Question: I have never had an eye exam before. What sort of tests can I expect at my first appointment?
Answer: It’s completely understandable to have questions before your eye examination, especially if you’ve never had one before. Let me walk you through what a typical comprehensive eye exam might look like.
We’ll start with a conversation where we discuss your medical history, any vision concerns you’ve noticed, and your family history regarding eye health. This information helps us tailor the exam to your specific needs. Next, we’ll do some preliminary tests such as checking your visual acuity, where you’ll read letters on a chart to assess your vision for both far and near. Then you’ll look through a phoropter–the instrument that looks like a steampunk mask–at that eye chart and we’ll present different lens options, asking you which ones make the letters appear clearer. 1 or 2? 3 or 4? This helps determine your prescription for glasses or contact lenses if needed. Don’t worry; there’s no wrong answer, and if you think you gave a wrong answer we’ll help you get to the right one!
We’ll also examine the internal and external structures of your eyes with various instruments, like a slit lamp and ophthalmoscope, or with digital imaging equipment like a retinal camera or OCT. These specialized machines allow us to look for any signs of eye diseases such as cataracts or macular degeneration. You may have heard about the ever-popular “air puff” test, where we check the pressure in your eyes with an instrument called a tonometer. Higher numbers than average would indicate a need for further evaluation for glaucoma, often referred to as “the silent thief of sight” because it usually has no symptoms until there has been significant vision loss. It may not be anyone’s favourite part of the exam, but it is important for this reason.
Depending on the exam findings, we may perform some additional testing such as colour vision testing (to check for colour vision deficiency), binocular vision testing (to check how well the eyes work as a team), or visual field testing (to analyze your peripheral or central vision). Sometimes, we might need to dilate your pupils with eye drops. This helps us get a better view of the back of your eye, the retina, and optic nerve. If we do this, your vision might be a bit blurry, and you might be sensitive to light for a few hours, so no driving afterwards!
Essentially, our goal is to thoroughly assess your eye health and vision and make personalized recommendations based on the results of the above tests, so don’t hesitate to ask any questions during the exam. We want to ensure you have a comfortable experience, and come out of our office knowing a lot more about your eyes than when you came in.
