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Most people think of an eye exam as the part where you read letters and choose between lens one and lens two. That is a few minutes of it. The rest is a health screening that can catch glaucoma, diabetic changes, macular degeneration and retinal tears years before you would notice anything.
The sequence of a typical exam
- History: symptoms, medications, family history and how you use your eyes at work and at home
- Visual acuity: the letter chart, measuring vision at distance and near
- Refraction: fine-tuning the prescription that gives you the sharpest correction
- Eye pressure: screening for pressure levels associated with glaucoma
- Pupil and muscle testing: checking how the eyes move and respond together
- Slit lamp exam: a magnified look at the lids, cornea, lens and front of the eye
- Dilated retinal exam: drops widen the pupil so the retina and optic nerve can be examined
- Imaging when indicated: scans that document the retina and optic nerve for comparison over time
Why dilation is worth the inconvenience
Without dilation, the doctor sees the retina through a small opening, like looking into a room through a keyhole. Dilation opens the door. That is where retinal tears, diabetic changes and macular degeneration are found. Expect light sensitivity and blurry near vision for a few hours, and bring sunglasses.
How often to come in
- Adults with no symptoms and no risk factors: generally every one to two years
- Anyone with diabetes: every year, dilated
- Patients with glaucoma or a family history of it: as directed, often more than once a year
- Contact lens wearers: yearly
- After 60: more frequently, because cataract, glaucoma and macular changes all rise with age
What to bring
Your current glasses, your contact lens boxes or prescription, a list of medications, your insurance cards, and a driver if dilation bothers you. See our eye exam page for what to expect at our Largo office.
Frequently asked questions
Is a vision screening the same as an eye exam?
No. Screenings at a school, workplace or driver’s license office check whether you can see, not whether your eyes are healthy.
Does an eye exam detect other health problems?
Sometimes. The retina is the one place in the body where blood vessels and nerve tissue can be seen directly, so diabetes, high blood pressure and other conditions can leave visible signs.
Can I drive after dilation?
Many patients can with sunglasses, but it is more comfortable to arrange a driver, particularly for a first visit.
Due for an exam?
Book an appointment online with St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute in Largo, or call (727) 202-2020. We have cared for Tampa Bay families since 1961.
