Comprehensive Eye Exams:
Prioritize Your Eye Health
Services
There is much truth to the old adage that ‘the eyes are the window to the body.’ A thorough eye examination not only detects how well you can see, it can detect high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and several different types of neurological conditions. A routine exam, every 1-2 years, will help ensure that any issues with your eyes, and your overall health, is caught early. A comprehensive eye exam at Mt Baker Vision Clinic includes the following exams:
Visual Acuity Tests
This is the most common test used in an eye exam to evaluate your eyesight in Whatcom County. It measures the eye’s ability to see details at near and far distances. The test usually involves reading letters or looking at symbols of different sizes on an eye chart. Typically, each eye is tested individually and then both eyes are tested together with and without corrective lenses (if you wear them). Several types of visual acuity tests may be used by our optometrists here in our Bellingham, Lynden, and Ferndale offices.
Visual Field Tests
These eye exams check for gaps in your side (peripheral) vision. Your complete visual field is the entire area seen when your gaze is fixed in one direction. The complete visual field is seen by both eyes at the same time, and it includes the central visual field-which detects the highest degree of detail-and the peripheral visual fields. Your peripheral vision is what lets you see the beauty of Mt. Baker in front of you and the Nooksack river to your right as you’re driving up the Mt. Baker Highway. It’s what allows your kiddos to see the goal and the opponent on the soccer field at the same time.
Refraction
This test measures the eyes’ need for corrective lenses (refractive error). Refractive errors such as nearsightedness or farsightedness, occur when light rays entering the eye do not focus exactly on the nerve layer (retina) at the back of the eye. This causes blurred vision. Refraction may be done as a part of a routine eye examination for people who already wear glasses or contact lenses, or if the results of the other visual acuity tests show that your eyesight is below normal and can be corrected by glasses. It can also be performed to help follow the progress of treatments or diseases of the eye.
Slit Lamp Exams
The slit lamp is a special microscope used in all three office locations (Bellingham, Lynden and Ferndale) that is used to look into the eye. It provides a magnified, three-dimensional view of the structures within the eye. Using the slit lamp alone, the doctor can examine the front (anterior) chamber of the eye to detect disorders, such as clouding of the lens (cataracts), narrow angle glaucoma, or abnormalities of the cornea. Special lenses or instruments can be used to view deeper structures of the eye, such as the optic nerve, located in the back of the eye.
Dilated Eye Exams
Your eye exams at Mt. Baker Vision Clinic begins with a thorough investigation of the lids, lashes, conjunctiva, sclera and cornea – the external surfaces. Using a microscope and a bright light, the doctor will move in for a closer look at the anterior chamber, iris and crystalline lens. Then your doctor will view your retina, optic nerve and blood vessels in the back of the eye. This is a very important part of your preventative eye care. From this simple step, we are able to gather a lot of important information about your eyes. Some systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are first discovered during the dilated eye exam.
After the exam, your eye doctor will give you a full run down on your eye health and make recommendations for vision correction, eye health maintenance, and/or disease management. Our in-house eye glasses and frames department has the widest and most stylish selection of prescription glasses in Whatcom County. If you’re a candidate for Contact Lenses, Mt Baker Vision will be able to order them for you at the same price as the big box stores and with the peace of mind knowing that you’re getting the right contacts for your eyes.
