What to Expect From Your First Eye Exam at Your Tulsa Optometrist
At Harrel Eyecare, our very own Dr. Monte Harrel and his team take great pride in being your trusted Tulsa optometrist and eye care professionals. We strive to create a welcoming, inviting office that you can rely on for all your eye and vision care needs. One of the most common reasons patients come into our office is for their eye exam, which we highly recommend at least once a year. After all, regular eye and vision exams help to ensure that you have an up-to-date vision prescription and that your eyes aren’t showing any signs of possible problems.
What to Expect From Your Eye Exam in Tulsa
If you have never had a comprehensive eye exam in Tulsa, or if it has been a while since your last exam, you may be feeling understandably nervous about making an appointment. By having a better idea of what to expect, you can put your mind at ease; eye appointments are relatively quick and painless, and our eye care team will always take the time to answer any questions you may have, as well as explaining any tests ahead of time.
Getting to Know You
We always like to begin by getting to know our patients, especially if it’s their first time here. In addition to introductions, our eye doctor will want to take the time to review your medical history and give you an opportunity to bring up any symptoms or other concerns you may have about your eye and vision health. If you have any specific symptoms, we can determine the proper testing and know what to look for during your exam so we can make an accurate diagnosis.
Common Eye and Vision Tests
As part of your eye and vision exam, we will also need to conduct a number of tests on your eyes. Below is a summary of the most common tests we perform in our office:
Visual Acuity Test – This involves you looking at a chart and reading back letters line by line. This is a great way for us to determine whether your vision is the standard 20/20 or not.
Color Blindness Test – We will ensure you don’t have any hereditary color vision deficiencies or degrees of color blindness.
Cover Test – Ideal for figuring out how well your eyes work together.
Eye Movement Test – Test how well your eyes can follow a moving object.
Stereopsis Test – Used to evaluate your depth perception.
OPTOS Retinal Imaging – The Optomap retinal exam takes a high quality photo of the inside of your eye, which immediately appears on a computer screen. This allows our doctors to have a reference photo of your eyes for their records, and allows them to diagnose any eye diseases ahead of time, giving you a much better chance of treatment.
iCare Tonometer – The iCare tonometer allows for faster and better diagnosis of glaucoma. Instead of a puff of air this new device simply holds a light, small ball in front of the cornea and quickly taps it on the surface.
Concluding Your Exam
If we suspect you may need prescription lenses, our doctor will also perform a retinoscopy, which allows us to test different potential prescriptions and determine which is best suited for your needs. A refraction test will confirm this for us so we can ensure the most accurate prescription. We carry a wide selection of frames and contacts, so you can enjoy the convenience of ordering your prescription lenses on the same day as your appointment, if needed. Furthermore, if we notice any potential symptoms of eye problems during your exam, we may recommend additional testing during your appointment or at a follow-up appointment.
Schedule an Appointment with Harrel Eyecare Today
Now that you have a better idea of what to expect from Tulsa eye exams in our office, why not call Harrel Eyecare to schedule your annual exam today? You can reach us by calling 918-376-7972. We’d also be happy to answer any questions you may have about our practice.