Now a days most convenient way to check your vision or get an eyeglass prescription is an option of online eye test but beware, these tests aren’t all they are chocked up to be but they may even be dangerous. Have you ever thought an online eye test is really for testing? An online eye test is not an eye test but it’s just a vision or sight test and a partial test. It is actually designed to measure the visual acuity and refractive error i.e.; nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism and to determine an eyeglass prescription for the power lens needed to correct the refractive error in your vision. It is questionable that how well the exam does with no one with medical training actually performing or checking the accuracy of the test. When an eye doctor does a refraction for glasses or contact lenses it also involves some judgement on the doctor’s part. Sometimes doctor may prescribe a prism in the lenses to help with binocularity and to prevent double vision in those who have deviations of the eye but there is no way an online exam can do this. Where your Online Eye Tests Fails? Beyond just visual acuity the online eye test fails to measure your complete health and capacity, the accurate curvature of the eye and an assessment of the health of the eye itself. Even if your eyes see clearly and have 20/20 vision, there still may be a chance that you can suffer from vision problems or eye disease even without pain, blurred vision or other symptoms. Comprehensive eye exam will examine much more than just how well you see and also check for visual processing, color vision, depth perception and proper eye movement. It will measure your
- Eye pressure,
- Examine the back of your eye and
- Look for early signs of eye disease conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, etc
If you have some vision loss, your doctor will be able to determine if there is any serious underlying problem that is causing the disturbance in your vision. If you don’t have any symptoms that doesn’t mean, there isn’t a problem. Many serious eye conditions develop gradually without any symptoms. Many of the conditions threaten the eyes and even general health if not caught early and when undetected they can cause permanent and irreversible damage to your vision. Eye exams are the best way to detect these early and treat them before they develop into serious eye problems. Whether online vision tests are inaccurate, misleading or simply insufficient, they can fail to provide essential information and can delay or prevent vision saving treatments. You could be walking around with the wrong vision prescription which may cause unnecessary eye strain, headaches and difficulty. Does Online Eye Test Really Save you Money? No, besides the fact that most of the eye exams are covered by insurance,your doctor can visualize much more thorough and comprehensive than an online eye test. Eye doctor’s exam uses real equipment and performs a complete and professional evaluation of your vision and eye health. There is simply no comparing this to a self-administered test on a computer screen. An online eye test may save your timeand money convenience but it requires training, precision, and proper equipment. Anything less can put your eyes and vision at serious risk, it’s better to consult your eye doctor for the Eye Exam.
