Eye Exam 101: Why They are Important and What to Expect When You Go

Are eye exams a part of your wellness routine? If not, they should be!

There are many reasons people may put off having an eye exam. You may feel your vision is fine, feel intimidated when it comes to going to the eye doctor, aren't sure what to expect at an eye exam, or don't know where to start. But eye exams are about more than just vision correction—making them an essential part of your wellness routine.

Below, we'll cover why you need an eye exam every year and provide important information to help you feel comfortable going to the eye doctor—so you can check this essential task off your annual to-do list.

In this article we will discuss:

When Should I Have an Eye Exam, and How Often?

What Should I Expect at My Eye Exam?

What Type of Eye Care Professional Should I See?

How to Prepare for Your Eye Exam

Are Online Eye Exams Effective?

What Does an Eye Exam Cost?

Beyond Vision: Eye Exams Do More Than You Think

While eye exams certainly have a lot to do with vision, there are many reasons to visit your eye doctor, even if you don't wear glasses or contact lenses.

During an eye exam, your doctor will check for vision correction needs such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), presbyopia, astigmatism, and more! These vision issues are refractive errors that can usually be corrected¹ with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. And while you may think you see just fine, your eye doctor can identify any changes and problems early, ensuring you see your best.

Your eye doctor also checks for early signs of eye diseases like cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and more! Some of these diseases are symptom-free, so it's important to identify these conditions early before they develop into larger problems like vision impairment or loss. 

An eye doctor can also help you with day-to-day concerns like allergy eyes and digital eye strain. They can give tips on how to keep your eyes protected while at work and help you find the right eye protection, no matter your job or hobbies.

But vision correction needs and eye diseases aren’t the only things eye doctors can detect through an eye exam. They can also detect signs or symptoms of more than 270 health conditions,² such as diabetes and high blood pressure (among others); and can identify early signs of diseases like brain tumors. 

That's why, even if you have 20/20 vision, it is essential to see your eye doctor every year for an eye exam.

When Should I Have an Eye Exam, and How Often?

Now that you know the importance of having an eye exam, you may be wondering when you should have one and how often. The answer: you should have eye exams throughout your life! 

Let’s look at eye health for each stage of life.

1. Infants and Babies. In their early years, children’s eyes go through a lot of changes.³ Catching any vision issues early is crucial to ensuring healthy eye development. Infants will likely have vision assessments at their doctor appointments. If the pediatrician notices anything of concern, they will refer you to an eye doctor for additional care. But if everything looks good, children should receive their first full eye exam at three years old, then continue annually unless recommended otherwise by their eye doctor. During this exam, they’ll inspect the eyes,⁴ check for eye alignment and movement, test their blink and pupil response, and look for signs of eye diseases.

2. Kids and Teens. Vision is essential to helping children succeed in and out of the classroom. In fact, undetected and untreated vision problems can impact children’s ability to learn and participate in activities.⁵ While children may receive vision screenings at school, these should not replace an annual eye exam, which uses special equipment to check overall eye health as well as eye focusing, tracking, and teaming, all of which play a role in helping children see their best.

3. Young Adults. While most young adults have good vision,⁶ eye exams are still important. Visual stress, eye injuries, and changing vision needs can all impact your eyes at this age. At your eye exam, talk with your eye doctor about your lifestyle (including your job and hobbies); they can help you protect your eyes and keep them healthy. 

4. Middle-Aged Adults. As we move into middle adulthood, many people start to experience slight changes⁷ with their eyes, such as trouble seeing up close or reading things in dimly lit rooms or on computers. Your eye doctor can help identify these changes and provide solutions to help you see your best—all while keeping an eye out for other eye diseases and issues.

5. Older Adults. As we age, our vision often changes too. Our risk of developing certain eye diseases,⁸ like age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and glaucoma, can all increase too. Since many of these issues don't have early warning signs, annual eye exams can help detect them early and preserve your vision. 

What Should I Expect at My Eye Exam?

