How to Diagnose Eye Symptoms

The eyes are a complicated sensory organ and very fragile. In general, eye problems can be diagnosed based on their symptoms and the results from several different tests and examinations.

Things You'll Need

• Ophthalmoscope
• Slit lamp

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Instructions

How to Diagnose Eye Symptoms

• 1

  Identify the symptoms. This involves the patient describing the symptoms--both the type and location (i.e. where he experiences them). The patient will also need to explain when the symptoms first started.

• 2

  Perform an eye examination. This will allow a doctor to get a better idea of what is happening with the eye. At the very least, a visual field exam should be done as well as an examination using an ophthalmoscope.

• 3

  Examine the areas around the eyes. Often symptoms can be diagnosed by looking at the eyelids and the whites of the eyes as well as other parts of the body. For example, diabetic retinopathy can often be identified by looking at the tips of the feet.

• 4

  Perform a slit lamp field examination. Slit lamps are binocular microscopes mounted to a table, which shine a light directly into the eye. A slit lamp will allow an eye doctor to view all of the eye under high magnification with better 3-D visualization. This can be particularly useful if dilating eye drops are used.

• 5

  Measure eye pressure. This is also known as tonometry, which allows for a measurement of the pressure in the aqueous humor, the part of the eye that can experience pressure changes as a result of various eye diseases.

• 6

  Correlate symptoms with diseases. All of these tests will help identify abnormalities in the eyes and other areas of the body that will help link the symptoms with a specific disease.