At Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, GA, we understand how important your vision is to your independence and quality of life. To help maintain your vision and eye health, you must come in regularly for eye exams. Today, we’re looking at the accuracy of comprehensive eye examinations, how often you should attend exams, and more.
How Accurate Are Eye Exams?
Comprehensive eye exams are extremely accurate. The tests performed are so effective that problems that aren’t related to the eyes can be diagnosed. For example, we can identify multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, and other autoimmune disorders based on the results of your eye tests. Furthermore, it is possible to identify diabetes, high cholesterol, arterial disease, and hypertension.
What Should I Expect During an Eye Exam?
You can expect to undergo many tests during a comprehensive eye exam. During your comprehensive eye exam, your health history and family medical history will be discussed thoroughly, and we will test your vision. Additionally, we will evaluate your eye health, including the health of the blood vessels and muscles around your eyes.
How Visual Acuity Is Tested
The acuity of your vision is tested with a Snellen chart. You will be asked to stand a distance away from the eye chart and cover one of your eyes. Then, you will read letters off of the chart to determine the strength of corrective lens you need for each eye.
How Automatic Refraction Is Tested
Your automatic refraction will be tested with an autorefractor. This test is designed to help adults and young children who struggle to communicate. This test is used to identify the appropriate lens prescription by measuring how the eye responds to light.
How Visual Field Is Tested
We will test the extent of your peripheral vision by holding something up and moving it slowly from one side of your face to the other side of your face. While you are taking this test, you must keep your head still. If you move your head during the test, we will be unable to get an accurate picture of how far your field of view extends peripherally.
What Eye Conditions Can Be Diagnosed During a Comprehensive Eye Exam?
Many eye conditions can be diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam. During your exams, we will look for signs of refractive errors, like presbyopia, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. We will also look for evidence of intraocular cancers, such as retinoblastoma and intraocular melanoma.
Furthermore, while performing your eye examinations, we will look for any vision changes that may have occurred since your last appointment. This helps us identify such problems as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, low vision, or a detached retina. Moreover, we can identify amblyopia and strabismus by evaluating the strength of the muscles that support your eyes.
How Often Should I Attend an Eye Exam?
You should generally have your eyes checked every year or two. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. For example, if you are over the age of 60, your risk of developing vision problems or eye disease is higher, so you should get a comprehensive eye exam more frequently. Similarly, your risk of eye problems is higher if there is an eye disease in your family history, you are overweight, or you suffer from obesity.
You also should get more frequent eye examinations if you have Hispanic or African heritage. Furthermore, if you have suffered from a stroke or eye injury, or if you have ever had eye surgery, you should get an eye exam more than once every year or two. Additionally, you should come in for more frequent eye exams if you require corrective lenses, suffer from diabetes, or have another medical condition that negatively affects your vision.
The Importance of Getting Regular Comprehensive Eye Examinations?
According to the American Optometric Association, regular comprehensive eye examinations are important because they allow you to identify health problems before serious symptoms occur. For example, “floaters” are a strong indicator that you suffer from type 2 diabetes or are at risk of developing the condition. This condition, if poorly managed, can lead to blindness and other serious complications.
Early glaucoma detection is another compelling reason to get comprehensive eye examinations regularly. Like diabetes, glaucoma can lead to complete vision loss if it is not detected and treated in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, half of people who suffer from glaucoma do not know they have it. You may lose peripheral vision near your nose, suffer from tunnel vision, low vision, or blurred vision, or get blind spots before you know you have it.
What Are the Risk Factors for Developing Glaucoma?
The risk factors for developing glaucoma can vary depending on the type of glaucoma. Generally, your risk of developing glaucoma is higher if you have a family history of glaucoma or you have previously suffered an eye injury or undergone eye surgery. Additionally, you are twice as likely to suffer from glaucoma if you suffer from diabetes.
You have a much higher risk of developing open-angle glaucoma if you suffer from myopia. If you suffer from hyperopia, you are more likely to develop closed-angle glaucoma.
What Should I Expect After an Eye Exam?
You should expect your vision to be blurry for several hours after a comprehensive eye exam if you had your eyes dilated. In such a case, you should avoid looking at screens or reading for a few hours, and you should have someone else drive you home. Additionally, you should wear highly protective sunglasses. If your pupils have not been dilated, you may resume your usual routine immediately after your exam.
Schedule a Comprehensive Eye Exam Today
Comprehensive eye exams are so accurate that eye tests can diagnose medical conditions that aren’t eye-related. If you are under the age of 61, you should generally attend an eye exam every year or two. You should come in more frequently if you are at a high risk of eye problems due to your medical history or genetics, though. To schedule an eye exam, contact us today at Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, GA.