Whether you are young or old, it is important to go for annual eye exams even if it feels scary. Doctors recommend that you should go for eye exams because they can help to detect eye diseases and other health conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy and high blood sugar. A visit to the optometrist should be part of your overall health plan. If you are wondering what eye doctors use to diagnose eye problems, below are important equipment used by optometrists for eye examinations.
- Ophthalmoscope
This is a handheld device optometrists use to examine the interior of the patient’s eye. This examination involves dilation of the pupil so that the eye doctor can have a better look at the structures that lie behind it. It has a light source, built-in mirrors, and lenses to help examine the retina. The eye doctor uses eye drops to dilate the patient’s pupils and get a better view of the inside of the eye. In some cases, pupil dilation can result in a more comprehensive examination of the anterior eye. However, an ophthalmoscope can help to carry out a complete exam of the interior of the eye without pupil dilation. It can be used to identify the possible indicators for eye diseases. During your next exam, you’ll probably be looking at the doctor’s ophthalmoscope. If you live in the Wellington Florida area you can find an eye doctor in Wellington fl easily online.
- Phoropter
This is another eye exam tool commonly used by optometrists to examine the eye and measure the amount of refractive error. It is also used to determine the patient’s eyeglass numbers. To undergo the examination, the patient sits at a small distance in front of the eye chart. The optometrist places several different lenses at a time to allow the patient to say which one enables him to see better. Getting the best out of the corrective prescription depends on the patient’s feedback, as he or she tells the optometrist which lens provides the most ideal vision. Therefore, it is a rather subjective test and very effective in measuring refractive error, such as myopia and hyperopia, to help determine which prescription glasses or contacts can be used for correction.
- Tonometer
For a long time, this tool has been used to measure the amount of fluid pressure inside the patient’s eyeball. An increase in pressure beyond a certain point may permanently damage the patient’s optic nerve, a disorder known as glaucoma. The device gently touches the cornea to measure the fluid pressure inside the eye.
- Snellen Chart
This is a commonly used tool you’ll find at the optometrist’s office. The digital chart is placed about 6 meters or 20 feet away from you and features alphabets ordered in a decreasing size fashion. One eye is covered at a time while determining the correct prescription of the open eye. Patients then read the smallest letter they can while the optometrist applies a range of different lenses at a time in the eyeglass frame placed on the patient’s face. It measures visual acuity and is the origin of the popular term ‘20/20’ vision.
- Retinoscope
The tool is effective where the patient is unable to provide feedback about the vision due to physical or mental conditions. It measures the refractive error and determines the right prescription lenses for eyeglasses or contacts.
These are some of the most important equipment used by optometrists for eye exams. Be keen next time you visit an optometrist for eye exams and you’re likely to notice one of them.
