Are You a Righty or Lefty? To determine whether your right or left eye is your dominant sighting eye, hold a piece of paper with a 1-inch hole in the centre, with both hands at arms length. With both eyes open sight a distant object through the hole. Move the paper slowly toward your face. Which eye is looking through the hole? That is your dominant eye.

About Your Eye Exam

Sight Test or Eye Exam: Know the Difference

If you're taking the time to have your eyes checked, it makes good sense to ensure that you get a complete eye exam. Some retail optical stores are now offering "sight tests" that are not done by an optometrist. Before you get a "sight test", there are a few things that you should know:

A "sight test" does NOT tell the whole story. Other factors such as binocular vision (how your eyes work together) and accommodation (how well your eyes adjust their focus) also impact the spectacle prescription that your optometrist gives you. You could develop eyestrain, headaches, or even double vision if these additional elements are not taken into proper consideration. Your optometrist may recommend vision therapy in addition to/or instead of glasses or contact lenses.

A complete eye exam includes more than just a "sight test" to assess your prescription for glasses or contact lenses. Regular visits to your optometrist are the best way to detect eye health problems such as cataracts and glaucoma in time for effective treatment. These visits could also uncover serious overall health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes or thyroid disorders.

Your Doctor of Optometry can prescribe topical medications to treat or control certain eye conditions, infections or diseases such as bacterial conjunctivitis or pink eye. Infections or diseases like glaucoma or diabetes will NOT be detected by a "sight test". Don't settle for anything less than a complete eye examination by a trained doctor.