Annual Comprehensive Medical Eye Exams
Annual Comprehensive Medical Eye Exam
Regular comprehensive eye health and vision examinations are essential for detecting eye diseases and various general health conditions. These yearly exams not only ensure the well-being of your eyes but also help in identifying broader health issues throughout the body. As part of your central nervous system, your eyes can exhibit changes due to systemic diseases, making these exams crucial for overall health monitoring.
At Wyomissing Optometric Center, we prioritize a thorough assessment of your eyes and visual system during each annual comprehensive visit, emphasizing the importance of yearly check-ups for maintaining optimal eye health and detecting potential health problems early.
Our Commitment to Your Eye Health
At Wyomissing Optometric Center, we are dedicated to providing thorough examinations of your eyes and visual system during each comprehensive visit. We recommend annual check-ups to maintain optimal eye health and detect potential health problems early.
Our comprehensive eye exams are designed to:
- Detect common eye conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration.
- Identify signs of systemic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
- Assess visual acuity and update your prescription if needed.
- Provide personalized recommendations for eye care and preventive measures.
What to Expect During an Eye Exam
At Wyomissing Optometric Center, we are committed to examining the full health of your eyes and visual system at each yearly visit. To do this thoroughly, we perform a series of tests and procedures, including:
- Extensive Patient History: We discuss all known diagnoses and medications you are taking, as many systemic diseases and medication side effects can affect eye health and function. We also address any questions or concerns you have about changes to your eyes or vision since your last examination.
- Visual Acuity Test: This test monitors changes to the prescription of your glasses or contact lenses and evaluates changes that may occur from eye disease.
- Visual Field Screening: Using Frequency Doubling Technique, this test screens peripheral vision, which can be affected by diseases like glaucoma and certain neurological conditions.
- Autorefraction: This objective test measures your estimated eyeglass prescription.
- Color Vision Testing: Determines if you are color deficient, which can occur genetically or suddenly due to eye or neurological disease.
- Pupil Reaction Testing: Measures the input of your visual system to the brain.
- Eye Movement Testing: Evaluates how accurate and efficient your tracking is, which can be abnormal in conditions such as brain tumors, stroke, or post-concussive syndrome.
- Depth Perception Testing: Assesses how well your eyes work together. Unequal vision or eye turns (strabismus) can diminish the ability to judge depth.
- Refraction: Determines your final and most accurate eyeglass prescription, also forming the basis for your contact lens prescription.
- Eye Health Examination: Using a biomicroscope, your doctor examines the full structure and anatomy of your eye, including the eyelids, cornea, conjunctiva, sclera, iris, lens, internal eye fluid, retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels. A dilated eye examination is recommended for a full view of the retina and interior of your eye. We also offer Optos Optomap screening for internal eye health assessment without dilation for certain patients.
Dilated Eye Examination vs. Optomap Retinal Imaging
A dilated eye examination allows our eye doctor to view the health of the inside of your eye, specifically the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels. Your retina is the only area in the body where blood vessels can be viewed directly without cutting through your skin. Besides monitoring for eye health conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal tears or detachments, signs of other diseases like stroke, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune conditions, and certain types of cancers can also be detected.
Optos Optomap
At Wyomissing Optometric Center, we also offer Optos Optomap, an ultra-wide digital retinal scan that images up to 80% of the retina without dilating eye drops. However, not every patient is a candidate for Optomap. Your candidacy will be determined by your eye doctor based on several factors. Every new patient will need a comprehensive dilated eye examination without exception. The dilation allows our doctor to view and assess 100% of your retina in full detail, which is crucial for ruling out any ocular or systemic health conditions. The 20% that an Optomap screening misses can delay the diagnosis of a sight-threatening retinal finding.
Optomap is a useful screening tool that allows otherwise healthy individuals to defer the frequency of dilation. It may be used to photo-document retinal lesions for medical monitoring. While a dilated eye examination can be uncomfortable due to light sensitivity and mild blurred vision lasting for a few hours, the importance of early diagnosis of eye disease outweighs the convenience of Optomap screening. Optomap is not covered by insurance and incurs an additional fee.
If you are interested in having Optomap performed instead of a dilated examination this year, ask your eye doctor if you are a candidate
