Frequently Asked Questions about Comprehensive Vision Exam
A comprehensive eye exam is more than just looking at letters on an eye chart. Designed to determine the health of your eyes, this thorough examination includes multiple tools and will test for a large variety of diseases and conditions. Here are some of the most common questions about it.
Will I Have to Have My Eyes Dilated?
Our optometrists look for many health conditions inside your eyeball, and dilating your eyes makes it easier for the doctor to view your eye’s interior. It’s a good idea to bring a pair of sunglasses to your appointment, to allow you to see easier once you leave our office.
What is a Phoropter?
A phoropter is the instrument that looks like a giant pair of black sunglasses. Our doctor will show you a series of lens pairs, and will ask you which one of each pair allows you to see an eye chart better. This allows the doctor to determine your precise glasses prescription.
How Long Will the Vision Examination Take?
Times vary due to business in our office, but the usual exam takes about an hour.
How Do Our Optometrists Test for Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness today, and it’s caused by rising pressure inside the eyeball. Our doctor tests the pressure inside your eye using a puff of air blown into your eye, known as the NCT test. You’ll place your chin on the machine’s chin rest and hold your eye open. A quick puff of air that lasts a fraction of a second will blow onto your eye. The instrument then reads your eye’s reaction to the puff, determining your intraocular pressure.
How Can Our Optometrists Test for Eye Disease?
One of the most useful tools in an optometry office is the slit lamp test. You’ll sit with your chin on a chin rest, and the doctor will shine a thin light into your eye. The light swivels, allowing a view into your eye from different angles. Using this tools, the optometrist can see the structure of your eye, including the cornea, iris, and lens.
What Diseases and Conditions Can Our Optometrists Test For?
The slit lamp test can reveal the beginnings of a number of eye conditions, often before a patient notices any symptoms. Among the most common are cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. This is why having regular eye examinations is such an important part of your health care. Early detection is the key to successful treatment in all eye diseases and conditions. In some cases, it can mean the difference between having surgery and avoiding it, or staving off blindness for years or decades.
Having regular eye examinations should be a part of your normal health care regimen. Our optometry offices located in Celina and Plano are available for appointments. We serve patients in Plano, Celina, Prosper, Frisco, and the surrounding communities with our two locations. If you have any questions about our services, please contact us today at (972) 378-4104 (Plano) or (972) 382-2020 (Celina).