Free Vision Test

[DanZemke]

One classic vision test, uses a rectangular chart with rows of letters, decreasing in size.  It's called a Snellen eye chart.  It measures your visual acuity (ability to see small details).  You can easily make your own chart and test yourself or others.  It can be printed out on paper or displayed on a computer monitor.  I don't have trouble seeing.  And I prefer to test myself, rather than depending on a professional to do it for me.  It's much easier, and just as accurate.

BUT, the test only measures visual acuity and doesn't exempt you from the need to have periodic eye exams, to detect other potential problems.

Click on the following link to get your own copy.  When you do, immediately below the eye chart, there's  a big oval labeled "Safe Eyes America Letter Test PDF". Click on that button to get the instructions for use and an image of the chart.

Safe Eyes America Home Eye Test

Edited January 15 by DanZemke
added the for need periodic eye exams

[2gypsies]

I don't understand what testing yourself would accomplish.  If you have trouble seeing then go to a professional.

[DanZemke]

9 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

I don't understand what testing yourself would accomplish.  If you have trouble seeing then go to a professional.

I don't have trouble seeing.  And I prefer to test myself, rather than depending on a professional to do it for me.  It's much easier, and just as accurate.

Driver's license requirements, for Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), vary from 20/40 to 20/120, depending on the State in the US.  My current state (CT), requires a BCVA of 20/40. 

I've had a small cataract in my left eye for about 5 years that is slowly growing. My latest BCVA test result for my left eye is 20/40.

Driving Restrictions Per State

Edited January 15 by DanZemke
clarity

[Wrknrvr]

    I think knowing where there is a test for vision on line would be a great idea.

   In August 2020 I was having some odd vision problems. It was confusing at the time. I was not sure what was happening.

     Finally called a optometrist at Costco.

 

   I had no idea about vision problems before. Other than glasses and the normal things you hear of people experience. When I explained it to people I knew. Yea your nuts too.

 

  This was a Friday. She said come in on Monday. On my way to the optometrist on Monday, I could not see stop lights with my left eye. Nor could I see tail lights on a automobile in front of me.

   Finally got to see the optometrist. She looked in both eyes. She got up immediately. Left the room. She came back in with a business card that had address on it.

   She said they are waiting for you. Go immediately there.

   I walked in, told them who I was. They immediately had me in different rooms testing. Finally ophthalmologist said I am going to stick a needle in your eye. Then in a few days I want you back to repeat the same thing on your other eye.

   The vision in both eyes had problems that took maybe 6 weeks to develop until I seen the first ophthalmologist.

 

    I since have regained vision really well in both eyes. Still use glasses.

 

   The two different ophthalmologist i have seen are still confused as to what happened. Or will not admit it.

 

   This has been I real experience for me. Very frustrating as to not knowing what to do when I first had symptoms. I Had no idea what to do or how to explain it to doctors.

 

   I have had my normal doctor check ups every year. Take no prescription medication.

   February 28th I will visit my ophthalmologist or a six month check up.

   The one thing I can say is if you have odd problems with anything medical. Writing it down. It will keep track of what is happening. It  gives the doctor a much better information to understand the situation.

 

   Not knowing it, I was describing my situation on a forum post . That was not related to anything medical. I can go back to that forum posting and see when I was first experiencing minor problems.

 

  Be safe ,   Vern

 

[Chalkie]

3 hours ago, DanZemke said:

I don't have trouble seeing.  And I prefer to test myself, rather than depending on a professional to do it for me.  It's much easier, and just as accurate.

Driver's license requirements, for Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), vary from 20/40 to 20/120, depending on the State in the US.  My current state (CT), requires a BCVA of 20/40. 

I've had a small cataract in my left eye for about 5 years that is slowly growing. My latest BCVA test result for my left eye is 20/40.

Driving Restrictions Per State

I find it interesting that your self test even advises that:

Quote

It is not a substitute for an eye examination and doing well does NOT mean that you do not need an eye exam. 

You know that you have a cataract and having had two I think I know a bit about them. They can also alter your color perception in addition to or instead of visual acuity. That is, in fact, how my first one was discovered. I went in for an eye exam to get new glasses and the optometrist discovered a discrepancy in my color vision, and that was before he even looked in my eyes. 

