Cover Test
The cover test is performed as a way of checking for what is called "ocular deviation," which is essentially just the way (if any) that one eye is misaligned, which is commonly known as a "lazy eye."
The test is typically performed on children, and as in the picture, one eye is covered as the subject focuses on a near object. The cover is removed and both eyes are observed by the ophthalmologist or optometrist performing the exam. The lazy eye, if there is one will drift inwards or outwards. The test is then repeated so that the examiner has observed the subject's eyes' response to the cover test with both eyes and near and far distances. Regarding the health of the eye, the cover test is limited only to determining the presence/absence of a lazy eye. |