By scheduling regular appointments with your optometrist, you can ensure your eyes are healthy and functioning properly. As the eyes change with age, an eye doctor will continue to perform certain exams during your office visits. Whether you leave with a new prescription for your glasses or a clean bill of health, these tests are all a part of your overall ocular wellness. 

What Tests Do Eye Doctors Perform?

1. Medical History

Especially if it is your first appointment with a new optometrist, be prepared to answer questions about your medical history. This will help the eye doctor assess your risk for conditions. By answering with detail, you can help the optometrist determine how your lifestyle, family history, medications, and other factors will impact your health. 

2. External Examination

During the external examination, the optometrist will check the structure of the eyes, pupils, and irises. They will note the muscle function of the eyes and lids, as well as the color. Problems with muscular function, alignment, and color may be linked to certain conditions. 

3. Visual Acuity Test

This exam may be what you picture when you think of an eye doctor’s office. During a visual acuity test, the optometrist will test how well you see at certain distances. You can expect to read letters off of a chart with letters while covering one eye. You will also need to look at various lenses and tell the doctor which lens offers a clearer view. The optometrist will then tell you your visual acuity in the form of a fraction, with 20/20 being normal vision. 

4. Alignment Test

Healthy eyes should be working together to help you see, and the alignment exam will test this. During the test, the optometrist will ask you to look forward at an object in the room. They will then ask you to cover one eye at a time. As you look at the object, the eye doctor will note whether your uncovered eye needs to move to keep focusing, indicating a misalignment. 

5. Pupil Response Test

You may notice that your pupils shrink while you are in bright light and grow when you are in the dark. This is to help you see more effectively and protect your eyes in varying light. To test whether your pupils are responding to light effectively, the eye doctor will shine a light into your pupils and note whether they shrink in response. 

Ready to get your eye health in check? Daniel J. Kroger OD in West Chester, OH, can perform the above examinations and more to test your overall ocular wellness. With more than 25 years of experience as an eye doctor, Dr. Kroger has the knowledge and updated technology it takes to help you see clearly. Offering compassionate services at affordable prices, he will individualize your appointment at every step. For more information on his practice, visit his website or call (513) 777-3936 today.