How to Do Pre-testing for an Eye Exam

Do you ever wonder what knowledge it takes to perform an eye exam? If you are going into the medical eye field, this will be a great instruction set for you to practice with! If not, it is always helpful to know what you can expect when you g to the eye doctor. To start with, we need to know what goes into the pre-testing before the exam even begins! Here we will go into detail on what happens before you go back to the exam room and see your doctor. Enjoy!

The supplies you will need for this consist of the machines in an eye clinic's pretesting room. These are very expensive and are not something you can just buy for yourself. Although, there are many videos on YouTube you can find by searching up these step titles and use them to learn how to do these tests on your own at home!

First, ask your patient if they have any glasses with them if they are not currently wearing any. Take their glasses from them and turn on the lensometer. First turn this on by pressing the button in the center of the lensometer. Next, you need to find out what kind of glasses they have. If they have bifocals, you will see a big line in the center to the bottom of their glasses. If they have progressives, you will see a bump when you look through the glasses onto a flat surface. If they have normal single lenses in their glasses, it will all look very clear or very blurry with no lines or bumps. Now, you must select whichever kind of glasses they are on the lens option on the lensometer. Now, you must keep the glasses flat and move it along the lens reader until it moves along to the next step. Continue this process until it is finished and it gives you your final numbers. If they are progressives, you may want to double check the "add power" which is engraved into the glasses. You can do this with either the magnifier or by holding the glasses up to natural light and reading it on your own. Finally, print out the results and keep them for the doctor.

To begin this step, start by explaining what this test does. Tell the patient that this is to test their peripheral vision, and it can also test for tumors and other eye issues someone may have. They begin by leaning into this machine and putting their forehead all the way up against the bar. You may have to move this machine up and down depending on the patients height. Make sure that the machine is positioned so that they are looking through their right eye. Ask the patients age and then insert it into the machine before you begin the test. Then, give them their button that they will use during this test. Explain that they will be looking at a dot in the center of their vision and that they will stare at this black dot. They will then press their button whenever they see any black lines or movement all around this dot. They will continue this until on your screen it beeps and says 100%. After this, you can move the machine over so it will now test their left eye. Continue this process for their left eye and then the results will print when you are finished. Keep these results for the doctor. You may now move on to the next test!

To begin this test, explain what this test will be doing. Since this test looks similar to the puff of air test, it would be nice to include in your explanation that nothing will blow at them or hurt them in any way. Explain that the patient will need to put their chin onto the chin rest and put their forehead up against the bar. Like the previous test, you may have to adjust the height to suit the patient. Explain to them that this test will take a picture of their eye to measure their cornea. All that they have to do is be still and look at the hot air balloon. Start with the right eye, and move the camera back and forth until you see a circle form around the patients pupil. Then click your button to take the photo. It will take three pictures, and it will give you the average of these photos measurements. After you do this successfully, move onto the left eye and then repeat the process. When you are finished, your measurements will pop up onto the screen. The patient may now sit back and you can press "finish" to print your results. Keep these for the doctor.

To start this test, explain what you will be doing during this test. This test can make people the most nervous, so it is best to explain beforehand. Explain that during this test you will be slightly pulling down the patient's bottom lids. This will not hurt at all but it will feel weird. This test is to look at the structure of their glands which can test for dry eye. First, have the patient put their chin on their left side of the chin rest. Then, make sure you have room underneath their bottom lid on your screen. This will ensure the picture will contain their entire lower lid. Have the patient look up to the ceiling to make sure that their lashes do not get into the photo. Use your tool to pull down their bottom lid. Then, push it up slightly, so the glands are showing. On your screen, click on the center button to make sure that it is in complete focus. Then, take the photo. Repeat this step with the left eye. After this, press analyze and then save it onto your computer for the doctor. You are now done with this test!

Finally, you must take the patient's blood pressure. Depending on the office, some places do arm cuffs or wrist cuffs. If it is the wrist cuff, have the patient raise their sleeve up to their elbow. Have them then place their elbow onto the table with their wrist up. Put this cuff around their wrist underneath their wrist lines. Press start, and then wait for it to finish reading. Then, remove the cuff and write down these numbers for the doctor. You have now completed the pretesting! Congratulations!