What’s Involved in an Eye Exam?

Eye exams at Skyline Vision Clinic involve a number of tests to assess your eye health. Our doctors are looking for conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism (refractive errors) as well as eye diseases and damage. Even if you aren’t experiencing any changes in your vision, it is possible for changes to be happening inside your eyes. Having regular eye exams are an excellent way for our doctors to diagnose conditions early so we can start treatments. The ultimate goal is to preserve your vision!

Our eye exams may include these tests:

• Retinoscopy to check your refractive error 
• Eye pressure measurement to identify glaucoma
• Visual acuity to measure the definition of your vision
• Visual field test to find any blind spots 
• Cover tests to identify eye misalignment
• Pupil dilation to identify eye diseases

Sometimes these tests may suggest an underlying health condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure. If we suspect these conditions, we will alert you so you can discuss our findings with your regular physician.

Preparing for Your Eye Exam

Before you arrive for your appointment, make a list of any concerns you have about your vision. We want you to share as much information as possible about any symptoms you might be experiencing. We will also want to know about your family history of eye disease (if possible), medications you are taking, your current glasses/contact lens prescription, other health issues, etc.

Plan to bring the following with you:

• Your prescription glasses and/or contact lenses
• Insurance information, including your insurance card (make sure you know what is covered under your plan)
• Identification card such as your driver’s license
• Name, phone number and address of your primary care doctor
• Someone to drive you home (your eyes may be dilated during the appointment)
• New patient forms (these can be downloaded and filled out prior to your appointment)
• Cash, checkbook or credit card to pay for any out-of-pocket expenses, if necessary

If you have generally good eyesight, it’s recommended that you have an eye exam every 2 years. It may need to be more frequent if you have a medical or vision condition already. We hope you will stay proactive with your eye health and schedule an eye exam with us.