Ask Your Edmonton Optometrist About the Difference and What it Means for Your Eyes!
School just started for many of us, and we’ve sent our kids back to the classroom. This also means that you might receive a notice from the school offering a free vision screening. This may also be something that’s offered complementary at your current place of work. It’s very important not to mistake a vision test for a comprehensive eye exam. In reality, these are two very different things.
How is a vision screening different from an eye exam?
A vision screening or sight test focuses entirely on your ability to see what’s in front of you. This is where they determine whether you have 20/20 vision or having a difficult time seeing things that are up close or far away. They often have you read several lines of numbers at a distance, and then ask you to read similar text up close. This test may include a series of pictures for children who aren’t old enough to read.
This simple test can determine whether a person is suffering from nearsightedness, farsightedness, or a combination of the both—and it can be incredibly helpful in detecting problems with vision. Unfortunately, far too many people stop here. They don’t seek out an optometrist and ask for a genuine eye exam that checks for more than just what they can see. It’s very important that you and your children take advantage of yearly eye exams completed by a licensed optometrist versus simply passing a sight screening at work or at school.
What to Expect from a Standard Eye Exam in Alberta
During your eye exam completed by a qualified optometrist at one of our Edmonton clinics, you can expect the following:
A vision test will be completed using many of the same charts you might have used for a regular sight screening. During this time, though, your optometrist will also present you with other options to see whether not they improve or worsen your vision. This allows them to decide whether you need prescription glasses or contact lenses.
Your optometrist may require that images be taken of your eyes so that they can properly evaluate the blood vessels throughout the eye and in the very back.
Special tools will be used to look at the inside of the eye and to see if there are any developing issues.
Your optometrist or their assistant will also perform a test to check your intraocular pressure to make sure that the fluid levels within your eye are appropriate.
While all of this is going on, they are also looking for any number of genetic or developing conditions. Your eye doctor can see a lot more about your health than most people realize.
Schedule Your Eye Exam at Your Local Optometrist in Edmonton Today
Don’t stop at just a simple vision screening. Take advantage of the experts at Optometrists Clinic Inc. and schedule your comprehensive eye exam today! You can reach us at any of our locations, or by filling out our online contact form today.