Facts About Eye Exams

Many people get eye exams every year. They do it to maintain their eyes' health. Some need exams in order to get their contact lens or eyeglasses. Most professionals recommend getting exams as precautionary methods against potential eye problems such as glaucoma or myopia.

Types of Test Facts

Eye exams may help prevent problems that can lead to blindness, disease or other life-changing events. Eye examinations may be able to spot problems before they occur or become untreatable. Doctors generally perform many types of tests on their patients' eyes. These include:

• Visual acuity: Patients read from a chart called the Snellen chart. The chart consists of very large to small letters. Doctors will ask patients to put one hand over a specific eye and read certain lines. Patients who cannot successfully read the requested lines may have vision problems the doctor needs to address. Those with excellent vision will have 20/20 vision. 


• Refraction assessment: This eye assessment tests how sharp or clear people see things. Myopia and astigmatism are two conditions that doctors may look for in this portion of the exam.


• Cover test: This test is commonly used by doctors to check for how well people's eyes work as one. The doctor covers one of the patient's eyes. They are asked to focus on an object across the exam room. If the uncovered eye moves to see better, the patient may have problems with focusing. 


• Retinoscopy: Doctors use this test to make sure they prescribe the correct eyeglass strength. They ask patients to look at the letter E on the Snellen chart. They shine a light into their eyes. Eye doctors can obtain the lens strength by how the light reflects from the patients' eyes.