Get a new eyeglasses prescription online without visiting a doctor
Do you need a glasses prescription without the hassle or expense of going to a doctor? Then you are like millions - even billions - of people in the world. And guess what? Soon you will be able to do just that. Online eye exams are coming. There are more than six companies racing to develop
FDA approved and
CE approved online applications that will produce an eyeglasses prescription for you. Unfortunately this will not work for contact lens prescriptions, because for contact lenses you need an in-person exam by a doctor. This is a rapidly evolving technology, and it will be available outside of the US before the US FDA gives its approval. This article will tell you everything you need to know.
Do you Require a Prescription?
If you want prescription lenses, you require a prescription. Do you need prescription lenses? Well, that depends. If you are having difficulty seeing objects or reading, then eyeglasses will improve your lifestyle, and also possibly your productivity in your job. Online eye exams will make prescriptions much more available to people that have been putting off going to the doctor.
If you think you have an eye problem, online vision testing should not be your first stop. Vision loss is serious and an online vision screening will not be sufficient for you. You need the monitoring devices that comprehensive eye exams offer.
How do you know if you need glasses?Your eyesight will decrease as you age. It doesn’t matter whether you need more light so you can discern certain objects, or whether you feel as though certain gradients are starting to blend into each other because some change is probably going to happen. That being said, not every alteration is going to mean that you need glasses. It may however, mean that you should think about taking an online eye exam. If you aren’t sure if you need prescription glasses or not, then below are some of the top red flags that you should be looking out for:
· Objects losing their shape
· The edges of items becoming fuzzy
· Double vision or blurring
· Eye fatigue
· Headaches
· Driving poorly at night
· Squinting to see
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive and the degree of change before you need to seek glasses will vary from person to person. If your change in eyesight is causing you a form of distress, then now is the time for you to find out if you need to be getting a prescription. If you want to find out if you can get a prescription from home, or if you want to take an online eye exam, take a look below.
Your vision will change over timeIt’s a given that your eyes change over time. You may have gone through most of your life with perfect vision, but unfortunately, this isn’t guaranteed to last forever. If you have noticed that you have vision problems because your vision isn’t quite as good as it once was, then now may be about time for you to look into getting some new glasses. That being said, it is not always easy for you to get a prescription. A lot of people are now looking into alternative options and some of them could mean that you can skip out on eye consultations and visiting your doctor. If you want to find out more about this, then take a look below to find out more.
FDA Approval and CE ApprovalThe United States FDA is in the process of approving these applications for a virtual vision test now. In Europe, some applications have received approval, and others are in the process. For both systems, the testing involves comparing prescriptions from online eye exams to prescription made by a doctor. If the result is close to the doctor's exam, the FDA will confirm that online eye exams and online vision tests work. Some services are available now and may require a reviewing eye care provider, and none of them substitute for a comprehensive eye health examination.
Support From DoctorsSurprisingly, American Optometric Association doctors are mostly in support of this effort. They believe that it will help people that are not seeing a doctor now, and it will bring more people in for eye exams that have serious eye conditions.
New prescription online, vision tests, prescription renewal, prescription scanner - what do these all mean?There are many websites that offer a variety of services, that all do something slightly different. But all these services require a test using a computer screen.
New Prescription Online:
Just like it sounds, you get a new prescription online. This is not currently approved by the FDA in any form. In some European countries, it is available IF a real doctor can look it over. It does not replace a routine eye exam, but does produce a valid prescription that can be used to make corrective lenses. It remains to be seen if these will be a free eye exam or not.
Vision Test
This test simply tells you if you have perfect vision. If not, it will tell you that you would benefit from some kind of vision care, vision correction or corrective eyewear.
Prescription renewal
This is mostly for contact lenses wearers, who need to refill their prescription to get a renewed prescription. In the United States, this is required in order to buy contact lenses. You use your existing prescription and get it renewed. This can only be done with a valid prescription. Online prescription renewal is currently available in the US for contact lens prescription. Contact lens prescription renewals are common, but do not take the place of a comprehensive eye exam. A current prescription is required, and this is not an eye health examination.
Prescription scanner
This is a tool that will look at your eyeglass lenses to determine what prescription is in those lenses.
How do you Get a Prescription?There are two ways that you can get an eye prescription. The traditional route would be for you to undergo a comprehensive in person eye exam, so that the doctor can develop an ocular health profile and this is still required if you need contact lenses. In some instances, you can undergo an online eye exam, or you can take an online vision test. Online vision tests are now so advanced, that they are just as accurate as a standard vision test from your optometrist.
Online eye tests determine a patient's visual acuity in a remote ophthalmic assessment using contrast sensitivity and contrast vision, which is determined by asking you a series of questions as you move through the online test. The prescription online is currently reviewed by a board certified ophthalmologist, but in the future that may not be necessary. The online tests will not require an in person eye exam, or a prior prescription. Your prescription online will include a distance vision test and will result in an eyeglass prescription but not a contacts prescription. Contact lens prescription will still require a board certified ophthalmologist or a board certified optometrist or other registered eye care professional using specialized equipment to get the appropriate diagnostic value, which will prohibit patients frame getting imperfectly sized contact lenses.
Will online eye exams replace a doctor's visit?Online exams are evolving, and do not take the place of a visit to an eye doctor. Online eye exams are a good way to determine IF you need vision correction, and to get a prescription for eyewear. As the technology develops, online eye exams may be able to detect eye disease and conditions, and may be able to warn you to see a doctor. At the moment, however, only eye doctors will be able to diagnose serious problems.
What is a comprehensive eye exam?When undergoing a comprehensive eye health exam, an optometrist will want to give your eyes a check-over for visual acuity. The vision test that they will do will vary, from eye chart readings to very complex examinations. They will also try and map out the structure of your eye by using a very high-powered lens. The duration can vary here, and most of the time it will depend on the tests that have been done already. The test can take an hour or more to complete as well but at the end of the day, this is one of the most thorough methods that you can use to try and get the prescription you need. You can take an online vision test if you want, and this will usually be shorter. That being said, visiting an eye doctor is usually required if you get poor results from your online vision test.