Comprehensive Eye Check Up

It is best to call up in advance and seek an appointment for an eye check up – conveying in brief the vision problem you have. Carry a record of history of any medical problem you have and the drugs you are taking, as eye health is affected sometimes by other medical issues also. In case you already have a diagnosed eye problem, carry your previous records and glasses/ contact lenses in use. It may be best to discontinue the use of contact lenses 2 days prior to the check up for a god diagnosis. Your eyes may be dilated for the exam and it is good to carry sunglasses for trip back home or get a driver in case you drive your own car.

Eye Check up
The patient is directly seen by specialised and trained ophthalmologist to assess you treatment need based on your problem or your requirement from the check up.

Time Taken: It might vary anything from half an hour to one and a half hour depending on certain specialized tests.

Following tests are done during a Comprehensive eye examination

These tests are usually performed by the specialized ophthalmologist himself and start with , VISUAL ACUITY TEST which is done by a chart with receding letter font size. This is followed by RETINOSCOPY, which requiring medical expertise is done by the ophthalmologist (eye doctor) later. In retinoscopy light is shone in the eyes and the specialist checks the reflection of light from the eyes. This may be done by a retinoscope, or through a refractor or also by a phoropter. In case you are looking for a lens prescription, the REFRACTION TESTING is done. This can be done manually by changing (flipping back and forth) lenses on metal frame put on your eyes or through a computerized refractor. A NON CONTACT TONOMETRY test to check the pressure of the eye is done by ophthalmologist. In case it is on abnormal side – detailed GLUCOMETRY test may be recommended.

Then the ophthalmologist studies and reviews the readings from the previous tests and performs a SLIT LAMP EXAMINATION through a biomicroscope. The ophthalmologist with the help of the slit lamp examines the front of the eye – namely the cornea, lens, iris and the anterior chamber. This is done as the slit lamp magnifies the light shone in the eye.

In case the ophthalmologist feels that the patient requires a retina examination (which is done mandatorily for elderly patients and patients with history of retina problems) – the patient is put on PUPIL DILATION. In this 2 – 3 pupil dilating drops are put in the eye while the patient sits in the waiting area with his eye closed, waiting for the pupils to dilate and takes from 15 – 20 minutes for the drops to dilate the pupils. Eyes become more sensitive to light and the patient will have blurred vision for few hours – so it is best to plan your day accordingly and carry sunglasses for way back.

Post this RETINAL EXAMINATION is done with the help of ophthalmoscope and the posterior segment of the eye is checked, namely – retina, vitreous, blood vessels and optic nerve.
Based on the reading of these tests, a patient may be given more specific eye examination related to glaucoma, retinal disease, corneal surgery, cataract surgery and other eye disorders.