How to Test My Eyesight Online

They're not intended to be substitutes for eye examinations performed by specialists, but online vision tests are useful preliminary tools to help alert us to the existence of problems requiring treatment. While many disorders are easily corrected with prescription lenses, others may indicate serious conditions including cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes, strokes or brain tumor. Common symptoms of eye problems include difficulty focusing or reading, squinting, headaches, double vision, dry eyes when sitting in front of a television or computer screen, impaired night vision or depth perception, halos, blind spots and floaters.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape or ruler
• 2-inch by 3-inch piece of cardboard perforated by a 1/16-inch hole

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Instructions

• 1

  Perform a comprehensive search using the keywords "online vision tests" (without the quotes). This will yield millions of hits but you'll find a cross-section of highly reputable websites offering a wide range of free vision tests in the first couple of screens. Some feature only one kind of test while others offer various tests designed to zero-in on specific limitations.

• 2

  Search for "vision test acuity" (without the quotes). The Snellen Eye Chart, familiar to anyone who has ever had an eye examination in an optometrist's office, is the standard way of determining how sharp your vision is overall. At the top of the chart, the lines of letters are large, but gradually become smaller towards the bottom. Instructions for taking the online test vary, but all require sitting a specific distance from the computer monitor.

• 3

  Search for "vision test pinhole" (without the quotes). This test is designed to indicate whether reduced vision is easily correctable with prescription lenses or suggestive of serious eye disease. Testing one eye at a time, look at something that appears blurry, then look at the object again through the pinhole (to healthy eyes, it should appear sharper).

• 4

  Search for "vision test amsler" (without the quotes). The Amsler Grid is used to detect and monitor early signs of age-related macular degeneration, a serious eye disorder that causes blurred vision, distortion and blind spots. Print the grid from the website of your choice and test one eye at a time, keeping your glasses on if you wear them, and watching for any blurring or distortion.

• 5

  Search on "glaucoma risk factors" (without the quotes). Glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve and gradually lead to loss of vision and even blindness. In early stages, there may be no symptoms and even though only an eye doctor can perform the necessary tests for a diagnosis, certain groups of people are known to be at increased risk because of age, race or family history.

• 6

  Search on "vision test dominant" (without the quotes). In the same way that most people are right- or left-handed, one of our eyes tends to work harder and more efficiently than the other, and this is called eye dominance. Establishing which of your eyes is dominant is essential before vision problems can be corrected with prescription lenses or surgery.