It’s probably clear to you that eye exams are important. However, you might have heard a bunch of other terms like a medical eye exam, comprehensive eye exam, vision screening, routine vision exam, etc. They seem like they’re all referring to the same thing, but the fact is that there are significant differences among the different types of eye examinations.
In this post, your trusted optometrist Eyes on Norbeck discusses the distinction between medical eye exams and routine vision exams.
Medical Eye Exam
A medical eye exam aims to evaluate or treat a patient for a particular medical condition. Typically, health conditions — such as high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, cancer, certain tumors and more — leave some clues in the eye, allowing medical professionals to have a glimpse of overall systematic conditions or diseases that can otherwise be easily missed.
Furthermore, the eye may also develop its own diseases and conditions, which can lead to impaired vision or blindness. Cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachments and other eye conditions and diseases are medical issues specific to the eyes. They cannot be fixed by simply prescribing eyeglasses or contact lenses. It is for these reasons that a medical eye exam should be done. And so when an eye doctor says they need to perform a medical eye exam, these conditions and diseases are the kinds of things that they would be looking out for.
Vision Exam
A vision exam is designed to determine a patient’s prescription through refraction. Refraction is that part of the exam when you are asked to wear the big, clunky glasses, as the optometrist switches the lenses and asks you which is better.
The optometrist would also perform an overall evaluation of the eye to ensure that your eyes are generally healthy. Routine vision exams are more concerned with the shape of the eye and whether lenses would help achieve a clearer vision or not.
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Eyes on Norbeck is a trusted eye specialist that provides a direct and personalized approach to eye care. We offer a range of services to ensure our patients’ needs are met. With our professional knowledge and experience, we can perform computer vision exam, LASIK evaluations, red/pink eye treatment,s and more.
Call us at (301) 238-7199 or fill out our contact form to request an appointment. We serve patients in Rockville, MD, and the surrounding areas.
