ROUTINE EYE EXAMS
ROUTINE EYE EXAMS
Don’t miss your eye examination test! Your vision should be checked at least every two years as part of a routine eye exam. A professional eye checkup can detect refractive errors, eye disease and other conditions that can affect your eyes. A complete eye examination test takes approximately 60 minutes. Your eye exam should include:
DILATED EYE EXAMS
Your eye examination at Clarus Eye Centre begins with a thorough investigation of your lids, lashes, conjunctiva, sclera, and cornea – the external surfaces of your eye.
For the next stage of your eye examination test, the doctor will use a microscope and a bright light to gain a closer look at the anterior chamber, iris, and crystalline lens of your eye.
The iris is very similar to the shutter of a camera—when you take a picture on a bright sunny day, the shutter becomes smaller, allowing less light to enter. Likewise, your pupil becomes smaller when we shine a bright light at your eye, making it very difficult to peer inside. That’s why dilating drops are commonly used in eye examination tests.
Dilating drops work on one of two principles: they either stimulate the iris muscle that opens the pupil (the dilator) or prevent action of the iris muscle that closes the pupil (the sphincter). After the drops take effect, your doctor can get a much better view of your retina, optic nerve, and vessels in the back of the eye.
It is important that we check these areas of the eye as part of your eye examination test. Why? Assessing the health of your retina, optic nerve and vessels are a key piece of preventative eye care. We may also need to view these areas of the eye in preparation for some eye surgeries.
Dilating the eyes is a simple step that helps us gather a lot of important information about your eyes. In fact, some systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are first discovered during a dilated eye exam.
Some dilating drops also prevent accommodation. The natural lens can accommodate or adjust the eye’s focus until about the age of 40. Children and young adults are especially good at this, and their ability to accommodate sometimes prevents the doctor from getting an accurate refraction for glasses. As such, young eyes are often dilated for “wet” refraction so the doctor can get a true picture of what the child’s prescription really is.
There are a few things you can do to make your dilated eye examination test a bit more comfortable:
* Don’t plan any activity after your appointment that requires crisp vision.
* Bring along a pair of dark sunglasses for the ride home. Don’t worry if you forget, we’ll provide you with a disposable pair as you check out.
* If you know you’ll have trouble seeing to drive home (even with the sunglasses), please bring a friend.
REMINDER: THERE IS A $75 CHARGE FOR DETERMINING YOUR GLASSES PRESCRIPTION. ADDITIONAL CHARGES APPLY FOR DETERMINING YOUR CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTION.
These are the most common tests used to evaluate your eyesight. They measure the eye’s ability to see details at near and far distances. The tests usually involve reading letters or looking at symbols of different sizes on an eye chart. Usually, each eye is tested individually and then both eyes are tested together with and/or without corrective lenses. Several types of visual acuity tests may be used.
Visual Acuity Tests
This test measures the eyes’ need for corrective lenses (refractive error). It is usually done after a visual acuity test. Refractive errors, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness, occur when light rays entering the eye do not focus exactly on the nerve layer (retina) at the back of the eye. This causes blurred vision. Refraction may be done as a part of a routine eye examination for people who already wear glasses or contact lenses, or if the results of the other visual acuity tests show that your eyesight is below normal and can be corrected by glasses. It can also be performed to help follow the progress of treatments or diseases of the eye.
Refractions
These tests check for gaps in your side (peripheral) vision. Your complete visual field is the entire area seen when your gaze is fixed in one direction. The complete visual field is seen by both eyes at the same time and it includes the central visual field-which detects the highest degree of detail and the peripheral visual fields.
Visual Field Tests
These are the most common tests used to evaluate your eyesight. They measure the eye’s ability to see details at near and far distances. The tests usually involve reading letters or looking at symbols of different sizes on an eye chart. Usually, each eye is tested individually and then both eyes are tested together with and/or without corrective lenses. Several types of visual acuity tests may be used.
Slit Lamp Exams
It is estimated that 5-10% of preschoolers and 25% of all school-aged children have vision problems. Get your kids off to a good start in school or sports by scheduling a complete eye exam today!
Healthy Vision For Kids
How do I find the best eye checkup clinic near me?
Ask an eye care clinic if they offer routine eye exams. Some clinics also offer diabetic eye exams. If you choose a comprehensive eye care center, then you won’t have to be referred somewhere else if your eyes need advanced or specialized care.
If you’re in Lacey, Olympia or the South Sound Region of Washington, you’ll find some of the best in quality eye care services at Clarus Eye Centre.
