Consumer Guide to Eye Exams

Why Are Eye Exams Important?
Vision screenings that are performed by a school nurse or your employer are not the same as comprehensive eye exams. Eye doctors check for eye and other diseases that have no early symptoms, but should nevertheless be treated as early as possible to avoid vision loss.

Preparing for an Eye Exam
Learn how often you and your family members should get eye exams, depending on your ages and risk factors. Once you're ready for an exam, how do you know whether to see an ophthalmologist (MD or DO), an optometrist (OD) or an optician? Also, find out what factors into the cost of an eye exam, and what info you should take with you to your appointment as well.

Eye Exams for Contact Lenses
If you plan to wear contact lenses, be sure you say so when you schedule an eye exam. Your eye doctor will need extra time for a contact lens fitting, which includes measurements of your eye's surface.

Eye exams determine how well light rays are focused onto the retina, which works much like film does in a camera.

Eye Exams for Children
Early eye exams for children are extremely important because vision problems often are related to poor performance in school.

Contrast Sensitivity Testing
Contrast sensitivity testing can help eye doctors determine if you have vision problems beyond what is seen on conventional eye charts.

Wavefront Eye Exams
Modern eye examinations using wavefront can identify even obscure vision errors that may now be corrected for the first time through LASIK, eyeglasses, or artificial lenses.

Visual Field Testing
A visual field test may be needed to determine if you have blind spots within your peripheral or "side" vision.

Refraction and Refractive Errors: How the Eye Sees
This article explains how light travels through the eye, how the eye refracts or focuses light, and how refractive errors in the eye cause poor vision — but can be detected in an eye exam and corrected.

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What to Expect From a Comprehensive Eye Exam
What are all those instruments in the eye doctor's office? The short answer is that some test for eye conditions (such as nearsightedness) and others test for eye diseases (such as glaucoma). Learn more about the devices and tests you are most likely to encounter during a routine eye exam.

Eye Exam Eye-Q
Do you know why the eye doctor puts dilating eyedrops in your eyes? What risk factors would make more frequent eye exams necessary? Put your knowledge to the test with our Eye-Q quiz!

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[Page updated March 2008]