Your same link also recommends:

Quote

... all adults at the age of 40 complete a comprehensive, baseline eye exam. Problems with glaucoma and cataracts start to become more frequent ...

The link only tests acuity, it does not test for glaucoma nor does it have the ability to test color or to measure the actual size of your cataract to see what it is doing. Even if you got that baseline exam without professional follow-ups you have no idea what is changing or has changed. 

You do as you see fit, personally I will stick with seeing the experts.

[Kirk W]

34 minutes ago, Chalkie said:

You do as you see fit, personally I will stick with seeing the experts.

Edited January 15 by Kirk W

[DanZemke]

2 hours ago, Chalkie said:

The link only tests acuity, it does not test for glaucoma nor does it have the ability to test color or to measure the actual size of your cataract to see what it is doing. Even if you got that baseline exam without professional follow-ups you have no idea what is changing or has changed. 

You do as you see fit, personally I will stick with seeing the experts.

Chalkie,

Thanks for pointing out that my post could be misinterpreted.  I've modified it to hopefully forestall any further confusion.

My cataract causes slight double vision in one eye that doesn't impede me in any way.  The ophthalmologist I consulted a few years ago, said that if it were her, she would not have the lens replaced until it did. 

p.s. I believe in taking an active part in my health. This book, by Eric Topol was particularly influential.

The Patient Will See You Now: The Future of Medicine is in Your Hands

Edited January 15 by DanZemke
added post script

[DanZemke]

3 hours ago, Wrknrvr said:

The one thing I can say is if you have odd problems with anything medical. Writing it down. It will keep track of what is happening. It  gives the doctor a much better information to understand the situation.

Yes, "writing it down" is very wise advice. 

Given my fading memory, it can also help me avoid asking for a vaccination I've already had.  ;-)

Thanks!

Edited January 15 by DanZemke
clarity

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Easy vision test. If I can't hit the Army High Percentage Shot Target at 200 meters with iron sights, it's time to see the eye doc again.

[DanZemke]

Your do-it yourself approach sounds like a lot more fun than my test!

Related, but slightly off-topic, useful information:

2 years ago, I had a Costco eye test and was told that my internal eye pressure was very close to being too high.  So I booked an appointment with an ophthalmologist.  

She told me my interocular pressure was fine and my glaucoma risk was low.  My unusually thick corneas had caused the misleading test results. 

The important take-away is that if you are ever told that the pressure in your eyes it too high,  make sure you your doctor knows the thickness of your corneas.   It would be a shame to start taking medications you didn't actually need.

Average cornea thickness is between 540 and 560 µm.  A thick cornea is 565 or more, and a very thick cornea is greater than 600.  My corneas are 600 and 604.  BTW, she said cornea thickness is established at birth and doesn't normally change.

For anyone that would like a little more information on this topic, here a link to a single page of good information on the Glaucoma Research Foundation's website.

The Importance of Corneal Thickness

Edited January 17 by DanZemke
fixed bad link

[Ray,IN]

About 18 years ago a hard blow to my head affected my vision that afternoon, so I called my eye Dr. He said come in immediately. When I arrived he took be right in, examined my eyes, then rushed out of the room.  He returned a few minutes later with a business card of an eye surgeon and appt. the next day.

That Dr. examined my again then told me their surgery room was ready; I had detached retinas in both eyes from the blow. Two months later I was recovered. Later  I had cateract surgery, both eyes, and the implants so far don't require cleaning with a laser but my near vision has declined to where I require reading glasses.

During my annual eye exam about 5 years ago the Dr. determined I had border-line high pressure in my eyes.  He immediately put me on eye drops to control internal eye pressure. Now the internal pressure is within the normal range and holding steady.  He said there is no solution after one develops Glaucoma and I'll be on those eye drops the rest of my life.

 

Bottom line to this is, your eyes are nothing to screw around with_ unless you don't mind blindness. Spend the money and time before it's too late.

[sandsys]

I also have drops to keep my eye pressure down somewhat. When I had my cataract surgery the pressure shot up for one day but short-term special drops brought it back down. The next glaucoma test showed no significant change.

