Six Things You Shouldn't Assume About Eye Exams

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It's essential for patients to undergo eye exams as part of routine optometry treatment. Patients shouldn't make inaccurate assumptions about eye exams so that they are able to take full advantage of treatment from their eye doctor. The following are six things you shouldn't assume about eye exams. 

You don't need an eye exam if you haven't noticed any vision issues.

Patients might have vision issues even if they haven't yet noticed any problems. Patients shouldn't wait until they notice vision problems before they have their eyes tested. Many vision issues, such as glaucoma, might not be initially noticed by patients until they have already caused irreversible vision loss. For these conditions, early detection through eye exams is essential. 

Young children who can't read can't have their eyes tested.

Parents should know that their children can undergo an eye exam even if they cannot yet recognize letters. Eye doctors can use diagnostic equipment and testing methods that can determine a child's ability to see even if they haven't yet learned to read. 

You only ever need to get an eye exam done once.

You can't assume that you won't have eye issues in the future just because you've had a past eye exam that showed no vision or eye conditions. The eyes change as time goes on. That's why patients need routine eye exams on numerous occasions throughout their lives. 

Eye exams only test for nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Nearsightedness and farsightedness are two common vision issues that eye exams test for. However, they are not the only conditions eye exams test for. Eye exams also test for conditions such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, retinal disorders, and much more. 

Eye exams take a long time.

Eye exams are not particularly time-consuming. In fact, most patients will be able to get through their eye exams surprisingly quickly. Eye exams can take as little as 20 minutes at many eye clinics.

Eye exams are just about vision.

Detecting and determining an appropriate treatment for vision problems is an essential goal of eye exams. However, undergoing occasional eye exams isn't only about protecting yourself from vision loss. Eye exams can also be beneficial when it comes to protecting your overall health.

Patients should be aware of the fact that eye exams can help detect a variety of health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, and autoimmune diseases. 

Contact a local eye clinic, such as Northwest Ophthalmology, to learn more. 

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3 November 2022

Learning About Optometry Tools and Techniques

Hello, my name is Martin. Welcome to my site about optometry. I want to use this website to talk about all of the tools and techniques used to measure vision and eye health. Optometrists can accurately measure the patient's ability to see by simply performing a series of unique tests. The visions tests require the patient's participation to find the right prescription for corrective lenses. The rest of the exam is performed to check the health of the eye from the surface to the retina. I invite you to follow along and learn all you can about this interesting subject. Thanks for visiting.