optometry@cooroy

EYE EXAMINATIONS

When you book in for a consultation with us you will be examined by one of our experienced and friendly optometrists. We allow around 45 minutes for your first eye examination so that we can get to know you, you do not have to feel rushed and you will know that a thorough assessment has been performed.

Regular comprehensive visual examinations are recommended at least every two years. This is important to assess both your vision and the health of your eyes. Depending on your visual condition, it may be recommended that you attend more frequently.

Our examination process has changed over the years to take advantage of new instrumentation available. Our patients often comment that there are more tests involved these days as well as more “fancy equipment”.

Following is a list of the most routine procedures that may be included in your visual examination.

Case History: Questions about your current vision problems, previous history of visual treatment, family visual history and general health. Other questions regarding your current work, schooling, sports and hobbies will help us provide you with the most suitable treatment and advice for your specific needs.

Visual Acuity: To measure the clarity of your eyesight you will be asked to read letters from a screen at the end of the room for distance acuity or from a card or book for near acuity to check the size of the smallest detail that you can see both with and without your glasses and contact lenses.

The modern computerised screen-based vision testers our optometrists use are much more than simple “letter charts” and even include animated fixation targets to keep the attention of young children.

Visual acuity is recorded as a comparative fraction. If you have 6/6 (or 20/20) visual acuity, this means that you can read the same size letters that a person with “normal vision” can both read to 6 metres (or 20 feet). If your acuity is 6/12, the smallest letters you can read at 6 metres, a person with “normal vision” can read at 12 metres.

External eye examination: An instrument called a biomicroscope (or slit lamp) is used to take a closer look at the surface of your eyes including your tears and eye lids and the front portion of the interior of the eye. This instrument is also used to assess contact lens fit.

Internal eye examination: An instrument called an ophthalmoscope is used to view the retina and optic nerve inside the eye. Evaluation of the retina and optic nerve is important to rule out glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other potentially sight-threatening conditions. Ophthalmoscopes may be handheld or worn on the optometrists head or alternately a smaller hand held lens is used in combination with the slit lamp (instrument used for the external eye examination).

We may also use our retinal camera to record digital images of your retina for future comparison or further analysis.

Pupil response test: The optometrist will look closely at your pupils as well as directing a bright beam of light at each eye to see if the pupils are the same size and shape. A significant difference in pupil size or reaction to light may indicate a problem with your eyes or parts of the brain.

Refraction: The refraction is the part of the examination when the optometrist determines the possible prescription of your lenses for spectacles or contact lenses.

Eye alignment and eye teaming: Good eye teaming is necessary for clear, comfortable, binocular vision. Poor eye teaming can lead to eyestrain, blurred vision, double vision, strabismus (turned eye) and amblyopia (lazy eye).
Tests of convergence and divergence and eye alignment are routine.

Depth Perception: A test of stereopsis (or the ability to see three-dimensionally) may be given which measures depth perception and helps in evaluation how precisely the two eyes work together.

Focusing Abilities: Amplitude and flexibility of focus (accommodation )are routinely tested. Deficiencies in accommodation can result in blurring of print, fatigue and discomfort when reading.

Eye movements: Skills in eye tracking and fixation are routinely evaluated in order to assess the abilities to follow a moving object, accurately move the eye fixation from one object to another and to maintain attention of a steady object.

Colour Vision: Colour vision assessment may be completed with various tests. Deficiencies in colour vision are usually genetic in origin, however acquired colour vision deficiencies (eg. as an adult or in one eye only) can indicate health issues.

Eye pressures: The pressure inside the eyeball can be measured as part of the routine testing of all adults for glaucoma with an instrument called a tonometer.

The tonometer measures the pressure of the eye by resting a small device directly against the cornea. First your optometrist will apply an eye drop that contains a short-acting anaesthetic to decrease the sensitivity of your eye. The measurement takes only seconds and you will have no awareness that the tonometer is touching your eye.

Recommendations: At the completion of the examination, your optometrist will make recommendations for any treatment (if required), further tests or referral, and a time frame for your next recommended examination.

Other special tests that may be recommended:
Visual fields assessments (perimetry); retinal photography; visual information processing (VIP) skills; contact lens fitting.