In addition to assessing your visual acuity, your eye care provider will test for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes are functioning together, and more.
Serious health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure are often first detected during an eye exam.
Your optometrist will determine what tests are needed based on your medical history. However, most comprehensive eye exams include the following:
Visual acuity – to test the sharpness and quality of your vision, usually done with an eye chart
Visual field testing – to check for abnormal blind spots in your vision
Slit lamp – to check the health of the front of the eye and evaluate for conditions like dry eye and cataracts
Retinal photos or dilation – to check for retinal disease, maculopathies, diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, evaluate floaters, and much more. Photos, done with our Optos machine, are compared to each other year to year and are the preferred method of retinal evaluation.
Macular OCT – the main evaluation for macular degeneration, damage from medications that impact vision, and for monitoring glaucoma progression
How often should I get a comprehensive eye exam?
Most eye care professionals recommend yearly eye exams. But it depends on your age, risk factors, and whether or not you wear corrective lenses.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends children have their eyes examined at 6 months old, three years old, at the start of school, and every two years until age 18.
For adults, the AOA recommends a comprehensive eye exam every two years for ages 18 to 60 at minimum and annual exams for seniors age 61 and older.
What about contact lens exams?
A comprehensive eye exam typically does not include a contact lens fitting. So you may need to schedule a separate contact lens exam.
Just let us know when you schedule your appointment, and we’ll make sure you are taken care of.
