Visit Yearly for Your Washington, DC, Eye Exam
If you’re like many people, you may wait until you have a complaint about your eyes or vision before scheduling an eye exam. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this isn’t a smart move, and it can threaten your sight. The symptoms of many common eye diseases and vision conditions are not typically noticed by the person until the condition progresses to a late stage. At this point, there may already be irreversible damage to your eyes. That’s why routine annual eye exams are recommended for everyone.
Don’t make the mistake of waiting for a problem before visiting our eye doctors for an eye exam in Washington, DC. Book your appointment today at Washington Eye Doctors.
What happens during an annual eye exam?
Our Washington, DC, eye exam consists of testing and procedures to inspect your visual acuity and eye health. Eyes and vision change throughout the stages of life – for children and adults of all ages. It’s essential to keep watch on these changes, so that you enjoy clear, healthy, and comfortable sight for as long as possible.
Our optometrists will determine which tests to perform based on your health condition, age, and any vision issues. At the start of your comprehensive eye exam, we will ask questions about your medical case history and visual lifestyle requirements. We will evaluate visual acuity to verify that your vision prescription is accurate, as well as assess your peripheral vision, binocularity, color vision, and ocular health.
Using high-powered magnification, our eye doctor will check your inner eye tissues and optic nerve for any signs of eye disease, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. We may also use tonometry (puff test or blue light probe) to measure your intraocular pressure, which is a quick and painless way to screen for glaucoma. Dilating eye drops may be inserted before the start of your eye exam in order to give us a sharper view of your ocular condition.
Using the latest, advanced technology, our optometrist may perform additional procedures, such as OCT scans and digital retinal imaging. In sum, we will customize your Washington, DC, eye exam to meet your personal condition and requirements.
Why and when do children need routine pediatric eye exams?
Children are not just adults in miniature. Their visual needs, skills, and risks differ from adults. As kids get older, they may develop vision disorders that can interfere with development and learning. Only a complete pediatric eye exam can diagnose these problems.
According to the American Optometric Association, children should have their eyes examined routinely at a half-year old, three years old, and prior to entering elementary school (about 5-6 years old). If no vision treatment, such as eyeglasses or vision therapy, is needed, we advise follow-up eye exams in Washington, DC, to be scheduled every one to two years.
What happens during an eye exam for kids?
At Washington Eye Doctors, our optometrists will evaluate your child for these functional vision skills:
- Visual acuity – to determine if there is a need for eyeglasses or contact lenses
- Focusing ability/Accommodation
- Eye teaming/Binocularity
- Visual perception skills
- Hand-eye coordination
Eye health is the basis for clear eyesight, and our optometrist will also inspect your child’s inner eye tissues for any problems or abnormalities. If necessary, we may apply dilating eye drops before the eye exam to obtain a more precise diagnosis.
Washington, DC, Eye Exam Near Me
Stop looking – you’ve already found the leading source of vision and eye care in Washington, DC! Our friendly and professional optometrists are located conveniently to serve you with efficient and accurate eye exams.
At the end of your visit, you will meet with your eye doctor to discuss the results of your eye exam. Together, we will determine the most appropriate vision correction or treatment plan, as needed.