Why Online Eye Tests Can’t Replace Your Optometrist

In this digital age, it is easy to purchase ready made spectacles at flea markets, even supermarkets, and now order spectacles and also undergo digital visual examinations online. May sound great, but beware, there are numerous pitfalls and risks . 

The eye has long been called “the window to the soul” but today it is also a window into your overall health, the one and only place in the body where an optometrist or medical doctor can have an unobstructed view of our blood vessels, nerves, and connecting tissue without any need for surgery. This provides amazing opportunities to monitor eye health and thereby assist in the early detection and diagnosis of disease. This, of course leads to earlier treatment and better outcomes and many conditions, like glaucoma and macular degeneration, show no symptoms until vision loss occurs.

Sight is our primary way of gathering information, with humans perceiving as much as 80% of their environmental impressions through vision. People value vision more than any other sense, including hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Whether, over-the-counter or online ordering, nothing can replace the relationship and communication accompanied by good advice, accountability, and the responsibility of your Optometrist. 

In-person exams are governed by professional standards, licensure and documentation, protocols that protect you as the patient.

Byron Hollander after over 40 years in practice takes these interpersonal relationships and care very seriously taking pride in evaluating and caring for your eyes. This path leads to a superior outcome in diagnosis and correction whether spectacles or contact lenses. 

In an age of digital convenience, it’s tempting to believe that a few clicks on the computer could replace a comprehensive eye examination, but nothing could be further from the truth as vision is more than a prescription, it’s a window into your overall health, your safety and your future. And that window deserves more than a webcam.

Please contact Hollander Optometrist for an appointment!

Written with appreciation and approval by Colin Tonkil, contributor to Hollander Optometrists.

Hollander Optometrists – Caring for Your Eyes