The purpose of regular eye exams is to detect vision problems such as refractive errors, which occur when the light in the eye is not reflected normally. Refractive errors include myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia.
Some of the other symptoms associated with refractive errors are seeing halos around light sources, glare, needing to squint to see, headaches, and eye strain.
These types of vision problems can be corrected through the use of prescription glasses, contact lenses, and other refractive error correction devices during a regular eye exam.
In most cases, a regular eye exam is performed by an optician. An optician is a technician who prescribes and fits corrective eyewear. They'll diagnose your refractive error and determine whether your eyes require a prescription (or prescriptions).
