Getting an eye exam for the first time can be a little unnerving. After all, people are pretty sensitive about their eyes and anything coming near them. Knowing what you can expect from the exam may help you to feel a little more comfortable with it. Here are the three major parts of an eye examination.

Checking the Interior Health of the Eye

One of the most important parts of the exam is that your eye doctor will be checking the health of your eye. They look at the outside, but the most important part is that they peer into the interior of the eye, too.

To achieve this, you'll be given eye drops to help widen the pupils. These are painless. They effectively create a window so that your eye doctor can use a tool to illuminate your eye and look deeply into it to look for abnormalities.

Once your pupils are dilated, your eye doctor will use a tool called an ophthalmoscope to examine them. This device allows them to zoom in and magnify the surfaces of your eyes so that they can ensure everything is healthy.

Pressure Check

Another thing you can typically expect is a pressure check of your eye. This is achieved with a light puff of air that doesn't induce any pain.

Prior to checking the pressure of your eye, your eye doctor will numb your eye with eye drops. This is to ensure a painless and comfortable experience for you.

Vision Check

Lastly, your eye doctor will typically check your vision. This is done in correlation with getting new glasses so that the eye doctor can check to ensure that you get the right prescription. However, eye doctors will also do it even when you don't need glasses. This is just so that they can be sure that your vision hasn't changed significantly and that you can see clearly. It's an important step to detecting the early stages of vision disorders like glaucoma.

During this test, you can expect your eye doctor to show you an eye chart. If you wear glasses, they'll have you put them on. You'll be asked to read things on the chart as it gradually gets smaller. Don't guess what you're seeing, just say it honestly and let your eye doctor know when you can't see things clearly.

That's it! The average eye exam is comfortable and easy for patients, so don't hesitate to make an appointment if it's time for your eyes to be checked out. Reach out an office like Battery Park Vision Associates.