If your eyesight wasn't poor during childhood and hasn't noticeably deteriorated since, you might not have had many trips to the optometrist. If eye examinations are unfamiliar to you, it's easy to be wary of them! So what really happens during a standard eye checkup appointment, and what's the idea behind all the different things your optometrist does?
Taking a history & general information gathering
At the start of the appointment, an optician or optometrist will ask you some general health and eyesight questions: anything weird you might have noticed about your eyes and vision, how many headaches you get and what your usual smoking and drinking habits are. They'll also take a brief family eye health history, including any specific problems (such as glaucoma or cataracts) you're aware of in your near relatives.
Checking your clarity of vision and how far you can see
The bulk of the appointment will be spent finding out how your vision functions. This is when you'll be asked to read letters from the classic optician's cards, through a variety of lenses of different strengths. Not every lens they try you with is designed to improve your eyesight, so don't be surprised when sometimes the letters look very blurry indeed—it's all part of the process!
Testing for glaucoma and checking up on general eye health
Depending on what they've learned about you so far, your optician or optometrist will then go through a few other tests. They're likely to take photographs of your eyeballs to help them measure their size and shape and check they're healthy. They might ask you to take a glaucoma test, which will involve pressing a button every time you see a flashing light. These tests won't be the same for everyone—they're to follow up on things from your own family history and to learn more about anything that's come up so far.
Figuring out any action that might benefit you & writing a prescription
By the end of the appointment, the optician or optometrist conducting the tests will have a solid idea of how healthy your eyes are and what--if anything—you need to do to improve your eye health, vision and quality of life. They might issue you with a prescription, but make sure you discuss it with them: very small prescriptions don't always need correction with glasses or lenses, and in some cases, they could hinder more than they help.
Nothing that happens at a standard eye appointment is especially invasive: nobody will need to touch your eyeballs, though they may blow air into them once with a special device. This is over in a second, though! Keeping your eye health in check is as important as dental care and physical checkups—so if it's not something you're in the habit of monitoring, contact a local optician today. For more information on eye examinations, contact a professional near you.
Share11 May 2022
I'm a bit of a klutz, and I often break my glasses. I forget where I have put them, or I sit on them! It can be a bit of an issue if I'm not careful, as I can't see that well without them. I am always on the look for a more durable pair of glasses that can withstand my rough lifestyle. I have included some reviews of the glasses I have tried as well as some links to other styles of glasses I might like to try in the future. It should be useful for other glasses wearers.