A slit lamp isone of the devicesthat your healthcare provider may use for checking the health of your eyes.
What Is a Slit Lamp?
A slit lamp is a microscope with a bright light that can be focused into a thin beam.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
A slit-lamp examination is a non-invasive test, and it is not harmful.
A slit lamp can only be used to observe your eyesit is not used for a therapeutic procedure.
Your chin will rest on a chin rest, and your forehead against a forehead strap.
This is not uncomfortable and it helps keep your head positioned properly for the exam.
It helps make abnormalities in the cornea and frontal areas more visible.
When you blink, your tears wash the dye away.
After the dilation drops are added, it takes about 15 to 20 minutes for them to work.
Side Effects
In most cases, dilating drops don’t cause adverse effects.
However, the dilating drops can temporarily make your vision blurry and your eyes sensitive to light.
This will wear off after a few hours.
The exam can also detect a problem with your eye or eyes.
Other diseases of the eye can be diagnosed during a slit lamp exam.
Still, only half visited an eye practitioner in the past twelve months.
An eye examination is safe, painless, and only takes about an hour of your time.
It is beneficial to be proactive and have regular eye examinations to help keep your eyes in good health.
National Eye Institute.Get a dilated eye exam.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a slit lamp?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fast facts: vision loss.
