Comprehensive Eye Exams Fredericksburg

Yes, eye exams are recommended for everyone, regardless of whether you think your vision is fine.

Some vision problems develop so slowly that it is difficult to detect changes. More importantly, eye diseases like glaucoma can develop without causing any noticeable symptoms; you may not realize there is a problem until the disease has advanced to the point where it may permanently affect your vision.

Having routine eye exams with a qualified eye doctor is the best way to defend yourself from glaucoma and other diseases that can lead to irreversible vision loss.

We recommend scheduling your child’s first eye exam around five years of age.

Yes, eye exams can detect signs of many eye diseases, including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and corneal and retinal diseases.

Eye exams can also uncover problems affecting your overall health. By looking at the tiny blood vessels in your eyes, our eye doctors can detect signs of diabetes, stroke, heart disease and other serious health conditions.

At Access Eye, our optometrists are trained to perform comprehensive routine eye exams. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors and surgeons. Their primary focus is the management and treatment of disease, and surgical eye procedures that include cataract surgery and laser vision correction.

The Snellen eye chart is used to check visual acuity, which is one component of good vision. This is the sharpness of your vision and your ability to identify objects from a particular distance. The eye chart usually contains 11 rows of letters. In the first line, the letters are very large, and with each subsequent row, the letters get smaller.

During the visual acuity check, you will stand 20 feet away from the chart and read it with one eye covered. Each line is assigned two numbers: the top number, 20, refers to the distance in feet between you and the chart. The bottom number refers to the distance at which a person with normal eyesight can read the same line of letters. The last line you can read clearly is your visual acuity for that eye.

During a comprehensive eye exam, your pupils will be dilated with special drops. This will not hurt. Dilation enlarges your pupils to allow the eye doctor to evaluate the inside of your eye. Special instruments and lights are used to examine the internal structures of your eye, such as your retina and optic nerve, looking for irregularities like swelling or leaking.

The effects of dilation last several hours and can make your eyes slightly sensitive to light. It is a good idea to have someone drive you home and to bring sunglasses to wear on the ride home.

The ophthalmologists and optometrists at Access Eye have over 100 years of combined experience delivering exceptional eye care. We are considered experts in evaluating your eyes and detecting abnormalities affecting your vision and ocular health. We want to be the best at what we do, and are always looking for ways to improve the eye exam experience for our patients.

When you trust the team at Access Eye, you can feel confident that we care deeply about your vision, ocular health and general well-being.

An Ophthalmologist (M.D.) is a licensed medical doctor and surgeon. Ophthalmologists perform eye surgery (e.g., cataract removal, LASIK), treat eye diseases and disorders both clinically and surgically, perform laser treatments, medication management and consultation/integration into other branches of medicine.

An optometrist (O.D) is a licensed Doctor of Optometry. Optometrists primary focus is routine vision care and clinical disease management. They work hand in hand with our Ophthalmologists to ensure comprehensive eyecare. Optometrists perform routine eye exams, prescribe, and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, and help maintain your general eye health.