Our eyes are probably one of the most overworked parts of the body. Every waking hour, our eyes do a non-stop job, and even in our sleep, they’re still moving. For children, vision is very important as almost everything they learn in their formative years come in the form of visual learning. Without proper nutrition and eye care, it’s very easy for one’s vision to start showing signs of damage. Unfortunately, some people take their eyes for granted.
An eye examination is an important part of one’s routine primary care. Your vision is just as important as every other part of your overall wellness. An eye exam is composed of a series of tests that is done by an eye specialist called ophthalmologists, or other health care professionals like optometrists or orthoptist. It consists of many tests that will depend on the factors like current condition of your eyes, your age, and the initial impression of the ophthalmologist.
Tests that may be included are:
- Retinal Examination
- Visual Acuity
- Pupil Function
- Eye focus/Eye teaming
- External examination of the eyes
- Special examinations like Retinal Tomography, Corneal Topography, Electroretinography, etc. may also be needed as advised by your physician
- Intraocular Pressure (IOP)
- Refraction (Objective and/or Subjective)
- Ocular Motility
- Slit-lamp exam
- Color Vision
- Keratometry
According to the American Optometric Association, the frequency of eye examinations for children is as follows:
| Patient Age | Examination Interval | |
| Asymptomatic/Risk Free | At Risk |
|
| Birth to 24 Months | At 6 months of age | By 6 months of age or as recommended |
| 2 to 5 years | At 3 years of age | At 3 years of age or as recommended |
| 6 to 18 years | Before first grade and every two years thereafter | Examination Interval |
High-risk children include those who are born prematurely, of low birth weight, was born with low oxygen levels or those born with intraventricular hemorrhage. Children born to families with history of eye-related conditions like congenital cataracts or retinoblastoma are also at risk. If a child is also born to a mother with known infection during pregnancy like rubella, herpes, venereal disease, or HIV require re-evaluation.
For adult patients, the recommended frequency is as follows:
| Patient Age | Examination Interval | |
| Asymptomatic/Risk Free | At Risk |
|
| 18 to 60 years | Every two years | Every one to two years or as recommended |
| 61 and older | Annually | Annually or as recommended |
At risk adult patients may include those that are hypertensive, diabetic, or anyone with a history of ocular disease like glaucoma. Other risk factors are occupations, prescription/non-prescription drugs that have ocular side-effects, wearing contact lenses, or any prior eye surgery.
For your convenience, all Heffington’s locations welcome patients with limited mobility. Feel free to remain seated in your own chair; you do not need to switch to an exam chair. In addition, to ensure accessibility, our facilities have covered entries, ADA power doors, and four-foot-wide examination room doors.
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We greatly rely on our eyes for everything. Almost all the information that we use for our daily lives are transmitted to our brains through vision. Just close your eyes and imagine living without your vision. It seems hard, right? So act early and get your annual eye examination today.
