Why Are Eye Exams Important?
Periodic comprehensive eye examinations are an important part of your overall health checkups. Some diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration can be detected early and treated. Many times patients have these diseases with no symptoms. Left untreated, they can cause vision loss.
Eye examinations also help ensure you are seeing your best at all times. Going several years without an eye exam likely means you are wearing the wrong glasses/contact lens prescription. In order to keep your eyes and vision as healthy as possible, eye exams are essential.
How Often Should You Get Eye Exams?
Patients with a family history of these diseases, and also those over 65, should have a comprehensive eye exam at least every year. Others with no history of these diseases should have a comprehensive eye exam every two years.
If you have a family history of glaucoma, cataracts, retinal disorders, diabetes or if you have had any previous eye injuries, you will come back for a yearly eye examination. Even people who have had no previous issues with their eyes are susceptible to eye disease.
What Happens During an Eye Exam?
Eye examinations are quick and painless while still being extremely thorough. During your eye examination at Tyson Eye in Naples, we will check the inner and outer structures of your eyes for signs of disease, as well as test your vision to see if you need an updated prescription.
Your visual acuity will be tested. Your visual acuity determines how clearly you see. Your doctor will use a Snellen chart (the alphabet printed on a chart at varying sizes) and ask you to read the chart. Each eye will be tested separately.
Other vision tests include a refraction assessment, visual field test and color vision testing.
Glaucoma screening will be performed. This gives you doctor a good idea of whether or not you are at risk for glaucoma by measuring the pressure inside of the eye.
During your exam, your eyes will be dilated to enable the physician to better see the retina at the back of your eye. Since your vision will remain blurry for a few hours, you should have a driver accompany you to this office visit.
Being proactive about your eye health can save you a lot of frustration. If you would like to book an eye examination with our eye care experts here at Tyson Eye, contact our Naples or Cape Coral, FL office today!