When you come to Woodhams Eye Clinic for your annual eye exam, you will undergo a series of quick and painless eye tests. These are very informative because they give a full picture of your overall eye health, your visual acuity (how clearly you see), and the type and extent of any refractive errors you may have.
Preliminary tests will be conducted to determine what the finest level of detail is that your eyes can detect without assistance. You may note that you experience blurriness of vision at a certain distance or under particular conditions, which could indicate that you have a refractive error or glare-sensitivity. Common conditions such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia (difficulty focusing on near objects as you age), and even cataracts are detectable by the following tests.
Refraction Testing
At Woodhams, refraction testing is performed using the EPIC-5100 Vision Diagnostic System, an automated, state-of-the-art unit that minimizes testing time and allows the optometrist to measure your refractive error more accurately. The test involves simulations with different powers of lenses to see which of them best improves the quality and clarity of your vision. The EPIC-5100 quickly and precisely determines what lens power you need in order to help you see your absolute best. It does so without the fatigue that you may have experienced during other eye exams. This test will ultimately determine your prescription—or degree of correction—for any eyeglasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery you may require. The EPIC-5100 is also integrated with Woodhams Eye Clinic's electronic medical records system, so the results from your eye tests are directly linked to your personal file.
Glare Testing
Glare is the difficulty that you experience seeing clearly in the presence of a bright light source. If you've ever tried to drive with the sun shining in your eyes, you have experienced discomfort glare. If you've ever driven at night and noticed halos around streetlamps or glare coming from car headlights, you may have experienced disability glare. This is important to address because it can negatively impact your ability to see clearly in low light conditions such as driving on a dark and rainy night.
At Woodhams, a brightness acuity test (BAT) will be performed using an EPIC-5100 add-on unit. It simulates commonly encountered glare situations and evaluates how clearly you see with and without a light source present. This will help your optometrist determine if and to what extent your best-corrected vision is impacted by glare effects. In fact, one of the earliest symptoms of cataracts is experiencing glare at night, so this test is important for assessing the degree of cataract which may be forming in your eye.
Following your eye tests, your Woodhams optometrist will answer any questions you may have and help you determine the best form of vision correction for your particular lifestyle and needs.
