What does an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) test do? (In simple terms)

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An Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) test is like getting an ultrasound, but instead of using sound waves, it uses light to take very detailed pictures of the back of your eye — especially the retina.

It allows your eye doctor to see all the layers of the retina, almost like slicing a cake and looking at each layer. This helps find problems like macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, or swelling that can affect your vision — often before you notice any symptoms.

The test is quick, painless, and nothing touches your eye. You just look into a machine, and it takes the pictures in a few seconds.