What is a sight test?
Some provinces including B.C. allow optical stores to perform sight tests or vision tests using automated equipment, to determine your glasses prescription.
However, these tests do not often produce the most accurate results because they do not consider:
- Synchronization of eye and head movements
- Direction of visual focus and fixation
- Individual pupil sizes
- Focus strength and duration
Most importantly, these tests do not assess or evaluate the overall health of your eyes!
What is an eye exam?
A complete eye exam will look at the entire eye and visual system. As a result, your doctor can determine your glasses prescription and successfully assess and diagnose many medical and ocular conditions.
A comprehensive eye exam includes:
- Case history review
- Assessment of your visual needs at home and work
- Effectiveness of current glasses/contact lenses on your vision
- Synchronization of eye and head movements, including depth perception
- Colour vision and perception
- Neurological performance such as pupil response and peripheral vision test
- Spectacle and contact lens prescription update
- Evaluation of eye pressure check (screening for early signs of glaucoma)
- Assessment of the anterior surface of your eyes
During this exam, your optometrist will also dilate your eyes with specialized eye drops. This allows the doctor to get a very thorough look of the back of your eyes to rule out ocular diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and damage in the retinal periphery.
The above test results will then be summarized for you, and we will provide you with an updated glasses prescription as well as information on how to keep your eyes healthy!