Everything You Need To Know About Comprehensive Eye Exams

The eyes are our organ of sight. An eye is a big ball sitting in a little hollow area, called the eye socket, in the skull. Because of the importance of the eyes in the human body, they have eyelids that help to protect the front part of the eyes.

These lids help keep the eyes clean and moist by opening and shutting voluntarily or involuntarily several times a minute. Made up of three coats and ten general components that work together to help us see very well every day, the eyes collect light from the visible world around us and turn the light into a nerve impulse. The optic nerve transmits these signals to the brain, which causes an image to form, thereby providing sight.

The eyes should be treated with utmost care to enable you to see clearly without pain, straining, or any form of restriction. Proper care of the eyes can protect them from diseases that can impair your sight or cause total loss of sight. However, many eye problems do not have obvious symptoms until the situation becomes complicated; therefore, to determine the health of your eyes; you need to go for a comprehensive eye exam in Calgary.

What is Comprehensive Eye Exam?

A comprehensive eye exam is a series of thorough examinations performed by an Optometrist in Calgary to assess aspects of your visual system and eye health.

A comprehensive eye exam is different from a vision screening. While a vision screening procedure is a basic eye test that helps to identify vision problems without checking for the causes of the vision problem and other eye diseases, a comprehensive eye test helps to evaluate your eye health, detect diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachments, etc. and also check the causes of these diseases.

Comprehensive eye exams should not be overlooked and only done when there is a problem with the eyes. It is suitable for both kids and adults because many eye defects and diseases do not manifest in symptoms until they worsen and cause visual problems. A comprehensive eye exam is a preventive healthcare procedure. It would help if you visited a clinic that offers eye care near you for a comprehensive eye exam every one or two years. The frequency of the tests depends on your age, family history, use of visual aids, occupation, medications with ocular side effects, professional recommendations, and general health.

What To Expect During a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

During a comprehensive eye exam, you might be asked various questions ranging from your family history, medications you use, injuries to the eyes, to past and present medications that you might be on. Your answers can help guide your optometrist as to what to look out for during the exam. Bright lights, lenses, and various instruments are helpful during a comprehensive eye exam. For accuracy, your dentist might dilate your pupils to enlarge them and help the bright lights expose a clear view of your retina and the back of your eyes.  During a comprehensive eye exam, a series of tests are carried out to detect eye defects. They include:

• Glaucoma Testing: This involves the testing of the pressure in your eyes. Glaucoma is a condition that damages your eye’s optic nerve. It gets worse over time; however, comprehensive eye health exams can help discover it in its earliest stage.
• Visual acuity: This test is carried out during a comprehensive eye exam to measure the sharpness of your vision.
• Topography: This test is carried out to measure the cornea’s curvature by focusing a circle of light on it and measuring its reflection during a comprehensive eye exam.
• Color Blindness: This screening test is used to check your color vision to rule out color blindness during a comprehensive eye exam.
• Slit Lamp Exam: During this test, the structure of the eye is examined under high magnification to detect a wide range of eye conditions and diseases.

Other tests that might be carried out during a comprehensive eye exam include Ocular motility, retinoscopy, Binocular vision assessment, Tonometry, etc. Comprehensive eye exams help to ensure that you have a healthy visual system.