Do you think eye exams are for those people who need glasses? Eye exams are not always meant for those who want to get contact lenses or spectacles. These eye tests are mainly to test the vision. It's the most neglected part of every person and eye exams just take care of the eyes just like any other body part.

So What're Eye Exams For?

This is a common query raised by many who are unaware of eye exams and their importance. It is needed when an ophthalmologist checks the vision in your eyes and determines whether you need correction lenses or if you have any eye disease of any sort. Eyes are indicators of diseases that could concern other parts of your body so any eye specialist usually goes through with an overall health checkup along with your eye tests.

What do Doctors Look For?

When doctors do eye checkups on patients they're looking for a condition called amblyopia, where one eye has a different vision than the other one. It's through the exams that the eye doctor can correct the problem by a method called patching, where a patch is put on the other eye for a short period of time.

The refraction of the eye is also tested during eye exams. This tests what your condition is, whether you have farsightedness or nearsightedness or astigmatism and the doctor prescribes the patient with the correct lenses or glasses to allow the patient to have the correct vision.

Another such eye condition which can be tested is Strabismus. This is where the eye doctor checks whether your eyes are perfectly aligned or not. If they're working properly and together without any change in their alignment, then there's nothing to worry about. If they are misaligned, you might have to go through eye alignment correcting treatments.

Other Diseases of the Eye

Some other common eye-related diseases that can be diagnosed are glaucoma and a diabetic form of eye disease. An overall checkup including checking the blood vessels in the eye and the retina, a doctor can make a diagnosis. This is an important test because glaucoma and diabetes of the eyes can destroy one's eyes and usually don't show any symptoms. Eye tests can thus prevent many destructive eye diseases. So it's encouraged that you take at least two tests each year.

Checkups for Children

Most parents feel the need for eye tests for their children isn't necessary until they start reading and writing, but however, this belief can impair the development of a child unwittingly if the child has any vision problem of any sort. The American Optometric Association (AOA) reported that it's best for your child to have a checkup done while he or she can still make up for delays in development caused by eye problems. The AOA suggests child eye checkups starting from six months of age up to their entry into kindergarten.

So, what're you waiting for? Just go have an eye checkup done today!