Linda

[kb0zke]

In 2020 we did a two-week build at Hobbs, NM with Care-A-Vanners. When it was over we returned to our lot at The Ranch. As I was doing the outside stuff I noticed a green area to the lower right. Huh? I moved my had into that area and my hand was behind the green blob. I went into the Foretravel and told Jo Ann that I thought I had a detached retina. This was Sunday evening, and we both had regularly scheduled eye doctor visits in Roswell the next day. We headed to the hospital in Artesia, wrongly thinking that, if it was a detached retina, they would probably send me to the hospital in Roswell. The various people I talked to in Artesia didn't know any more than I did, and they even called the University hospital in Albuquerque. That hospital said to go home and tell the eye doctor about it the next day, so we did.

Jo Ann got her regular eye exam. The doctor looked in my eye, then left the room. A few minutes later we were both called into the office and told that we were to head up to Albuquerque immediately. You well-traveled Escapees know that Roswell is about an hour north of The Ranch, and ABQ is several hours past Roswell. We headed back to The Ranch, packed a suitcase, and headed back north. The next day I saw an eye doctor at the University hospital, who said I would have surgery the next day. Surgery went well, and after a quick checkup, we were on our way back to The Ranch.

This was February, 2020. Shortly after we got back, the governor shut New Mexico down. Jo Ann's new glasses were delivered to the eye doctor in Roswell, but they didn't want her to get them. She objected to that, and eventually they decided that, since she had already paid for them, they had to deliver them to her, so she was permitted to walk in, get the new glasses fitted, and immediately leave. I couldn't get a regular eye exam because that wasn't considered medically necessary by the governor.

In July of 2020 we left The Ranch for my two-year stint as the Interim part-time Head Teacher at Trinity Lutheran School, Riverton, WY. As we were leaving Roswell, heading toward I-25, the eye doctor's office called. The governor had finally decided to allow eye exams. I told them we were heading out, and they asked when we would be back. I said two years. I got the eye exam in Riverton.

[DanZemke]

Ray and David - those are some pretty harrowing stories.  In the spring of 1972 when I and my wife to-be were still full-time students. I was on my motorcycle and a doctor in a black Cadillac t-boned me. Luckily, I landed on bushes in the center divider. 3 months later, we were married.  With me in a full-leg cast and still on crutches.  So I think I was even luckier than you two were.

Back to eyes. My father used eye drops because his eye pressure was near the danger line.  We were thankful that he never got glaucoma.  But in retrospect, he probably would have been fine without the eye-drops.  Since cornea thickness is usually inherited and my mother never had an eye pressure problem, my dad probably had thick coronas, like mine.  If so, he probably didn't need to take the eye drops.  Oh well, taking eye drops doesn't appear to be very disruptive.  

But people with thin corneas run the risk of thinking all is well until glaucoma symptoms appear.  Bummer.

I wonder what percentage of adults know if they have thin corneas?  My guess it's a small percentage - sad. :-(

[DanZemke]

7 hours ago, sandsys said:

I also have drops to keep my eye pressure down somewhat.

 

Some what?  :-(

Hopefully you can do better.  Please do.

[sandsys]

On 1/17/2024 at 8:50 PM, DanZemke said:

Some what?  😞

Hopefully you can do better.  Please do.

Borderline pressure numbers with drops but vision field is not getting worse so settling for that.

Linda

[Ray,IN]

On 1/17/2024 at 9:38 PM, DanZemke said:

Ray and David - those are some pretty harrowing stories.  In the spring of 1972 when I and my wife to-be were still full-time students. I was on my motorcycle and a doctor in a black Cadillac t-boned me. Luckily, I landed on bushes in the center divider. 3 months later, we were married.  With me in a full-leg cast and still on crutches.  So I think I was even luckier than you two were.

Back to eyes. My father used eye drops because his eye pressure was near the danger line.  We were thankful that he never got glaucoma.  But in retrospect, he probably would have been fine without the eye-drops.  Since cornea thickness is usually inherited and my mother never had an eye pressure problem, my dad probably had thick coronas, like mine.  If so, he probably didn't need to take the eye drops.  Oh well, taking eye drops doesn't appear to be very disruptive.  

