Your eyes are among the significant organs for senses. Therefore, receiving eye care is significant, which includes comprehensive eye exams.

A significant number of people wear eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct eye conditions. Such patients live with nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and other eye problems. Therefore, they visit an eye doctor regularly for check-ups.

During the eye check-ups, the specialist examines your eyes depending on your condition. The eye exams are not detailed since the doctor checks the progress of your treatment. However, you can consider a comprehensive eye exam from time to time.

Comprehensive eye exams aim to identify potential eye problems and offering treatments before they progress. Therefore, if your family has a history of an eye condition such as myopia, the optometrist can identify it and offer treatments in its early stages.

When you seek eye care services, the optometrist will determine if you need a comprehensive eye exam after reviewing your medical and family history.

What to Expect During a Comprehensive Eye Exam

The tests you undergo during a comprehensive eye exam vary depending on your eye care provider. Below are some of the eye tests you can expect when you are getting a comprehensive eye exam.

Reviewing Your Family and Medical History

Some eye problems are hereditary. Therefore, if a member of your family suffered an eye condition, you might be at risk of developing it. Reviewing your family history will alert your optometrist to pay close attention to some tests.

Also, if you have some health conditions such as diabetes, it is advisable to notify your optometrist. Such health conditions are causing factors for eye problems that can cause legal blindness if left untreated.

Visual Acuity

Visual acuity is an eye test that utilizes a chart to check your ability to distinguish between objects, colors, and letters. During the eye test, your optometrist will ask you to sit at a distance and read letters and symbols that go down the chart.

The visual acuity test shows how you can see objects from a distance. However, this eye test might not be enough to prescribe the correct eye lenses.

Refraction test

To check for conditions such as myopia and hypermetropia, your Calgary optometrist might recommend a refraction test. During the refraction test procedure, your comprehensive eye exam optometrist will check for the degree of refractive error by carrying out retinoscopy or using an autorefractor.

Your optometrist might use such a test to determine the suitable lenses to correct your refractive error.

Eye Teaming and Focusing Test

During your comprehensive eye test, your optometrist will check how your eyes function individually and together. Such a test aims to check for binocular vision. Therefore, if the eyes cannot focus properly, your optometrist might recommend a corrective treatment procedure.

Slit Lamp Test

The slit lamp test is a procedure that helps your optometrist examine the inner and outer parts of your eye in detail. Some of the parts of your eye that the optometrist might check, include the conjunctiva, iris, retina, and optic nerves.

During the slit lamp test, you will lie with your head and chin on a headrest to stabilize your head. The eye doctor can identify potential problems such as conjunctivitis, retinal detachment, macular degeneration, and cataracts during the slit lamp test.

Tonometry

During a comprehensive vision test, your optometrist might recommend tonometry to detect early signs of glaucoma. If glaucoma is left untreated, you might be at risk of blindness. Therefore, your doctor will check for the degree of fluid pressure in your eyeballs. With early detection and treatment, you can prevent complications associated with glaucoma.

Pupil Dilation

During your comprehensive eye exam in Calgary, AB, your optometrist will dilate your pupils. However, the procedure is safe. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about any complications that may arise due to pupil dilation.

During the dilation process, your eyes enlarge, helping your optometrist view the parts at the back of your eye. However, pupil dilation is done at the optometrist’s discretion. Therefore, some patients might get their pupils dilated every year, while others get the eye care service in different intervals.

Optometrist Near You

If you are seeking comprehensive eye exams and eyewear near you, you can consider visiting our optometrist near you. Other than exams, you can find other comprehensive eyecare services at our Premier Eye Care clinic.