What happens during an eye examination

The eye doctor (an ophthalmologist or optometrist) will ask you about:

• How long you have had symptoms and how bad they are
• How lighting affects your vision
• Past eye problems or surgeries
• Any radiation therapy to your head or neck
• Medicines you take

Other tests the doctor may use

• Visual acuity test. This uses an eye chart with rows of letters. It checks how well you see at different distances.
• Slit-lamp exam. This uses a special microscope with a bright beam of light. It lets the doctor look closely at the front parts of your eye, including the cornea, iris, and lens.
• Dilated eye exam. The doctor puts drops in your eyes to make your pupils open wider. Then they look at your retina and optic nerve. Your vision may be blurry for a few hours after this test.
• Tonometry. Numbing drops are placed in the eye. Then the pressure inside your eye is measured.

Last Reviewed and Updated: October 2026
By: AGS/HiAF Public Education Committee, HealthinAging.org Content Reviewers