Scheduling eye exams routinely plays a critical part of your overall health and wellness, and most of us postpone or ignore the eye exams until an actual problem develops. Most of the disorders of the eyes do not manifest any kind of symptom until the condition becomes moderate to severe, which is exactly why early detection through routine and comprehensive eye exams are so important.
At Everett & Hurite, our expert eye care specialists offer comprehensive eye exams in a warm and welcoming environment. Don’t wait to schedule an appointment with us to get your vision checked out. Use our simple online appointment request tool to find a good time to visit us.
When you come in for your eye exam at one of our offices, our ophthalmologists or optometrists always ask about your general health history and any specific eye concerns that you have. Following that, our specialists will perform a thorough eye exam, which is painless and swift. They check your vision through a visual acuity test in the exam room, where you will have to read letters out loud from the visual chart at a distance. You will also have your vision tested for near vision through a series of printed cards.
After that, you will receive eye drops from the doctor to numb your eyes. By doing so, the doctors will be able to test your eye pressure without discomfort. Other eye drops will dilate your pupils, allowing the doctors to see the inner portion of your eye. Depending on the information obtained about the condition of your eyes during the exam, you may receive additional testing or care recommendations to pursue.
In addition to the visual acuity test, additional tests like the evaluations of side vision, movement of the eyes, and the ability to track a moving object will be performed in a comprehensive eye exam. A device known as the Phoropter helps determine the proper prescription if you need glasses or contact lenses. Another common eye test known as Tonometry, is used to measure the pressure in your eyes. Eye drops will be administered to numb your eyes, which will make this part of the exam more comfortable.
The magnification and illumination provided by the slit lamp will allow your doctor to see the front portion of your eyes and check for irregularities in your cornea, lens, iris or the eyelid. Your doctor will use dilating drops to widen your pupil and enabling access to see your retina and the nerve You might be sensitive to light right after this portion of the exam, but after a a few hours, your eyes will adjust and are no longer sensitive to light.
Refraction assessment is a test performed to measure the strength of your eyeglass lens prescription and it is performed using a device called a Phoropter. The phoropter is a large device that looks like a mask and is positioned in front of your face. The doctor will adjust the device to sit at your eye level during the testing process. During this procedure, our ophthalmologists and optometrists typically use the phoropter to check the refraction in your vision by testing under several different lens. You respond to each option to pick the best lens that gives you the sharpest and the most precise visuals.
A retinal examination is an extremely powerful diagnostic tool that can help with early intervention and treatment of several severe eye disorders and detect abnormalities in blood vessels and the optic disk. Our ophthalmologists at Everett & Hurite can examine the rear portion of your eye by administering special eye drops to dilate your pupils a bit wider, allowing more light to enter your eyes. Other devices like the ophthalmoscope may be used to direct a light beam into your eye to illuminate the rear portion. Another option is to combine a condensing lens and bright light to examine the inner structures of your eyes, like the retina and the optic nerve. This process can be completed in both the sitting up or reclining position.
If your eye doctor at Everett & Hurite observes any signs of degenerative conditions or eye disease, additional testing may be required to investigate further. The doctor also charts the results of your exam, which allows them to easily track any changes over time. Common eye problems and diseases include the following:
A variety of factors can contribute to eye health and need to be considered and monitored by your doctors during exams. These factors include but are not limited to age, pre-existing health conditions, genetics, and the use of certain medications. Depending on which factors you are or are not facing as a patient, you may need to visit an ophthalmologist more often than another patient would. This chart covers a basic recommended eye care and exam schedule for the average patient, based on patient age. We advise that you use this as a general guideline for making appointments, but that you always follow your doctor’s advice first when determining when to schedule your next regular exam.
There are a number of reasons your doctor may classify you as an “at-risk patient” who requires more frequent eye testing and evaluations than the average patient.
Infants, toddlers and young children are often considered at risk of developing a visual impairment if they:
Adults, on the other hand, are more often considered to be at risk if they:
Ultimately, you as a patient are likely to have personalized eye health needs that need attending to; if this is the case, these basic eye care guidelines may not be the right fit for you. If you are at all unsure about how often you should be seeing your ophthalmologist, we recommend scheduling an appointment to determine how frequently your eyes should be examined based on your family and medical history, as well as your individual needs as a patient.
You’ve made your appointment for your annual eye exam - now what? After you’ve saved the date in your phone or planner, we advise that all of our patients make a secondary note about preparing for their visit. We do this because we know from experience that patients who prepare for their eye exam are more likely to have a simple, straightforward visit, and a better experience at their ophthalmologist or optometrist office overall.
Preparing for an eye exam is a fairly easy process. Patients just need to remember to bring several key items and pieces of information for their - and their doctor’s - benefit:
There are several things all patients should bring with them to an eye exam. Up-to-date vision and medical insurance information, a method of payment, and proper identification are all must-have items. You should also remember to bring as much background information as possible to your exam, including:
If you’re visiting your eye doctor for an eye exam, you should be prepared to sit through several basic tests. The following are some examples of tests we perform during a routine eye exam:
The decision to bill medical insurance versus a vision plan depends on the exam and the problems. If you want glasses or contacts, that will always be through your vision plan. To learn more about which insurance you should plan on using at your visit, click here.
You should schedule your next routine eye exam for one year from your last appointment, unless stated otherwise. The average patient only needs to visit their eye doctor once a year. However, some patients will be asked to visit more frequently if their doctors believe they’d benefit from additional monitoring or treatment. Even if you just had a vision test recently, it is recommended to not skip the routine eye exams. Vision screenings that are offered outside of vision centers and practices are never a substitute for a fully comprehensive eye exam. That said, if you did receive a screening at a clinic, fair or other event or site, we encourage you to bring the results and notes from that screening to your next appointment with us - there may be something there that our doctors will want to look into further.
There are effective treatment options for many of the aforementioned conditions if caught in the early stages. If you are overdue for an eye exam, call any of our 10 offices conveniently located near you or use our simple online tool to book an appointment.