Eye Test Explained

Why do you need an eye exam?

Unlike many other areas of the body, the eyes are one of the only places where you can have extreme damages occur without any symptoms.

Eye diseases often progress quickly and without any warning signs at all. Furthermore, many other underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, tumors, etc. can be detected first through your eye exam.

Because the eye is so complex and your sight is so important to us, we allow for a minimum of 30 minutes for your adult eye exam. This ensures that our optometrist will have the time to conduct a thorough and unhurried examination.

TOP 10 REASONS TO HAVE AN EYE EXAM:

• You only have one pair of eyes. Once lost, your eyesight may never be replaced.
• Unlike your teeth, your eyes do not usually hurt when there is something wrong.
• The eye examination can pick up early signs of potentially blinding eye conditions, such as glaucoma.
• The earlier a problem is detected the greater the chance of successful treatment. This is particularly true for young children and the elderly.
• The eye examination can also detect a number of other underlying health problems.
• An examination checks whether your eyesight needs correcting with spectacles and determines the best form of correction for your vision.
• Good vision means working and playing better and safer; in actual fact it means a better quality of life.
• For young people, good eyesight is vital for learning. An eye examination will detect any problems in sight which may be affecting school performance.
• Failing eyesight is often taken for granted as people get older. However, by having an eye examination and remedying problems in eyesight, older people can improve their quality of life significantly.
• Poor eyesight is dangerous. Make sure that you meet the legal requirement for driving.

What Your Eye Test Involves

1. YOUR SYMPTOMS AND HISTORY

We will ask you about any problems you may have experienced with your eyes, as well as your family’s ocular health history. We would also like to have some background information about your general health, your lifestyle, including what your hobbies and interests are. This will give us a clear picture of what your eyes are going through every day along with any potentially inherited conditions that we may need to take into account.

2. VISION CHECK

The aim is to check whether you can see clearly and if you require glasses.

A combination of tests is carried out using the latest digital test chart. These checks help us assess your distance vision. A near vision test will also be carried out using the Snellen near point chart, which will measure your eyes ability to read particular objects at a given working distance.

3. EYE HEALTH CHECK

The internal and external structures of the eyes are examined using a high powered microscope. The microscope checks for the presence of eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration.

An eye pressure check or a visual field examination may be done depending on your age and symptoms. A visual field examination checks for blind spots in your peripheral vision.  An eye pressure check measures the pressure being placed on your eyes by the amount of fluid inside.  These tests may indicate more serious health conditions such as glaucoma or retinal damage.

Your eye movements will also be assessed to determine how your eye muscles are working. Your colour vision may also be assessed using specially designed colour vision plates.

4. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION

After the examination has finished, we’ll discuss your results in detail with you.   Our optometrist will explain exactly what the results indicate and any implications that may need to be addressed. Then if appropriate, we’ll talk through the potential solutions and help you to make the right decision. Our optometrist will also recommend how frequently you should have your eyes examined.