Your Eye Exam Consists of These Tests
Visual Acuity (“VA”) is measuring your ability to see clearly. It’s the 20/20, 20/40, etc. in your report.
For Example, 20/40 means what most people see at 40 feet you have to have at 20 feet. Or, since 20×2=40, you need a letter twice as large.
The Slit Lamp is a microscope is for examining the front part of your eyes, the cornea, lids, and lens.
Slit lamps are particularly useful for checking for complications from contact lens wear.
Your retina is where light rays are changed into nerve impulses. These are then sent to your brain for vision.
Diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma, and macular degeneration cause damage to your retina.
Measuring the pressure in your eyes is the starting point of a glaucoma evaluation. Increased pressure can cause damage to your optic nerve and a gradual loss of sight.
A comprehensive glaucoma evaluation also involves optic nerve evaluation, visual fields, and more.
A “refraction” is the test where we ask you, “Which is better, 1 or 2?” This, combined with some automated tests, is how we determine your glasses prescription.
Some people mistake this as “the eye exam”, but there is much more that goes into a routine eye exam.
You can suffer headaches, eyestrain, or blurred vision if your eyes are out of alignment. Sometimes the eyes are constantly misaligned, sometimes occasionally. A comprehensive eye exam includes assessing how your eyes line up.
You Might Need Additional Testing
We may recommend additional testing if you have one the following health conditions:
Diabetes High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol Glaucoma Dry Eyes Macula Degeneration
Dilation
Your pupil normally gets smaller with bright lights. Dilation keeps your pupil large so we can more thoroughly examine the inside of your eyes.
OCT
Your retinal is composed of multiple layers. With the OCT we observe these layers for baseline and to track changes, especially for glaucoma and diabetes.
Visual Fields
Testing your central and peripheral visual fields is very important for diseases such as glaucoma. This is an additional evaluation.
Computer Eye Strain
Hours on a digital device can cause eyestrain, headaches, and dry eyes. Wearing the correct RX will help relieve these symptoms.