Knowing what to expect at an eye exam can make the process easier, especially if it is your first time visiting the eye doctor. Let’s look at the components of a VSP WellVision Exam^® and the different tools an eye doctor uses to check your vision and eye health.

A WellVision Exam by a VSP network provider consists of four components:

1. A look at your history. Your eye doctor will gather information about you, including the reason for your visit, your medical history, your family’s health history, and information about your lifestyle.

2. Preliminary testing. This is what most people think of when they have an eye exam. During this phase, your eye doctor will perform different tests to check your vision and eye health.

3. Refraction testing. During this part of your exam, your eye doctor can determine your prescription from a universe of more than 200,000 possibilities!

4. An ocular health assessment. This is where your eye doctor screens for diseases and other potential problems, including chronic illness and conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, that can be detected in parts of the eyes.

During these four steps, your eye doctor will use different tools and techniques to evaluate your vision, eye health, and overall health. Let’s take a closer look at a few key elements and tools used during eye exams.

• What's the smallest line you can read? The chart with rows of letters in different sizes that many eye doctors use is called a Snellen chart. This chart measures how well your eyes can see at specific distances.

• Cover your left eye, then the right. Using a shield, you’ll cover one of your eyes while looking at objects (like the Snellen chart) across the room and up close. This helps your doctor see how well your eyes work together.

• Which is clearer? 1 or 2? Your eye doctor will have you view the same letters at different prescription strengths and indicate which option you see more clearly. This helps the eye doctor determine your eyewear prescription.

• Taking a closer look. To get a better view of the front and inside of your eyes, your eye doctor may use a slit lamp (also called a microscope), which lets the doctor see inside the eye more clearly.

• The pressure test. Your eye doctor’s office will use a special machine to measure the fluid pressure in the eyes and test for conditions such as glaucoma. Your doctor may also use other machines to check the curvature of your cornea, especially if you wear contact lenses.

• Prepare for a few drops in your eyes. To look inside and at the back of your eyes, your eye doctor may put in dilating drops to enlarge your pupils. These can leave your vision temporarily blurry⁹ and may make you sensitive to light for a while.

• Seeing the big picture. Your eye doctor may also do a retinal screening, where they take pictures of the inside of your eyes and evaluate your retina and vasculature. These images create a historical record of your eyes and allow them to identify changes over the course of each year.

• What Type of Eye Care Professional Should I See?

  As you look for an eye doctor near you, you may notice that there are different types of eye doctors. Should you see an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or optician? What do the different specialties mean?
  
  An optometrist is a primary eye care provider who you most likely see for your eye exams each year and for most ongoing eye-related needs between visits (such as managing glaucoma or other eye diseases). Optometrists have "O.D." after their name, which stands for Doctor of Optometry. 
  
  An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor specializing in all aspects of eye care, including diagnosing and treating eye diseases and performing eye surgery. Your optometrist may refer you to an ophthalmologist if you require more specialized medical care for eye diseases or require surgery on your eyes. Ophthalmologists often have "M.D." or "D.O." after their names to identify them as a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy.
  
  Finally, an optician focuses on fitting eyeglasses and making lenses to correct your vision problems. An optician often works in an optometrist's office and does not perform any testing but instead fits patients' eyewear. An optician ensures glasses fit correctly and adjusts your frames. They can also help new contact lens wearers learn how to put in and remove new contact lenses. 

• How to Prepare for Your Eye Exam

  Once you’ve determined which eye doctor you want to see, your next task is to prepare for your eye appointment. We put together a list of some topics you may want to discuss with your eye doctor at your appointment so they can help you see your best and keep your eyes healthy.

