A general eye examination is a comprehensive check-up process that evaluates the overall state of your eye health. This examination plays a vital role in the early diagnosis of eye diseases, identifying vision disorders, and providing important clues about your overall health. The basic procedures performed in a general eye examination are as follows:
Visual Acuity Test (Snellen Test)
This test measures your distance vision acuity. It is conducted using a Snellen chart located across the examination room. Each eye is tested separately while the other eye is temporarily covered. This test assesses your ability to read letters or symbols from a specific distance.
Refraction Test
The refraction test checks whether the eye's ability to refract light is correct and determines if glasses or contact lenses are needed. Refraction errors such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism are detected with this test.
Perimetry (Visual Field Test)
This test measures how wide your visual field is. It checks your central and peripheral (side) vision. Various methods can be used, but you are generally asked to press a button when you notice a light spot.
Ophthalmoscopy (Fundus Examination)
This procedure allows the eye doctor to examine the structures at the back of the eye – the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels. As a result, conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other eye diseases can be detected at an early stage.
Tonometer
Tonometry is a test that measures intraocular pressure. This test is important for the early diagnosis of glaucoma. A simple air puff test or more direct measurement methods may be used.
Slit Lamp Examination
This examination allows the eye doctor to view the front part of the eye - structures such as the cornea, iris, lens, and conjunctiva - in an enlarged and detailed way. Slit lamp examination helps diagnose conditions like cataracts, corneal ulcers, and iritis.
These tests provide the eye doctor with a wide range of information about your eye health. The results offer important insights into the detection of existing or potential eye problems, correction of vision disorders, and your overall health condition. If you have any risk factors or specific health conditions, your doctor may recommend additional tests.
What Should Be the Duration and Frequency of an Eye Examination?
A general eye examination should routinely be conducted once a year. However, the frequency may vary based on a person's age, eye health history, and whether there are diseases such as glaucoma, diabetes, or macular degeneration in the family.
Children, particularly in the preschool period, should be examined at least once. After age 40, regular check-ups become even more important due to the higher incidence of age-related eye diseases. In individuals using glasses or contact lenses, more frequent follow-up may be recommended based on refraction test results.
Is Eye Examination Performed Only for Vision Problems?
An eye examination is not limited to identifying vision disorders. It can also reveal early signs of systemic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, thyroid diseases, and brain tumors in the eye.
Early-stage diseases can be detected with tests like fundus examination and tonometry. Therefore, regular eye health check-ups are important for overall health even if you have no complaints.
Effects of Digital Screen Usage on Eye Health
The increasing use of computers and phones today brings digital eye strain and blurred vision. Although this condition is often mistaken for refraction errors, it is generally a temporary discomfort.
Constant screen viewing can cause dryness on the corneal surface, which can be clearly detected during a slit lamp examination. Conscious screen usage, regular blinking, and artificial tears can help alleviate this issue.
Tips for Maintaining Eye Health
Key ways to maintain eye health include a balanced diet, adequate water consumption, using UV-protected sunglasses, and limiting digital screen time.
Measurements like visual field tests or visual acuity tests allow you to notice potential deterioration early. Preventive measures taken before any signs of eye disorders appear can avert more serious problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I still have a general eye examination if I do not wear glasses?
Yes, you should have a regular eye examination even if you do not wear glasses or contact lenses. Vision disorders can progress slowly before becoming prominent. Parameters indicating conditions like glaucoma, such as intraocular pressure, can be high without any symptoms. Therefore, tests like fundus examination and tonometry are important.
How often should a refraction test be performed?
The refraction test is generally recommended to be performed once a year. However, if you experience headaches, blurred vision, or eye strain, it can be performed more frequently. In children and the elderly, where there is a higher chance of rapid changes in eyeglass prescriptions, the follow-up interval may be shorter.
Why is the perimetry test performed? Should it be applied to everyone?
The visual field test is very important for the early diagnosis of glaucoma. Peripheral vision loss can also be observed in brain tumors or nerve damage. It should be performed regularly in individuals at risk, but it can also be included as part of a standard general eye examination for every individual.
Is slit lamp examination a painful procedure?
No, the slit lamp examination is completely painless. The light of the device may cause short-term discomfort in your eye, but there is no pain or burning sensation during the procedure. With this method, the eye doctor can examine even the smallest changes on the eye surface in detail.