What should you not do before an eye exam?
It’s time for your annual eye exam! We here at Perich Eye Centers located throughout Central Florida are happy to help you out to ensure your eyes are healthy and if needed, that you have the correct prescription. To ensure you have the best possible results from your exam, there are a few do’s and don’t’s leading up to your scheduled appointment. Some of these things may be more obvious than others, but we always think it is best to provide the most thorough information possible to our patients.
What happens at an eye exam?
An eye exam involves a series of tests to evaluate your vision and check for eye diseases. Our optometrists use the latest technologies to measure the health of your vision. Each test during an eye exam evaluates a different aspect of your vision or eye health. If additional procedures are required, our in-house ophthalmologists will save you additional trips to other clinics.
A routine eye exam is general done to see how your vision is doing and if you need an adjustment to your prescription, or potentially need a prescription if you are one of the fortunate people who have had great 20/20 vision most of your life. These exams take less time as we look to see how clear your natural vision is. Most of the time, a routine eye exam will take only 30 minutes or less. You will be able to see as normal after and can drive yourself home or back to work.
During a comprehensive eye check up, we will not only do the normal routine eye exam, but will also do more testing to see about potential diseases or issues. We will assess the overall health of your eyes and not just your natural ability to see things clearly. There can be variations to what is done in a comprehensive eye check up for different age groups, genders, and of course any concerns you may be having that you bring to your doctors attention.
Each test during an eye exam evaluates a different aspect of your vision or eye health. The comprehensive eye check up can take up to an hour and potentially longer depending on what is found during the testing. Commonly, the tests that occur in a comprehensive eye check up include dilating the pupils, depth perception test, pressure test, color blindness test, covering one eye at a time, and further glaucoma testing.
What should you not do before an eye exam?
Before coming in to your scheduled eye exam, it is important to take good care of your eyes so that they are in their normal condition and not strained from an infrequent activity or occurrence. Here are some things to consider:
Don’t overwork or strain your eyes: Staring at screens for prolonged periods of time or being out in the Florida sunshine without sunglasses constantly squinting can put extra pressure on your eyes which could lead to inaccurate testing. Even avoiding things that could dry out your eyes like being out on a windy boat or sitting under the fan or AC can make the exam more strenuous. Shoot for an easy going morning if at all possible in terms of using those beautiful eyes!
Don’t put on heavy eye makeup or false lashes: We need to be able to see into your eyes clearly and may need to do testing that the eye makeup or false lashes could interfere with, like dilating or pressure testing them. We don’t want makeup particles to get into your eyes, so making sure they are clean and free of heavy makeup is key. If you wear contacts, you will need to take them out anyways to get a test of your natural vision and the makeup, as you probably already know, can be a pain to keep your contacts clean. This doesn’t mean you must be completely makeup free, but keep in mind we will be looking closely and using instruments to test your vision out.
Don’t drink caffein or alcohol: A single cup of coffee may be alright if that is what your body is used to , but too much caffein or any alcohol can distort your vision and make you unable to get an accurate testing for your prescription. Both of these things can also raise your blood pressure or dry your eyes out, again giving inaccurate results. Plus, we promise we are not that scary to need either form of liquid courage!
What should you do to ensure an easy breezy eye exam?
Do bring both your glasses and contacts! No matter how old your glasses or contacts are or if you rarely wear one or the other, it is important to bring them both with you. We will want to make sure they are both fitting you correctly. Also if you are a contacts wearer, we may need to do tests that your glasses would be more comfortable to leave wearing. You will likely need to take your contacts out for part of the exam, and as you know, sometimes those little buggers just don’t want to go in.
Do bring your insurance documents: Although we may have this on file, it is always a good idea to have the card or documents with you to ensure an easy checkout. It is also a good idea to bring a form of payment or two just incase something isn’t covered or you decide to get any additional items at the time.
Do drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated is always a must especially when living in Central Florida! Your body and your eyes run off the hydration and need it to function properly. Plus during the exam, your eyes can dry out more from the tests, so to be more comfortable have an extra glass of water before you come in.
Do write down any concerns you may have: Having a list written down will help you to remember what to ask about. It is very easy to go into any doctor and through the process of check in, waiting, and then testing forget something you wanted to address. We have all been there- driving home and thinking “oh darn! I forgot to ask them about…” We want to make sure you have the healthiest eyes possible and addressing what you have noticed in advance will help us help you best. Sometimes it’s hard to know that something more is going on from the surface so to speak. So Speak UP! We promise we won’t mind talking about it.
No matter what your outcome may be, it is always important to have your annual eye exam. Not only do you want to ensure that you have the correct prescription to give you the optimal vision possible, but also to make sure there are no early signs of something more serious. At Perich Eye Centers, we can give you a comfortable, confident experience to know that your eye sight is the best and healthiest it can be.
