What are the Different Types of Eye Exams?

When it comes to maintaining our health, it’s easy to overlook the importance of regular eye exams. After all, vision can remain largely unchanged for years, and glasses or contact lenses help us see things clearly. Yet, our eyes need attention to stay healthy and well-functioning. With routine eye exams, we can monitor changes and identify potential issues.

At Greater New Orleans Eye Care, our highly trained optometrists understand the importance of regular vision care and offer a variety of eye examinations to help keep your vision clear and healthy. Here is a look at some common types of eye exams you can get at an optometry clinic in Marrero, LA. 

Visual Field Test

A visual field test determines how much of your peripheral vision you have. This type of test measures your eyes’ ability to detect and respond to a light stimulus in various areas around the central point of view. A visual field test can help diagnose eye diseases that cause vision loss. It can help your optometrist determine if you have any vision impairment and how severe it is.

Visual Refraction Eye Test

The visual refraction eye test is used to measure the focusing power of your eyes. This test helps determine the type and strength of corrective lenses that you need. Depending on the results, your doctor may recommend eyeglasses or contact lenses. It can also detect vision problems such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia. During the test, you'll look through several lenses while reading letters off of a chart.

Visual Acuity Test

Your optometrist will also test your visual acuity. This is an eye exam where you read from a chart filled with letters and numbers to determine how sharp your overall vision is. When looking at the chart, you’ll be asked to identify either the largest letters or smallest letters that can be seen on each line. The letters on the line that you can read will help your vision provider determine your visual acuity and whether you need eyeglasses.

Color Vision Test

The color vision test helps to determine if you can accurately recognize and distinguish between colors. As a part of the test, your vision provider will present you with several colored images or a chart that contains different colored dots or shapes. This test helps your doctor determine whether or not you have color blindness.

Retinoscopy

This vision test involves shining a beam of light into your eye and recognizing which direction it reflects off the retina. This gives your doctor an idea of how much astigmatism and nearsightedness or farsightedness you may have. They'll determine if you need contact lenses or prescription eyeglasses.

Schedule an Appointment With Us

Getting a routine eye exam is an important part of maintaining overall good health. It helps to protect your vision from potential conditions that can cause long-term damage. At Greater New Orleans Eye Care in Marrero, our experienced optometrists are committed to providing you with the highest quality eye care. Call our team today at (504) 348-2993 to learn more or to schedule an appointment.