When you see your optometrist to check your eye health, he or she will look at both the inside and the outside of your eyes. To determine your inner eye health, your optometrist may use a number of instruments, such as the autorefractor or ophthalmoscope.
Testing Your Eye Health: What to Expect
Most patients will have an eye exam with a slit lamp done during every visit to their optometrist. The slit lamp uses high-intensity light to look at the front part of the eye. A slit lamp is a large microscope which allows the optometrist to see the cornea, the lens, iris, lids and lashes. Using special attachments, the optometrist can also examine other parts of the eye such as the retina and optic nerve during the eye exam.
A slit lamp exam is often used as part of a routine vision exam, along with other vision testing procedures. The slit lamp may also be used to detect cataracts, an eye disease generally related to aging that causes clouding of the lens and can lead to vision loss. Other conditions the optometrist may detect using the slit lamp include retinal detachment, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and corneal injury.
Your optometrist may place drops in your eyes to dilate the pupils during an eye exam, and after about 15 or 20 minutes, repeat the slit lamp examination so the back of the eye can be thoroughly examined. These dilating drops cause eye sensitivity for a few hours following the eye exam, and you may find it difficult to focus your eyes. If you are planning on driving to your eye exam, you should arrange for someone to take you home.
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