Eye exams help maintain ocular health by monitoring visual changes and detecting potential concerns early. But, not all eye exams are the same. Different eye exams focus on different areas of ocular health.
A comprehensive eye exam can take around 30 minutes and is encouraged for everyone, even those who can see clearly.
Contact lens wearers benefit from annual contact lens exams, which take about 45 minutes and those with diabetes require annual diabetic eye exams, ranging from 45 minutes to an hour.
Importance of Eye Exams
Regardless of your age or whether you wear eyeglasses, eye exams are necessary for everyone.
These exams go beyond monitoring changes in your vision prescription. Routine visits help detect concerns early, allowing for timely interventions, as some eye conditions can manifest without any onset symptoms until the condition progresses.
Eye exams serve as preventative measures to detect early signs of ocular conditions like:
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Cataracts
- Dry eye disease
- Glaucoma
Our eyes show a glimpse of our overall health status, hence why general health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol can also be seen in our eyes during health evaluations.
How Long Do Eye Exams Take?
Not all eye exams are created equal.
Certain exams are recommended for monitoring specific vision or ocular concerns. For instance, someone who doesn’t wear contact lenses won’t require a contact lens exam. In contrast, a patient with a family history of eye diseases, like glaucoma, may require additional testing and monitoring.
While their focus may differ, these appointments can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes based on your ocular health and the tests needed to evaluate your vision.
Comprehensive Eye Exams
A comprehensive eye exam is similar to visiting your family doctor for a routine physical check-up.
It’s a general exam used to monitor any significant changes in your vision prescription while evaluating the overall health of your eyes.
Your eye exam will include preliminary testing, a refraction and visual acuity exam, and an overall health assessment. At the end of your visit, you may receive an updated vision for glasses to correct any refractive errors, helping you see clearer.
Based on the findings of your visit, your optometrist may bring you back for further tests, like a diabetic health check or dry eye assessment.
The length of this exam ranges based on a patient’s age, vision concerns, and general health, but typically lasts around 30 minutes. The frequency of these exams differs based on the same factors.
Children 19 and under and seniors 65 and older are encouraged to have annual eye exams.
Our eyes continue to grow and develop during childhood, hence why children may experience significant changes in their vision prescription.
During this developmental period, timely intervention for concerns like lazy eye and high myopia shows effective results, making these exams vital for detecting visual issues that affect learning and development.
Meanwhile, adults 65 and older are more susceptible to age-related visual changes, including:
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Low vision
- Flashes of light
Unless otherwise recommended, adults aged 20 to 64 can maintain eye health by having a comprehensive eye exam annually.
Contact Lens Exams
Contact lens exams are strikingly similar to routine eye exams. They go a step further by providing a finalized contact lens prescription in addition to a vision prescription for glasses.
A contact lens exam includes a contact lens fitting, where your optometrist takes precise measurements of your eye to fit you into lenses most suitable for your lifestyle and ocular needs for ideal visual clarity.
For instance, patients living an active and hectic lifestyle tend to prefer daily disposable soft contact lenses, as they don’t require the same storage and maintenance as extended-wear lenses.
Meanwhile, scleral contact lenses are suitable for those with corneal irregularities or severe dry eyes.
All contact lens wearers are encouraged to have an annual contact lens exam and fitting, for a few reasons. One, their prescriptions expire annually, and two, they sit directly on the eye’s surface, requiring more maintenance and care than eyeglasses.
These visits verify your eyes can continue wearing contacts by evaluating your eye’s corneal surface and assessing your tear film. Plus, your optometrist can address any visual changes from the previous year. Based on these factors, your optometrist may even consider fitting you in a different pair of lenses.
Given the extra steps involved in this process, a contact lens exam and fitting may take around 45 minutes.
Diabetic Eye Exams
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are strongly encouraged to have an annual diabetic eye exam to maintain healthy vision. These exams are key to detecting and managing diabetic-related changes to the eye before they worsen.
Patients with diabetes have a higher risk of developing certain eye conditions, including:
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Diabetic macular edema
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
During a diabetic eye exam, the eyes are dilated using specialized eye drops that widen the pupil, providing a better view of the eye’s internal structures like the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels.
These exams are quite thorough, taking anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. The majority of the appointment is taken in waiting for your pupils to fully dilate, which takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Once dilated, your optometrist examines the back of your eye using a slit lamp and ophthalmoscope to look for signs of diabetic changes or other eye conditions.
Schedule a Visit
Routine eye exams go beyond updating vision prescriptions. Regular visits are key to preventative care, detecting the onset of any potential concerns early for timely intervention.Connect with our team at Littlefield Eye Associates to schedule your upcoming appointment.
