• What is a dilated eye exam?

  A dilated eye exam is the best thing you can do for your eye health! It’s the only way to check for eye diseases early on, when they’re easier to treat — and before they cause vision loss.

  The exam is simple and painless. Your eye doctor will check for vision problems that make it hard to see clearly, like being nearsighted or farsighted. Then your doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and check for eye diseases.

  Since many eye diseases have no symptoms or warning signs, you could have a problem and not know it. Even if you think your eyes are healthy, getting a dilated eye exam is the only way to know for sure.

• How often do I need to get a dilated eye exam?
• What happens during a dilated eye exam?
• How does dilation work?
• What happens after a dilated eye exam?

• What kinds of eye examinations are there?

  Eye examinations tend to follow a certain pattern: After talking with your doctor about the type and severity of your symptoms, both eyes will usually be tested to measure the visual acuity (sharpness of sight). Then the doctor will look at your eyes from the outside, take a closer look at them using a slit lamp, and measure the intraocular pressure (the pressure inside the eyeball). Eye drops are given before some tests to dilate (enlarge) the pupil of the eye for a certain amount of time. This makes it easier for the doctor to see the back of the eye. Depending on the symptoms and any other medical conditions you may have, the eye examination might be carried out differently and additional tests might be done.

• What do general eye examinations involve?
• How is visual acuity measured?
• How else can your vision be tested?
• What are visual field tests?
• What are slit-lamp examinations?
• What is ophthalmoscopy?
• How is intraocular pressure measured?
• Further eye examinations
• References

• Visual Acuity Reference Range

  Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.

  0.02

  0.04

  0.125

  0.32

  0.8

  Your result is Normal Vision.

  US: 20/25 to 20/12 (Metric: 6/7.5 to 6/4)
  Visual acuity is expressed as a decimal or a fraction. 1 = US 20/20 or metric 6/6 is considered optimal vision.

  • The top number refers to the distance you stand from the chart. This is often 20 feet (6 meters).
  • The bottom number indicates the distance at which a person with normal eyesight could read the same line you correctly read.
• What is a visual acuity test?
• References

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

• Visual Field Test Reference Range

  Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.

  Your result is Normal.

  The peripheral vision is normal.
• What are visual field tests?
• References

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

• Color Vision Testing Reference Range

  Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.

  Your result is Normal.

  You should be able to distinguish between all colors.
• What is color blindness?
• How is color blindness diagnosed?
• What are the different types of color blindness?

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

• Eye Pressure Reference Range

  Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.

  mm Hg

  10

  21

  Your result is Normal.

  A normal result means your eye pressure is within the normal range. However, the thickness of your cornea can affect measurements. A corneal thickness measurement (pachymetry) is needed to get a correct pressure measurement.
• How is intraocular pressure measured?
• References

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

• Slit-Lamp Exam Reference Range

  Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.

  Your result is Normal.

  A normal result indicates that the eyelashes, eyelids, and lining of the eyelids (conjunctiva) look normal. All of the structures inside the eye are found to be normal.
• References

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

• Schirmer Test Reference Range

  Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.

  mm

  5

  10

  15

  Your result is Normal.

  More than 10 mm of moisture on the filter paper after 5 minutes is a sign of normal tear production. Both eyes normally release the same amount of tears.
• References

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

• Tear Break-Up Time Reference Range

  Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.

  s

  5

  10

  Your result is Normal.

  Tear film break-up time (TBUT) is a method for determining the stability of the tear film and checking evaporative dry eye. Generally, >10 seconds is thought to be normal.
• References

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."

• Ophthalmoscopy Reference Range

  Use the slider below to see how your results affect your health.

  Your result is Normal.

  The retina, blood vessels, and the optic disc appear normal.
• References

Normal reference ranges can vary depending on the laboratory and the method used for testing. You must use the range supplied by the laboratory that performed your test to evaluate whether your results are "within normal limits."