What are the various tests conducted during comprehensive eye examination?

Author: Gilbert Family Eye Center

An important body organ that helps you see things around you are the eyes and you need to take good care of them. So, you need to regularly visit your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam to assess your visual system and eye health. The eye doctors in Phoenix AZ conduct a number of tests. The tests are conducted in order to do a complete evaluation of the health of your eyes and vision.

The comprehensive eye examination may vary from one doctor to doctor, but there are some common tests that you may encounter.

Here are some common tests that will be done during a comprehensive eye examination.

Patient medical history

Your medical history or background is a major part of your comprehensive eye examination. This information will alert the doctor to any conditions that need attention. The information can be anything, such as an allergy to any medications, family history or eye pathology or any other conditions that could be affecting your vision or eye health.

Visual acuity

Visual acuity is the measurement of your vision using a chart. In this test, the patient is seated at a standard distance and is asked to read letters or symbols of various sizes. This test is a preliminary test of how clearly you are seeing in each eye.

Refraction

A person that does not have 20/20 vision falls in the category of refractive error. The person may have nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or any other eye conditions that prevent the patient from seeing 20/20.

Eye focusing and eye teaming test

To see things clearly and comfortably, your eyes need to work together as a team. The eye doctors in Phoenix AZ will test how the eyes function separately and together from a mechanical perspective.

Slit-lamp test

The biomicroscope or the slit-lamp is an instrument that allows the doctors to find out the internal and external parts of the eye in detail. The parts that can be examined are conjunctiva, iris, lens, cornea, retina and the optic nerve. With the help of slit-lamp test, a doctor can analyze the eyes for normal aging and eye pathology such as conjunctivitis, cataracts, macular degeneration or retinal detachment. If these eye problems are detected early and treated early, this will help in preventing vision loss.

The comprehensive eye exams, when conducted under the supervision of experienced eye doctors in Phoenix AZ, should be scheduled on a regular basis. The findings will help them find out important information about your eye health. If any problem is detected after the eye examination, your doctor will find out which treatment is right for you. They will also suggest if your problem can be treated with Lasik eye surgery in Arizona or not.