The eye is one of the most complex organs in the human body. It acts like a camera, recording images and sending them to a memory card to be stored- the brain. All of its complex components must be checked regularly and taken care of by you and your optometrist. At least one time a year, you should visit him or her for a comprehensive assessment of the health of your eyes and the quality of your vision. The following procedures are typically included in an examination.

External Examination

The optometrist will make a careful observation of all the parts of the eye that can be seen from the outside. An optometrist will check the eyelids, the lacrimal glands and the various tissues surrounding the eye. A light will then be shined in your eye, while you look up, to determine the health of your conjunctiva.

Visual Acuity

A series of tests will be performed to see if you have 20/20 vision. If you have been tested for this before, and as a result needed a glasses or contact lens prescription, the optometrist will ensure that you continue to wear the right strength of lens. This is done using a series of images, projected onto a screen. The patient is required to read lines of letters and numbers from a distance and close-up.

Pupil Function

A light will be shined directly in your eyes and you will be instructed to look forward, while the optometrist moves the light from side to side. This is to ensure that your pupils are functioning properly. This mechanism is an opening in the eye that allows light to enter. Pupils dilate in dark conditions, to absorb more light.

Ocular Motility

Tests done in this area ensure that your eyes can move freely and quickly to look at and adapt to the world around you. Optometrists may use “follow my finger” tests or ask patients to look at a series of rapidly fired pictures or dots. The doctor will track the eye’s movement to make sure that it is reacting fast enough.

Intraocular Pressure

Optometrists use this test to make sure that your eyes water properly and appropriately. The saline solution that comes from the lacrimal glands cleanses the eyes and keeps them free of foreign objects. It is probably the most startling test that you will face in the optometrist’s office, because a puff of air is rapidly shot into your eye. However, it is painless, and extremely useful.

Ophthalmoscopy

This procedure is crucial in detecting glaucoma and cataracts. The optometrist dilates the patient’s pupils and looks deep into their eyes. By doing this, he or she can look directly at the back of the eye, the retina, where visual information is first recorded. Many people who suffer blindness have had damage sustained to their retinas.

Slit Lamp

This is a special type of examination lamp that uses varying sizes of openings to observe the eye. It is often used to check for various infections. Many optic problems can be solved if they are caught in time. This is why it is important to always have a visual check-up each year.