Caring for your eyes should always be a priority. One way to do this is to visit your eye doctor regularly. Eye care professionals use various tools to assess your eyes and catch signs of vision-threatening conditions. Read on to discover some of these instruments.
The Snellen Chart
The Snellen chart is one of the most common tools used to examine your visual acuity. It’s a chart with letters that get smaller and smaller in each row. Eye doctors use it to determine how well you can see things at a distance. They might ask you to cover one eye as you read the letters.
Phoropter
A phoropter helps specialists determine if you have a refractive error, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. As you rest your face on this device, your optometrist will flip various lenses before your eyes and ask which one helps you see clearly.
Retinoscope
Your eye doctor might also utilize a retinoscope to learn if you need eyeglasses or contact lenses. They will use it to shine light into your eye to observe its reflection off your retina.
Ophthalmoscope
An ophthalmoscope is a tool used to examine the fundus or outer part of your retina. Experts use it to catch signs of eye conditions affecting blood vessels. It comes with a light on the front and is worn by eye doctors like a headband.
Tonometer
A tonometer measures intraocular pressure and can help detect signs of glaucoma. Eye doctors often utilize the “puff” tonometer, which puffs air into the eye.
Slit Lamp
Your eye doctor can thoroughly examine the front and back of your eye through a slit lamp. This equipment features a microscope and light that illuminates your eyes, letting your doctor see different parts of the eye in detail, including the cornea, retina, iris, lens and optic nerve. Corneal abrasions, retinal damage, cataracts and glaucoma are among the most common conditions detected during a slit lamp test.
Keep track of your eye health and vision through routine eye exams. At Opti-Care, we provide eyeglasses, contact lenses, dry eye treatments and corneal refractive therapy. Call us at (410) 795-8670 or complete our online form to request an appointment. We serve patients in Westminster, MD, and nearby communities.