Why Eye Exams are Important to Your Health

Eye exams are crucial to maintaining eye health, regardless of the patient’s age, medical history, or current health. That is why it is important to undergo a complete eye exam every couple of years. Eye exams can detect vision problems and eye diseases; they can also determine if patients are suitable candidates for vision correction procedures. At South Texas Eye Institute, our San Antonio LASIK surgeons offer comprehensive eye exams so we can identify and diagnose potential eye problems in our patients.

Adults should be sure to have regular eye exams to help detect early signs of eye disease and ensure that their eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions are up to date. Children, particularly those who are reporting having difficulty seeing clearly or performing poorly in school, should also under eye exams to determine whether vision problems are contributing to their problems. In many cases, a routine eye exam can provide answers and correct vision problems that have gone undetected for some time.

Eye doctors are often able to detect and diagnose high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic systemic diseases during eye exams, before the conditions have been found by other medical professionals.

What Does an Eye Exam Look For?

A routine eye exam conducted by a qualified eye care professional can help identify and diagnose a wide range of vision-related conditions and diseases, such as:

• Nearsightedness
• Farsightedness   
• Astigmatism   
• Amblyopia (one eye is stronger than the other)   
• Strabismus (crossed eyes)
• Focusing problems
• Cataracts  
• Glaucoma  
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Macular degeneration

Types of Eye Tests

• Visual field test: The visual field test is a common method of measuring a person’s scope of vision. While there are many ways of administering a visual field test, in most cases, the patient views flashing lights or other images through a machine to determine their range of vision.
• Refraction test: The refraction test involves the patient looking at a chart, which is a distance of 20 feet away, through a phoropter. Lenses of different strengths are used to test patients' vision and determine their eyeglass or contact lens prescription.
• Tonometry: In this test, a puff of air is directed at the eye. The eye doctor records the eye's resistance to the air, allowing the eye doctor to measure the eye's pressure.
• Pupil dilation test: The pupil dilation test involves the application of special eye drops; once the pupils have dilated, the eye doctor can determine if the retina shows any signs of disease.
• Corneal and retinal topography: In this test, a computerized, three-dimensional map of the cornea and retinal surfaces is produced; this test is commonly performed on patients that are undergoing refractive surgery or a corneal procedure.

Contact South Texas Eye Institute

Our San Antonio cataract surgeons specialize in identifying suitable candidates for cataract surgery, LASIK, and other life-changing surgeries. By conducting a thorough pre-surgery eye exam, our doctors can advise patients about their surgical options and find the best procedure to achieve the desired results. Contact our practice today to schedule an exam at our practice.