One of the best ways to protect the long-term health of your eyes and  your vision is to make sure that you attend regular eye exams with your  eye doctor. However, there is a lot of confusion around eye exams, and  this primarily due to the different names that are used to describe eye  appointments that are designed to check the health and condition of your  eyes, and of course the effectiveness of your actual vision itself.  These include but aren’t limited to:

- Vision screenings

- Medical eye exams

- Routine vision exams

- Comprehensive eye exams

Many people make the mistake of thinking that all eye exams are the same, but this is absolutely not the case. 

Regular vision testing and evaluations ensure that you always have the  clearest vision possible. Our optometrists provide regular vision acuity test as part of a comprehensive eye exam. They measure how each eye is seeing by using a wall eye chart and a reading  eye chart. The results of these tests are portrayed as a fraction, with 20/20 being the standard for normal distance and reading vision.  Depending on the results of your vision test, our doctors may prescribe  corrective glasses, contacts, or eye exercises.  

The main purpose of a routine eye exam is to identify if you are  suffering from a vision impairment such as a refractive eye error.  Refractive eye errors are extremely common, accounting for around 80% of  vision impairment in the United States. The most prevalent is myopia,  beer known as short-sightedness. This is where the patient can see  objects close to their face clearly, but those that are further away  appear blurred or distorted. Other refractive eye errors include  hyperopia (far-sightedness), astigmatism and presbyopia.

Refractive errors are caused by the light in the eye not being  reflected normally, and not hitting the light-sensitive cells at the  back of the eye properly. This causes the images that are sent to your  brain to appear distorted and blurred, making it hard or even impossible  for you to focus on them. Patients with refractive eye errors might  also experience other symptoms including glare, halos around light  sources, headaches and eye strain.

A routine eye exam will  assess how well you can see at different distances and whether you  would benefit from refractive error correcting devices such as glasses  or contact lenses. If this is the case, your eye doctor will determine  what prescription you will need and will organize your corrective  eyewear. If you select glasses, you will receive advice on selecting the  right type of lenses and frames based on your requirements. Similarly,  if you choose contact lenses, you will be advised which contact lenses  will best suit your needs and given a contact lens fitting which will  ensure that your lenses are easy and comfortable to wear.

A  routine eye exam can usually be carried out in less than 30 minutes and  in most instances, patients are recommended to attend them at least  once every two years.

A comprehensive eye exam is very different from a routine eye exam  because, in addition to checking for refractive eye errors, your eye  doctor will also evaluate the overall health of your eyes by screening  you for common eye diseases. Exactly what will happen at your  comprehensive eye exam can vary between providers, but typically you may  be given the following assessments:

- A visual acuity test, as is performed in a routine eye exam.

- A cover test, where one eye is covered so that your eye doctor can  evaluate how the eyes work independently of one another.

- A test to check your depth perception.

- An ocular motility test to test the movement of the eyes.

- A slit lamp exam which enables your eye doctor to check the shape of the eyeball and spot any abnormalities.

Pupil dilation, which enables your eye doctor to look into your eyes to  check for the presence of any internal eye diseases.

- Glaucoma testing, which checks the pressure inside your eyes.

All  of the tests in a comprehensive eye exam should be painless and your  eye doctor will explain to you what to expect and why each test is  important. Regularly attending a comprehensive eye exam will give your  eye doctor a greater opportunity to pick up any of the many common eye  diseases that could potentially affect the health of your eyes and your  vision. These include glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts,  diabetic retinopathy, keratoconus, binocular vision dysfunction and  more. In identifying them early on, you could potentially prevent any  damage to your vision or eye health.

Most eye doctors  recommend that patients attend a comprehensive eye exam at least once  every two years, although if you have a pre-existing eye condition, the  frequency with which you are asked to attend could be increase

The primary difference in medical and routine exams is often determined by insurance providers based on reasons (or a chief  complaint) or the physician’s findings or diagnosis. A medical exam  includes diagnosis and treatment of an eye disease or malady (like  glaucoma, conjunctivitis, or cataracts). A routine eye exam, on the  other hand, includes diagnosis and treatment of non-medical complaints,  like astigmatism, or farsightedness.

Anything related to glasses or contacts prescription is considered a  routine exam. If the doctor discovers that your vision is blurry because  you have cataracts, and your final diagnosis is a medical diagnosis,  then your exam becomes a medical exam. 

What does this distinction mean for your insurance coverage?

Mainly, it depends on your provider, your policy, and your plan. Some  insurance providers offer coverage for medical exams, but not routine  exams. Some providers require a co-pay on routine exams, but cover a  portion. Some offer discounts on glasses and contacts. Some will cover a  medical exam annually, while others cover every two years. Please bear  in mind that it is the patient’s responsibility for knowing coverage, but we are here to help with questions. Fayette Regional Eyecare, asks our patients to provide up-to-date vision and medical insurance, so that we can properly submit your exams based on your diagnosis.

Even with perfect vision, you could still have an undetected eye disease, which is why Fayette Regional Eyecare has testing that goes far beyond vision correction!  This medically-focused exam helps detect, diagnose, treat, and manage potential issues before they become serious problems.

Click here to learn more about our Eye Physical Wellness Exam options!