Do you remember the last time you had a comprehensive eye exam? Yearly eye exams are important for everyone. This is because eye exams check for more than just visual acuity. They also check for common eye diseases, like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

Benefits of Eye Exams

Adults, children and senior citizens all need yearly eye exams. Individuals with chronic health problems, like high blood pressure and diabetes, may need eye exams more often.

• Catch refractive errors early
• Catch other diseases early
• Get your eyes tested for common eye diseases

Your Comprehensive Eye Exam

WHAT TO EXPECT – YOUR FIRST VISIT
Curious about what to expect at your first visit? An initial or complete exam will take 1-2 hours. Most of the time your eyes will be dilated for complete exams and retinal evaluations. Dilation causes sensitivity to light. It would be beneficial if you bring a pair of sunglasses with you to your appointment. However, if you forget we supply complementary disposable sunglasses to aid in your comfort and care even after you leave our office. Dilation will also temporarily cause you to be unable to read up close, however, your distance vision should not be effected allowing you to drive safely home.

Some patients do however feel more comfortable and prefer to have someone drive them; it is entirely up to you. Your eyes will remain dilated anywhere from 3-6 hours after the exam.

During your exam our certified ophthalmic assistant or technician performs a full work up including a complete history, checks your vision, glasses, intraocular pressure and visual fields. Based on the specific reason(s) for the exam, other tests may be performed. The doctor will then see you to evaluate test results and examine the health of every part of your eye. The eye doctor will determine if there are any medical problems, a change in prescription, or glasses/contacts.  Our doctors are thorough in educating patients about their specific eye conditions. We want you to leave with a complete understanding of your eyes along with treatment options if necessary.

Testing Your Visual Acuity

Once you are in the exam room, our certified ophthalmic assistant or technician will test your visual acuity by having you read letters and/or numbers from an eye chart. During this exam, both eyes will be tested then each eye will be tested separately. Your near vision will also be tested using a small handheld eye chart.  If you do not see 20/20, which is considered perfect vision, the eyedoctor will test various lenses in order to determine your eyeglass or contact prescription. 

Color Blindness Test

Children and individuals who have never been tested for color blindness may undergo a color blindness test. This test involves looking at circles with various colored dots and stating the number that is seen in the center of the circle. Red/green color blindness is the most common type and affects males more than females.

Depth Perception Test

Your depth perception allows you to tell how far away an object is located. This test is often given to children but may also be given to adults. It involves looking at dots on a page and stating whether or not they appear elevated. Individuals without depth perception typically have a lazy eye or problems with eye teaming. Certain eye exercises and visual therapy may be able to help increase your eyes’ ability to work together.

Eye Movement Test

Eye movement tests check to see how well your eyes move and focus on objects. This often involves following a pen or our certified ophthalmic assistant or technician's finger while he or she watches your eyes. Problems with eye mobility can lead to eye strain and difficulty reading. If you play sports, having limited eye mobility and slow focus can affect your performance.

Eye Dilation

Eye dilation tests are used to check the back of your eyes. This test involves putting a few eye drops in your eyes to dilate your pupils. Once your eyes are dilated, our eye doctor will shine a light into your eye to look at your retina and macula. This test can find signs of diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and other problems with the back of the eye.

Eye Exam Scheduling

Children, adults and seniors should schedule yearly eye exams. If you have a chronic disease, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, or an eye condition, like glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration, more frequent eye exams may be needed.

*Please bring your current eyeglasses and/or contact lenses and a list of your current medications to your appointment.

For more information about eye exams, contact Advanced Eyecare Professionals . Serving Hastings, Ionia, Lowell and the surrounding regions, click here to schedule an appointment.