How to Know if You Need Contacts

Many people make an appointment with their eye doctor in Miami Beach because they think they are going to need contacts, but then find out that their issue is completely unrelated to vision problems. If you feel that you are going to require contacts to correct your vision, then you need to speak with your Miami Beach eye doctor about getting all of the proper tests done. A doctor can look at your eyes to find out if you have any problems, but vision issues are usually diagnosed by running a number of tests. These tests will allow an optometrist to gauge how severe your vision problem is so they can come up with the right prescription for you.

Figuring Out Your Prescription

The most basic exam to help an eye doctor figure out if you need contacts or not is by looking at a visual chart. Most doctors have a Snellen chart in their office that they will ask you to look at while you cover each eye. This is done because some people don’t have the same visual issues in both of their eyes; it’s actually common for someone to have contacts with completely different prescriptions for their left and right eyes. Here’s how a doctor is going to determine if you need contacts:

● Looking at the visual chart is going to help a doctor determine just how bad your visual capabilities are. If you are having trouble reading the letters on the top lines, then you are going to need a more intense prescription.

● A refraction test is also going to be used to help the doctor figure out your exact prescription. This is where you look through a device and the doctor puts different slides in for you to look at. They will be speaking to you throughout the entire test to figure out which slides appear more clear to you.

● A keratometry test is going to be used to determine the curvature of your cornea. All of this information is going to be crucial for a doctor to determine your particular prescription.

Additional Tests Your Eye Doctor May Perform

While the aforementioned tests are going to help an eye doctor in Miami figure out if you need contacts or not, there are also other tests that may be performed when you’re being examined for visual impairments. Your eye doctor may want to dilate your eyes so they can peer into the back of them. The retina is located in the back of the eyeball, and there are many things that can be seen with the right tool. If light is not focusing on your retina properly, this is another factor in determining if you need contacts or not. Let a Miami optometrist help you with your vision needs.

photo credit: Mañanas via photopin (license)