Comprehensive eye exams use a series of advanced tests and evaluations to provide far more information about your vision and your eye health. At Legacy Eye Care, with two offices in South Hill and additional locations in Chester and Colonial Heights, Virginia, our team bring the best exams to help you understand your eye care needs. Call the office nearest to you, or book online to schedule your appointment today.

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Should children get their eyes examined?

Routine eye examinations are important for healthy visual development. Because children do not know what “normal” vision looks like, they may not be aware of a developing eye problem. Good vision is closely linked to the learning process and is important for success in school and activities, so make yearly appointments for your children. If your child is struggling in school, make an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam with an ophthalmologist who specializes in children’s vision.

How often should adults have a comprehensive eye exam?

As we age, yearly comprehensive eye exams continue to play an important role in healthy vision. Even a slight change in prescription can cause eye discomfort, headaches and other associated problems. Around the age of 40, most adults have difficulty reading due to presbyopia. A natural part of the aging process, presbyopia makes it harder to read small print on labels, computer monitors, books, and other printed material. While inexpensive “drugstore readers” may help, your ophthalmologist will provide a thorough examination of your vision and offer many corrective options that are customized to your specific needs.

What does a comprehensive eye exam include?

If it has been several years since your last exam, you may wonder what is involved in getting a comprehensive eye exam. While tests will vary based on your doctor and your medical history, most comprehensive eye exams include the following:

  • Visual Acuity to assess the sharpness of your vision, usually using the “Big E” or Snellen chart.
  • Visual fields test to determine if you have blind spots or peripheral vision issues.
  • Cover Test, which can identify strabismus or binocular vision problems.
  • Retinoscopy, autorefractor or aberrometer to approximate your eyeglass prescription.
  • Refraction to fine tune the final eyeglass prescription using a phoropter.
  • Slit Lamp exam to detect common eye diseases and conditions. This instrument allows your doctor to examine the structure of your eye to assess its health.
  • Glaucoma test, known as tonometry, measures the pressure within your eye.
  • Dilation of the pupil and ophthalmoscopy to examine the optic nerve, retina and blood vessels.

What are the best benefits of a comprehensive eye exam?

One of the greatest benefits of comprehensive eye exams is that you receive immediate feedback about your eye health. Your ophthalmologist will test for conditions such as:

  • Refractive error: nearsighted, farsighted or astigmatism
  • Focusing problems, including presbyopia
  • Other vision problems, such as strabismus, amblyopia or binocular vision