Making time for a comprehensive eye exam is essential to achieve better overall health and wellness. Eye exams help determine if your vision needs improving and whether you have an eye disease. Regular eye exams are essential because some eye diseases don’t exhibit symptoms in their early stages. By visiting an optometrist, you can help prevent vision loss.
During each eye examination, your eye doctor at Coastal Eye Care will:
- Goes over your medical history
- Completes vision tests
- Assesses how your eyes focus and move
- Completes an eye health evaluation
Dr. Cormier may recommend additional eye tests if you have signs or symptoms of eye disease — such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, or cataracts — to correctly diagnose your condition.
Eye Tests
During a comprehensive eye exam, Dr. Cormier completes various eye tests to evaluate your vision. These tests may include:
- Eye muscle movement tests
- Visual acuity tests using eye charts
- Assessments of how well your eyes react to light
- Peripheral vision tests
- Color vision tests
- Examination of your retina
- An exam using a slit lamp, which is a microscope that magnifies the front of your eye
- Measuring your eye pressure to test for glaucoma
Dr. Cormier may use numbing drops, lights, or eye machines to complete eye tests during your comprehensive eye exam. These tests are tolerated well by patients.
How often do I need an eye exam?
Dr. Cormier will let you know how often to come in for comprehensive eye exams. If you’re in your 20s or 30s and have no vision problems, he may recommend scheduling eye exams less frequently than once a year.
But many times, especially if you’re over age 50, wear contacts or glasses, or have symptoms of poor vision or an eye disease, Dr. Cormier suggests eye exams every year or two to maximize eye health and vision.