First Eye Exam in Two Years…what Do I Expect?
May 17th, 2011 | See the Top Answers to this Question Below
Fifty year old male. First eye exam in two years. All I was given was a vision exam. Fitted with a pair of contacts. Charge 5. (second pair of lenses free whenever I need them).
No shining the little light in my eyes, no test of pressure. Just a vision test.
Is that proper?
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With age, the chances of ocular disease increases. Glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, etc., are all more likely with increasing age.
A thorough eye exam should include looking for all of these things, not just checking your vision. Glaucoma is related to high eye pressures. Cataracts cannot be detected without looking at them with a slit lamp (the large microscope tool). Macular degeneration and other retinal diseases cannot be detected without ophthalmoscopy which may or may not include dilation.
A good idea is to call around and ask each office what their exam entails.
I hope this helps.
I would say "not proper." Everyone who wears or who is newly prescribed contacts or glasses should have a thorough eye exam every year. And, by "eye exam," I mean an exam conducted by an opthamologist (a medical doctor, an M.D.) and not by an optometrist (who is not an M.D.). In addition to the test of pressure that you mentioned, where little puffs of air are blown into your eyes to check for the likelihood of glaucoma, you need to have an opthamologist shine his "little light" to examine your retinas (the back lining of your eyes). People who are myopic (nearsighted) are at higher risk of experiencing torn or detached retinas. Those who are more myopic (above six diaptors) are more prone. I just think it is wise to get a thorough exam every year–especially, if you are fifty years old. You are at an age when the vitreous humour (the gel like substance that fills your eyes) may have started to liquify (which is natural and not abnormal). During this deterioation, which may take years, the gel in one or both eyes might pull the retina down as it liquifies. This might result in a tear or a detachment. Anyway, you want to see an opthamologist and ask him how much along you are in this process (of your vitreous humour turning into a liquid). It is something you should have some idea about. Usually, once the gel starts to break down, you might see "floaters" (especially, if the eye or eyes in question have been disturbed in some way). Floaters are fibrous debris from the gel breaking down and appear like hair-like strands or wavy disks that drift by and in your field of vision. If you see flashes of light, then, possibly your retina is either torn or detaching and is pulling on your optic nerve (causing the sensation of flashing light). A detached retina results in a loss of vision (like a curtain descending) and would require surgery to reattach it. Anyway, to make a long story short, go see an opthamologist. It is like taking your car in for a yearly check up at the mechanic’s. You owe it to yourself and to the health of your eyes to do so. I wish you the best. Take care.
NO, that is not proper at all. Because of your age, you should have had a complete eye exam with dilation. Dilation is not required but, definitely gives you an even better exam. During a complete exam, some of the things that are checked are: vision (near & far), muscles & motility, pupillary exam, refraction, intraocular pressure check, and preferably dilation. Those are the minimal things to be checked but, most often, other tests and procedures are performed also. Depending on certain concerns based on symptoms you may be experiencing, or present disease/s present (such as Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc), then some other tests would be performed as well. With dilation, the doctor can see behind the eyes to examine the retina, macula, and other structures that cannot be seen without dilation. I have never heard of having just a vision exam, especially for $105. For that price, you could have had all of the above performed, if not more. I would certainly inquire about it because simply checking your vision and fitting you for contacts is definitely NOT a thorough eye exam. There could be problems going on within your eyes that went undetected simply because the proper testing and procedures were not performed. For example, you could have Glaucoma but not know it because a pressure check wasn’t performed. When going to see the eye doctor, there are far more things to check than just vision. Definitely inquire about it. Do for the health of your eyes. You payed the money…you deserve a better exam than what you got.
Ophthalmic Technician