This article was provided by AllAboutVision.com. Follow the links below for more information on eye health and vision correction.

Most eye care experts recommend that you have a comprehensive eye exam every one to three years, depending on your age, risk factors, and physical condition.

Children. Some experts estimate that approximately 5 to 10 percent of preschoolers and 25 percent of school-aged children have vision problems. For these reasons, children should have their eyes examined more frequently than young adults.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) says children should have their eyes examined at 6 months of age, at age 3 and again at the start of school. Thereafter, children without vision problems or risk factors for eye or vision problems should have routine eye exams at least every two years throughout school.

Children with existing vision problems or risk factors should have their eyes examined more frequently. Common risk factors for vision problems include:

• premature birth
• developmental delays
• turned or crossed eyes
• a family history of eye disease
• a history of eye injury
• other physical illness or disease

The AOA recommends that children who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses should have their eyes examined at least every 12 months or according to their eye doctor’s instructions.

Adults. The AOA says adults who wear eyeglasses or contacts should have annual eye exams. Adults with no need for prescription eyewear and no risk factors for eye or vision problems should have an eye exam every two to three years up to the age of 40, and more frequently thereafter.

Eye doctors often recommend more frequent examinations for adults with diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders, because many diseases can have an impact on vision and eye health.

If you are over age 40, it’s a good idea to have your eyes examined every one to two years to check for common age-related eye problems such as presbyopia, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Because the risk of eye disease continues to increase with advancing age, everyone over the age of 60 should have annual eye exams, according to the AOA.

Who should I see for my eye exam?

There are two kinds of eye doctors – optometrists and ophthalmologists. Who you should see depends on your needs and preferences.

Optometrists (ODs) are eye doctors who can prescribe glasses and contacts and treat medical conditions of the eye with eye drops and other medicines. They are not licensed to perform eye surgery.

Optometrists undergo a four-year curriculum of professional training in optometry, typically after receiving a science-related undergraduate degree from a college or university.

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (MDs or DOs) who specialize in eye care. In addition to prescribing eyeglasses and contacts, ophthalmologists are licensed to treat medical conditions of the eye and perform eye surgery.

Ophthalmologists attend four years of medical school after college, followed by at least one year of internship and three years of training as a hospital resident in ophthalmology.

Both optometrists and ophthalmologists are required to take national and state licensure examinations before they are allowed to practice, and must participate in ongoing professional education to keep their professional license active.

How much does an eye exam cost?

Eye exams are available in many settings, including private doctors’ offices, discount optical stores and large medical clinics. Fees vary widely depending upon whether the exam is performed by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist and the type of services included in the exam.

Generally speaking, contact lens exams cost more than regular eye exams. Likewise, an additional or higher fee may be charged for specialized services such as laser vision correction evaluations.

Many insurance plans cover at least a portion of eye exam services and fees. Check to see what your benefits are and which eye doctors in your area participate in your plan before you make an appointment. Then be sure to give your doctor’s office your insurance information to verify coverage.

What information should I take with me to my eye exam?

Come prepared for your eye exam and bring the following items:

• All eyeglasses and contact lenses you routinely use, including reading glasses.
• A list of any medications you take (including dosages).
• A list of any nutritional supplements you take (including dosages).
• A list of questions to ask the doctor, especially if you are interested in contact lenses or vision correction surgery.

Also bring your medical or vision insurance card if you will be using it for a portion of your fees.

Article ©2011 Access Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction other than for one-time personal use is strictly prohibited.

This article was provided by AllAboutVision.com. Follow the links below for more information on eye health and vision correction.

To safeguard your precious gift of sight, it’s important to have regular eye exams regardless of your age or physical health.

During a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will check your eyes for common eye diseases, assess how your eyes work together as a team and determine your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses. He or she also will evaluate your eyes as an indicator of your overall health.

Who should get their eyes examined?

Eye examinations are an important part of health maintenance for everyone. Adults should have their eyes tested to keep their prescriptions current and to check for early signs of eye disease. For children, eye exams can play an important role in normal development.

Vision is closely linked to the learning process and it is important to have your child’s eyes examined to rule out learning-related vision problems. Many times, children will not complain of vision problems simply because they don’t know what “normal” vision looks like. If your child performs poorly at school or exhibits a reading or learning problem, be sure to schedule an eye examination to rule out an underlying visual cause.

