Regular medical checkups are important to take care of yourself the right way. However, frequent checkups and unfamiliar medical tests can make the patient uncomfortable and hesitant for future checkups. Still, they hold importance and valid reasons to be carried out. If you have ever visited a doctor to check your eyes, you might have been familiar with the eye air puff test. It does seems like a strange concept and task when air is directly blown into your eyes to ensure their health and condition, but it has great significance to your eyes and their health. Here is all you need to know about the eye air puff test and why it’s done.
What Is the Eye Air Puff Test
The eye air puff test is done in a rough machine called a tonometer. In the procedure, a light puff of air is blown into your eyes while you are made to look into the light. Although this is a painless and quick test, it reveals vital information regarding how much pressure your eyes can withstand.
This pressure is called the IOP (intraocular pressure), measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The average range of this pressure is 12-22 mm Hg; anything out of this range can easily alarm your doctor regarding your eye’s health and vision.
As our eyes are naturally made with certain limitations and ranges for visibility, pressure endurance, and concentration, anything range fluctuation can instantly signify a problem or alteration in your vision.
The Reason for Eye Air Puff Test
The major purpose and sole reason for carrying out the eye air puff test are to see if a person is nearing or having Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease that indicates significant damage to your optic nerve that leads to complete vision loss.
Glaucoma is also the second biggest cause of blindness and the most intriguing fact is that this disease can’t be cured or repaired. If a person shows signs of this disease and the symptoms are recognized early, loss of vision can be prevented or, in some cases, even slowed down.
Although most eye-related issues can be cured and treated, some issues like Glaucoma have little to no cure, making it a serious and threatening issue for many patients around the globe. This is why it is important but crucial to get your eye air puff test done in your annual eye examination, so your doctor could recognize any signs of Glaucoma or vision loss.
Conclusion
Taking care of your eyes and their health is important, which is why regular checkups with the doctor are also equally important. The eye air puff test plays a major role in signifying and protecting your eyes from the incurable disease called Glaucoma. If you want to experience skilled eye checkups, contact our experts at Whitney Eye Care to book your appointment today.