But people with thin corneas run the risk of thinking all is well until glaucoma symptoms appear.  Bummer.

I wonder what percentage of adults know if they have thin corneas?  My guess it's a small percentage - sad. 😞

Wait_ married the doctor. Just kidding, that's the way I read it though.

One does not think of life without vision, until you begin having issues, then often it's too late.

My dad and I and a neighbor were rabbit hunting and dads gun barrel hit a small thorn tree branch, the branch flipped off the barrel and a thorn hit dads right eye. Well, his generation seldom went to a Dr. so he didn't even though his eye was watering severely. By the time he realized he was having vision problems and went to an eye Dr. it was too late, all the fluid had leaked out of his eye,

About 15 years later he began to see shadows with his left eye so returned to that eye DR. Well, the Dr decided if dad had eye surgery it might help; but the surgery made him permanently blind, plus it got infected. That resulted in the eye being removed and a  glass eye inserted.

All that because dad refused to go to the Dr. as soon as we got home from hunting.

Edited January 19 by Ray,IN

[Vladimir]

On 1/14/2024 at 3:20 PM, DanZemke said:

Safe Eyes America Home Eye Test

Thanks for posting the link. 

I was just at my regular Dr. office and he had an eye chart on the wall.  I almost asked him if I could steal it!!

Thought I could probably buy one on Amazon.  But this is much better, giving me access to an eye chart whenever I travel, etc. etc.

Thanks for the book reference, our library has it and I will check it out.

On 1/14/2024 at 8:37 PM, 2gypsies said:

I don't understand what testing yourself would accomplish.  If you have trouble seeing then go to a professional.

I am really picky about my vision.  I get my contact lenses corrected to 20/15.  But it is much worse than that!!

I have astigmatism and my contacts are weighed to rotate into the correct location.  The eye chart quickly tells me how off my contact is for astigmatism correction.  Sometimes, I get a "bad" contact and usually it is just off to 20/20 or 20/30, so I "suffer" for a month until it is time to replace.  For me, it is a question of a bad contact or just poor rotation of the lens.  I have my favorite set of trees on the ridge line to check my vision, the eye chart is easier.

But it gets better.  I also have a specific set of contacts made for astronomy use.  Night myopia is not a serious condition, but boy do you see more stars when you have contacts for night use as opposed to a prescription for day use.  I need to spend more time getting the perfect night prescription, and the eye chart is perfect for that.  Yes, I did sit in the dark for 15 minutes before getting my "night" prescription. 

Aren't you glad your not my optometrist??

Almost forgot, since I always wear contacts I only carry glasses for emergency use, like losing a contact.  So I can now sort my "old" glasses and know which ones are the best for emergency use or whether I need to buy a new set.

Aren't you glad you asked the question??

 

Edited January 23 by Vladimir

[2gypsies]

Thanks for your explanation.  You keep busy!

[DanZemke]

On 1/23/2024 at 12:09 PM, Vladimir said:

Thanks for posting the link.

You're welcome !

Edited January 26 by DanZemke
clarity

[GlennWest]

I envy people that can use contacts. I tried many pairs and never could see well with them. See decent with glasses

[kb0zke]

To each his own. I've had eye doctors try to talk me into plastic lenses and contacts. I always say no to both. I have glass lenses with lined trifocals. Yes, I'm old-fashioned and stubborn. Glass lenses have worked just fine for me for 65 years, so why change now.

[GlennWest]

They would have been beneficial in my line of work. Respirators and glasses don't work. 

[sandsys]

14 hours ago, kb0zke said:

To each his own. I've had eye doctors try to talk me into plastic lenses and contacts. I always say no to both. I have glass lenses with lined trifocals. Yes, I'm old-fashioned and stubborn. Glass lenses have worked just fine for me for 65 years, so why change now.

I'm with you. I have lined, wide bifocals. The line helps hide the bags under my eyes.

Linda Sand

ps. I was a bookkeeper when I got my first bifocals and the wide lower part let me see a whole journal without getting seasick from having to move my head back and forth. Regular bifocals don't offer you peripheral vision.