Comprehensive Eye Exams
It’s about more than just blurry vision.
Eye exams are vital to your overall health.
In addition to assessing your visual acuity, Casey J. Andrus, OD 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.
Don’t put it off — schedule your comprehensive eye exam at Valley Vision & Optical today.
What does a comprehensive eye exam include?
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 of your vision, usually with an eye chart
- Visual fields test to check for blind spots in your vision
- Retinoscopy to estimate your eyeglass prescription
- Refraction to determine your exact eyeglass prescription
- Slit lamp to check for common eye diseases and conditions
- Retinal photo screenings to test for diabetic retinopathy
- Tonometry to test for glaucoma
- Ophthalmoscopy to examine the optic nerve, retina, and blood vessels
- Corneal topographer to measure the eye for contact lenses, and to aid in tracking myopia progression in children
- Optomap to take retinal imaging for screening of eye diseases
Optomap Retinal Imaging
We are excited to offer an innovative technology, called the Optomap, which is used as part of your eye health exam to take a digital image of the back of your eye. In just seconds it will help evaluate the health of your retina, and detect many eye diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachments and even eye cancers; many of which often start without any symptoms but can lead to vision loss.
We strongly believe that the Optomap® Retinal Exam is an essential part of your comprehensive eye exam and prescribe it for all patients each year because:
- It allows for an enlarged image to see a more detailed view of the retina in just seconds
- Allows for future comparisons–we can accurately compare each year’s image side by side
- Can be reviewed by other doctors, if necessary
- It may take the place of pupil dilation or allow for lighter dilating drops, so you leave the office with vision intact, rather than with light-sensitivity and blur
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.
Make healthy vision a priority in your life and in the lives of the ones you love. Schedule a comprehensive eye exam at Valley Vision & Optical now.