What to Expect During Your Eye Exam at Coastal Woods Vision
What to Expect During an Eye Exam
An eye exam is an important part of maintaining your overall health, as it helps to identify vision issues and can also reveal signs of systemic conditions. A comprehensive eye exam should be part of your annual health routine.
Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect during your visit.
Arrival and Initial Assessment
When you arrive at Coastal Woods Vision, you will be greeted by our staff and any insurance or vision benefits can be explained in more detail.
Our optometric technician will start the exam portion by discussing your medical history, current medications, and any vision or eye problems you may have experienced. This initial assessment helps the eye care professional understand your needs better. After that, our technician will do a few quick tests before you see the doctor.
One of the first tests conducted is visual acuity. You will read letters from an eye chart at a specified distance to determine how well you can see. This test assesses both near and distance vision, helping to identify any need for corrective lenses to optimize visual performance.
We also measure intraocular pressure, pupil reactions, eye muscle movements and balance, and binocular vision.
Refraction
During the refraction test portion of the exam, the doctor will ask you to look through a series of lenses to determine the strength of prescription you need for glasses or contact lenses. This is when you may hear the phrases "Which is better, one or two?" as the doctor adjusts the lenses. This test also helps to monitor vision changes due to other conditions, such as a cataract formation or myopia progression.
Eye Health Evaluation
An essential part of the exam involves evaluating the health of your eyes. This may include:
Slit-Lamp Examination: A specialized microscope that allows the doctor to examine the front part of the eye in detail. The slit lamp provides a magnified view to identify issues such as cataracts or corneal injuries or inflammation.
Retinal Examination: The doctor may use special drops to dilate your pupils, allowing for a thorough examination of the peripheral retina and optic nerve. This part of the exam is crucial for detecting conditions like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration.
Additional Tests
Depending on your age, health history, and findings during the exam, the doctor may order additional tests, such as visual field testing for peripheral vision, OCT imaging of the optic nerve or retina, or additional more specialized treatment plans for eyelid health or dry eye, myopia, contact lenses, etc.
Discussion and Recommendations
At the end of the examination, your eye care professional will discuss the findings with you. Any recommendations for corrective lenses, treatment plans, or follow-up exams based on your specific needs will be reviewed. If corrective lenses are needed, they will walk you out to one of our skilled opticians who will be happy to help you find the perfect pair of eyeglasses to enhance your visual performance based on your job, hobby and lifestyle.
We look forward to seeing you soon!