What To Expect From Your Next Visit to the Optometrist

It is common knowledge that many people suffer from a fear of going to the dentist, but did you know that there are also a great many people who harbor concerns about going to see the eye doctor as well? No matter the reason, eye clinic anxiety can be a real deterrent for people who should be paying regular visits to the optometrist.

Good eyesight is easy to take advantage of. Those born with it don’t know anything else and, therefore, might not appreciate what a gift it truly is. Your eyes need to be taken care of, however, just like any other aspect of your physical health. The best way to do this is to have your eye health examined by an optometrist regularly.

If you have been neglecting your eye health, it might very well be out of some fear or other about the overall examination process. Understanding precisely what to expect from a visit to the optometrist can go a long way to alleviate some of your anxiety. Here are a few things that you can expect to happen when you visit the eye doctor.

Retinal Photography

Some optometrists, like the doctors at Visionary Eye Center, use an examination technique called retinal imaging to take an image of the back of your eyes. By having an image to save, your doctor can compare future images side by side to detect the development of any diseases better.

Routine Tests

There are some routine tests that an optometrist will perform on your eyes to make sure that everything is functioning correctly. There are a few tests that require you to try to read out letters of various sizes from a chart while others test your ability to perceive color. 

Some patients avoid the eye doctor out of anxiety surrounding the thought of objects coming into contact with the eye or as a result of a more general white coat syndrome. You should know, though, that none of the tests that your eye doctor performs involve any instruments touching your eyes. At the very most, the machine that is used to test the pressure of your eye will puff a quick burst of air into your eye to gauge its pressure, an entirely painless process, if a little startling at the time.

Examining Your Eyes

Aside from the routine tests that your doctor will perform on your eyes, you can also expect an examination of the condition of your eyes. The optometrist will use a device called a slit lamp to see the interior of your eyes. He or she will be looking for signs of cataracts or macular degeneration, among other things. 

While the light from the lamp can be a bit bright and uncomfortable to look at, the exam does not last long. Enduring a bit of discomfort from the light is well worth it if it means catching the signs of eye diseases early.