Eye Sight Test Online - Chart, Cost and Benefits
Table of Contents
- Online vs Comprehensive Eye Tests
- What is an Eye Test Chart?
- What do Online Eye Tests Check?
- Who Can Take Eye Vision Test Online?
- How to Do an Eye Test at Home?
- Should You Use Online Vision Tests to Order Contacts?
- Advantages of Online Eye Exams
- Cost of Online Eye Testing
- Things to keep in mind
- Takeaway
- Frequently Asked Questions
- References
If you google “eye test near me”, you will probably witness tons of eye centres and clinics offering eyesight services, leaving you confused. But what if a better solution allows you to check your eyesight online from the comfort of your home? Today, as everything is moving to digital, making people’s lives simpler, the online eyesight test is considered a beneficial option to avoid time-consuming visits to an optometrist.
Several companies offer online eye tests you can take via your computer or smartphone. While there are several benefits to online eye tests, there are also certain limitations. Continue reading the blog to learn more about the procedure, cost, pros, and cons of getting eye tests online.Online vs Comprehensive Eye Tests
A comprehensive eye exam is done in your eye doctor’s office. During this test, the doctor inspects the eyes with various instruments. They may even dilate your pupils to check for internal eye diseases. The test also includes checking pressure inside the eye to rule out glaucoma.
These assessments can help you keep your eyes healthy, especially when you have other health conditions like diabetes and cancer. Furthermore, a comprehensive eye exam helps determine if correction is needed to provide clear vision.
On the other hand, an online eye test is not done in the presence of an eye care provider. The test only measures your visual acuity and detects refractive errors.
What is an Eye Test Chart?
Anyone who wears glasses probably knows what an eye chart is. You are asked to read an eye chart when you visit an eye doctor. This eye test chart measures your visual acuity and sharpness of vision. If you do not wear glasses, the chart can help the doctor determine whether you need them.
If you wear corrective glasses, the results will show if the prescription needs to be changed. Various types of eye charts are available. Similar to an in-person eye exam, you need to read an eye chart in an online test to measure your visual acuity.
What do Online Eye Tests Check?
An online eye test can help determine if you suffer from hyperopia (farsightedness) or myopia (short-sightedness), requiring corrective glasses or lenses. The test may also check other conditions and factors, such as:
- Astigmatism (a condition that makes things blurry or stretched)
- Colour blindness (inability to see colours correctly)
- The sharpness of your vision
- Light sensitivity of your eyes
These tests can be especially helpful when you break or lose your glasses and need a prescription to get new ones.
Who Can Take Eye Vision Test Online?
Online eyesight tests are usually suitable for people aged between 18 to 39, with no other health conditions like glaucoma and diabetes. To qualify for an online eye exam, you must:
- Already have a prescription for eyeglasses which is not very strong
- Have had a complete eye exam to know that your eyes are healthy
- Even if you are healthy and of the right age, it is important to get regular eye exams as the eye doctor recommends.
How to Do an Eye Test at Home?
An online eye-vision test follows a few steps. You will need a few supplies to check your eyesight at home, such as a computer, a smartphone, and a well-lighted room at least ten feet long. Do-it-yourself vision tests are easy to find online.
- These tests require you to stand ten feet from your device and speak the letters aloud as you look at the eye test chart.
- Several other companies offer a free smartphone app that allows you to measure your vision. An optometrist or an ophthalmologist then reviews the results.
- Some websites offer eye power tests to check your vision.
- Others offer prescriptions for glasses and contacts issued by an optometrist based on your online eye test results.
- If your results show that you might have a problem, you should visit an eye doctor.
Should You Use Online Vision Tests to Order Contacts?
Healthcare experts strongly caution patients against getting eye tests online to order contact lenses. Contacts should only be prescribed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist trained to check for a good fit.
Contacts that do not fit properly can cause several complications, like irritation, redness, and potentially dangerous eye conditions causing blindness, such as corneal infection.
Advantages of Online Eye Exams
There are some benefits of online eye check tests that are making them popular among people. These benefits include:
- Affordable
- Depending on the type of test, the cost of an in-person eye checkup can be anywhere between Rs 100 to Rs 3000. The cost may increase based on where you get the test and who performs it.
- Online eyesight tests are comparatively cheaper and save you money. The websites offering online eye tests usually cost less than in-person tests. Some websites even offer free online eye exams.
- Convenient
- Traditional eye exams require going to an optometrist or ophthalmologist. One big benefit of online eye tests is the convenience it offers.
- With these tests, you can check your vision without leaving the comfort of your home.
- The test identifies refraction needs, such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness.
Disadvantages of Online Eye Exams
Getting eye tests online has its limitations. Factors that make online eye exams inadequate include:
- Inaccuracy
- Online eye exams do not match the accuracy level of in-person eye tests. If you fail to do the test correctly, there is a risk of not getting the right prescription for your eyes.
- Since no trained eye care professional is present during the online eye test, there is always room for errors.
- Time-consuming
- In an online eye power test, the results go to an ophthalmologist for evaluation, and you must wait 24 hours to get a new prescription.
- Therefore, in eyewear emergencies, you cannot rely on these tests.
- On the other hand, you leave an ophthalmologist’s office with a prescription during an in-person eye test.
- It only takes about 20-30 minutes for an eye doctor to complete a thorough eye exam and offer accurate results.
- Not suitable for everyone
- Online eye tests may not suit people with severe eye conditions or a family history of vision disorders.
