What is a Complete Eye Exam?
A complete or comprehensive eye exam is the only way to ensure total eye health and diagnose any eye-related health issues (see Sight Test or Eye Exam?). It is more than checking to see if your vision is 20/20 and handing out a prescription. Many factors can effect your eye health, and a complete eye exam takes all of those factors into account before taking further action.
We’ve broken the exam down into layman’s terms in order to help you understand the role that each test plays. The following tests are the most commonly performed, however your optometrist may choose to add additional tests if complications are perceived.
Steps that you can expect in a typical optometric examination include:
- Case history - you will be asked about your
general health, medications you may be taking, your working
environment, hobbies, etc. You will also be asked to
describe any
vision problems you may have been experiencing.
- External eye examination - Your optometrist
will
examine the external area around the eye to ensure that
there are
no abnormalities.
- Internal eye examination - Using the slit
lamp
microscope and an ophthalmoscope, your optometrist will
check your
eyes for indications of abnormalities, from front to
back.Some
problems detected during an internal eye examination may
indicate
possible disease, such as diabetes or hypertension. If your
optometrist sees any of these warning signs, you will be
referred
to a physician for further examination.
- Tonometry - Tonometry measures the fluid
pressure
in the eye and is an important test in detecting glaucoma.
- Vision tests - A number of tests are used
to
assess your vision:
- Retinoscopy - The optometrist can determine the strength of your eyes using various lenses and the retinoscope. This is done without feedback from the patient and is therefore an invaluable instrument for assessing the vision problems of children and others who may not be able to read an eye chart.
- Visual acuity tests - Using the familiar wall chart and a hand-held charts, your optometrist will assess your ability to see small detail clearly at both near and far distances. You may sit behind a phoropter, an instrument containing a combination of lenses. Lens choices are systematically changed until clear focus is obtained.
- Eye movement - Using a number of different tests, the optometrist will evaluate how well your eyes align or coordinate when working together and individually.
- Peripheral vision - The optometrist may evaluate how well you see targets which are not directly in front of you.
Other tests may be undertaken to evaluate your ability to change focus, see colour correctly, or perceive depth correctly.
The items above are typical to a routine eye examination.
Your optometrist will choose those tests required to adequately evaluate YOUR visual system!
The Recipe for Total Eye Health
All of the above exams are used in conjunction with one another to determine the best type of care needed for your eyes. A sight-test alone cannot adequately provide this information, as it only relies on the refraction portion of your eye health. A refraction cannot tell you whether or not you have an underlying eye health issue that, if left untreated, can seriously effect your overall health.
The Three "O"s
Optometrists are the first line of defense for your eyes. They are trained to evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe treatment. You do not need a referral to see an optometrist, and many optometrists will accept walk-in patients with no previously scheduled appointment.
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialize in the study, diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. A patient who requires care from an ophthalmologist (ex: for cataract surgery) generally requires the referral of an optometrist or family doctor.
Opticians are trained to fabricate and fit vision aids. Some are licensed to provide "sight-tests", but they do not assess, diagnose, or treat eye conditions. A prescription should always be obtained as a result of a complete eye examination from an Optometrist to ensure that all factors of your eye health are taken into account. For more information, see Sight Test or Eye Exam?
Eye Services Comparison Chart - Optician vs. Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist
