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Same-Day Appointment
Routine Eye Exam
Click here to find out the American Academy of Ophthalmology's view on eye exams.
Why should I get an eye exam?
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that adults get a comprehensive eye examination once in their 20s, twice in their 30s, at the age of 40, and annually after the age of 65. This is because many sight-threatening conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy are silent in the beginning and not noticed by patients until significant and often irreversible vision loss has developed. Early diagnosis and treatment can typically prevent permanent vision loss. Not everyone should wait until the age of 40. If you have an eye disease or any risk factor such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or family history of eye disease, see your ophthalmologist now.
What should I expect during my eye exam?
Your comprehensive eye exam may take 45 to 90 minutes. We measure your visual acuity and examine your pupils, eye movements, side vision, eye pressure, front, and back of your eyes including the retina and optic nerve.
Many serious conditions, including retinal tear, retinal hole, lattice degeneration, retinal detachment, or tumors may be located in the periphery of the retina in the back of the eye. Dilating your pupils allows us to examine the periphery of your retina with much more accuracy than non-dilation exams. We use dilating eye drops to dilate your pupils. Dilation may last 4 to 6 hours and make your near vision blurry. You may also be more sensitive to light, so please feel free to ask us for dark shades before you leave.
We may take color pictures of the front and/or back of the eye. We may also perform specialized imaging techniques or tests including OCT, fluorescein angiography, or visual field analysis to further examine your eyes.