- These tests do not detect eye conditions like glaucoma, cataract, and other eye problems.
Cost of Online Eye Testing
While affordability is a benefit of online eye exams, it does not necessarily mean you will always save more money than going to a hospital. Online tests have some limitations, and you will receive only a part of the complete eye checkup services. On the other hand, visiting an optometrist or ophthalmologist may be a little costlier. However, it will ensure accuracy and include identifying other eye problems, like glaucoma and cataracts.
Several websites offer free online vision tests. Some other websites also offer prescriptions for glasses and contacts. The websites that offer prescriptions charge a certain fee, but the price of online eye testing is usually not included in health insurance. Therefore, if you have a vision eye insurance plan, a comprehensive eye exam may sometimes cost less than an online eye test.Things to keep in mind
Relying on an online eye test depends on factors such as age, medical history, eye conditions, and other factors. The test should be used only by healthy adults who do not have a strong eyeglass prescription and have no symptoms of other vision-threatening diseases. It is important to remember the following points while considering an online eye-vision test:
- These tests are best used to update an existing prescription in healthy adults who previously had a comprehensive eye exam.
- An optometrist or ophthalmologist must approve corrective eyewear prescriptions from online eye exams.
- If you have a high-power prescription, you should avoid online tests and schedule an appointment with your optometrist or ophthalmologist.
- If you are at risk of developing an eye disease or experiencing eye symptoms, visit your opthalmologist regularly, at a frequency that they recommend.
Takeaway
Getting eye tests online can be beneficial if you want to test your vision and update your eyesight prescription. Online eyesight tests allow patients to determine refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Various websites provide free online vision tests, and others even offer glasses and contacts prescriptions.
However, online eye tests are NOT a substitute for in-person eye exams. They do not determine the health of your eyes. Even when you get an online eye exam, it is important to schedule a comprehensive in-person eye test. These in-person exams help detect common eye disorders and hidden conditions that may lead to blindness if not treated correctly.
You can get in touch with an HexaHealth expert to schedule regular comprehensive eye exams. Our team of experts will connect you with the best ophthalmologists or optometrists in your area to offer an accurate prescription for glasses and contacts and diagnose other serious eye conditions.
Suggested Reads:
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I find an eye test near me?
To find an eye test near you, you only need to google “eye test near me.” A list of several eye doctors and clinics in your area will appear. You can choose the doctor or clinic by looking at the reviews.
Can I get an eye test online?
What is an eyesight test?
What are the benefits of an eyesight test?
When is an eye test advised?
If you are healthy and experience no symptoms of vision problems, you should have a complete eye exam by age 40. This is the age when vision changes and eye diseases are likely to develop.
In general, adults between 18 and 60 should get a comprehensive eye exam once every two years. Adults older than 65 should have annual eye exams. The first eye exam for children is recommended at six months of age.
Is the eye test chart available online?
Is an eye vision test reliable?
What is done in the vision test?
How to do an eye test at home?
Several websites offer the option to get an eye test online at home. You must stand ten feet from your computer and read the letters in the eye chart aloud. Some tests require using an app that allows you to type the letters on your smartphone while reading them on your computer.
The results are then evaluated by a licensed eye doctor and are sent to you via email within 24 hours.
What is OCT EYE TEST?
Is Lenskart eye test free?
How to test eye power at home?
Who specialises in eye check tests?
What is the best eye test chart?
The Snellen chart is the most commonly used eye test chart to check visual acuity. It is a classic chart of big and small letters, typically used by eye care professionals to determine if you need corrective glasses for your vision. Other eye charts include the LogMAR chart, E chart, Jaeger chart, and Landolt C chart.
Can I do an eyesight test on my phone?
What eye number is normal?
How do I know I need glasses?
What is the cost of an eyesight test?
What are the benefits of eye tests online?
How frequently should an eyesight test be done?
An eye test frequency depends on the patient’s age.
- Adults in their 20’s and 30’s should get an eye test once every 2-3 years
- Adults aged 40-64 should get an eye test once every two years
- Adults aged 65 and above should get a comprehensive eye exam every year
Are there any disadvantages of online eye vision tests?
Yes, online eye vision tests have certain limitations. While they may offer convenience, they are not as accurate as in-person tests. Due to the absence of an eye care professional during the test, there is always room for errors.
Furthermore, you need to wait 24 hours for the test results compared to a 20-30 minute visit to an ophthalmologist, where you leave the clinic with your test results. Lastly, the test is not suitable for everyone as it does not detect eye conditions like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, etc.
What are the things you need for an eye test at home?
Can we do online eye testing for children?
Usually, online eye tests are limited to healthy adults between 18 to 39 years of age. However, certain online tests for visual acuity use E charts to test kids’ eyesight. An E chart has the letter ‘E’ in different directions (right, left, up, and down) and sizes.
The child is asked to state where the limbs of the letter E are facing. The child’s visual acuity is determined based on how far they can read.
Updated on : 27 February 2023
Reviewer
Dr. Aman Priya Khanna
MBBS, DNB General Surgery, Fellowship in Minimal Access Surgery, FIAGES
12 Years Experience
Dr Aman Priya Khanna is a well-known General Surgeon, Proctologist and Bariatric Surgeon currently associated with HealthFort Clinic, Health First Multispecialty Clinic in Delhi. He has 12 years of experience in General Surgery and worke...View More
Author
An enthusiastic writer with an eye for details and medical correctness. An avid reviewer and publisher. She emphasises authentic information and creates value for the readers. Earlier, she was involved in making ...View More