Medical Update August 2024

16 —Medical Guide, August 2024 What to expect at your next eye exam R egular eye examina- tions are important components of a per- sonal health regimen. Visiting an eye doctor can alert a person to potential vision im- pairments, and certain symptoms that show up in the eyes could be indicative of notable health problems. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says everything from brain tumors to aneurysms to high cholesterol can be detected in the eyes. For those who do not have any apparent vision problems, most doctors recommend fol- lowing a chart based on age. The insurance ex- perts at Aetna suggest the following age-based intervals: • Ages 20 to 39: Every fi ve years • Ages 40 to 54: Every two to four years • Ages 55 to 64: Every one to three years • Ages 65 and up: Every one to two years Individuals who wear glasses or contact lenses, have a family history of eye disease, or have a chronic condition that puts them at risk for eye disease, like dia- betes, should get vision exams more frequently. Despite the signif- icance of eye exams, many people do not visit an eye doctor until something is amiss with their vision or eyes. Per- haps individuals would be inclined to visit the eye doctor more fre- quently if they knew what to expect during an exam. Here’s what people can expect the next time they step into a private eye doctor’s o ffi ce or a vision center, courtesy of The Cleve- land Clinic and Warby Parker. • Visual acuity: The eye doctor will ask you to read an eye chart while looking through a device called a pho- ropter. This device has several lenses that can be adjusted to help you see better and fi nd the right corrective lens pre- scription. • Visual fi eld: The doctor will check periph- eral vision by holding up a fi nger or an object and moving it gradually to the side of your face. Additional movements may include up and down. Some o ffi ces use a computer program to conduct this test. • Automatic re- fraction: Visual acuity can be measured with this test, during which an autorefractor shines light into the eye and measures the eye’s re- sponse. It’s commonly used with children or adults who may struggle to communicate what they’re seeing. • Pupil function: The eye doctor will brie fl y shine a hand- held light into each eye and then move the light away to watch how the pupils constrict and di- late. • Slit lamp exam: This test involves a slit lamp, which is a type of microscope that enables the eye doctor to see the eyes in close detail. • T o n o m e t r y measurement: Glau- coma occurs when in- traocular pressure is high. Some eye doctors will conduct tests to determine the pres- sure. One way is with a non-contact tonome- try test, which is a pu ff of air squirted at each eye. With applanation tonometry, the doctor fi rst administers a mild numbing agent to the eye, and then uses a pressure-sensitive in- strument to gently tap on the surface of the eye to get a pressure read- ing. A rebound tonome- try test requires a hand- held device that makes brief contact to the eye and doesn’t require lo- cal anesthesia. • Pupil dilation: The eye doctor will ad- minister eye drops that dilate the pupils, which enables a better view of the retina, optic nerve, cornea, and surround- ing blood vessels during an ophthalmoscopy. • Special photog- raphy: The eye doctor may utilize specialized imaging equipment that will take digital images of the eyes to diagnose various retinal, optic nerve and corneal con- ditions. These are some of the things people may experience during a comprehensive vision exam.