Fearing The Eye Exam? Reduce Your Fear By Understanding The Eye Exam Process

11 November 2015
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Your vision is important for completing ordinary tasks each day, so you may visit your eye doctor every few years to receive a new prescription for glasses or contacts. While checking your vision may seem like a simple task, numerous tools and equipment are necessary to check the underlying health of your eyes. Unfortunately, these specialized tools and testing supplies can induce fear in patients of all ages. Although important, the overwhelming look and misunderstanding of these ophthalmic instruments may prevent you and other patients from receiving important care. Using this guide, you will understand the importance of these common tools used in eye exams.

Ophthalmoscope

During your exam, your eye doctor will want to take a close look at the internal structure of both eyes using an ophthalmoscope. This handheld device has a mirror installed, which reflects light into the eye. While the light is reflected, your eye doctor views the retina of your eye through a small view hole.

Since the retina is an essential part of your central vision, it is important for reading, driving, and writing.  

Tonometer

An estimated 3 million Americans have glaucoma, but only half of those patients know they have this serious eye disorder. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness, so visiting your eye doctor each year is smart for early diagnosis using a tonometer.

Glaucoma is caused by an excessive amount of pressure in the eye. This pressure may stem from an increased production of eye fluid, improper drainage of this fluid, trauma or injury to the eye, high blood pressure, and various types of medication. A tonometer can test the amount of pressure in your eyes, which can determine if you are at risk or currently suffering with glaucoma.

Phoropter

As you are sitting in your exam chair, your eye doctor will most likely move a phoropter in front of your eyes. This device is an imperative part of finding the best prescription lens by measuring the refractive error of your lens.

While sitting in the exam chair, you will read a series of eye charts through various lenses of phoropter. Your eye doctor will change the lenses on the device while asking which lens options improve your vision.

The phoropter may seem intimidating at first glance, but it is an important tool for improving your vision.

Eye exams are not only important for your vision correction, but they are also necessary for diagnosing and treating various eye disorders. By understanding these 3 common instruments, your eye exam will be less stressful and more effective.