Nearsightedness (Myopia)
Exams and Tests
A routine eye exam can detect nearsightedness (myopia) and other vision problems and diseases that can affect the eyes. A complete exam takes 30 to 60 minutes.
A routine eye exam includes:
- Questions about your medical history and a physical eye exam.
- Vision tests, which include tests for visual acuity, visual fields, and refraction.
- A slit lamp exam, which is an exam of the eye using a microscope.
- Tonometry, which measures the pressure inside your eye.
- Ophthalmoscopy, which allows a doctor to see inside the back of the eye.
Early Detection
Routine testing of the ability to see details and shapes clearly is usually a part of every general physical exam during childhood. Children younger than age 5 should have screening for the eye diseases amblyopia and strabismus and defects in visual acuity.3 See information about when to schedule eye exams with an eye care specialist for:
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| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: July 7, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Carol L. Karp, MD - Ophthalmology | |
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