How to Get an Online Eye Exam
Keeping safe during a pandemic means weighing every journey from home, as well as assessing whether the risk of infection is worth it in any possible emergency. If you are in a position where you need a new pair of glasses or additional pairs of contact lenses, but your prescription has expired, online ophthalmology exams are a possible temporary solution until it is safe to see an optometrist again.
First, caveats
Online eye exams are not an acceptable substitute for conventional eye exams . An online eye exam will not detect problems such as cataracts, glaucoma, or retinal detachments. An online eye exam will never be as effective or thorough as having your eye doctor personally examine your eyes in their office using special equipment.
However, at a time when any visit to your home is fraught with dangers, an online eye test can work if you need a new pair of glasses.
You can write a prescription for some exams, but not for others.
First of all, there will be online ophthalmic examinations that will check your vision, but without a prescription, and then there will be ophthalmic examinations for which a prescription will be issued. This is a way to check if your vision has changed with an over-the-counter eye exam. If so, that might be a good enough reason to make an appointment with your doctor.
If you need a prescription, you will have to live in one of 37 states where you can get a prescription for an online vision test, and you will have to pay as an optometrist is required to confirm the results. This is also a situation where most health plans do not pay, although you can always call and ask.
What can you check with an online eye exam?
With an online eye exam, you can check how sharp your eyesight is, whether you have astigmatism, photosensitivity, or color blindness. For some eye exams, you will be asked to photograph your eyes so that the doctor can check them for redness.
Who is Eligible for Online Ophthalmology?
Online eye examinations are suitable for healthy adults , usually between the ages of 18 and 39, who have no risk of eye disease and who already have a prescription that is not very reliable. So if you are older, have complicating factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family risk of eye diseases such as glaucoma, or have never needed a prescription for glasses before, this test is not for you.
How does the exam work?
You will need a computer or smartphone with enough space to sit down to test your distance vision. You may also need glasses or contact lenses to test how well they correct your vision, as well as a copy of your current prescription.
How accurate is this test?
We are still investigating how accurate online ophthalmic exams are and how comparable they are to ophthalmic exams. The big problem is user error. If you get a result that seems unexpected – for example, your glasses are working fine, but the test shows that your vision has significantly deteriorated – this may be a sign of user error.
For this reason, it is important to proceed with caution and remember that this is only a temporary solution, an option that can help cut down on unnecessary travel from home, but should never be used in place of regular visits to your home. ophthalmologist.