What happens at your eye exam?

What happens at your eye exam?

What happens in an eye exam?

Are you putting off an eye exam or just haven’t even thought about it for a while? Then consider: About 80% of blindness of preventable^1,2. The risk of blindness can be reduced by approximately 90% when treatment and follow-up care are handled within the appropriate time. By scheduling regular eye exams, this can help maintain and preserve your eye health in the long term. By acting preventively and scheduling regular eye exams, it can help maintain and save your eye health. According to the Singapore National Eye Centre, about 50% of the children in the Singaporean population is myopic by the time they reach 12 years old.

Many people believe that just updating one’s spectacles and making sure they can see clearly is taking adequate care of the eyes. However, this is just one component of a comprehensive eye exam which should take place at least once every 1-2 years³. Here are the tests you may expect when having a full eye check:³

You might have experienced some of these tests before if you are a spectacle or contact lens wearer (such as visual acuity and refraction) but take note that even if you have perfect eyesight, these preliminary procedures are necessary for an eye care professional to determine the health of your eyes. Consider a regular eye exam as important as going to your dentist or general practitioner routinely.

There are many things an eye care professional can tell through an eye exam alone. With whatever that is picked up or suspected, they can refer you to the necessary specialists to manage and treat your conditions accordingly. You can say that in the long run, it may cut costs for unnecessary medical expenses when certain abnormalities are found and treated before they get worse¹:

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Eye Exam FAQs

How long does an Eye Exam take?

A routine Eye Exam can take 20-45 minutes or longer if further procedures or tests are required.

Are Eye Exams expensive?

You may feel that an eye exams would cost a lot more than a normal vision check. However, when you compare this to the cost of an undiagnosed eye disease and vision loss, this is just a fraction of what you may pay in the long-run.

Do Eye Exams hurt?

As there are no invasive procedures being performed at an Eye Check, you don’t have to worry about it being a painful experience. Some equipment may utilise the use of bright lights and an air-puff to check the pressure of your eyes. This is just momentary, and your eye care professional will pre-empt you regarding these procedures.

How can I find an Eye Care Professional?

Your eye care professional should be someone you can fully trust, understand and who takes the time to explain and discuss your eye condition and management options. Optometrists are ideally positioned to provide first advice and management of your eye health. While listening to word-of-mouth is a great start, consider asking if they can conduct a full eye health check as well as provide vision correction.

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