What is the eye doctor checking for?

In addition to evaluating whether you have nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, your eye doctor will check your eyes for eye diseases and other problems that could lead to vision loss. Examples of problems your eye doctor will be looking for include:   

• Strabismus: Strabismus is misalignment of the eyes. Your eye doctor will check your eyes’ alignment to be sure that they are working together. Strabismus causes problems with depth perception and can lead to amblyopia.

• Amblyopia: Amblyopia is reduced eyesight (usually in one eye only) due to the brain ignoring visual input from the eye or because images from that eye are significantly less clear because of unequal refractive error in the two eyes. Amblyopia often is caused by strabismus and is an adaptation by the brain to prevent double vision. Treatment of amblyopia usually involves treating the underlying cause of the condition, and then patching the “good” eye for a period of time to force the brain to start using the amblyopic eye so good vision can develop in that eye.

• Eye Diseases: Many eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, have no obvious symptoms in their early stages. Your eye doctor will thoroughly check the health of your eyes, looking for signs of early problems. In most cases, early detection and treatment of eye diseases can help reduce your risk of permanent vision loss.
  
• Other Diseases: Your eye doctor often can detect early signs of systemic conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol by looking at the retinal blood vessels inside your eyes. In some cases, a comprehensive eye exam is how these conditions are first discovered.

For example, diabetes can cause small blood vessel leaks or bleeding in the eye, as well as swelling of the macula (the most sensitive part of the retina), which can lead to vision loss. It’s estimated that one-third of Americans who have diabetes don’t know it; your eye doctor may detect the disease before your primary care physician does, especially if you’re overdue for a physical.

Vision screenings and comprehensive eye exams

Vision screenings are general eye tests that are meant to help identify people who are at risk for vision problems. Screenings include brief vision tests performed by a school nurse, pediatrician or volunteers. The eye test you take when you get your driver’s license renewed is an example of a vision screening.

Vision screenings can suggest that you need an eye exam, but they are not a substitute for a comprehensive eye exam.

A comprehensive eye examination is performed by a licensed eye doctor and includes multiple tests of all aspects of your vision, including glaucoma testing. Based upon the results of your exam, your doctor will then recommend a treatment plan for your individual needs.

Only a licensed eye doctor can provide a comprehensive eye exam. Family physicians and pediatricians generally are not trained to perform complete eye exams, and studies have shown that they can miss important vision problems that require treatment.

Treatment plans following a comprehensive eye exam may include eyeglasses or contact lenses, strabismus surgery or vision therapy for eye alignment or binocular vision problems, medical treatment for eye disease or simply a recommendation that you have your eyes examined again in a specified period of time.

Article ©2011 Access Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction other than for one-time personal use is strictly prohibited.

This article was provided by AllAboutVision.com. Follow the links below for more information on eye health and vision correction.

A comprehensive eye exam includes a number of tests and procedures to examine your eyes and evaluate your eye health and the quality of your vision. These tests range from simple tasks such as reading an eye chart, to complex procedures using sophisticated imaging devices and computerized equipment.

Here are some tests you are likely to encounter during a routine comprehensive eye exam:

Retinoscopy

This test is an objective way for your eye doctor to get a good approximation of your eyeglasses prescription. The room lights are dimmed and an instrument containing wheels of lenses (called a phoropter) is positioned in front of your eyes. You will be asked to look at an object across the room (usually the big “E” on the wall chart or screen) while your doctor shines a light from a hand-held instrument into your eyes from arm’s length and flips different lenses in front of your eyes.

Based on the way the light reflects from your eye during this procedure, your doctor can get a very good idea of what your eyeglasses prescription should be. This test is especially useful for children and non-verbal patients who are unable to accurately answer the doctor’s questions.

With the widespread use of automated instruments to help determine eyeglass prescriptions today, your eye doctor might forgo performing retinoscopy during your eye exam. However, this test can provide valuable information about the clarity of the internal lens and other media inside the eye. So doctors who no longer perform this test routinely may still use it when examining someone who may be at risk of cataracts or other internal eye problems.

Refraction

This is the test your doctor uses to determine your exact eyeglasses prescription. During a refraction, the doctor puts the phoropter in front of your eyes and shows you a series of lens choices. He or she will then ask you which of the two lenses in each pair (“1 or 2,” “A or B,” for example) make the letters on the wall chart look clearer.

