Tests & Diagnosis of Cataracts

Cataracts occur when the lens of an eye becomes cloudy or filmy. While cataracts typically don't cause pain or irritation, they frequently affect the sufferer's vision. Eye doctors perform several routine eye exams to diagnose a cataract.

Visual Acuity Tests

• A visual acuity eye exam uses an eye chart to determine the clarity and sharpness of both distance and reading vision. Eye doctors try out various corrective lenses to see if a patient's vision would be improved with glasses.

Slit-Lamp Examinations

• Slit lamps are special microscopes that use intense lines of light to illuminate the lens, iris and cornea. Eye doctors use slit lamps to examine the external parts of the eye for cataracts.

Visual Field Tests

• Eye doctors frequently use visual field tests to determine a patient's range of peripheral, or side, vision.

Dilated Eye Exams

• Eye professionals use drops that dilate, or widen, the pupils. This allows doctors to examine the internal parts of the eye, such as the optic nerve and retina.

Tonometry Tests

• A tonometry eye exam measures the fluid pressure, called the aqueous humor, inside the eye. Increased pressure typically signifies glaucoma rather than cataracts.

Diagnosis

• Ophthalmologists and optometrists diagnose cataracts by performing the eye examinations mentioned above and ruling out other eye conditions, such as glaucoma, astigmatism and age-related farsightedness.