The Eye Exam
Today’s eye exam is an interactive partnership between the doctor, and the patient. We rely on the accuracy of patient responses to provide the most comprehensive examination. In order to identify all of your needs and any potential health problems, we ask that you complete a health survey to provide a more complete historical and current health record. It is said that the eyes are the gateway to the body and in many cases this is completely accurate. Many medications, vitamins, and foods can all influence the health of your eyes and your vision. Additionally, many diseases can be observed by examining the health of the eyes. Several common examples include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, infections, auto-immune disease including AIDS, or stroke and brain damage, and certain types of cancer. For these reasons it is very important to have regular eye exams to dilate the pupils.
The eye exam is made up of two basic components: the refraction and the ocular health exam. The first portion or the refraction determines the best prescription for your glasses by having you (the patient) subjectively identify the best option. Our doctors allow you to try on the new prescription so that you can compare it to your current glasses in different settings such as reading and viewing the computer.
The second portion of the exam is an assessment of the health of the eye and in many cases your overall systemic health. This frequently requires our doctors to dilate your eyes. This allows our doctors to examine the outside structures of your eyes, measure the pressure within the eye (one test for glaucoma), check for cataracts, and examine the retina or the very back of your eyes. The dilation specifically allows our doctors to examine the extreme edges of the retina to ensure that no problems exist potentially leading to vision loss. Our doctors will also examine how your eyes work together as a team and check for proper ocular alignment.
Optomap Retinal Imaging
Here at InFocus Eyecare, we embrace the use of new technology to improve our ability to detect, monitor, treat and prevent disease. The optomap is the latest tool that will allow us to continue to provide superior care to you, our patient.
Benefits of an optomap:
- Early detection of sight-threatening conditions and blindness such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachment and retinal holes or tears.
- Early detection of life-threatening disease like Cancer, Stroke and Cardiovascular disease
- A permanent record in your medical file which can provide a baseline for comparison later on to diagnose or track eye conditions.
- Provides a BETTER overall view than dilation, with the ability to magnify and add filters that can uncover subtle retinal abnormalities
- Immediately review results with your doctor
Your insurance is designed to cover only a basic eye exam and does not cover advanced screening tools such as the Optomap. We have invested in this state of the art technology because we believe that it is in our patient's best medical interest to have this retinal scan performed. In most cases, the Optomap can be performed in-place of receiving dilation drops. The Optomap screening fee is $30.00