Did you know that as much as 80% of our input from the world around us is visual? We rely on our eyes a lot more than we realize, and it is easy to take our sight for granted, particularly when we aren’t experiencing any problems with our sight. Nevertheless, our eyes are extremely fragile and are just as likely to be affected by damage and disease. While vision deterioration is natural with advancing age, in many cases, damage and disease can lead to temporary or even permanent vision loss, having serious consequences for our ability to live a fulfilling life.

Comprehensive eye exams are the best way to ensure that your eyes stay healthy and functioning well for as long as possible. These should be treated like any other part of preventative care and scheduled as a priority medical appointment. In most cases, comprehensive eye exams are recommended annually, but if you are found to have an issue with your eyes, the frequency of these visits may be increased.

We understand the importance of preventative eye care and know just how crucial your sight is to you. Our comprehensive eye exam service enables us to detect ocular problems in the earliest stages of development so that they can be treated before they have an impact on your vision or your health. In addition to this, we are also able to detect a number of medical conditions that can then be addressed by your doctor. Working together, we can protect your eyes and your vision for the long-term. Here is what you need to know about our comprehensive eye exam service.

The Detection Of Diseases Using Comprehensive Eye Exams

One of the main reasons that comprehensive eye exams are so important is because they allow us the opportunity to continually monitor the health of your eyes, as well as the potential to spot developing diseases. This means that many problems can be caught before they cause any symptoms at all and before your vision becomes compromised.

Eye exams enable us to detect a huge range of eye health and vision problems, including the following which is among the most common:

• Glaucoma

• Cataracts

• Age-related macular degeneration

• Dry eye syndrome

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Partial/full retinal detachment

• Color blindness

• Keratoconus

• Amblyopia

• Uveitis
  
  
  

In addition to these, some of the tests that we perform can also show indicators of other, more general health conditions. For example, bulging blood vessels at the back of the eye can potentially indicate that a patient is suffering from hypertension, whilst a dark shadow on the eye could be a melanoma. Some of the diseases that can become apparent during a comprehensive eye test include:

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Thyroid disorder

• Sickle cell disease

• Multiple sclerosis

• Arthritis

• Cancer

If we believe that you are suffering from or at risk of any of the above conditions as a result of our findings during our assessments, we will advise you to speak to your doctor as soon as possible.

What Happens During A Comprehensive Eye Exam?

When you come into our offices for your comprehensive eye exam, we will start with a consultation. This appointment enables us to find out more about your past medical and ocular health (if we don’t have all of your information), your current lifestyle and how well you feel your eyes are functioning at the moment. If you have had any symptoms or other causes for concern, now is the time to discuss them with us.

Once we have established all of the information above, we will move onto the actual testing element of your appointment. This will include a series of different assessments that will check how your eyes move and work, and that will look at the internal and external structures of your eyes to check for abnormalities and anything else that may indicate that you are experiencing an issue with your eyes. If we detect any health concerns, these will be followed up on with the necessary further testing.

Finally, you will be given a visual acuity test which is used to determine how well you can see objects at various distances. This will tell us whether you will benefit from prescription glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision. Further evaluations may then be used to decide which type of prescription and lenses you need.

To find out more about comprehensive eye tests, or to book your appointment with our experienced and dedicated optical care team, please get in touch with Today's Vision in Laguna Niguel, CA (949) 518-0055!