For anyone who has had problems with their vision or a serious eye condition knows just how important it is to maintain the health of the eye. If we ignored such problems there would be regret and a wish that we had caught the symptoms earlier. Eye exams that are performed by a school nurse or an employer are not equal to a comprehensive eye exam given by a certified optometrist. An optometrist will screen your eyes thoroughly for eye and other diseases that can lead to vision loss. Visiting your eye doctor on a regular basis means that treating these complications early can be achieved. An eye exam is basically a series of tests assessing one's ability to focus on and recognize objects within a field of vision. All of us should have perodic and thorough eye exam as part of our basic primary care. Unfortunately, many eye diseases can be dormant , or in medical terms asymptomatic.
Normally an eye examination takes about an hour. It requires many functional tests to determine the overall health of the eye. Testing that's done will include, a corneal analysis, tests for nuerological disorders, ocular eye health condition, eye pressure, corneal thickness, endo thelial cell counts, slit-lamp examination, stereopsis, color vision, visual field screening, extraocular motilities focus, interpupillary distance, tonometry, visual acuity, near point of convergence and pupils. Quite a thorough list!
External examination of eyes consists of inspection of the eyelids, surrounding tissues and palpebral fissure. Palpation of the orbital rim may also be desirable, depending on the presenting signs and symptoms. The conjunctiva and sclera can be inspected by having the individual look up, and shining a light while retracting the upper or lower eyelid. The cornea and iris may be similarly reviewed and investigated. Some of the tests are also carried out by high resoultion cameras allowing optometrists to pinpoint conditions. Conditions diagnosed during eye examinations can include but are not limited to amblyopia, diplopia, myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and strabismus.
For first time eye exam patients, it is important that a full and accurate medical history be divulged allowing the examiner to do a thorough investigation armed with the proper medical information.
Eyecare experts recommend that everyone have a complete eye exam every one to three years. For children, some experts suggest that approximately one in 20 preschool children and one in four school-aged children have an eye problem that could cause permanent vision loss if left untreated. Children without symptoms and who are at low risk for eye problems should have their eyes screened by six months of age, then examined at age three and again at the start of school. Risk-free children should then continue to have their eyes examined at least every two years throughout school. The American Optometric Association also recommends an annual eye exam for all adults who wear either contact lenses or eyeglasses. If you don`t normally need vision correction, you still need to have an eye exam every one to two years up to the age of 40.
Diabetes is a condition that can impact upon the health of the eyes, and doctors often recommend more frequent examinations for adults with diabetes, Similarly, high blood pressure can have an impact on the health of your eyes. It is recommended for senior patients to have at least one eye examination a year.
Once an examination has been completed to determine the health of your eyes, the optometrist can advise corrective measures to improve your vision if necessary. This could be either contact lenses or eyeglasses depending on your preference.
