An annual comprehensive eye exam can detect eye diseases without obvious symptoms. The exam includes a questionnaire, retinoscopy, blanket test, refraction test, slit lamp exam, and glaucoma tests. The doctor will discuss treatments or prescribe corrective lenses.
Receiving a comprehensive eye exam every year helps people maintain healthy vision. An ophthalmologist can check a person’s vision, determining whether the person is in the early stages of an eye disease. Many eye diseases reveal no obvious symptoms or signs; therefore, visiting the eye doctor for an eye exam can prevent a person’s vision from deteriorating. When patients visit the eye doctor, they will undergo a series of vision tests.
First, the patient can fill out a questionnaire about his history. He will be asked if he has any health problems or if there is a history of specific diseases in his family. The patient must also inform the ophthalmologist of the medicines he is taking. Next, the eye doctor will begin administering a series of tests that measure the patient’s eye health.
Initially, the ophthalmologist often begins with a retinoscopy. In this particular type of exam, the patient looks through the lens of a machine while reading a series of letters. The lights in the room are dimmed and the patient is asked to read the letters on the wall in front of him. While doing this, the doctor shines a light into the patient’s eye and switches lenses to see which prescription lens is best for the patient.
Eye doctors may also choose to administer a test called a blanket test. During this type of exam, the eye doctor tells the patient to focus on a distant object while the doctor covers one of the patient’s eyes. This allows the eye doctor to determine how far the eye needs to move to focus on the distant object. The cover exam, although a simple test, helps the doctor see if the patient has an eye problem that can lead to depth perception difficulties or other types of binocular vision problems.
Another type of vision test used by eye doctors is the refraction test, a test used to accurately pinpoint a patient’s specific lens prescription. During this procedure, a machine called a phoropter is placed in front of the patient’s eyes and changes the lenses periodically. The doctor will then ask the patient which lenses allow the patient to see more clearly.
To assess whether a patient has eye disease, the eye doctor will perform a slit lamp exam. This particular test uses an instrument that magnifies the structure of the eye. The patient rests his chin on a small platform and the instrument illuminates the patient’s eye. Next, the doctor looks through a microscope-like eyepiece to conduct the exam. Using the slit lamp, your doctor can diagnose serious eye diseases such as macular degeneration and corneal ulcers.
Glaucoma tests measure the pressure inside the patient’s eyes. Non-contact tonometer and applanation tonometer are two common ways to test for glaucoma, a serious disease in which the optic nerve becomes severely damaged. The non-contact tonometer uses puffs of air to test the pressure inside the eye. First, the patient rests their chin on a chin rest and focuses on a light inside the machine. The doctor will then direct a small amount of air into the eye.
The applanation tonometer is an instrument that also measures eye pressure. Numbing eye drops are placed inside the patient’s eye. Next, the patient looks ahead as the eye doctor gently touches the eye with an instrument that emits blue light.
After an eye exam, the eye doctor will share the test results with the patient. He or she will discuss treatments for any diagnosed eye disease or prescribe corrective lenses for the patient. An annual eye exam is a necessary part of any wellness plan, as it can help detect or prevent vision problems that can negatively affect a patient’s life.
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