Starling Eye Group provides you and your family with an extremely thorough eye exam. We test above and beyond the requirements set forth by the state of Florida. All exams are provided by a Board Certified Optometric Physician, the highest classification in optometry. Every patient is treated as a family member in our office.
All patients are tested for glaucoma, cataracts, and the retina is thoroughly examined for any problems. We also perform visual field screenings on every patient as well as offer the fundus photography and a wellness screening retinal examination. Regardless of your age or physical health, it's important to have regular eye exams.
How Often Should I Be Examined?
Dr. Starling strongly recommends a yearly exam to monitor the health of your eyes. Most eye conditions do not have symptoms in the early phases, when it is most advantageous to treat. Only by yearly comprehensive eye healthy examinations are these problems diagnosed and treated early.
School Screenings
Most schools perform vision screenings. These tests primarily find children that are near-sighted, but often don't detect those that are far-sighted or have astigmatism. These screenings do not take the place of a comprehensive eye exam.
Visual Field Testing
A visual field screening tests the central 30 degrees of your vision. Each eye is done separately and it takes approximately 1-2 minutes per eye. It maps out your visual field and normal blind spot. The doctor is trained to look for patterns of visual field loss that could indicate glaucoma and other eye diseases, as well as brain tumors and other neurological problems.
Dilation
A comprehensive eye examination includes checking your prescription for glasses or contact lenses as well as examining the health of your eyes. While we can get a limited view of the retina without dilation, we are unable to examine the entire retina unless the pupils are dilated.
What are we looking for? First of all, we examine the optic nerve for any abnormalities such as glaucoma or swelling. While looking at the retina we are looking for small holes or tears. These small problems are much easier to fix than a resultant retinal detachment that requires major surgery and the possibility of partial or total loss of vision. Dr. Starling also will examine all of the retinal blood vessels. Due to the vascularity of the eye (lots of blood vessels), very often diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are diagnosed due to the findings of a routine eye examination.
Patients that are treated for diabetes should be dilated at least one time per year. Diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness in this country today, largely due to the lack of diagnosis and treatment of diabetic changes in the eye. These changes are called diabetic retinopathy. Again, the earlier potential problems are discovered, the more we are able to intervene and slow down or prevent vision loss.
Want can you expect while your pupils are dilated? The following side effects of dilation may last from 4-6 hours. Blurred distance vision, blurred near vision, and increased sensitivity to light are among the common symptoms.
It is important to note that some patients report minimal side effects to dilation while others experience more blurring of their vision. In order to accommodate our patient's busy lives, we offer the option to return at a later date to complete the dilation portion of the exam. If you are more comfortable bringing a driver to drive you home safely, or if you just need to get back to work, you may reschedule the dilation at your convenience at no additional charge.
As part of standard health practices, it is recommended that a dilation test be performed at each yearly visit.
Pediatric Eye Exams
Some experts estimate that approximately 5% to 10% of pre-schoolers and 25% of school-aged children have vision problems. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), all children should have their eyes examined at 6 months of age, at age 3 and again at the start of school. Children without vision problems or risk factors for eye or vision problems should then continue to have their eyes examined at least every two years throughout school.
Children with existing vision problems or risk factors should have their eyes examined more frequently. Common risk factors for vision problems include:
- premature birth
- developmental delays
- turned or crossed eyes
- family history of eye disease
- history of eye injury
- other physical illness or disease
The AOA recommends that children who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses should have their eyes examined at least every 12 months or according to their eye doctor's instructions. Read more about Pediatric Eye Exams.
Eye Exams for Adults
The AOA also recommends an annual eye exam for any adult who wears eyeglasses or contacts. If you don't normally need vision correction, you still need an eye exam every two to three years up to the age of 40, depending on your rate of visual change and overall health. Doctors often recommend more frequent examinations for adults with diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders, because many diseases can have an impact on vision and eye health.
If you are over 40, it's a good idea to have your eyes examined every one to two years to check for common age-related eye problems such as presbyopia, cataracts and macular degeneration. Read more about Vision After 40.
Because the risk of eye disease continues to increase with advancing age, everyone over the age of 60 should be examined annually. Read more about Vision After 60.
Watch animated 3D videos about common eye conditions.