By Dr. Jill Finke

New experiences can sometimes make us feel nervous, but knowing what to expect can help put our minds at ease. When you have an eye examination, the goal of the exam is to assess your vision as well as your eye health. Additionally, an eye exam can help to detect eye and general health problems before you may notice their effects.

Because your eye health is linked to your overall health, your exam will include gathering information about your current medical conditions, your current medications, as well as you and your families’ medical histories. The best way to share this information with your doctor is to complete our patient paperwork. Our office would be glad to send your forms to complete in advance of your appointment.

In addition to bringing a list of your current medications and supplements to your exam, your eye doctor can also learn more about your visual health when you bring your past pair of glasses and/or contact lenses and boxes. Measuring your vision with what you currently use can help your doctor to assess how to maximize the clarity of your eyesight.

Maintaining healthy eyes is essential to maintaining clear vision. Therefore, your doctor will also assess your ocular health at your examination. By completing simple testing of how your eyes respond to light, measuring the pressure inside of your eyes, and observing the eye structures, your doctor can assess your eyes for common eye diseases and conditions. Your doctor may also recommend eye dilation at your appointment.

Eye dilation occurs when eye drops to widen your pupils are instilled into your eyes. This dilation allows your pupil size to increase temporarily so that the doctor can have a more complete view of the inside of your eyes. Eye dilation can make your vision slightly more blurred for a few hours, however, most people find this effect to be mild.

In summary, an eye examination is essential to maintaining visual clarity and detecting eye diseases and even general health problems before you may be aware a problem exists. Regular eye examinations as recommended by your doctor are valuable in maintaining a lifetime of health vision. And if you have vision changes, eye discomfort, or eye conditions you would like to know more about, your eye doctor is here for you.