Eye Exams Glasses

Do you want to either eye glasses or contacts? Then eye exams glasses are a prerequisite. Even though many people may not be aware of it, there is a distinct difference between the exam you will undergo for either eyeglasses or contact lenses. The following excerpt may highlight the difference between the two different tests:

Eye Exam for Eyeglasses

The main aim of eye exams glasses is to come up with a diagnosis on what really your eyes may be suffering from and if there may be any diseases that may require treatment. The tests may be as simple as reading an eye chart which includes reading with one or both eyes separately which could be followed by a Radioscopy. The doctor puts you in a darkened room and asks you to stare at a particular point after which he shines a light in the eye. The strength of the eyeglasses that the doctor will prescribe is determined by how the light bounces off your eyes.

There is also a refraction test to be conducted where the doctor uses a device called a Hooper. This involves looking through a mask like device that held against your face and the doctor then asks you to read some letters asking you to say which are clearer than the rest. In the meantime the doctor is flipping lenses in the mask to determine their strength. The purpose of this test is to determine whether you are short sighted, long sighted, astigmatic and/or presobyopic. A flip lamp exam helps the doctor to assess the structure of your eye and will usually determine any eye infections or diseases.

Eye Exam for Contact Lenses

When it comes to a contact lens exam the doctor is concerned with only one feature of eye health: the cornea. All tests done are meant to determine the eye’s cornea surface to ensure you get the correct size of contact lenses. Before the doctor prescribes the correct contact lenses to you he will have to determine what your lifestyle is like. The doctor will use a keratometer to determine the surface and curve of your eye. This instrument is a form of a digital camera which takes your eye’s pictures and delivers mathematical images of the curvature of your corneal surface to help determine the correct size and curve of your contact lenses.

To get more details of the surface of your cornea the doctor may want to perform Corneal Topography and also check the health of your cornea using a biomicrisocope. Other apparatus used to measure your pupil will include a pupil card, ruler or pupillometer. Because you need to get a perfect match a card ruler is always held against your pupil to give just the correct size. The amount of eye moisture is also an important factor which gets determined by a tear film evaluation. This simply needs a strip of paper placed under your eyelid.

You must have seen by now that there are actually differences between the eye exams glasses and contact lens exams, all of which are made to ensure the good health of your eyes.