Eyesight Checkups at your Local Boca Raton Eye Doctor
When you think of an eye exam, most people bring up this image in their mind because it is one of the basic tests of any eye examination.
It is referred to as a Snellen Chart. Snellen charts are named after the Dutch ophthalmologist Herman Snellen who developed the chart in 1862. This type of eye chart can be used to measure visual acuity.
Depending on your age, our optometrist may perform different tests for your eyes. Please refer to the following links for more details.
- Infant eye exam
- Child eye exam
- Adult eye exam
- Senior eye exam
As part of your overall wellness routine, it is highly recommended that you have an eye examination on an annual basis.
Eye examinations performed by a licensed eye care professional such as Dr. Sheiner may detect potential eye diseases, so it is important to be proactive with the health of your eyes.
A basic eye exam usually begins with Dr. Sheiner or one of his staff taking your medical history and asking questions about your general health and past and current eye problems.
During your eye exam
Several areas of eye health are assessed:
- Visual acuity
- Refraction. (if you are near sighted, far sighted or have astigmatism)
- Binocular vision (how the eyes work together)
- Pupil function
- Retinal examination
- Visual field
- Intraocular pressure
- Overall eye health.
Visual Acuity
This test determines how clearly your eyes see an image at a predetermined distance. Standard visual acuity is defined as 20/20 (“having 20/20 vision”). If you have 20/20 vision, you can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. If you have 20/100 vision, it means that you must be as close as 20 feet to see what a person with normal vision can see at 100 feet. Source: aoa.org The visual acuity examination is normally performed with a Snellen chart (see above).
Refraction
Refraction means your eye’s ability to bend light. Light coming into your eyes must be focused onto the back of your eye at the retina. If it falls into focus before or after the retina, then your vision may appear blurry. In order to correct refractive errors, you will probably need eyeglasses or contact lenses to sharpen your vision.
Dr. Sheiner will also be using an instrument called a phoropter which allows him to place lenses of varying powers in front of your eyes to provide the clearest vision possible. After several iterations of exchanging lenses, we will be able to determine the ideal prescription for your eyes.
Binocular Vision
Binocular Vision is a term used to describe how well your eyes and brain function together. Each of your eyes see a slightly different image because they are spaced apart. For example, your nose is seen from both eyes, but from either the left or right. When you have both eyes open, your brain interprets both images and effectively deletes your nose from the picture.
This effect also allows you to perceive objects in a 3D perspective.
Pupil Function
Dr. Sheiner will examine your pupils to ensure they are of equal size and how they react to light (closing up when bright, becoming larger when dark).
This test can be done by swinging a small flashlight back and forth across your eyes while looking to see how your pupils respond to the ligt-dark transitions.
Retinal examination
Your eyes are the only organs in your entire body that can be inspected in extreme detail without having to resort to surgery.
Because the lenses of your eyes are transparent, Dr. Sheiner can take a detailed look at the health of your retina, which is the part of your eye that sits at the back of your eye and is responsible for collecting image information which is sent along the optic nerve to your brain.
Visual Field
This test involves measuring how well you can see in your peripheral view. While you are looking ahead, the eye doctor may hold up some fingers to your side and ask you to count the number of fingers. This test is commonly referred to as “the wiggly finger test”.
Intraocular Pressure
Inside your eye there is fluid, which maintains a certain pressure to enable your eye to function properly. It is a key indicator of a patient’s risk to glaucoma.
This test is normally done by either a short burst of air against your eye or a device placed on your eyeball which accurately measures the pressure inside of each eye.
