What you can expect from a comprehensive eye exam

A comprehensive eye exam usually involves a variety of different elements, the results of which paint our experienced optometry team a very clear illustration as to the overall health of your eyes. This is important since many ocular conditions can be reversed or treated before they have the opportunity to have a compromising effect on your vision or wellbeing.

Some of the things that you can expect from your eye exam include:

A discussion of your medical and visual history

Many people don’t realize that your general health can actually have an impact on your eye health and eyesight. For example, patients with diabetes are more likely to suffer from an ocular condition called diabetic retinopathy. For this reason, the start of your eye exam will usually include a discussion about your medical and visual history, as well as our team finding out how well your eyes feel and work now.

A vision screening

Most people are familiar with vision screening tests since they assess the clarity of your vision to determine whether you need glasses or contact lenses in order to see more clearly. You may also hear it referred to as a visual acuity test and it involves looking at charts of letters to discover how well you can see them at various sizes and distances.

Measurement of your intraocular pressure

Numbing eye drops will be placed into your eyes ahead of this test which involves a puff of air being blown into your eye so that your intraocular pressure can be checked. This is important since a raised IOP is often indicative of a problem such as glaucoma.

Visual field test

A visual field test is used to check to what extent you use your peripheral vision without moving your eyes. There are various different types of the visual field test, but it is important to check since any visual field loss could denote the presence of an ocular condition.

Retinal examination

The retina is the area of light-sensitive cells at the very back of the eye. Light is refracted on to it, and it then sends a message to our brain to tell us what we can see. A retinal exam is needed to check the retina and its associated elements (optic disc and blood vessels) to check for the presence of any anomalies that would indicate that you are suffering from a problem with your retina that requires treatment.

Assessment of your cornea

The cornea is the natural lens at the very front of the eye and is responsible for refracting light onto the retina. Most people who require glasses or contact lenses have unusually-shaped corneas, but there can also be other issues with this part of the eye, including damaged cells, scar tissue and more. A test known as a slit-lamp examination is used to assess the condition of your cornea.

These tests represent a few of the primary things that you can expect from your comprehensive eye exam. Our experienced and dedicated team will be happy to talk you through any of these or answer any questions that you may have. To speak to us or to schedule your comprehensive eye exam, please get in contact with our patient care coordinators by calling our office in White Plains, NY today.