How To Make An Eye Pressure Test Easier On Yourself

Having the pressure in your eyes checked is an important part of any eye exam. Early detection of an abnormal pressure can help eye doctors to diagnose serious eye diseases that can potentially rob people of their sight. By catching them early on, treatment is usually possible, and vision can be preserved. However, that doesn't mean that eye pressure tests are easy or fun.

If you have difficulty with eye pressure tests, give these three tips a try to make it to have the test performed successfully and comfortably.

Relaxation Exercise

Before you even have your eyes numbed, it's a good idea to take a moment to sit quietly with yourself and breathe. Take deep, slow breaths, and consider what's about to happen. Although it might fill you with dread, try to focus on the importance of the test. Think about how little time it takes to complete and feel gratitude that the test isn't painful or even uncomfortable.

Continue this process until it's time to begin the test. You can also continue the breathing exercise while your eye pressure is taken.

Dim the Lights

Although your eyes will always be numbed thoroughly before performing the test, it's still very likely that you will blink during the test. This is because your eyes can still see something coming straight at them, and it's instinctive to blink in order to protect your eyes. Unfortunately, if you blink, the test usually has to be started over, since it temporarily alters the pressure of your eyes.

To make this problem easier, ask the nurse of technician to dim the lights slightly while you have your eyes tested. This will make it harder to see the pressure test pen coming towards your eyes, and should make it easier to resist blinking.

Hold Your Eyelids Open

Lastly, don't be afraid to ask if you can hold your eyelids open while the test is done. While you will still have to deal with having the eye pressure pen touching your eye, this will keep you from blinking at all. Without blinking, the test will be over very quickly and you'll be able to put the whole process behind you in no time.

Eye pressure tests are an important aspect of getting your vision and eye health checked, but they can be difficult to withstand. If you still have difficulty with this process, talk to your eye doctor to see what your options are.