What Does An Eye Exam Include?

Typically, a standard eye checkup includes these eight kinds of eye examinations. Each assesses several facets of eye health and vision. Find out more about every test.

An eye exam is one of the first steps toward healthy eyes and proper eye care. Did you realize that getting a regular eye checkup entails more than just getting contacts or glasses to fix your vision? Continue reading to learn about the many test kinds and how eye exams evaluate the health of the eyes.

What Is a Vision Test or Eye Exam?

An eye exam is a series of visual examinations used to assess the condition of your eyes by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Regular eye exam boynton beach is crucial because it can identify and treat major vision issues early on, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. In actuality, a thorough eye exam focuses more on your general eye health than on your prescription for glasses or contact lenses.

The fundamental components of an eye exam are vision tests, but you will also talk about any recent changes you may have seen in your vision. During your appointment, do not be afraid to ask questions if you do not understand something. Then, to retain good eyesight, continue to schedule regular eye exams.

Eight Common Eye Exam Tests

The eight types of eye tests that are often included in a standard eye exam are shown below, along with a detailed description that includes pricing ranges and the national average costs*.

1. Test of Visual Acuity

You might be familiar with the “eye chart” test. The capacity of each eye to see shapes, like letters or numbers, at a specific distance is measured by a visual acuity test.

To identify a series of letters or numbers printed on a chart (technically known as a Snellen Eye Chart), you are requested to stand 20 feet away from the chart. As you go down the chart, the type lines get smaller. Every eye is examined separately, and it is a crucial examination that can monitor changes in vision if performed regularly.

2. Visual Refraction 

The way light waves are distorted as they travel through your cornea and lens is known as refraction. Your eye doctor does a refraction exam to evaluate whether you require vision correction and to prescribe the corrective lenses that will help you see the best possible clarity.

To assist you decide what strength of prescription lenses will correct your refractive defect, your vision specialist may utilize a tool known as a phoropter. To improve your ability to see the images through the phoropter lenses, this test is conducted in a dark environment. Your provider can identify the lenses that will provide you with the best eyesight by repeating this step multiple times.

3. Visual Field Examination

Your central field of vision, or what you can see without moving your eyes, is what this exam helps you determine. Your peripheral vision—the region above, below, and to the sides of your center vision—is also examined.

A variety of visual field tests are employed to evaluate various facets of eye function, including:

• test of binocular vision. assesses how well the eyes cooperate.
• assessment of developmental eyesight. evaluates the potential impact of eyesight issues on learning.
• FDT stands for frequency doubling technique. identifies possible blind spots
• Kinetic perimetry by Goldmann. uses moving stimuli to measure the visual field.
• SAP stands for standard automated perimeter. The most popular test measures your field of vision by having you press a button each time a computer flashes tiny lights inside a bowl-shaped gadget.

4. Exam Slit-Lamp

A slit lamp is a type of microscope that allows your doctor to examine the cornea, iris, lens, and anterior chamber of your eye by using bright light to improve the vision of the front of your eye. Your doctor may apply eye drops containing fluorescein dye to examine your cornea. Your eye doctor can more easily check your cornea for dry patches, minor scratches, scrapes, tears, foreign objects, or infections thanks to this orange dye. The dye will be washed away by your natural tears when you blink.

5. Test for Glaucoma

Intraocular pressure, the pressure inside your eye, is measured by this examination. It aids in the diagnosis of glaucoma, a condition that can lead to blindness and is caused by an accumulation of pressure inside the eyes. If glaucoma is detected early, it can be cured.

Today, the most used method of measuring eye pressure is the tonometry test, which uses a device that gently puffs air over the surface of the eye to measure pressure. Additional glaucoma tests include gonioscopy, which checks the angle where the iris and cornea meet to make sure it is open and clear of obstructions, and perimetry, which maps the peripheral vision to identify blind spots.

6. Test of Color Vision

This test evaluates your ability to discern colors in order to check for color blindness. You may be asked to identify a letter or number in a picture of circles of various colors. Given that some occupations, like law enforcement or aviation, require flawless color vision, this test is crucial.

7. Topography of the Cornea

These check for differences in the cornea’s surface curvature. Your eye doctor maps the form of your cornea by taking thousands of images of the surface of your eye while you are staring at anything. This can assist them in determining whether you have astigmatism, which is an irregular curvature of the cornea. Along with helping your doctor prepare for procedures like cataract surgery, LASIK, or corneal transplant surgery, it also helps them make contact lenses that fit your eye.

8. Fundoscopy, or ophthalmoscopy

To dilate your eyes (raise the size of your pupil), your doctor will apply special eye drops. It will take 15 to 20 minutes for the remedy to start working. During this period, you might notice that the light appears significantly brighter. A light will then be shone into your eye by your physician. They can examine your optic nerve, lens, and retina more clearly thanks to this test.

A handheld equipment is used in direct ophthalmoscopy to provide a narrow, greatly magnified view of the back of the eye. With a portable lens and head-mounted binocular microscope, indirect ophthalmoscopy provides a broader view, which makes it perfect for inspecting peripheral regions.