Why the eye doctor blow a puff of air into my eye during an eye exam-
Table of Contents
What it is?
Puffer Test
A puffer test is a specific form of glaucoma testing that measures eye pressure (intraocular pressure).
Most people who have had a comprehensive eye exam are familiar with the Puffer test. The puffer test is what it sounds like: With your head resting on the chin rest of a diagnostic device called a slit lamp, your eye doctor uses a puff of air across the surface of the eye to measure the intraocular pressure, the “inside” pressure, of the eye.
High pressure is a key indicator of glaucoma, a range of eye diseases that attack the optic nerve.
How does the puffer test work?
Puff tests are quick and usually painless. You will look at the light inside the device while your eye doctor gently blows air over the surface of your open eye. A device called a tonometer measures the eye’s resistance to air and calculates your intraocular pressure.
This usually only takes a few moments, and although your eye may water slightly, the procedure is generally over before you know it!
The puffer test is part of glaucoma testing and is a routine part of a comprehensive eye exam. Glaucoma is a serious disease of the optic nerve and often manifests itself only after vision has deteriorated – that is why it is so important to have the intraocular pressure measured.
If you’ve ever had a comprehensive eye exam, you may be familiar with the eye puff test. Why do doctors do this? What are they testing for? It seems like an odd concept, but eye doctors have good reasons for what they do to keep your eyes healthy and in tip-top shape. Here is an explanation of how and why eye doctors often perform the Air Inflation Test (technically known as NCT, non-contact tonometry).
How does the eye puff test work?
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The air puff test is exactly what it sounds like: a machine called a tonometer blows a light puff of air into your eye while you look into the light.
Although the test is quick and painless, it reveals important information about the actual pressure your eyes can withstand. This is called your intraocular pressure (IOP). IOP is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Normal-pressure ranges from 12-22 mm Hg. Any eye doctor will be on high alert if your eye pressure happens to fall out of this range.
Why do optometrists use the eye air puff test?
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The overall purpose of the air puff test is to determine if the patient is at risk for glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease in which your optic nerve is progressively damaged to the point where vision is completely lost. This disease is the second most common cause of blindness, and unfortunately, the loss of vision caused by glaucoma cannot be corrected.
If the signs of glaucoma are recognized early, vision loss can often be prevented or at least slowed. This is why it is important to have an eye swelling test (non-contact tonometry test) during your annual eye exam.
Tonometry is a quick and simple test that checks the pressure in the eyes. The results can help your doctor determine if you are at risk for glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a disease in which the optic nerve (optic nerve) is gradually damaged over time, resulting in vision loss. This disease is often associated with increased eye pressure. Identifying this elevated eye pressure and trying to lower it is the only known way to prevent blindness from glaucoma. Early screening can help protect your vision and slow vision loss.
Why do I need this test?
Your eyes are filled with various fluids that keep them healthy. New fluid is constantly being produced and old fluid is being drained. But if this drainage system becomes clogged, fluids build up. This causes the pressure inside your eyes to rise.
Sometimes the pressure is caused by an eye injury or trauma. Once your eye is healed, everything can go back to normal. But some people have a drainage system that doesn’t work as it should.
Over time, high pressure inside the eye can damage your optic nerve, which sends images from your eyes to your brain. If left untreated, it can cause glaucoma.
Since the disease usually has no symptoms, regular eye examinations are good. Your eye doctor will check your eye pressure by performing a tonometry test. They can also track any changes in pressure over time.
Anyone can get glaucoma, but your chances are higher if you:
They are over 40
- Having a family member with glaucoma
- Are they African, Hispanic or Asian
- He had an eye injury
- They are farsighted or nearsighted
- You have been told that your corneas are thin in the middle
- Do you have diabetes
- Get migraines
- You have circulation (blood flow) problems.
What happens during a tonometric test?
Your doctor can check your eye pressure in several different ways:
Tonometer. After putting special numbing drops into your eye, your doctor will gently hold this pencil-shaped device on the outside of your eyeball. The reading tells how well your cornea is pushing back.
“A breath of air. Your doctor might also use an instrument that blows a small puff of air into your eye while you look into the light. It also measures the pressure inside your eyeball.
Both of these methods are painless and only take a few seconds. If your doctor performs an “air puff” test, you may feel a little pressure on your eye.
What do the results mean?
Eye pressure varies from person to person. It is normally somewhere between 12-22 mmHg (“millimeters of Mercury”). Most people diagnosed with glaucoma have an eye pressure greater than 20 mmHg.
If your eye pressure is high but your optic nerve looks normal, you may have what is called “ocular hypertension.” You may not have any symptoms, but this can lead to glaucoma over time.
Some people with ocular hypertension never end up with glaucoma. Others develop it even when their eye pressure falls within the normal range. For this reason, tonometry is only part of a complete eye examination. These results, along with other vision tests, help your doctor get a better idea of your eye health. They will also talk to you about your medical history and any symptoms you have.
If the test shows that you have high eye pressure, your doctor can monitor it closely by having you go for regular checkups. Or they may decide to lower the pressure by prescribing eye drops to take every day. They help protect your optic nerve from future damage and could save your sight in the long run.