  1. Think about any new or recurring symptoms. Look back over the last few months. Have you noticed yourself squinting more or holding things farther away when reading them (or bringing them closer)? Frequent headaches or blurry vision are all important things to discuss with your eye doctor. Some symptoms you may want to mention (if you are experiencing them) to your eye doctor include:

  • Sudden vision changes or fluctuations in your vision

  • Frequent headaches

  • Dry or watery eyes

  • Tired or fatigued eyes

  • Itchy eyes

  • Newly blurry vision

  • Increased squinting

  • Moving objects closer or farther away to read them

  2. Consider your lifestyle and occupation. Do you look at computer screens all day? Do you spend a lot of time outdoors? What type of hobbies do you have? Your daily activities can impact your eyes and their overall health. It’s a good idea to discuss all these things with your eye doctor so they can determine any concerns, prescribe the right eyewear and materials, and help you take steps now to protect your vision. Before your appointment, consider:

  • How much time you spend looking at digital devices such as computers, phones, tablets, and televisions.

  • How much time you spend outside each day.

  • What type of activities you do, such as skiing, swimming, or other sports and activities.

  • What your occupation is. Do you work outside most of the time or in front of screens?

  Knowing this information lets your eye doctor determine what type of glasses or contact lenses will work best for your lifestyle and recommend lens enhancements to keep you seeing well. They can also recommend other eye protection, such as sunglasses, blue light glasses, safety goggles, and more, to help you protect your eyes from injury and keep them healthy.

  3. Bring the information you’ll need. Your eye doctor will ask questions about your medical and eye health history. Bring a list of all current medications, including vitamins and supplements, and any current health conditions you have so they can advise if these can impact your eye health. If you have a family history of eye diseases, your eye doctor will also want to know this so they can watch for early signs and take preventive measures as necessary.
  
  Your eye exam is also an excellent time for you to ask your eye doctor any questions you have. Here are some questions you may want to ask at your eye exam:

  • How often should I get an eye exam?

  • What types of changes can I expect in my eyes at my age?

  • Do my current health conditions/medications affect my eye health?

  • How can I protect my eyes while at work?

  • What type of vision correction do you recommend for my lifestyle?

  • What eye protection should I wear to keep my eyes healthy?

   

  Are Online Eye Exams Effective?

  VSP aligns with supporting standards of care of an annual in-person eye exam. Although a growing number of eye care services can be performed virtually from home, you should still visit your eye doctor’s office for your annual eye exam. The technology needed to perform all required tests for a comprehensive eye exam isn’t available in a fully virtual environment.
  
  That said, virtual care is still having an impact on how eye care is being provided. For example, as an additional option for broader access to care, VSP is piloting in-office virtual exams at select locations. This new option often allows patients to see a remote eye doctor sooner and with the continued flexibility to get an in-person exam.
  
  First-time contact lens wearers should not rely on online eye exams to determine the prescription. Contact lenses must be properly fitted, or you are at risk of ocular discomfort that may lead to complications. Your eye doctor will perform tests to measure your eye's curvature and ensure contact lenses fit correctly, something an online exam cannot do. If you have a current prescription for your contacts, you can shop for contacts online.

• What Does an Eye Exam Cost?

  The cost of an eye exam can vary based on many factors, including the eye doctor you see, your vision insurance coverage, and even where you live. It's always a good idea to contact your eye doctor for an exact out-of-pocket cost before your appointment.
  
  If you are a VSP member, here are a few things you can do to maximize your coverage and save on your eye exam.

  1. Check your vision coverage. Log in to your VSP member account to view your coverage information, including any copays for an eye exam and/or a contact lens exam. Don’t have an account? You can create one here.

  2. Find an in-network doctor near you. With thousands of in-network providers, it’s easy to find a VSP network doctor near you. Find a VSP doctor from your VSP member account or by visiting vsp.com/eye-doctor.

  Search Tip: Use the “Advanced Search” option on our Find A Doctor tool to filter your results. You can search by hours, languages spoken, provider gender, services offered, frame brands available in the office, and more!

  3. Explore money-saving offers. We put our members first by providing exclusive offers from VSP and leading industry brands, totaling more than $3,000 in savings. Take advantage of these offers to maximize your benefits and save even more.

• This article previously appeared on VSP, Delta Dental of Tennessee’s DeltaVision partner.