Why Would I Need a Retinal Eye Exam?
- Posted on: Nov 15 2019
When it comes to your eyes, often by the time you notice something is wrong, the damage has been done. With diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and others, you won’t have pain or notice changes to your vision. That’s why it’s recommended that you get a retinal eye exam in addition to your regular eye exam. Here are some common questions patients have about retinal eye exams:
How is a retinal eye exam different from a regular eye exam?
The American Optometric Association recommends that you get regular eye exams every five to 10 years when you are in your 20s and 30s; every two to four years from ages 40 to 54; every one to three years from ages 55 to 64; and every year after age 65. Retinal eye exams are not necessary with every eye exam. Your doctor will help you determine whether you should get a retinal eye exam based on your health, family history and any symptoms you may be experiencing.
What happens during a retinal eye exam?
Your doctor will perform a series of diagnostic procedures that evaluates the retina for any signs of disease or abnormalities. This can include a visual field test, fundus photography, and ocular coherence tomography (OCT) and other procedures. OCT uses technology similar to that of a CT scan, utilizing light waves to produce a clear view of the retina and other structures in the interior of the eye. Each cross-section view of the retina can be evaluated and measured against the normal, healthy retina.
The high-resolution images from an OCT can help detect and treat a variety of serious eye conditions, including macular hole, macular swelling, optic nerve damage, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic eye disease and vitreous hemorrhage.
Why do my eyes have to be dilated?
For retinal eye exams, your eyes have to be dilated with special eye drops. Pupil dilation increases the size of the pupils so that the doctor can fully examine the health of the optic nerve and retina. These drops will make your vision blurry and stay this way for about four hours before returning to normal, so you will need to have someone drive you home after your retinal eye exam.
Patient education and understanding are a top priority at Infinity Vision in Dallas. For more information about retinal eye exams and to schedule your consultation, call (214) 522-2661 today.
Posted in: Retinal Eye Exam
