Eye Exams Exposed

What every patient should know about eye exams

Not all eye exams are created equally. For some, reciting a string of letters in the school nurse’s office is the most eye care they’ve received. But it’s important for everyone, not just those who wear glasses, to visit the eye doctor … long after the school bell stops ringing.

The earlier eye problems are detected, the earlier treatment can begin. Whether your last eye exam was in the fifth grade or you regularly see an optometrist for glasses or contacts, knowing what a high-quality eye exam should consist of will enable you to insist on the best eye care for you and your family.

Vision Source Las Vegas upholds a standard of excellence in patient care that includes thorough exams and patient education. When visiting any Vision Source, you can expect personalized service and attention to detail. They’ll also take the following steps during your exam:

Interview: It’s All About You

Comprehensive care means knowing more than a patient’s insurance provider. Vision Source doctors ask questions to understand patients’ lifestyle, existing medical conditions, symptoms they may be experiencing and medications they’re taking—including over-the–counter ones and herbal remedies. This enables the doctor to provide solutions that are in sync with their patient lives and to determine if a combination of factors, such as a medication or health condition, is causing vision problems or poses a future threat.

The A,B,C’s

As classic as the metal flip-top lunchbox, the Snellen Chart is a hallmark of elementary school days, but it stays useful throughout life. The chart, which features letters that begin large and chunky and gradually become tiny—is used to assess visual sharpness. Your doctor determines the smallest row you can see clearly.

Refraction

Using a retinoscope or autorefractor, Vision Source doctors shine a light in patients’ eyes and watch the reflection off their retina. By moving the light across the pupil, he or she can assess the eye’s reflexes to changing light and estimate your eye power. Using a phoropter, the doctor measures the refractive error and determine the strength of prescription needed.

Teamwork

To assess your eyes’ ability to work as a pair, your doctor will look at the performance of each eye on its own and how they work together as a team.  Many times you may have great vision but because your eyes do not work as a team you may experience strain or fatigue. 

Color Your World

Color vision deficiencies strike millions of American, primarily males, who typically cannot see the difference between green or red. That’s why Vision Source tests a patient’s ability to see color using a series of cards with colored dots that form numbers. If a patient as has a hard time seeing some numbers, he or she may have a color vision deficiency. In more severe cases, the numbers will be invisible to the patient.

Glaucoma

While glaucoma is a serious eye disease, the puff test, the most common glaucoma test, can help you catch problems early. The test puffs air into your eye for a split –second, which measures the fluid pressure inside the eye.

Dilate

 The eyes are the windows to your health. To makes those windows bigger, doctors may dilate the eyes with drops that enlarge your pupils. This allows a closer, more detailed look into the eyes, so the doctor can check for eye health conditions that may not yet show obvious symptoms.

 Magnify

A slit lamp, or biomicroscope, lets your eye doctor detect cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy by generating a magnified view of the front and inside of the eyes.

Your Rx

If a patient needs glasses, contacts or treatment to manage an eye disease, Vision Source doctors explain treatment plans in terms that patients understand. They’ll recommend websites and provide reading materials so that patients can arm themselves with knowledge as they move forward in their vision treatment plan.

Vision Source opticians work with patients to find the perfect pair of glasses or prescription sunglasses. To learn more about frames and lenses, click here.

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