What is a comprehensive eye exam?
Think of the exam with our eye doctor as having two parts
- Vision Check: Our eye doctor will determine how well you see without correction and if there is any correction that may improve the quality or comfort of your vision. There is a difference between 20/20 vision and seeing the sharpest 20/20 vision. You may be happy watching the game on a 1080p TV, but then you go to your friend's house and they have the new 8k Ultra HD! That's how it can be seeing through your first pair of glasses or updating an old prescription.
- Eye Health Examination: This part of the exam may be even more important that the vision check and why annual exams with our eye doctor are recommended. In general, the most common eye conditions like: cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration may be silently developing over decades before they would ever affect your vision. When they do start to affect your vision, often times they are already in an advanced, irreversible state. Luckily, these conditions are relatively easy to diagnose with monitor technology including: retinal imaging and ocular coherence tomography (OCT) along with routine dilated eye exams. The key is allowing an eye doctor to make an early diagnosis and initiating treatment. The only way to do so is with routine checks with an eye doctor to see trends over time and pick up signs decades before it ever affects the vision. Other conditions like: dry eye, allergic conjunctivitis, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), rosacea, auto-immune disease, migraine, and many more can cause unnecessary discomfort, eye strain, and aggravation. There are so many treatment options available for each specific symptom so you no longer have to "just deal with" this everyday irritation.
How often should I get a comprehensive or routine eye exam?
It is recommended that everyone gets a routine eye exam with an eye doctor at least every 1-2 years, regardless if you need eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Certain general health conditions or eye conditions may require more frequent monitoring such as: diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), auto-immune conditions, myopia, glaucoma, macular degeneration, dry eye disease, keratoconus, and history of eye surgery (LASIK, PRK, ICL, cataract, etc.). Our optometrist will communicate relevant exam findings with your primary care physician to ensure maintaining your overall health is a top priority.
Certain general health conditions or eye conditions may require more frequent monitoring such as: diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), auto-immune conditions, myopia, glaucoma, macular degeneration, dry eye disease, keratoconus, and history of eye surgery (LASIK, PRK, ICL, cataract, etc.). Our optometrist will communicate relevant exam findings with your primary care physician to ensure maintaining your overall health is a top priority.
What tests are done during a comprehensive or routine eye exam?
Modern technology allows for the most efficient and accurate results from the eye exam through the eyeglass fitting. Our cloud-based software provides the most secure platform for storing our patient's data.
- Automated Refraction - Precisely estimates your eyeglass prescription at the click of a button
- Automated Lensometry - Measures the exact prescription in your current eyeglasses
- Automated Phoropter - The futuristic version of "what's better: 1 or 2". Helps the doctor efficiently gather the final prescription
- Automated Visual Field - Tests peripheral vision for blind spots like those found in glaucoma and neurological conditions
- Corneal Topography - Maps the curvature of the front of the eye to monitor conditions like astigmatism and keratoconus
- Meibography - Images the glands responsible for tear film stability, which are a key factor involved with dry eye disease
- Retinal Imaging - High resolution photos of the macula, optic nerve, and retinal blood vessels
- OCT Imaging - Advanced cross-sectional views, similar to CT scan, of the cornea, retina, and optic nerve to monitor for:
- Keratoconus
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Hypertensive Retinopathy
- Age Related Macular Degeneration
- Optic Neuropathy
