The doctor is able to evaluate the health of all aspects of your eyes. The front of the eye is checked for conditions such as dry eye, infections and damage from contact lens misuse. The middle of the eye is where cataracts can develop and this can happen at any age. Some cataracts are caused by trauma or diabetes and some children are born with cataracts. In the back of the eye, blood vessels and nerves are visible allowing the doctor to check for any signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, macular degeneration, retinal detachments and many other conditions. Testing for glaucoma is a routine part of eye examinations because there are no symptoms of glaucoma until you have lost well over half of your vision. Our treatments for glaucoma only preserve the vision you have left making it important to detect the disease early.

Visual field testing is done using a computer to measure how well the nerves are functioning that carry the visual information from your eye to the brain. This testing is used to diagnose glaucoma, some tumors and conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

Spectrum Optometry has a high resolution digital camera which is can be used to take photographs of the back of the eye (retina). This technology is used to document the current status of the blood vessels and nerves so that small changes over time can be observed. This technology is especially useful for monitoring the course of glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes.

As a general guideline eye exams are recommended at the following timelines:

At 6 months old. Infants need to be checked for a lazy or turned eye which can be corrected only when the child is very young and that is the main reason for the first eye exam at 6 months of age. A lazy eye has no symptoms but an optometrist can detect it without the child being able to communicate.

Age 3-18, every year. Children often change prescription rapidly and do not generally complain of any problems though it may be hindering their learning at school.

Age 19-39, every 2 years. Routine ocular healthy examinations for healthy young adults should be done every two years with the expectation that you would come sooner if you are having any problems.

Age 40-60, every 1.5 years. Risk of glaucoma rises significantly after age 40 and prescriptions change more rapidly during these years which is why a more frequent examination is recommended.

Age 60 and up, yearly. Yearly health examinations are required as many health concerns such as diabetes, macular degeneration and cataracts are much more prevalent at this time.