Your eyes are one of the most complex organs in your body. Unlike a simple vision screening, which only assesses your vision, a comprehensive eye examination includes a battery of tests for complete evaluation of the health of your eyes. It is simple, comfortable and takes around 45 to 90 minutes.
A comprehensive exam includes:
Medical history
Your doctor will ask you about your vision and general health. They will ask about:
• Your family history of systemic and eye pathology
• Systemic illness and medications you take
• Allergies
Visual acuity
Visual acuity test measures the sharpness of your eyesight. You will read an eye chart to determine how well you see at various distances. You cover one eye while the other is being tested.
Prescription for corrective lenses.
Refraction is the test that your eye doctor uses to determine your eyeglass prescription. Your doctor or optometrist will ask you to look at an eye chart and shows you a series of lens choices. He or she will then ask you which of the two lenses in each choice looks clearer.
Pupils
Your doctor may check how your pupils respond to light by shining a bright beam of light into your eye
Eye movement
A test called ocular motility evaluates the movement of your eyes. Your ophthalmologist looks to see if your eyes are aligned. They also check that your eye muscles are working properly.
Eye pressure testing
Tonometry measures the pressure within your eye called intraocular eye pressure (IOP). Elevated IOP is one sign of glaucoma. The test may involve a quick puff of air onto the eye or gently applying small tonometer probe on cornea.
The front part of your eye
Your doctor uses a slit-lamp microscope to see the front part of the eye which includes the eyelids, cornea, iris and lens.
Retina and optic nerve
Your doctor will put dilating eye drops in your eye to widen your pupil. Full pupil dilation usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes. This will allow them to examine retina and optic nerve for any signs of damage from disease. Your near vision may be blurred and your eyes might be sensitive to light for a few hours after dilation.
Other Tests during an Eye Examination
Sometimes your eye doctor may suggest other tests to further examine your eye and detect any problems. This can include specialized imaging techniques such as:
• Automated visual field• Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
• Fundus photos
• Topography, which is a scan of the surface of your cornea