Amid pandemic, most eye clinics are closed because people are advised to stay home. Many people are seeking an alternative in this certain situation. It is tempting to order glasses and contacts when you feel like you need to replace your current one.
There are available home vision tests that can be relied on when you are ordering new lenses. Home vision tests are available online. These are the examples of applications that offer vision tests:
- An app produced by Verana Health allows patients to test their vision with the use of a mobile device and it can keep track of how your vision changes over time.
- EyeQue’s Personal Vision Tester is a device that uses a handheld miniscope to be paired with a smartphone to get a customized eyeglass prescription.
There are a lot of websites that offer do-it-yourself vision exams using smartphones. There may be instances where you need to manipulate your position for a home vision test. You may be asked to stand 10 feet away from the device when looking at an eye chart to be read out loud. The area must be well-lit.
The EyeQue’s test uses an on-hand device that can check your vision. An ophthalmologist or optometrist will review the results of your test.
Is It Okay to Use a Home Vision Test When Ordering Contacts?
Experts recommend that contact prescription should be done by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Home eye exams are not preferred because if the contact lens is improperly fit, it can cause complications such as redness, irritation, and corneal infection which is a potentially blinding condition.
A home vision test is not as accurate or reliable as the routine eye exam you do with an ophthalmologist. Be aware that a home vision test cannot detect any eye problems that you may have.
What Is the Perspective of Eye Experts Regarding Home Vision Tests?
Home vision tests are only limited to healthy adults who are age 18 to 39 that do not have any symptoms of eye disease and have a mild or moderate eyeglass prescription. Eye experts emphasized that even if you have healthy eyes, it is best to have an in-person comprehensive eye exam rather than relying on a home vision test.
It is important to detect eye diseases that have hidden symptoms which can only be done with an exam with an ophthalmologist. Consult your eye doctor if you are having any symptoms concerning your eye.
