Questions People Often Have During An Eye Exam
Most people should have annual eye exams to make sure their vision isn't suffering and their eyes are overall healthy. The eye exam is not generally painful, and unless something is amiss, your eye doctor will generally breeze through it without much pause. However, if you're like most people, a few questions will come to mind during the exam. Here are some things you may wonder about.
Why do you have to cover one eye?
Often the eye doctor will have you cover one eye and read letters. Then, they'll have you cover the other eye and do the same. Finally, they'll have you read the letters with both eyes. The goal here is to individually assess vision in each of your eyes, and also to see how you see with both eyes. Some people have impaired vision in one eye, but not the other.
What does the puff of air do?
If your eye doctor puffs some air into your eye as a part of the exam, it may feel a little funny. Some patients even giggle with this happens. However, this test is very important. It tells your eye doctor the pressure inside your eyes. If the pressure inside one or both of your eyes is elevated, this means you may have a condition called glaucoma. Since glaucoma does not cause symptoms early on, the air puff test is really important for an early diagnosis.
What is your eye doctor looking for with their light and microscope?
Having the eye doctor shine a bright light in your eye and look at it so closely can feel a little strange. But they are looking for a couple of different things during this part of the exam. They're checking for any spots that could be an early indicator of cancer. They're also looking for swollen tissues or blood vessels that could indicate you have an eye infection or irritation.
Why does your eye doctor need to know about your medical history?
You might wonder why your eye doctor is asking you questions that seemingly have nothing to do with your eyes, such as what medications you're taking or whether you suffer from diabetes. They ask these questions because your overall health really impacts your eye health. For instance, if you have diabetes, then your eye doctor knows to be more on the lookout for any signs of retinopathy.
The more you know about what's going on, the better off you'll be. For more information about eye exams, talk to an optometrist near you today.