A large number of people in the United Kingdom have never been for an eye test, which is a fairly worrying thought when you think about just how important our eyesight is to us. But what exactly happens during an eye examination?
Your own eye test may well be routine, or you may have a specific issue or you might even have been referred to the optician by your GP. For whatever reaons you’re there, you should discuss it in full with the optician before you exam starts. For example, if you think you might require glasses, then make sure you mention that to them. The optician may also want to know about your general health and well being, as well as the health of your close family.
Once you have talked to the optician, your eyesight will be checked using the wall chart most people will have seen at school. If you can’t read, different tests will be utilised, using either images or numbers.
Your optician will then check your outer and inner eye, which consists of shining a light in the front and back of your eyes to see how they react to light, and to generally check their health. This is not an uncomfortable or painful process and will only take a short amount of time. During this section of the exam you may be asked to look in several different directions.
Your optician will then check the muscles controlling the movement of your eyes, ensuring they’re working properly and have not been damaged.
Your optician will then have to decide if you require prescription glasses, and will work out exactly which type of prescription you will need by shining lights in your eyes and asking you to read letter through varying lenses, until the correct one is found.
If you do end up needing glasses, you shouldn’t feel too down hearted about it. Even most designer sunglasses are now made to fit prescriptions. It’s certainly preferable to losing your sight, and definitely worth a quick trip to the opticians.