Comprehensive exams with your eye doctor in Washington, MO, are very important, because they let your doctor yield a wealth of information about your eyes, vision, and even overall health. It’s more illuminating than you may have realized!
Here are five things you probably did not know about eye check-ups.
1. An eye examination focuses on more than just vision.
Your ophthalmologist will perform several eye assessments when you come to our Washington, MO, office. This includes but is not limited to:
- Retinoscopy, which visualizes the highly vascularized retina at the very back of the eye
- A visual acuity test to determine if your eyes require corrective lenses
- A refraction test to determine your lens prescription, if needed
- Peripheral vision testing to determine how much you can see from the corner of your eyes
- Keratometry to determine the shape of the cornea, the clear membrane covering the front of the eyeball
- Intraocular pressure assessment for glaucoma, a common vision-destroying chronic condition
2. An eye examination reveals information about your overall health.
By carrying out the many steps involved in an eye check-up, including pupil dilation, your ophthalmologist may perceive changes that indicate health problems such as diabetes, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and even tumors, such as malignant melanoma. Your eye doctor can tell you if follow-up with your primary care physician or a specialist is necessary.
3. Glasses do not make your eyes weaker.
If, as a result of your visual acuity assessment, your eye doctor determines you need to wear corrective lenses, be sure to fill the prescription at our on-site optical boutique. Then, wear your glasses or contact lenses as directed. You will not weaken your eyesight or be overly dependent on your lenses. Rather, you will be able to read, drive, and perform your usual daily tasks more easily because you will finally see clearly again.
4. Young children need eye exams, too.
Toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age kids need professional eye examinations, which go beyond the cursory vision checkups they receive at a pediatrician’s office or at school. Such exams are fine as far as they go, but they are unlikely to uncover reasons for light sensitivity, lazy eye, or other serious conditions that impact young eyes.
5. Eye exams track age-related vision changes.
If you are in your 60s or beyond, an annual eye exam can help you, your eye doctor, and your PCP learn about – and quickly treat – changes and conditions that are age-related. These include:
- Floaters
- Glaucoma
- Macular degeneration
- Detached retina
- Low vision
Fortunately, today’s eye doctors in Washington, MO, and throughout the United States have many at-home interventions, minimally invasive treatments, and surgeries that help seniors preserve the best vision and eye health possible.
Superior Vision Care in Washington, MO
Our five board-certified eye doctors and our optometrist deliver the best vision care in the St. Lous area. Whether you need treatment and maintenance of a chronic eye condition, require an annual examination, or need an upgrade on your glasses or contacts, we’re here to meet all these important needs.
To book your appointment with an eye exam doctor near you, please call us at (636) 239-1650, and our office team will arrange a convenient time for your visit. Or, if you’d like, use our online appointment request form, and we will get back to you shortly.
