Comprehensive Eye Exam

If you’ve had a vision screening recently, you might say, “My vision is fine! I don’t need a comprehensive eye exam.”

But a vision screening provides a limited perspective on the overall health of your eyes. It’s a bit like getting your blood pressure checked and not getting the rest of your annual physical. You’ll have useful information, but it’s not the whole picture.
 

What are the Limitations of a Vision Screening?

Vision screenings only test your ability to see clearly in the distance. This is called visual acuity and is just one factor in your overall vision. Others include color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. The screening also doesn’t evaluate how well the eyes focus up close or work together. Most importantly, it doesn’t give any information about the health of the eyes.

Vision screenings use inadequate testing equipment.
In some cases, a vision screening is limited to an eye chart across the room. Even when conducted in a physician's office, they won’t have the extensive testing equipment of an eye doctor. They also won’t be aware of nuances such as room lighting and testing distances all of which are factors that can affect test results.
 

What are the Benefits of a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

Comprehensive eye exams evaluate all aspects of your vision and eye health.
The comprehensive eye exam looks at your eye externally and internally for any signs of eye disease, then tests your vision in a variety of ways.

• External Exam – This is an evaluation of the whites of your eyes, the iris, pupil, eyelids, and eyelashes to detect sign of ocular surface disease such as dry eye or contact lens related disease such as corneal ulcers. 

• Internal Exam – This is an evaluation of the retina, macula, optic nerve, blood vessels and other tissues. This can be done via traditional dilation eye drops or with our new optomap digital imaging technology, without any harsh side effects of dilation. 

• Visual Function and Eye Health – This includes testing depth perception, color vision, peripheral vision, and the response of the pupils to light, as well as an evaluation of eye focusing.

• Glaucoma testing- This is a test to detect early changes to the optic nerve, the cable to connects the eye to the brain, that can result in irreversible vision loss. 

• Visual Acuity – Your doctor will test your visual acuity with different lenses to determine if glasses or contact lenses can improve your vision.

Comprehensive eye exams look at your total health history.
Even though you may not require an eyeglass prescription, there is still a need for our doctors to evaluate the eyes for disease such as: glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal holes, retinal fluid and more. These are all treatable conditions if caught early but can result in irreversible vision loss if left untreated.

We recommend eye exams annually for all ages, beginning at age 4 and sooner if your child is experiencing symptoms. Here at City Eye we see and treat patients of all ages and demographics. Give our office a call to learn more about what we can do for you!