Getting an eye exam is important to staying healthy. But do you know when you and your family members should get an eye exam? Do you know what a complete eye exam should cover? Get the right exam at the right time and make sure your vision lasts a lifetime.
Childhood eye exam
From birth to adolescence, children's eyes grow and change rapidly. The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus have developed specific guidelines for children's eye exams. Follow these guidelines to have your child tested at the appropriate times. These checkups help identify when your child may need a comprehensive eye exam.
Benchmark Eye Exams for Adults
If your eyes are healthy and your vision is good, you should have a full eye exam by your ophthalmologist once in your 20s and twice in your 30s.
There are some exceptions:
If you have an eye infection, injury or pain, or notice floaters and sudden flashes or patterns of light, call your eye doctor.
If you wear contact lenses, go to the ophthalmologist every year.
If you have diabetes or have a family history of eye disease, talk to your ophthalmologist about how often to have your eyes examined.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that adults have a comprehensive eye exam at age 40. It is then that the first signs of disease or vision changes may appear. It is important to detect eye diseases in time. Early treatment can help preserve your vision.
Not everyone should wait until age 40 to get an eye exam.
Some adults should not wait until age 40 to get a comprehensive eye exam. See an ophthalmologist now if you have an eye disease or risk factors such as:
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
- family history of eye diseases
After an exam, your ophthalmologist can tell you how often you should have your eyes checked in the future. It is important that you follow the schedule that your ophthalmologist tells you, especially as you get older. The risk of suffering eye diseases increases with age.
Older people and eye exams
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| Older people and eye exams |
If you're 65 or older, be sure to get an eye exam every one to two years. Your ophthalmologist will check for signs of age-related eye diseases, such as:
- waterfalls
- Diabetic retinopathy
- age-related macular degeneration
- glaucoma
Remember, always follow the schedule that your ophthalmologist recommends for future optical check-ups.
What do ophthalmologists check during eye exams?
A complete eye exam is simple and comfortable. It shouldn't last more than 45 to 90 minutes. Your doctor may ask a staff member to do part of this exam. This is what the exam should include:
your medical history
Your doctor will ask about your vision and general health. They will ask you about:
- your family's medical history
- what medications you take, and
- If you wear corrective lenses.
your visual acuity
This is the part of the eye exam that people are most familiar with. An eye chart is read to determine the quality of vision at various distances. One eye is covered while the other is examined. This exam will determine if you have 20/20 vision or not.
Your corrective lens prescription
Your doctor will ask you to look at an eye chart through a device called a phoropter. The phoropter contains different lenses. It will help you determine the best eyeglass or contact lens prescription for you.
your pupils
Your doctor can check how your pupils respond to light by shining a bright beam of light into your eye. The pupils usually respond by narrowing. If the pupils become wide or unresponsive, this may reveal an underlying problem.
your side vision
Loss of side vision (peripheral vision) can be a symptom of glaucoma. This test can detect eye problems that you are not aware of because you may lose side vision without realizing it.
The movement of the eyes
A test called ocular motility assesses the movement of your eyes. Your ophthalmologist checks if your eyes are aligned. He also checks that the eye muscles are working properly.
eye pressure
An eye pressure test, called tonometry, measures the pressure inside the eye (intraocular eye pressure, or IOP). An elevated IOP is a sign of glaucoma. The test may consist of a quick puff of air over the eye or the gentle application of a pressure sensitive tip near or against the eye. Your eye doctor may use numbing drops for this test for your comfort.
the front of the eye
Your ophthalmologist uses a slit-lamp microscope to illuminate the front of your eye. This includes the eyelids, cornea, iris, and lens. This test checks for cataracts or any scars or scratches on the cornea.
The retina and optic nerve
The ophthalmologist will put dilator drops in your eye to dilate, or widen, the pupil. This will allow him or her to examine the retina and optic nerve for signs of damage caused by the disease. Your eyes may be sensitive to light for a few hours after the dilation.
Other tests during an eye exam
Your ophthalmologist may suggest other tests to further examine your eye. This may include specialized imaging techniques such as:
- optical coherence tomography (OCT)
- fundus photos
- fluorescein angiography (FA)
- topography, which is an examination of the surface of the cornea
- automated field of view
These tests help your ophthalmologist detect problems at the back of the eye, on the surface of the eye, or inside the eye to diagnose diseases early. Each part of the comprehensive eye exam provides important information about the health of your eyes. Be sure to get a complete eye exam as part of your general health care.
Reference: American Academy of Ophthalmology
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