Fort Myers Eye Doctor
One of the best things you can do for yourself — and your eyes —is to make sure to schedule your annual eye exam every year. A routine eye exam by a trusted Fort Myers eye doctor at Elmquist Eye Group is a key aspect of ensuring that your vision remains as clear as possible.
What should I expect during the exam?
Comprehensive eye exams are necessary to routinely screen for any health problems so that, if found, these issues can receive both early diagnosis and treatment. During the exam, the doctor will use several tests to examine your eyes.
You are likely very used to some of the simple tests like the eye chart the doctor has you read in regular and low lighting. In some of the more complex tests, doctors use high-powered instruments to look inside at the smallest of eye structures.
What is a visual acuity test?
The standard eye chart you have probably read many times is a test of visual acuity. It measures the sharpness of your vision both close up and at a distance.
In addition to detecting hereditary color vision deficiencies, color blind tests also can alert your eye doctor to possible eye health problems that may affect your color vision.
Why do I cover my eyes during the test?
An important part of any vision test is the doctor’s determination of how well your eyes work together. While there are many methods, the cover test is certainly the simplest. While focusing on an object in the room, you will alternatively cover each eye while focusing on the far object. You will repeat the test for an up-close object. All the while, the doctor is checking to see that the uncovered eye is tracking the target. In particular, the doctor is looking for signs of amblyopia, also known as lazy eye.
What other tests are important?
The doctor will also want to determine how well your eyes move together, and will use an ocular motility test to make that determination. This test will assess how well both of your eyes follow a moving target, and will also test how well your eyes can fixate on two separate moving objects.
The doctor will also likely test slow eye movements called pursuits and rapid eye movements called saccades to test your eye coordination. If you have issues with eye movements, these problems could be causing eye strain, and may even be affecting your ability to read, watch television or do computer work.
Depth perception is another important test and is done with stereopsis, a rest that allows the doctor to establish your ability to see in three dimensions. The best part is wearing 3D glasses to look at objects in a book!
Trust in Elmquist
At Elmquist Eye Group, our many patients trust their eye doctor each year for their annual eye exams in Fort Myers. You can too. Give us a call today if you are due or overdue for your annual eye exam. It is important, and we want you to be our next new patient.