Our comprehensive eye exam is far more than just a determination of your eyeglass prescription; it includes a complete eye health assessment, testing for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and several other eye disorders. Various medical problems can be identified by the result of an eye examination. These include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, sickle cell disease, thyroid disease, clotting disorders, carotid artery blockage, and a multitude of inflammatory and neurological diseases. This is not a complete list, but our doctors are aware that a routine eye exam has importance beyond vision.

A routine eye exam begins by measuring visual acuity and performing a refraction to determine your best vision. How well you see at different distances (visual acuity) depends on how your eyes bend light to focus the picture properly (refraction). Eye doctors use the Snellen chart (a chart of letters or numbers of different sizes) to measure visual acuity. The degree to which you do not have normal vision is your refractive error. Your eyeglasses and contact lens prescriptions correct your refractive error. Common types of refractive errors are Myopia (nearsightedness), Hyperopia (farsightedness), and Astigmatism (the roundness of the eyeball)

Health Assessment. When you arrive at Peachtree Eye Associates our eye care specialists will ask you about your personal medical history. Our doctors consider your age, your personal medical history, and your family history in determining the types and number of tests that will be conducted to assess your eye health.
Your doctor will check your eye's reaction to light, measure pupil size, and assess eye alignment and muscle balance. Your doctor will evaluate how your eyes perform as well as other important vision functions.

Pupil Dilation. Often, eye drops are used to dilate (enlarge) the pupils, which helps the doctor to have a better view of the inside of the eye. Ophthalmoscopy is painless but if eye drops are used, the patient’s vision may become temporarily blurred and an increased sensitivity to light may be experienced for some time after the examination. Once dilation is completed, after 20 minutes, the doctor will see you again and ask you to assist by moving your eyes in different directions while a benign beam of light is shone into them. Sometimes it may be necessary arranging for someone to drive you home if is not comfortable driving with dilated eyes.

The Optomap Retinal Exam is used by your eye doctor to get an ultra-widefield view of the retina (the back of the eye). While eye exams generally include a look at the front of the eye to evaluate health and prescription changes, a thorough screening of the retina is critical to verify that your eye is healthy.
This can lead to early detection of common diseases, such as glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration, and even cancer. The exam is quick, painless, and may not require dilation drops.

Diagnosis of eye disorders is initially based on the symptoms that a person is experiencing, the appearance of the eyes, and the results of an examination. It is important to know that certain eye diseases do not have symptoms. That is why seeing your eye doctor regularly is crucial. Diabetes and hypertension in particular can lead to very serious conditions called retinopathies that can cause blindness and be irreversible. People with diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol or a family history of eye disease should have their eyes examined at least once a year even in the absence of blur in vision.

Biomicroscopy. The doctor uses a slit lamp to see the eye under greater magnification. It is a table-mounted instrument that allows doctors a more detailed view of the eye. This part of the exam is used to assess the health of the surface of the eye and to rule out conditions that may affect the cornea, conjunctiva, eyelids, etc. An ophthalmoscope is used to examine the inside of the eyes. With it, our doctors can assess the retina, the back of the eye, the optic nerve, the retinal veins and arteries and detect problems that can affect vision.

Eye pressure is the pressure of the fluid that fills the eye. Doctors at Peachtree Eye Associates use either Goldmann applanation or a non-contact tonometry to measure eye pressure. Measuring the eye’s pressure is essential for finding glaucoma, which is damage from eye pressure to the nerves in the eye (retina) that record the picture. Usually, elevated eye pressure does not have symptoms. Doctors will conduct more tests if it is necessary.

Glaucoma Exam is a group of eye conditions that affect the optic nerve causing visual information sent to the brain becoming faulty or producing peripheral vision damage. Often, the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, which can lead to faster optic nerve damage and possible blindness. It is important to note that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States. Once your eye doctor diagnoses the type of glaucoma you are suffering from, your treatment can vary from medications to surgery.

Cataracts Examination. Cataracts affect the natural lens inside the eye. They are caused by many factors including trauma, heredity, exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, aging, after the use of certain medications or as a result of medical conditions such as diabetes. If a cataract is making it difficult for you to carry out your normal activities the doctors may suggest having cataract surgery. When considering cataract surgery you have many options for lens implants. Some lenses can even correct your vision at near, far and intermediate distances. Be sure to discuss these options in your consultation and pre-operative eye exams.

Contact Lens Fitting. Many people choose to switch to contact lenses or to wear contact lenses along with their glasses. Contact lenses offer many benefits such as convenience and versatility with nothing between your eyes and field of vision. Contact lens evaluations involve special measurements of the front curvature of the eye along with a front eye surface health assessment. We offer multiple contact lens options such as soft, gas permeable, and hybrid contact lenses to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism as well as multifocal lenses and lenses for keratoconus.

LASIK Consultation. Our LASIK information guide will provide most of the information you need to understand LASIK. We take the time to explain eyesight issues, the LASIK Procedure, what you should be looking for in a LASIK surgeon, in addition to providing information about recommended surgeons by Peachtree Eye Associates. It’s the easiest way to get all your most important questions answered.