What is a General Eye Exam?

A general eye exam is vital to maintaining eye health. This type of vision exam thoroughly checks your eyes, eyesight, and vision and is conducted by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Testing measures a broad range of factors, including visual acuity, to assess the clarity of your vision and how well you see from a specific distance, typically calculated using a standardized chart with letters of varying sizes (with normal vision being considered 20/20). Exams also assess refractive status to confirm any near or farsightedness or astigmatism. Your doctor will confirm the overall health of the eye, its components, and responsiveness, including how the eyes focus, move together, react to light, and more. Often, the doctor will administer drops to dilate the pupils for a better look inside the eye. See a comprehensive list and detailed explanation of the tests usually included in a general eye exam.

How Long Does an Eye Exam Take?

Expect to spend 30 to 60 minutes in a general eye exam–as your eye doctor accomplishes a thorough check of your eyes and discusses your general health and any family history of vision issues or eye diseases.

How Often Should You Get an Eye Exam?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) provides detailed screening and exam guidelines for children that address eye and vision issues that often occur during eye development from birth through age five and beyond. Early screening is vital since many eye and vision problems experienced by children can be treated and/or corrected to protect eye health and significantly improve their ability to learn and thrive.

In addition to exams conducted by eye care professionals, many US states provide youth vision screenings in schools to help identify children experiencing vision issues. Although school screenings do not replace comprehensive eye exams, they can be a valuable screening tool. Learn about children’s vision screening, any screening requirements in your state, and more.

AAO also provides baseline eye exam recommendations for adults whose eyes are healthy and have good vision, including an eye exam once in their 20s, twice in their 30s, and a comprehensive exam and eye disease screening at age 40. However, adults who experience any vision changes or issues, eye infections or injuries, the onset of health conditions and diseases that can lead to vision loss (including diabetes or hypertension), or other risk factors (including a family history of eye diseases or vision loss should see their eye doctor to develop a personalized eye health plan that may include more frequent exams and additional testing. Click here for comprehensive eye exam recommendations for adults and children.

Early Detection is Key to Vision Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 90% of diabetes-related blindness in US adults is preventable. A general eye exam can also uncover many underlying health issues unrelated to vision. Although eye diseases can impact people of all ages, the highest incidence occurs in older adults. Learn more about Common Age-Related Eye Diseases: What to Know and What You Can Do.

What is a Low Vision Eye Exam?

The Big Data Project National Reports confirm that nearly 8.7 million, or 4.7% of adults aged 18 to 64, and 7.3% of adults 65+, report blindness and low vision. Low vision is a significant visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Low vision can create considerable difficulties with everyday activities and impact physical and mental health and quality of life. Learn more about Low Vision.

A low vision eye exam is performed by a Low Vision Specialist, an optometrist or an ophthalmologist specially trained to assess and address the immediate and ongoing needs of a person with low vision. The exam often begins with an in-depth discussion about eye and overall health, how and when vision loss occurred, family history, and how vision loss is affecting the patient’s everyday life. Tests measure visual clarity and acuity using special low-vision charts and may also include examination of color vision, depth perception, light sensitivity, peripheral vision, and more. Based on the results of these tests and discussions, the doctor may recommend low-vision aids and other proactive strategies to augment residual vision.

If you are living with low vision, your eye doctor or vision rehabilitation agency can provide a referral to a local low vision specialist or clinic.

Life-Changing Vision Rehabilitation Programs

If you live with blindness or low vision, vision rehabilitation programs and services offer hope and life-changing benefits.

A low vision exam helps vision rehabilitation professionals develop a personalized plan based on how an individual’s vision loss is impacting their daily life, and how to best tailor programs and services that enhance safety, confidence, and independence.