The goal of a comprehensive eye examination is to allow patients to have the best possible vision while addressing ocular health issues. The Primary Eye Care Service at IEI is staffed and supervised by therapeutically licensed doctors of optometry. These professionals are dedicated to delivering quality primary eye care to patients, including making sure patients are comfortable throughout an examination and that patients understand everything they need to know about their eyes.

A typical, comprehensive eye examination at IEI includes:

A complete patient history, including ocular and systemic conditions.

Past and general medical history of the patient and family members.

Assessment of visual acuity and refractive status (need for corrective lenses).

An evaluation of visual function and efficiency.

A health evaluation of the eye, the surrounding facial areas and the visual pathway to the brain.

Checking Your Refraction
During the measure of visual acuity, the patient is usually asked to respond to the appropriate eye chart both at a distance and near. The examiner is likely to request that patients respond to lenses placed before their eyes or rely on information obtained by automated instruments to determine the need for correction. The goal of this sequence is to correct the patient’s refractive error through the use of glasses or contact lenses.

If indicated by this examination or patient symptoms, the examination may be extended to include a visual field analysis. For patients needing additional testing to determine an accurate diagnosis, referrals are made to appropriate specialty care services within IEI.

Ocular Health
No eye examination is complete without an ocular health evaluation. This includes evaluation of the health of the eyelids, lashes and surrounding structures. Any inflammatory, infectious conditions or structural abnormalities can be assessed using an instrument known as a biomicroscope. Disease and abnormalities may also be detected as the doctor examines the cornea, conjunctiva, sclera, anterior chamber, iris and lens. (For more information, please read about Eye Anatomy.)

Common eye conditions examined in the ocular health evaluation are conjunctivitis, keratitis, dry eye syndrome, blepharitis and uveitis. (An explanation of each of these disorders is described in the Common Eye Problems section.) Eye pressure is also measured during this part of the eye examination to screen for glaucoma.

Dilation
The last portion of a comprehensive eye examination is dilation. Dilating eyedrops are used to enlarge the pupil. This allows the examiner to directly view the eye’s interior. When the eyedrops have taken effect, the lens, vitreous, macula, optic nerve, ocular blood supply and far retinal periphery can be examined. (For more information, please read about Eye Anatomy.)

Cataracts, also known as lens opacity, are easily detected during dilation as are diseases of the retina, including age related macular degeneration, diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy, optic neuropathy, retinal vascular disease and retinal inflammatory and infectious diseases. (An explanation of each of these disorders is described in the Common Eye Problems section.) Peripheral retinal degenerations and structural abnormalities, such as retinal breaks or detachments, are also detected during this part of the eye examination.

A dilated evaluation is recommended on an annual basis in order to identify undiagnosed conditions or diseases. Without a dilated examination, many of these vision-threatening conditions may go undetected because patients may not experience any symptoms. This is particularly important for people with diabetes.

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