A Few Things You Must Know About The Eye Test

Written By Justin Jersey / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Lorne Michaels had said, “You can tell a lot from someone’s eyes.” Eyes are our window to the world. It is one of our most important sense organs; we see the world with our eyes first and then apprehend in our mind. Hence, keeping them in good health is of utmost importance.

Just like our body needs an annual health check-up, so does our eyes. Health care professionals suggest that all people should have periodic and thorough eye tests since many eye diseases are often asymptomatic.

Regular eye tests can help to detect a disease in its initial stages. They can also help to cure treatable blinding eye diseases, ocular manifestations of systemic disease, any signs of a tumor in the eye, glaucoma, or any abnormalities of the brain.

Eye tests consist of an external exam followed by several specific tests to check pupil function, intraocular pressure, visual acuity, extraocular muscle fluctuation, and visual fields and others.

Eye tests in the case of children are of supreme importance. Children should first have their eyes tested at the age of six months or earlier in case of any anomaly.

Listed below are some of the basic eye tests to maintain healthy eyesight.

1. Non-contact tonometry - This helps in the diagnosis of glaucoma. This requires the use of an instrument called a tonometer that blows a tiny puff of air, measuring eye pressure indirectly by the eye’s resistance to the puff. Applanation instruments can also measure eye pressure, but they require a local anesthetic.

2. Tomography of the retina - You can get a detailed image of the retina and all its layers with the help of a computerized test called retinal tomography. This is effective to detect any age-related macular degeneration or retinal detachment.

3. Ultrasound - This can be used by your doctor to diagnose and treat tumors, cataracts, or eye- bleeding.

4. Visual acuity testing - The ability of the eye to see fine details and make a quantitative measure of an in-focus image at a certain distance is called visual acuity. Sometimes you can face problems in detecting near and far-away objects. This is where this test comes to effect. It can tell whether a person is suffering from visual acuity or not. 

5. Pupil function test - This eye test helps to analyze whether the pupils are of equal size and shape, their reactivity to light, and direct and consensual accommodation.

6. Visual field testing - This test measures an individual’s entire periphery of vision. It is performed on one eye at a time, with the other eye completely covered. The patient must look at the target and has to notice when an object is moved in his/her area of vision. This helps the patient to know if he/she has suffered glaucoma or stroke of the eye.

7. Dilated Pupillary exam - In this eye test, the doctor dilates your pupil to detect any sign of disease.

8. Slit-lamp test- In this eye test, the doctor makes you rest your chin on a surface and puts eye drops in your eyes to dilate the retina. He then uses a low-powered microscope along with a high-intensity slit lamp to get different views from different angles of the eye.

9. Fluorescein Angiogram - In this eye test, the doctor injects a fluorescent dye into the bloodstream, which highlights the blood vessels in the back of the eye so they can be photographed. It is often used to detect eye disorders like diabetic retinopathy, retina detachment, and macular degeneration. 

Our lifestyle nowadays makes us spend long hours in front of television and computer screens. This often leads to eye-related symptoms like eyestrain, dry eyes, headache, fatigue, difficulty in focusing, blurred vision, and shoulder, back, and neck pain. Hence, it is advisable to get our eyes tested at regular intervals to lead a healthy and fit life. 

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Written By:
Justin Jersey is a journalist, stylist and blogger. He is an aesthetician by heart who often writes about art, fashion, decorating and DIY ideas. He loves sparking creativity and giving readers ideas for their own spaces.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Image by Paul Diaconu from Pixabay