You have to get your eyes checked every now and then to ensure its optimal health. If you visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist, you will be subjected to different tests and procedures to evaluate your vision and the condition of your eyes.
A comprehensive eye exam is needed, which could take an hour or more. Of course, this will depend on the doctor and the complexity of tests. To help you prepare, you should know the tests you will likely to encounter during a comprehensive eye exam.
Visual acuity tests
Visual acuity test is the first test that you should expect to be performed. This is the test that will measure your vision sharpness. Visual acuity test is typically performed through a projected eye chart and hand-held acuity chart to measure near vision.
Color blindness test
The color blindness test seeks to check your color vision. This is how the doctor will rule out color blindness conditions. Ultimately, this test can help the doctor determine any possible health problems that may affect your color vision.
Ocular motility testing
Ocular motility testing is also called eye movements testing. This is performed to establish how well your eyes can follow a moving object. It is also utilised to establish how well your eyes can accurately fixate on two different targets.
In a smooth eye movement or “pursuits test”, you need to hold your head still and then follow the slow movement of light or other targets. In a quick eye movement or “saccades” test, you need to move your eyes back and forth between the two separate targets positioned at some distance and apart from each other.
Cover test
The cover test is the simplest test to check how the eyes work together. During this test, the doctor will ask you to focus on a small object, which is across the room while covering every eye alternately.
Stereopsis test
Stereopsis test is also called a depth perception test. In this test, you will be required to wear a pair of 3D glasses while looking at a booklet of test patterns. Every pattern has four small circles and the task here is to point out which pattern is closer to you.
Retinoscopy
This is how an eye doctor obtains the estimation of your eyeglass prescription. In this exam, the lights will be dimmed and you will be asked to focus on a large target, which is usually the big “E”.
Refraction
Refraction is the test that will be used by the eye doctor to determine the exact prescription of your glasses hk. During the exam, the doctor will put the instrument called a phoropter in front of your eyes then show you a collection of lens choices.
You need to pick the lens that will allow you to see clearer. Based on your answers, your doctor will fine-tune the lens until you reach the final prescription. This test will determine myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia and astigmatism.
Glaucoma test
For glaucoma eye check, it will start with measuring the pressure inside the eyes. The most common test is the “puff-of-air” test, which is known as NCT (Non-contact Tonometry). This test requires you to put your chin on the machine’s chin rest.