Based on your answers, your doctor will determine the amount of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and/or astigmatism you have, and the eyeglass lenses required to correct these vision problems (which are called refractive errors).

Automated tests

Your eye doctor also may use one of two types of automated instruments (an autorefractor or an automated aberrometer) to help determine your glasses prescription. With both devices, a chin rest stabilizes your head while you view a pinpoint of light or other image.

An autorefractor evaluates the way an image is focused on the retina, where vision processing takes place, without the need for you to say anything. This makes autorefractors especially useful when examining young children or people who may have difficulty with a regular (“subjective”) refraction. Often, the results obtained from an autorefractor are verified and refined with a manual subjective refraction during the exam to determine your eyeglasses prescription.

An aberrometer uses advanced wavefront technology to detect even obscure vision errors based on the way light travels through your eye. In some cases, an aberrometer is used to prescribe specially designed high-definition eyeglass lenses.

Cover test

The cover test is a simple procedure that helps your eye doctor determine if your eyes are aligned properly and work together as a team.

While you are focusing on a small object either across the room or up close, your eye doctor will cover one of your eyes at a time with a small hand-held tool. Depending on how your eyes move when covered and uncovered, he or she can determine your eye alignment and eye teaming ability.

Cover tests can detect even very subtle misalignments that can interfere with your eyes working together properly (binocular vision) and cause amblyopia or “lazy eye.”

Slit-lamp exam

The slit lamp (also called a biomicroscope) is an instrument that your eye doctor uses to examine the health of your eyes. A slit lamp gives your doctor a highly magnified view of the structures of your eye, including the lens behind the pupil, so he or she can thoroughly evaluate your eye health and check for cataracts and other problems.

The slit lamp is basically an illuminated binocular microscope that is mounted on a table. It includes a chin rest and headband to help you hold your head and eyes still during the exam. With the help of hand-held lenses, your doctor also can use the slit lamp to examine the retina (the light-sensitive inner lining of the back of the eye.)

Tonometry (glaucoma testing)

Tonometry is the name for a variety of tests used to determine the pressure inside the eye. Elevated internal eye pressure can cause glaucoma, which is vision loss due to damage to the sensitive optic nerve in the back of the eye.

One common method used for tonometry is the “air puff” test – where an automated instrument discharges a small burst of air to the surface of your eye. Based on your eye’s resistance to the puff of air, the machine calculates the pressure inside your eye – called your intraocular pressure (IOP).

Though the air puff test can be startling, nothing but air touches your eye during this measurement and there’s no risk of eye injury from the procedure.

Another popular way to measure eye pressure is with an instrument called an applanation tonometer, which is usually attached to a slit lamp. For this test, a yellow eye drop is placed on your eyes. Your eyes will feel slightly heavy when the drops start working. This is not a dilating drop — it is a numbing agent combined with a fluorescent yellow dye.

During applanation tonometry (also called Goldmann applanation tonometry or GAT), your eye doctor will have you stare straight ahead in the slit lamp while he or she gently rests the bright-blue glowing probe of the tonometer on the front of your eye and manually measures the intraocular pressure.

Like the air puff test, applanation tonometry is painless and takes just a few seconds.

Since glaucoma has no symptoms prior to permanent vision loss, having routine comprehensive eye exams that include tonometry is essential for ensuring the long-term health of your eyes.

Pupil dilation

Your comprehensive exam usually will include the use of dilating drops. These medicated eye drops enlargen your pupil so your doctor can get a better view of the internal structures in the back of the eye.

Dilating drops usually take about 20 minutes to fully affect your pupils. When your pupils are dilated, you will be sensitive to light, because more light is getting into your eye. You also may notice difficulty reading or focusing on close objects. These effects can last for up to several hours, depending on the strength of the drops used.

If you don’t have sunglasses to wear after the exam, be sure to ask for disposable sunglasses to wear for the drive home.

Additional testing

Depending on your particular needs, your eye doctor may perform additional tests or schedule them to be performed at a later date.

In some cases, he or she may refer you to a colleague who specializes in advanced care (for diabetic retinopathy, for example) for additional testing and/or treatment.

Article ©2011 Access Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction other than for one-time personal use is strictly prohibited.