Eye Conditions Detected in Eye Exams

Many eye conditions develop gradually, hiding the symptoms until it's severe. Early intervention and screenings are critical for preserving your vision and preventing irreversible damage. Your optometrist might recommend medication, surgery and other interventions to maximize your treatment's success. 

You should schedule regular eye exams even if you have not noticed any problems with your vision. These annual appointments become even more vital as you age, especially if you have a family history of issues. Investing in eye health and care is essential. Let's look at how routine exams can help you see clearly and catch eye conditions early. 

What Conditions Can an Eye Test Show?

Eye exams are more than check-ups to adjust your contacts or glasses prescription — they can also screen you for conditions like eye strain and glaucoma, helping you stay healthy. Annual eye exams allow your optometrist to spot conditions early, helping you get the necessary treatment. Here are a few of the conditions an eye test can check for:

• Glaucoma
• Refractive errors
• Strabismus
• Amblyopia 
• Detached retinas
• Macular degeneration
• Diabetes
• Optic nerve damage
• Pupillary reaction conditions 

Identifying and Understanding Common Eye Conditions

Understanding common eye diseases and conditions is essential, especially if it's been a while since your last test. Knowing the warning signs can help you catch issues at home so you can schedule a professional exam. While you should always go to a professional for an accurate eye strain and eye disease diagnosis, you can maintain your eye health with a better understanding of some prevalent eye conditions and their leading characteristics. 

1. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition affecting your optic nerve. Over time, pressure builds up, harming the optic nerve and leading to vision loss if left untreated. This issue may be challenging to notice, since there are usually no symptoms besides gradual vision loss. If you have eye pressure and glaucoma, your doctor will treat it with drops or surgery. 

When you get your glaucoma eye exam, the optometrist will test the pressure inside your eye using a tonometer. They might also look at your optic nerve with an ophthalmoscope or through imaging tests. These methods examine your optic nerve's structure and retinal nerve fiber layer's thickness. Additionally, they might perform visual field testing to look for any peripheral vision loss. 

2. Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration involves the part of your eye that gives you central vision, the macula. Macular degeneration will cause blurred or distorted vision over time, potentially leading to complete central vision loss. There's no cure for macular degeneration, but injection and laser therapy treatments can slow down the process and preserve your eyesight.

Getting a macular degeneration eye exam involves a simple dilated eye test. Your optometrist will examine your retinas with specialized cameras. Imaging techniques like optical coherence tomography can evaluate your macular thickness for issues. An optometrist can also perform visual acuity tests and other examinations to assess the extent of your macular degeneration. 

3. Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes-related eye condition. High blood sugar levels can harm your retina's blood vessels, leading to vision issues and blindness. If you have diabetes, managing your blood sugar levels and getting regular eye exams can help prevent this condition. Your optometrist might also suggest laser therapy or injections to avert future damage. 

An eye exam is an excellent way to screen for diabetic retinopathy. After dilating your pupils, your doctor will examine your retinas for blood vessel damage. An optometrist may also order imaging tests like fluorescein angiography and OCT to diagnose the extent of the damage and determine treatment options. The early stages of diabetic retinopathy have minimal symptoms, making regular eye exams critical. 

4. Cataracts

Cataracts are another eye condition an exam can test for. These happen when your eye's natural lens becomes cloudy, leading to blurred or dim vision. Cataracts are common in older people, but injuries and specific medications might also cause you to develop cataracts from a younger age. If you notice glare, blurry vision or halos around lights, you might have cataracts forming. Cataract surgery is straightforward — experts will remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial one, restoring clear vision. 

Your eye care professional will perform a cataract eye exam, visual acuity test and a slit-lamp examination to check your lens clarity and clouding severity. They might also do a dilated eye exam to assess the extent of the cataracts. 

5. Astigmatism

Astigmatism is an irregular curvature of your eye's lens or cornea that causes distorted or blurred vision. This condition frequently co-occurs with myopia or presbyopia. Getting glasses or contact lenses calibrated to reflect light onto your retinas can improve your vision if you have astigmatism.

A thorough eye exam can help diagnose astigmatism with techniques like refraction, visual acuity testing and keratometry. Refraction testing can determine the curvature's degree and axis, while visual acuity testing checks how well you see at different distances. Finally, keratometry measures your cornea's curve to find irregularities. Your optometrist will use the best mapping and eye techniques to get a detailed look at your condition. 

6. Amblyopia

Also called "lazy eye," amblyopia is a common vision disorder. It usually develops during childhood, resulting in one weaker eye. Having a weak eye or eye misalignment can lead to your brain relying on the stronger eye, causing poor vision in the weaker eye over time. If left untreated, the weaker eye can lose vision permanently. 

Optometrists will look for poor vision, squinting or improper closing in one eye. You could also have trouble judging distances or seeing in 3D. After identifying these signs, your eye professional will give you a treatment plan that strengthens your weaker eye, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, surgery and vision therapy.