What’s in an Eye Exam?

Your Optometrist checks more than your vision. Yes, your vision does take up part of your eye exam. He will check your prescription and ask you questions that may seem difficult to answer.
But your eye exam covers much more!
With a full personal health history, he can tell if you have any conditions that may cause problems with your eyes or put you at a higher risk for certain eye conditions. A full family health history can tell him some of your risk factors for developing eye diseases and conditions. Many medications have vision side effects, so a complete list of what you take will help him give you better care too. Checking reflexes in eye muscles and pupils can indicate neurological conditions and development of systemic conditions like MS or Alzheimer’s. Your exam should also include things like a testing of your peripheral vision, color vision, and depth perception. A decrease in any of these could indicate the onset of major neurological or eye diseases.
Your Optometrist will also screen you for eye diseases and conditions like Cataracts, Glaucoma, and Macular Degeneration. These conditions can cause major vision loss if not treated early, and often will not show any symptoms until the damage is permanent. Your eyes can also show early signs of conditions like Diabetes, Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Sleep Apnea, Stroke, and so many more.
With so many health advantages, why would anyone want to put off their annual eye exam?