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
At West Texas Eye Associates, a comprehensive eye exam involves testing your visual acuity and checking for common eye diseases. When you first walk into our office, you will be brought to a room with a few pieces of equipment. In this room, we will test your eyes for glaucoma. We will use a retinoscopy to get a baseline for your eyeglass or contact prescription if you wear corrective lenses.
Testing Your Visual Acuity
Once you are in the exam room, our ophthalmologists 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, our ophthalmologists 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 eye doctor’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. If our ophthalmologists plan to administer this test, we will request that you bring a second driver.
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.
To schedule an appointment for your next eye exam, give our office a call today at (806) 792-5900.