A comprehensive eye exam, offered only by an ophthalmologist or optometrist, looks at both eye health as well as your vision. Your doctor will check for:
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Refractive error: nearsighted, farsighted or astigmatism
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Focusing problems, including presbyopia
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Other vision problems, such as strabismus, amblyopia or binocular vision
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Eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy
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Other diseases, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, can often be detected in an eye exam
While tests will vary based on your doctor and your medical history, most comprehensive eye exams include the following:
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Visual Acuity to assess the sharpness of your vision, usually using the “Big E” or Snellen chart.
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Visual fields test, to determine if you have blind spots or peripheral vision issues.
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Cover Test, which can identify strabismus or binocular vision problems.
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Retinoscopy, autorefractor or aberrometer, to approximate your eyeglass prescription.
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Refraction, to fine tune the final eyeglass prescription using a phoropter.
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Slit Lamp exam to detect common eye diseases and conditions. The instrument allows your doctor to examine the structure of your eye to assess its health.
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Glaucoma test, known as tonometry, measures the pressure within your eye.
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Dilation of the pupil and ophthalmoscopy to examine the optic nerve, retina and blood vessels.
