What To Expect During An Eye Exam?

Very often, first time patients can be apprehensive on their first eye examination, so on this month’s blog, we are focusing on the components of an eye examination.  

A detailed history is an important aspect as this determines the direction of the examination. Questions regarding complaints and other vital details such as eye surgeries, ocular trauma and infections are usually asked upon the examination. The general health of the patient and associated medications is asked during your assessment. Additionally, your family’s general and eye health is a key factor during the examination.  

Next, an assessment of the vision is checked at both distance and near. The visual acuity with the current spectacles determines if the eye prescription has changed or not.  After this, the optometrist will perform preliminary testing to check the pupils, eye muscles and binocular vision tests.  

The eye’s internal and external structures are assessed using equipment designed to view the eyes’ details. Very often, dilated fundus examinations are performed to view the back of the eye (retina). This is done in cases where the pupils are small, resulting in a restricted view of the retina. Additionally, it is performed where patients have high eye prescriptions, cataracts, glaucoma or in patients with systemic and chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Dilated examinations can be performed in various ways utilizing specially designed lens and equipment.  

The patient’s eye pressures are evaluated, which is a screening test for glaucoma. Glaucoma is diagnosed after a series of diagnostic tests such as optical coherence tomography disc scans (OCT), visual field tests (VFT), pachymetry and Goldman tonometry. This means that eye pressure testing is not the gold standard for the diagnosis. Generally, once a patient presents with eye pressures which are out of the expected range, a referral is issued to an ophthalmologist for further investigation.  

In order to determine the eye prescription, a refraction is performed. This determines the strength of the lens to be worn by the patient. This test is subjective, which means it is reliant on the answers given by the patient but guided by the optometrist. Children are usually required to have a cycloplegic refraction as it's a more accurate way to determine their eye prescription. This is conducted by using eye drops which temporarily relax the eye muscles. This enables the optometrist to perform an objective retinoscopy 

Once the eye prescription is obtained, a suitable lens is recommended by the optometrist. At this point, the optometrist explains the results of the eye examination and any significant findings. This allows the patient to ask questions regarding the results of the examination.  

So now that you know what to expect, feel free to book an appointment for expert eye care.