Cornea Health Screening
The cornea is the transparent part that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber of the eyes. The cornea’s main function is to refract and focus most of the light that enters the eyes, making it accountable for approximately two-thirds of the eyes’ total optical power.
Composed of proteins and cells, the cornea has the ability to repair itself quickly from most minor abrasions or diseases. However, when there is a deep injury to the cornea, the healing process may be prolonged, possibly resulting in a variety of symptoms, such as:
- Pain
- Blurred vision
- Tearing
- Redness
- Extreme sensitivity to light
- Corneal scarring
Our optometrists use a microscope, more commonly called a slit lamp to examine the structures at the front of your eyes under magnification. The slit lamp is named as such because it uses an intense line of light, a slit, to illuminate the cornea, iris, lens and the space between the cornea and iris. This allows the optometrist to view these structures in small sections, which makes it easier for them to detect tiny abnormalities.