Eye Exams

As recommended by the American Optometric Association, it is critical to get a comprehensive medical eye examination every year. This is true for all patient demographics regardless of age, need for glasses, previous performance at the department of motor vehicles, or history of refractive surgery.

 

You should expect to have the following things repeated each year as the doctor evaluates your visual system.

 

Patient History – The doctor will spend time with you on your assessment of the way you see, addressing and questioning any problems you notice with your quality of sight or comfort of vision. It is important for the doctor to know any medications you are currently taking and systemic conditions that you might have, as these may affect the eye. It is also important to establish the presence of eye disease in your family lineage that may be hereditary in nature and need to be ruled out.

 

Visual Acuity – This is a measurement on the eye chart of your distance vision. It is necessary to have this standard measurement for all patients, and to know how you compare to your baseline acuity as time progresses.

 

Preliminary Testing – It is critical to determine the neurological integrity of the retina each year. This is done with a visual field or side testing assessment. Our visual field instrument alerts the doctors to potential health risks much earlier than subjective symptoms otherwise would. Intraocular pressures will also be assessed (fluid pressure inside the eye), as an increase of intraocular fluid pressure can cause irreversible damage to the retina.

 

Refraction – This is what most patients remember about their yearly eye examination. Using an instrument called a phoropter, the doctor will neutralize any prescription (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia) that may be found. This is usually done subjectively, but may also be done objectively with an instrument called a retinoscope. The doctor will also check your ability to focus and use your eye muscles efficiently.

 

Health Evaluation – Using the Biomicroscope, the doctor will evaluate the anterior portion of the eye including the eyelids and external tissues, the conjunctiva, cornea, iris and lens. Using a powerful magnification lens, the smallest structures of the posterior section of the eye can be evaluated including the vitreous, retina, macula, and optic nerve head. In some cases, it may be necessary to evaluate this posterior segment of the eye through a dilated pupil.

 

Additional Evaluation – Using your unique results as he works through your examination, the doctor may order additional testing. This is particularly true to further assess possible problems or confirm a diagnosis. There will also be supplemental testing done for conditions which require contact lenses.

 

After this thorough examination your doctor will go over each detail, and with you will decide on an appropriate course of treatment, if any is needed.