Everyday eye health and what to expect at an eye exam

When your eyes feel fine

Being able to read a bus number from across the road tells you something about the sharpness of your sight. It tells you little about the health of the tissues inside your eyes. Conditions such as glaucoma and eye disease related to diabetes can develop before you notice trouble seeing. A routine eye health visit gives you a chance to ask what checks you need while you still feel well.

If your last visit was for new glasses, look at the date and what was checked. Ask the clinic whether you had a dilated examination and when they recommend another. Your age, any diabetes or high blood pressure, eye history and family history can change the answer. If a parent or sibling has glaucoma, tell the clinician even if you have always seen clearly.

What the eye chart and the drops do

At an appointment, reading letters at different distances helps measure visual sharpness. Other tests may check how far you can see to the sides, how your eyes move together or the pressure inside each eye. Each answers a different question. If you mostly have trouble with a certain task, such as reading the fine print on a medicine packet, describe it in your own words. Mention which eye seems affected and when you first noticed the change.

Dilation means widening the pupils with eye drops. This gives the clinician a better view of structures at the back of the eye, including the retina, the layer that senses light. Light can feel uncomfortable and close work can be blurry for a few hours afterwards. If dilation is planned, bring sunglasses and arrange a lift home. Before leaving, ask what the examination showed and when your eyes should be checked again.

Choose eye protection for the job

If you walk outside at lunchtime, look for sunglasses labelled to block 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation. The level of protection is the useful detail to check when choosing a pair. For a job that might send something into your eye, such as drilling into a wall, wear safety eyewear designed for the task. Ordinary sunglasses serve a different purpose. Keep the safety glasses with the drill so you have them before the first hole goes in.

Family health is another practical place to start. If a relative says they have “eye pressure”, ask whether their clinician gave the condition a name. Share what you actually know at your next visit. If you have diabetes, ask the team looking after you when your next retinal check is due. A new pair of glasses and a retinal check can both be useful, but they answer different questions.

If you wear contact lenses

Start with hands washed with soap and dried on a clean cloth. Take lenses out before swimming or showering. If your lenses need storing, use the recommended disinfecting solution and empty the old solution before adding fresh solution. Water can carry germs that cause serious infection. Follow the wear and replacement schedule for your particular lenses, and only sleep in them if your eye care professional has advised you to do so.

Think through a normal evening at the sports centre. Putting your glasses and lens supplies in your bag before leaving home gives you a way to remove your lenses before your shower and still see on your journey home. If your eye becomes red or painful or your sight suddenly blurs while wearing lenses, take them out and contact an eye clinician immediately. Seek advice before putting lenses back in.

Recognise a sudden change

Floaters can look like dots or short threads that drift when you move your eyes. A sudden shower of new dots, flashes of light, or a shadow like a curtain entering your view can signal a retinal tear or detachment. The retina needs urgent assessment to protect sight. Go straight to an emergency eye service or an emergency department if you notice these changes, even if only one eye is affected.

When you call for help, describe what happened and when it began. “A dark patch appeared on the right side of my vision this morning” gives the clinician a clearer picture than “I may need new glasses”. For routine care, keep the follow-up date from your last visit somewhere easy to find. Sudden warning signs take priority over that date.

Sources & further reading

These sources inform this educational guide. They do not imply endorsement or clinical review of Knowledge Your Health.

• National Eye Institute – What to expect at a dilated eye exam ↗
• National Eye Institute – Eye protection and family eye history ↗
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Contact lens care ↗
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Signs of a contact lens infection ↗
• National Eye Institute – Retinal detachment symptoms and urgency ↗