensure you remain on track in terms of overall well-being.