Get a Comprehensive Eye Exam in Austin, TX
What to Expect During a Comprehensive Eye Exam
At the start of the appointment, our staff will take your patient history. We will want to know about any past or current eye conditions you or your family members have experienced, whether you wear glasses or contact lenses and for how long, the last time your eyes were checked, and whether you have any eye concerns. We also will want to know what medications you are taking and whether any work-related or environmental conditions may be affecting your vision.
After the discussion, the staff will move forward with eye exams and evaluations.
Thorough Eye Exams and Care
Prior to seeing the doctor, our staff also uses state-of-the-art equipment to measure many aspects of visual function and eye health. The exams will evaluate the optic nerve retina, macula, lens, and cornea.
Among the first tests performed in a comprehensive eye exam are visual acuity tests, which measure the sharpness of your vision. Eye charts are used to determine how clearly each of your eyes is seeing the letters and number you are shown. A projected eye chart is used to measure how well you read from a distance and a small, handheld chart is used to measure near vision.
The test measures the distance and the size type that you can comfortably read. The results are written as a fraction, like 20/20, which is the normal distance visual acuity. The top number means you read at a standard distance of 20 feet; the bottom number indicates you can see letters and numbers clearly at 20 feet.
A tonometry test will be performed to measure intraocular pressure, which is the pressure inside your eye. This test determines whether you have the eye disease glaucoma, which can cause blindness by damaging the optic nerve.
We use a keratometry test to measure and determine the power of the cornea. Astigmatism, which can be corrected with eyewear, occurs when there are differences in power across the cornea.
Our staff also may use diagnostic tools like corneal topography and retinal imaging to diagnose, monitor, and treat various eye conditions.
Corneal topography is a computer-assisted tool that provides a three-dimensional view of the surface curvature of the cornea, which is responsible for most of the eye’s focusing power. Many times, these images are used to fit people for contact lenses or to plan for laser eye correction surgery.
Retinal imaging helps eye doctors assess the retina’s health, allowing them to effectively manage health conditions such as glaucoma, diabetes, and macular degeneration. Catching these conditions during their early stages can prevent serious progression and vision loss.
After the results are gathered and the eye doctor assesses how well your eyes focus, move, and work together, the doctor will determine the level of correction needed to get your vision as close to possible to 20/20.