What to Expect
Duration of Appointment | What to Bring | Eye Examination | Exam Summary
Your child will receive a comprehensive eye exam, and will most likely have his/her eyes dilated with eyedrops. Appointments will take longer than a routine doctor's appointment and typically last two to two and a half hours.
At the initial visit, the ophthalmologist will need to know about your child's general health. Be sure to tell the doctor or the clinical staff about your child's:
- Medical problems
- Surgical procedures
- Allergies or medications that your child may be taking
If your child has been previously treated with glasses or contact lenses, these should be brought to the eye examination. The names and addresses of all physicians who may be treating your child should also be supplied to the ophthalmologist so that they may be informed of the findings.
You will stay with your child through the entire examination. Infants and small children can be checked while sitting on a parent's lap. Older children are encouraged to sit in the exam chair by themselves.
Your ophthalmologist will carefully observe each eye as your child follows lights or toys. This gives a very good estimate of a child's visual function. Children who talk but do not yet know their letters or numbers may be asked to identify pictures of common objects.
Cooperative and verbal older children will have their vision tested utilizing a computerized eye chart.
Lights may also be used to determine if your child's eyes are straight or turned. The reflection of the light from the surface of each eye is observed to help determine if each eye is pointed to the light. The alignment of the eyes can also be checked by covering one eye and then the other. If the eyes move back and forth during this procedure, they are not aligned properly. Prisms can be used to measure the amount of misalignment.
Older children should be told that they may be given eyedrops that might sting a little and make their vision blurry for a while. The eyedrops are used to dilate the pupils. This allows a better view of the structures inside the eye, such as the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels. The drops may be given one or more times and take about 30 to 45 minutes to become fully effective.
These same eyedrops also cause a temporary weakness of the focusing muscles of the eyes. This allows the ophthalmologist to determine if your child has a focusing or refractive error that requires glasses. