Eye exams are essential in assessing the accuracy of your vision. They consist of a series of tests performed by your optometrist, which determine a patient’s vision health and acuity. A routine eye exam is very important for anyone from children to adults. Everyone should have their eyes examined annually to keep their prescriptions current and to monitor for signs of eye disease or other health concerns. Your eyes can reveal a lot about your overall health and wellbeing. Our comprehensive eye exam will check for cataracts, dry eye syndrome, glaucoma and much more. As with any disease or health issue, early detection is key. Get your eyes checked today and give yourself the peace of mind you deserve.
Ewing Optical provides a full spectrum of vision services including:
Comprehensive Eye Exams
Routine exams include a complete ocular health assessment, refraction, with or without dilation and prescription for glasses or contacts.
Medical Eye Exams
A medically focused eye exam is when the doctor identifies the presence of eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, hypertension or macular degeneration. If a patient is experiencing pain, ongoing headaches, dry eyes or other symptoms, this is possibly indicative of a medical issue. Our services also include treatment of eye allergies, dry eyes, eye infections, eye injuries and foreign body removal. Medical/Health Insurance plans are used for medical exams.
Contact Lens Exams
If you have glasses and are thinking of switching to contacts, the first step is to have a contact lens exam. In this exam, we will measure your eyes so that we can determine any special kind of lens need. We will also make sure your eyes are suitable for contacts. We offer all types of contacts, including rigid gas permeable lenses, soft contact lenses which include: disposable lenses, multifocal contact lenses and Toric lenses which are for the correction of astigmatism. Fees for contact lens evaluations are in addition to the comprehensive eye examination, and may not be covered by all vision insurances.
Contact Lens Fitting
Contact lens fittings can only be done after the contact lens exam is completed. Fittings include training and education on how to take care of your contact lenses to keep your eyes healthy and ensure that you are comfortable in your lenses. If necessary, we will do a follow-up visit before we order contact lenses.
Children’s Eye Exams
Many eye issues can be discovered early and potentially corrected. If you know or suspect your child has vision problems, we encourage you to call and make an appointment.
What To Expect At An Eye Exam
Millions of people in the US have some form of vision impairment and most everyone undergoes an eye exam at some point in their lives. There are a few possible reasons to visit an optometrist for an eye exam and if you have never gone before, you may be curious as to what happens. A comprehensive eye exam contains many tests, and usually lasts between one and three hours. The eye doctor’s office has many machines and tests that are not in many people’s normal frame of reference. Maybe you have never needed glasses before and never had an exam, or maybe it has been many years since your last one. Either way, the number of machines and types of tests can overwhelm a patient once they get to the doctor’s office. Knowing what is happening and what the machines used are called will make your eye exam go more smoothly.
How Eye Doctors Determine Your Prescription
There are many eye tests used to decide what prescription a person needs in order to get an initial pair of glasses or renew their prescription for their present glasses. These exams use specialized machinery that are found only in eye doctor’s offices. To determine a prescription, the patient will receive the following tests:
- A retinoscopy tests a patient in a dark room, and generally the patient looks at a giant E. This is familiar to most eye patients. The doctor studies the way the light reflects from your eye in order to help determine the prescription.
- The phoropter is used in the refraction test and shows two choices of lenses. With each choice, the one that is clearer will determine the fine-tuning of the prescription.
- Autorefractors and aberrometers further clarify a prescription by using pinpricks of light and images.
Other Tests
Beyond the tests to determine your prescription, eye doctors will do many other tests to determine the health of your eyes. Visual acuity tests determine the sharpness of your vision, beyond just your prescription strength. Additionally, the eye doctor will check for color blindness, and the eye’s motility, or how easily your eyes follow an object. If you have risk factors or family history, the eye doctor will also check for glaucoma. A slit lamp exam will use a binocular microscope to examine the structure of your eye, especially the retina and optic nerve. Finally, an eye doctor might order a pupil dilation, which occurs when drops are put into your eyes to make the pupils bigger. The wait time for this is 20-30 minutes and a patient will need sunglasses or someone to drive them home from their doctor’s appointment.
Contact Lenses
Typically, a contact lens prescription is not given at a regular eye exam. There will be a special appointment for a contact lens fitting when the patient’s eyes are not dilated. The doctor may need to repeat some of the tests at this time, and must ensure that your eyes are healthy enough to wear contact lenses. The contact lens prescription is not the same as an eyeglass prescription. If you need to go somewhere else for the contact lens prescription, know that extra tests and fees may be involved.
Though a trip to the eye doctor may seem mysterious at first, once you get the lay of the land, you will feel much more comfortable. An eye doctor uses several specific tests to examine your eyes for a prescription. Along with the prescription, the doctor will also check your eyes for other diseases or problems. Finally, if you are interested in contact lenses that will be a whole different appointment, with additional testing. Knowing about the equipment and tests beforehand will make you much more comfortable during your appointment.
Ewing Optical Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Since 1986, Ewing Optical has been Palm Beach County’s first choice when it comes to their vision. We are a full-service optical center, providing prescription & custom eyewear, repairs, specialty products and so much more. With four licensed opticians on staff, along with two independent Doctors of Optometry, Ewing Optical ensures that every client receives knowledgeable, personal service, along with an honest, independent evaluation of their prescription and individual needs. Customers rely on Ewing Optical when no one else can.
Ewing Optical has been serving clients in the Royal Palm Beach and surrounding communities since 1986. Customers rely on Ewing Optical when no one else can: Customize it, Repair it, Deliver it. We carry an extensive line of frames for men, women, children and infants to satisfy everyone from the trend setters to traditionalists. We also can custom make glasses in the size or color you want for a better fit and personalized look.
For a consultation and to schedule an appointment contact us today at 561-798-0244