When you're having difficulties seeing, it's usually time to make an appointment for an eye exam. If this will be your first trip to the eye doctor, you may be a little apprehensive about what is to come. Learning about the process ahead of time may help relieve some of the anxiety that you may feel. Here is a summary about what you will do when you see an eye doctor for the first time.

Health History

You will first need to fill out paperwork telling the eye doctor all about your general health, your family history, and any troubles you are currently experiencing. This will give the eye doctor some background to consider when checking your eyes. Some ailments are genetic, so this information can be helpful to your eye doctor.

Checking For Vision

For the main part of the eye exam, you will be asked to read letters or numbers off of a wall. The doctor will have you look through different glass pieces to decipher what lenses allow you to see the figures more clearly. These are all different prescriptions that can be used. Speak truthfully when asked about what you can see, as the answers you give will determine the prescription that you will ultimately need.

You will be asked to follow a light with your eyes to see how your reaction is when it moves to different areas. The doctor will look at the interior of your eye using different bright lights.

You will need to check your eyes to see if you are color blind by reading things that are in color. If you cannot see a specific color, the doctor will be able to tell by your answers. You may have a glaucoma test done to test your eyes for this disease. This is done by looking into a piece of machinery. The doctor will press a button and a puff of air will hit your eye. It is not painful, just a little surprising when it happens.

The doctor will have you look into a machine and give you a clicker. When you see a light blink, you will need to press the clicker. This will help the doctor determine the effectiveness of your peripheral vision.

After The Appointment

After your vision is checked, you may be given a prescription to get your vision corrected. You can pick out a new pair of glasses, or if you would rather, you can have contact lenses. If you are opting for contacts, you will need an additional test to check for the dimensions of your eye so that the size of the contacts will fit on your eye comfortably.

Now that you know the basics of an eye exam, you can make an appointment with an office, such as The Eye Depot, with confidence. 

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