There are a lot of people who do not know the series of exams that will be done during an appointment with an eye doctor, mostly when it is their first time or they had it a couple of years ago. Different tests and procedures are performed to examine your eyes. The duration of an eye exam depends on the quantity and complexity of tests required to test your vision and oversee the health of your eyes.
Common Vision Tests
A visual acuity test is a first and common test to be performed which measures the sharpness of your vision. It is done using an eye chart to be looked at from a distance.
Color blindness test detects eye health problems that can affect color vision which needs to be ruled out during an eye exam.
The cover test is the simplest test that checks your eye alignment. It is done by covering one eye and focusing the open one on an object. The eye doctor can assess if you have strabismus or amblyopia.
Ocular motility testing checks how well your eyes can follow objects in motion. Smooth eye movements are most common to test which is done by following the target with eyes and putting your head still. Quick eye movements are tested by making your eyes move back and forth with different targets that are distant apart. Determining that there is a problem with eye movement can affect the ability to read and sports vision.
A stereopsis test is done by wearing “3D” glasses to look at a pattern that has four small circles. Identifying the closer circle in each pattern correctly means you have normal depth perception.
Retinoscopy is a test to be done to get the approximate prescription of your eyeglass. The test estimates the lens power that is required to correct vision.
Refraction is the test to get your exact eyeglass prescription which can also determine levels of hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. It is done by letting you try a series of lenses that looks clearer for you.
Autorefractors and aberrometers is a digital device that estimates eyeglass prescription by looking at an image.
Slit-lamp exam enables the eye doctor to examine structures of eyes including eyelids, cornea, conjunctiva, iris, and lens. Eye conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration, corneal ulcers, and diabetic retinopathy can be detected with a slit lamp exam.
Glaucoma test measures the pressure inside the eye. This test needs to be done to detect early signs of glaucoma.
Pupil dilation is the most thorough evaluation of the inside of the eyes.
Additional Eye Tests
There are instances where specialized eye tests are recommended beside the common tests performed because it is a case to case basis. Contact lens fitting is not included during a comprehensive eye exam but it can be possible if you get it with the same eye care practitioner who performed an eye exam to avoid repetition of necessary tests.
