Eye doctors recommend that adults with healthy vision get their eyes checked every one to two years. Regular eye exams are an effective way to detect vision problems, such as glaucoma, in their earliest and most treatable stages. A comprehensive exam is also the first step in diagnosing the cause of chronic eye irritation, whether it’s dry eye syndrome or seasonal eye allergies, and may also reveal other health problems you may not be aware of, such as hypertension.
If it’s been a while since your last exam, or if you’ve never had one, now is the time to schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Berkeley Eye Center.
What should you expect during your comprehensive eye examination?
When you arrive, you’ll be asked to provide your medical history — such as previous vision problems, eye injuries, medications you are taking, any vision problems that run in your family — and describe any vision problems you may be currently experiencing.
Before the examination begins, your eye doctor will administer special eye drops that will cause your pupils to remain dilated, allowing them to get a good look at the inside of your eye, including the retina, the macula, and the optic nerve.
This is critical for the early detection of silent diseases like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, especially if you have a family history.
During the examination, your optometrist or ophthalmologist will conduct a wide variety of tests and procedures to examine your eyes. The examination can take an hour or more to complete, depending on the number of tests required to fully evaluate your vision and the health of your eyes.
More Than Just a Vision Test
A comprehensive dilated eye exam is one of the most important preventative health screenings you can have. Read our guide to discover 7 major health problems your eye doctor can detect.
Here are some of the eye and vision tests that you are likely to undergo during a comprehensive eye exam:
Visual Acuity: Your eye doctor will seat you at a standard distance and ask you to read from a chart that displays letters or symbols that grow smaller in font size as you move down the chart. The visual acuity test is designed to determine your eyes’ sharpness and assess their overall functionality. The results are expressed as a ratio: 20/20, 20/40, etc.
Slit Lamp Exam: The slit lamp is a binocular microscope used to examine the structures of your eye under high magnification. Your eye doctor can detect a wide range of eye conditions and diseases using the slit lamp, including cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, etc.
Tonometry: Used to detect glaucoma, tonometry is a test that measures the intraocular pressure (ICP) inside your eye.
Ocular Motility Testing: The doctor will test the muscles of your eyes by having you follow a moving object with your eyes to observe the movement and alignment of your eyes.
Penlight Exam: Your eye doctor uses a penlight to examine the soft tissues surrounding the eyes.
Colorblindness Test: This examination tests your ability to distinguish between different colors.
Stereopsis Test: Stereopsis is a test that uses 3D glasses to measure your depth perception.
Ophthalmoscopy: The eye doctor examines the optic fundus to detect abnormalities of the vitreous, retina, optic disc, etc.
Refraction/Retinoscopy/Keratometry: If it’s determined that you have nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or other eye conditions that prevent you from having 20/20 vision, these tests will be used to help select the eyeglass or contact lens prescription needed to allow you to see 20/20.
The refraction exam determines the lens power needed to compensate for any refractive error; retinoscopy is used to estimate the lens powers needed to correct your distance vision; and keratometry measures the curvature of your cornea to get the proper fit for contact lenses.
At the end of your exam, your doctor will provide you with a prescription if needed. We’ve created a simple guide to help you understand every part of your new eyeglass prescription.
Houston Eye Exams for Children
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), all children should have their eyes examined at 6 months of age, again at age 3 years ol, and then just before the start of school. After that, children without vision problems or risk factors for eye or vision problems should have their eyes examined at least every two years until grade 12. Children with existing vision problems or risk factors should have their eyes examined more frequently.
After reviewing the results of your eye examination, your eye doctor will inform you of any problems that appeared. If you do have any current or potential vision or eye problems, your doctor will work closely with you to develop an effective treatment plan. They will also advise you when to return for your next eye exam.
Schedule Your Eye Exam at Berkeley Eye Center Today!
If you can’t remember the last time you had a comprehensive eye exam, then it’s been too long. Contact Berkeley Eye Center today to schedule your comprehensive eye exam. We have locations all over the Houston area, including Katy, Kingwood, the Woodlands, Sugarland, Tomball and Pearland!