Types of Eye Exams

Routine eye examinations are vital to eye health and clear vision. Pennachio Eye offers eye exams for specific issues such as a contact lens fitting or if you are experiencing any pain or discomfort. However, it is important to schedule an annual comprehensive eye exam to be sure any changes in vision or underlying diseases do not go undetected. 

Types of eye exams generally included in a comprehensive eye exam are an eye muscle movement test, visual acuity, visual field, color vision, refractive error, glaucoma risk, details of the retina, and physical health of the eyes, eyelids and lashes. These types of exams are painless and will help determine if any improvement or corrections need to be made to ensure the health of your eyes. Age, medical history, family history and your health habits will be discussed at the beginning of the exam to help your doctor determine which types of eye exams will be most beneficial for you. 

Below is a quick guide to the types of eye exams Pennachio Eye will offer you:

Eye Muscle Test: The doctor will examine the muscles that control your eye movement to identify any weakness, lack of coordination or control. 

Visual Acuity Test: The doctor will measure the clarity and sharpness of your vision with objects at a distance both near and far. Typically, patients are asked to identify letters and numbers on an eye chart, called a Snellen chart, with both eyes and the one eye at a time.

Visual Field Test: The doctor will assess your peripheral vision. The doctor flashes a few fingers in the four quadrants of your visual field while seated opposite you. In some instances, a computerized system may be used that measures your visual field. 

Color Vision Testing: The doctor will determine if you are affected by color blindness. There are different levels of color blindness, but it is very rare that one would see no color at all. This test is called the Ishihara Test and makes numbers out of dots in different colors. 

Refraction Assessment: The doctor will use this test to narrow down where you may be experiencing blurred or less than sharp vision by using a tool called a phoropter while you look forward to a chart 20 feet away. This test will determine if you have myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism. 

Glaucoma Test: The doctor may use more than one type of eye exam to determine if you have glaucoma. A nerve fiber test may be concluded as well as tonometry, a test used to check intraocular eye pressure. A dilated eye exam, known as an ophthalmoscopy, will check the shape and color of the optic nerve. Both glaucoma tests and retinal tests will focus on the cornea. Glaucoma tests will check the angle in the eye where the iris meets the cornea (gonioscopy) and the thickness of the cornea (pachymetry). 

Retinal Exam: The doctor performs an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to analyze the macula, optic disc and nerve fibers as well as ten layers of the retina. This test will provide evidence of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy.

Comprehensive eye exams provide doctors with a baseline for your vision and eye health and are necessary to prevent vision loss or to slow the progression of eye disease. To schedule your appointment or to learn more about types of eye exams offered at Pennachio Eye, contact our office at 325-227-1999 or WEBSITE.