Comprehensive

Eye Exam

The comprehensive eye exam is foundational to eye health and vision care and an important part of healthcare.  

If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses to see your best, then you need regular eye exams to assess changes to your visual needs. Still, the comprehensive eye exam is about more than a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Your eyes are a window to your health and can reveal conditions you may not be aware of, such as hypertension and diabetes.  

Vision screening tests can identify vision problems in children or adults, but they cannot provide the same results as a comprehensive eye and vision exam. During a comprehensive eye exam, our doctors assess your visual acuity, how well your eyes work together, and your eye health.  

How Often Do I Need an Eye Exam?  

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends you see us once a year if you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. Even if you feel your vision is fine, we recommend you visit us on an annual basis, as some eye diseases have little to no symptoms in the early stages and can only be diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam.  

We may recommend more frequent visits if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other underlying health conditions that can affect your eye health and vision.   

Your expert doctor at Coral Gables Eye Care or Clarin Eye Care in Palmetto Bay will recommend when you should see us for comprehensive eye exams based on your unique vision and eye health care needs.  

What Can I Expect During My Eye Exam?  

Our doctors and staff provide personalized eye care in a comfortable, friendly environment. We will explain each test throughout your appointment. We utilize the latest in technology during comprehensive eye exams, including an Optomap retinal exam, which provides a high-resolution digital image of your retina.  

Patient History

Your doctor at Clarin Eye Care in Palmetto Bay or Coral Gables Eye Care will ask you questions about any vision or eye health problems you may be having, your overall health, medications you’re currently taking, and any work-related or environmental situations that could affect your vision and eye health. Your doctor will also want to know whether there’s a history of eye diseases in your family, as some eye diseases can be hereditary.

 Eye Focusing, Teaming, and Alignment Testing  

Your eyes need to change focus and work well together for clear vision. Your doctor will assess ocular motility and binocular vision to determine how well your eyes focus and work together. This testing can identify problems that prevent your eyes from effectively focusing or that make using both eyes together more difficult.   

Refraction  

The refraction will determine the lens power needed to help you with any refractive errors, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.   

Visual Acuity   

Your visual acuity, otherwise known as the clarity or sharpness of vision, will be measured at 20 feet utilizing the Snellen chart.   

Eye Health Evaluation   

Your doctor will use a variety of instruments, such as a microscope and other advanced technologies, to assess your eye health.

Your doctor may need to dilate your eyes to see the structures inside your eyes. During the eye health evaluation, your doctor will be able to check the pressure in your eyes and can also identify eye and systemic diseases of which you may not be aware.    

These tests are painless. We will explain what to expect each step of the way!

More about eye health evaluation  

Some of the common eye diseases and conditions that these tests look for include cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, keratoconus, binocular vision dysfunction, and more. Your comprehensive eye exam will also include assessing how well you can see at different distances and whether you need vision correction in the form of eyeglasses or contact lenses.   

At the conclusion of your eye exam, your Coral Gables or Palmetto Bay eye doctor will provide you with a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses if needed. They will also consult with you about any vision or eye health issues revealed through the comprehensive eye exam.  

Schedule Your Comprehensive Eye Exam  

We look forward to meeting you and taking care of all your eye health and vision needs. Contact us today to make an appointment for your comprehensive eye exam. Call our office in Coral Gables, FL at 305-444-8331, contact our office in Palmetto Bay, FL at 305-253-2525, or schedule an appointment online

personalized eye health care

We provide expert, personalized eye health and vision care for all members of the family