Haven’t had your routine eye exam in a while? Never had one before? They can be pretty nerve-wracking. After all, our eyes are sensitive and play an important role in day to day life.
Understandably, you might feel a bit nervous about your upcoming eye exam, but we’re here to help put your mind at ease. An eye exam is a straightforward and essential process that is designed to ensure your eyes are healthy and your vision is in the best possible shape.
Let’s walk through what typically happens during an eye exam, so you know exactly what to expect.
First of all, it’s important to know that eye care professionals, such as optometrists, are highly trained and experienced in conducting these exams. They have your comfort and well-being in mind throughout the entire process. If you feel uncomfortable or want more insight into what is happening at any point during your exam, don’t be shy about bringing it up with your optometrist.
The eye care professional will greet you when you arrive for your eye exam. This is an opportunity for you to share any concerns or questions you might have. They’ll ask about your medical history, any current eye issues you’re experiencing, and any medications you’re taking. This helps them tailor the exam to your specific needs. If you have particular concerns going into your eye exam, like if you’ve been experiencing headaches or having trouble with night vision, now is the best time to bring them up.
Determining if your risk for diseases like glaucoma, for example, used to be a complicated and lengthy process. But now, thanks to modern technology, it’s easy to see the beginning stages of disease and even predict diseases that may arise. At Lethbridge Vision Care, we make use of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optos ultra-widefield retinal imaging. Both of these are non-invasive, and can reveal a great deal about your overall eye health. They make a comprehensive eye exam quick and easy for you.
Even with all the insights technology gives us, optometrists still run a few other tests. A visual acuity test is standard. You’ve probably seen eye exams like these conducted before. You’ll be asked to read a chart from a distance that often has different-sized letters or objects. This helps the eye care professional determine if you need corrective lenses to see clearly.
You’ll likely also have a refraction exam. During this exam, it will be determined if you do or don’t need corrective lenses and what type and strength of corrective lenses you’ll need. This involves looking through different lenses to find the combination that provides you with the clearest vision. It’s like fine-tuning your vision to ensure you can see things clearly and comfortably.
A visual field or field of vision test is common in many eye exams. Your visual field is the entire area you see, even if you are focused on a specific object. Say you’re looking at your plate on the table at dinner. You are looking at the plate but still perceiving glasses, cutlery, napkins, and other things on the table. Certain conditions can impact your field of vision, so it’s important to have it measured. Visual field tests are done in a variety of ways. But, like with most vision tests, you’ll be staring straight ahead and reacting to what an optometrist shows you.
Peripheral vision is your ability to see things to the side of you without turning your head. It’s an essential element for driving. To test your peripheral vision, your doctor will ask you to focus on something and then report on what you can see around it while remaining focused.
A colour vision test will also be performed. This is somewhat similar to the visual acuity test, requiring you to look at images and let the optometrist know what you see. With one of your eyes covered, you’ll look at a series of cards with coloured dots. If you have a full range of colour vision, you’ll be able to see everything on the cards. The optometrist will then repeat this process on your other eye as it’s possible for one eye to have colour vision loss but not the other.
While the thought of an eye exam might initially bring some nervousness, it’s important to recognize that the process is designed to ensure your eye health and visual well-being. The expertise of eye care professionals, combined with modern technology, makes the exam thorough yet straightforward.
The utilization of advanced tools like Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optos ultra-widefield retinal imaging allows for a comprehensive and efficient examination of your eyes. Remember that your eye health is a vital part of your overall well-being, and regular eye exams are essential to catch any potential problems early.
