Eye Exams

Why?

Good vision is more than scoring 20/20 on a school screening or passing the vision test at the motor vehicle department, and, vision problems are more than the obvious symptoms of needing more light to see. VISION SCREENING SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH A COMPREHENSIVE VISION ANALYSIS BY A PROFESSIONAL VISION SPECIALIST.

Quality vision care can help ensure clear, comfortable binocular vision throughout a lifetime of changing visual demands…and abilities.

Periodic, preventative examinations are essential to continued ocular health and efficient binocular performance without stress or strain. Timely detection and diagnosis of visual and ocular disorders may be vital to successful remediation.

When?

Children should undergo their first formal visual evaluation on or around their third birthday. Pediatric vision analysis will reveal whether there is a tendency toward nearsightedness, farsightedness, crossed eye, astigmatism, or amblyopia. Perhaps more importantly, it will determine whether the many visual skills that your child will need are beginning to develop as they should.

Proper focusing and eye muscle coordination assures your youngster the visual efficiency and comfort he or she needs for optimal academic and athletic performance. Periodic reevaluation will be recommended usually every one or two years), depending upon your child’s individual case.

Adults between the ages of 18 and 40 should undergo routine evaluation every two years. Certain ocular and systemic conditions such as high myopia, glaucoma, diabetes, and high blood pressure, necessitate more frequent exams to monitor retinal health.

The incidence of age related visual and ocular changes such as presbyopia and glaucoma significantly increases after age forty. Because certain sight threatening disorders are “silent” (without symptoms) in their early stages, it is advisable to undergo annual examinations beginning at this time.

Ocular changes affecting older adults, such as cataracts macular degeneration, can also be diagnosed earlier through routine preventative check-ups.

How?

The examination procedure will take approximately one hour. We ask that you allow for some flexibility in your schedule on the day of your exam in the event that slightly more time is needed to complete the testing and address all of your questions. We also ask that you bring your most recent eyeglasses and/or contact lenses and a list of any ocular or oral medications you may be taking.

Because many ocular and visual changes are hereditary or influenced by other health problems, the first step in the examination procedure is a thorough personal medical and ocular history.

Testing will then be performed to determine the eyes’ refractive status in order to derive the appropriate distance and/or reading correction. Focusing, eye coordination, and visual fields will then be assessed.

An external ocular examination is performed using a binocular microscope. Glaucoma testing (intraocular pressure) is also done at this time.

Finally, the doctor will use eye drops to dilate the pupils and you will be examined using a hand held in-direct Ophthalmoscope to view the interior structures of each eye. This instrument permits observation of the entire retina, including the optic nerve and macula. It allows for a complete three-dimensional screening of any abnormalities in these vital areas.

At the conclusion of this examination your vision will be somewhat light sensitive and you will be given special sunglasses to resume your normal activities in a couple of hours.