FAQ about the Eye Exam
- What to Expect

What actually happens in an Eye Test?

During your eye exam, your Optometrist will determine how well you can see, with and without your best glasses prescription. This is usually done by asking you what you see through various lenses and comparing which ones are clearer for you.

How do I know if I need an eyetest?

Does an eye test hurt?

How much does it usually cost?

Why are glasses sometimes expensive?

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Your Optometrist will determine how well your eyes work as a team (Binocular Coordination). Problems here are often the cause of eyestrain symptoms and you would benefit from eye exercises.

They will also examine the health of your eyes, mainly shining bright lights at you to get a good look at the insides of your eyeballs, and at the front of your eyes.

You should have an examination to detect any signs of

• Macular Degeneration
• Glaucoma
• Cataracts

at least every two years.

Here's some great reasons to have your eyes examined at least every two years: "Three scares that prove the value of regular eye exams"

Of course, your Optometrist will let you know if there are signs of other rarer problems if they are found.

How do I know if I need an eyetest?

If you have any of the following symptoms you should have an examination:

• blurry vision
• difficulty focussing
• eyestrain
• headaches
• double vision
• flashing lights
• spots floating in your vision
• difficulty seeing at night
• vision slow to adjust when looking at a different distance
• words jumbling on the page or losing your place a lot

Does an eye test hurt?

A routine examination does not hurt at all. The examining lights can be bright, but these are only for short moments.

If for various reasons you need a medicated eye drop (eg anaesthetic for measuring eye pressure, or dilating drops), these sting a little bit for about 30 seconds.

What does an eye exam cost?

In Australia, Medicare regulates the cost of many types of eye examinations. A routine comprehensive eye examination will cost you $68.35.

After your Medicare rebate of $58.10, you are out of pocket less than $10 for a thorough eye examination! How good is that!

The full rebate is available once every two years, but if you have new signs/symptoms or a progressive eye problem, you are likely to get the full rebate as well.

So don't wait for it to be two years if you are noticing a problem - just get it sorted out! If you are not yet eligible for the full rebate, you still get $29.10 back.

Why are glasses expensive?

Proper glasses are custom made to order. They are made to your exact prescription, which is often a little different one eye to another, let alone different to everyone else's. They are made to your interpupillary distance (Distance between the optical centres of your eyes).

They are made and cut to your chosen frame, to sit directly in front of where your eyes sit compared to that one frame.

This means that there are in excess of 50,760,000 possible combinations that form your unique prescription!! This doesn't take into account other choices like whether you want Transitions or an Antireflective coating, or tinting...

Government Assistance is available in NSW through VisionCare. It is a means-tested program that provides basic glasses free of charge to eligible persons. See the Visioncare website for full details.

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