Tonometry
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What is the
test?
Tonometry is a test to measure pressure in your
eyeball. High pressure inside the eye is caused
by a disease called glaucoma, which can damage
your vision if it is not treated. It is recommended
that all adults over age 40 have their eye pressures
measured every three to five years to check for
glaucoma.
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How
do I prepare for the test?
Remove any contact lenses. Tell your doctor
if you have an eye infection or other type of
eye problem.
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What
happens when the test is performed?
The pressure inside your eye is always measured
from the outside. In most cases, if you are at
an eye clinic, the pressure can even be measured
without anything actually touching your eye.
The eye doctor has you look up close at an instrument
that blows a small puff of air onto your eye.
It then uses a special sensor (like a tiny radar
detector) to detect the amount of indentation
that the air puff causes on the surface of the
eye. This indentation is normal and lasts for
only a fraction of a second.
Sometimes patients need to have their eye pressure
measured but they are not in an eye clinic with
this type of machine (for example, some patients
need to be checked for glaucoma in an emergency
room). In this case, the pressure can be measured
with an instrument resembling a pen. One end
of the instrument is placed on the surface of
the eyeball. This feels like having a contact
lens put in your eye.
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What
risks are there from the test?
The test might make you feel like blinking,
but it does not cause any pain. There are no
risks from this test.
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Must
I do anything special after the test is over?
No.
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How
long is it before the result of the test is
known?
You can know the result of the test right away.
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