How often do you replace your glasses? One year, two years or as often as six months. Most people get their new glasses made without updating their prescription. You do not get an eye test or a comprehensive eye test.
The visual power of most people does not fluctuate as much. The vision power fluctuates when you are growing up or growing old. Otherwise, for most adults, the prescription for eyeglasses remains always the same. So you don’t find it necessary to spend extra bucks to do some useless eye test.
This is where you are wrong. Eye tests may result in the same results year after year, but it can tell you when your eyesight goes bad. Simple eye tests can only tell the change in the vision power. But for the overall eye condition, you need to take a comprehensive eye test frequently. Most opticians recommend getting a comprehensive eye test every two years.
How can comprehensive eye tests help your vision?
The comprehensive eye exam is a series of tests done on the eyes to check the overall eye health. The tests don’t only include checking the vision but also the condition of the eyes. The opticians test for conditions that you might be suffering from.
Vision Acuity
The first tests in comprehensive eye tests are checking vision acuity. It is a normal test that you take while checking your eye power. The optician will show you a reading chart, and you have to read the letters on it. For checking your near vision, you read the reading chart at a hands distance.
There is a computerised test as well. A phoropter accurately determines your eye power. It is done for those who cannot read letters or children who are too young. This test helps in determining myopia, hyperopia, and presbyopia.
With retinoscopy, you can find what power of lenses will suit you the most. You can get a precise prescription for glasses that will give you clear vision.
After taking these tests, you can get your blue light glasses with the correct prescription power.
Eye Alignment Test
For better functioning of eyes, your eyes should align and work as a team. If one eye moves in a different direction than your other eye, it causes a discrepancy in your vision. You see a distorted vision.
Normally, you see the vision from your dominant eye. You won’t know if your other eye is functioning properly until you take a test to check. This test helps in finding out eye conditions like strabismus.
Ocular Motility Test
This eye test is not of much use unless you are a sports person, a military person or someone for whom vision and eye reaction speed are crucial. This test helps in determining how fast your eyes react to a moving object.
You do not have to react to fast-moving objects in daily life. But knowing your eye condition can help in avoiding mishaps. You might be able to see a fast-moving ball in your direction and avoid getting hurt and save medical costs.
Stereopsis
This test helps in determining the depth perception of your eyes. In this test, the optician will show you 3D objects, and you have to recognise them. Wearing proper prescription glasses can help in improving depth perception and seeing clearly.
Eye Health and Condition
Another major part of comprehensive eye tests is checking the health condition of the eyes. The optician might ask you to fill up a form of a family history of eye diseases. Some eye diseases are hereditary, for example, glaucoma. If someone from your family tree has glaucoma, you have an increased risk of getting an eye condition. Knowing these eye conditions or diagnosing these symptoms at an early stage can help you a lot. You might cure your eyes or stop your eyes from getting affected badly.
Glaucoma Test
For the diagnosis of glaucoma, the ophthalmologist induces pressure in your eyes. Doing this can help in determining the level of glaucoma. This disease is incurable. Finding out in the early stages can help in saving your eyes to a large extent. With this disease, you might get permanent blindness. With treatment, this can be stopped or slowed down.
Pupil Dilation Test
In this test, a solution is put in your eyes to make your pupils dilated. By doing so, the inner part of your eyes become visible. The ophthalmologist then can check the condition of your eyes. They can diagnose any inflammation, abrasion, macular degeneration or eye floater problems in your eyes. This test can help to diagnose many eye diseases, which are hard to detect, or you hardly get the symptoms for them. You can then get prescription glasses that are helpful for your eye condition to see clearly and comfortably.
Slit-lamp test
The slit-lamp test is a similar test to check the condition of your eyes. Through a slit lamp, an eye doctor checks the condition of your eyes. This lamp is like a microscope that lets you see the insides of the eyes.Your eye condition can change from time to time. Getting a comprehensive eye test frequently can help in determining the condition of the eyes. Eye tests can be expensive. With the NHS, you can avail free eye test from many opticians. Check the eligibility criteria and make use of the benefit once every two years.
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