Many people only visit their eye doctor when they notice changes in their vision, but that shouldn’t be the case. Eye exams should be performed regularly to detect underlying problems, allowing for prompt treatment. Today, Innovative Eyecare, your trusted eye care associates, discusses four eye tests that may be performed during a comprehensive eye exam to evaluate your visual health.
1. Eye Muscle Movement Test
Your eye doctors will ask you to follow an object with your eyes as it moves in different directions. This test checks your eye alignment and ocular motility. If your eyes are healthy, they should be able to move quickly in all directions and slowly track objects.
2. Cover Test
This is one of the most reliable methods to detect eye misalignment caused by strabismus. You’ll be asked to look at a small target at a distance while your optometrist covers and uncovers one of your eyes. Your eye specialist will then be watching to make sure your eye doesn’t turn away from the target.
3. Visual Acuity Test
The visual acuity test measures the sharpness of your vision as you read letters or numbers on a chart at a given distance, based on a fixed standard. You’ll sit in front of an eye chart that shows letters that get progressively smaller on each line. Your eye specialist will ask you to cover each eye in turns, going down the chart, until you can’t read the letters anymore.
4. Slit-Lamp Exam
Your eye specialist will use a biomicroscope to shine a beam of light shaped like a small slit on your eye. This can help detect different eye diseases, such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and macular degeneration.
Turn to Innovative Eyecare for a comprehensive eye exam. Dr. Teichmiller, our eye doctor, can detect early signs of vision problems that can impair your eyesight. Call us today at (256) 270-0899 or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment. We serve residents of Athens and Madison, AL.