What Is the Difference Between an Eye Exam and a Comprehensive Eye Exam?

 It’s easy to underestimate the power of your eyes. But no matter how good you think you see, there could be a lot going on behind the scenes that you don’t even realize. And the type of eye exam you get determines what your eye doctor can spot, in terms of potential problems. 

Read on as an Arvada, CO optometrist answers the question: what’s the difference between a standard eye exam and a comprehensive eye exam.

The Inner Workings of Our Eyes

Everyone knows that eye health pretty much determines how clearly you can see. But did you know that the inner workings of your eyes can hold clues about the health of the rest of your body?

The health of your eyes can tell you a lot about what’s going on in other parts of your body. In fact, specific health problems can be revealed by the condition of the blood vessels in your eyes.

The following are examples of conditions that can be revealed by blood vessels in the eyes:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Stroke 
• Liver disease 
• Kidney disease 

One of the reasons it’s so important to have your eyes examined every year is that it gives you a chance to catch any problems early on. If you wait until something is wrong before getting an eye exam, then treatment will be more difficult and costly.

The Difference Between a Standard Eye Exam and a Comprehensive Eye Exam

So, what’s the difference between a standard eye exam and a comprehensive eye exam? Well, by definition, both involve looking at your eyes and determining whether or not you need glasses. But that’s where the similarities end!

A standard eye exam is designed to examine the health of your eyes and make sure they’re working properly—it’s what your doctor will give you if you need glasses, contacts, or any other vision-related help. 

A comprehensive eye exam is a full examination that allows your optometrist to see the inner workings of your eyes. Unlike a standard exam, a comprehensive exam can  reveal early warning signs of disease in the body.

With a comprehensive eye exam, your optometrist can identify telltale signs of heart disease and diabetes. And if you’re worried about glaucoma or macular degeneration, an eye exam is the first step toward preventing these diseases from developing or getting worse.

If you have more questions or wish to schedule an eye exam, don’t hesitate to call our Arvada, CO optometry office anytime!