Eye Exams

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Eye Exams
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As with all medicine, early diagnosis and treatment can help people with their overall health. Just as with a physical, it makes sense to visit an ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) for a routine eye exam.

A series of tests will be performed to assess acuity, refraction and potential eye disease.

Your Eye M.D. will begin by asking a series of questions about your medical and eye health history, including any noticeable eye problems. Next he or she will evaluate your visual acuity by determining the smallest letters you can read on a standardized eye chart.

Your Eye M.D. will also test for refractive errors. A refractive error means that the shape of your eye doesn't refract the light properly, so that the image you see is blurred. Although refractive errors are called eye disorders, they are not diseases.

There are four types of refractive error:

* Myopia (nearsightedness): Close objects look clear, but distant objects appear blurred.
* Hyperopia (farsightedness): Where distant objects will look clear but close objects are blurry
* Astigmatism: Vision is blurred for both near and far objects.
* Presbyopia: The eyes gradually lose the ability to change focus from distance to near.

Many people will have one or more of these refractive errors.

To correct a refractive error, an Eye M.D. may recommend glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

In addition, an Eye M.D. will test:

Eyelid health and function
Coordination of eye muscles
Pupil response to light
Side, or peripheral vision
Intraocular pressure, the pressure inside the eye
Anterior segment of the eye, the area in from of the lens, including the cornea and iris
The interior and back of the eye, including the retina

After the examination your Eye M.D. will discuss the results with you. If there is any eye disease, treatments with medication, including eye drops, may be recommended.

In some cases, certain eye diseases require laser surgery or other surgical procedures. Some of the treatments are taken care of by your regular Eye M.D. Or, you may be referred to a subspecialist, such as a cornea or retina specialist.

© 2007 EyeCare America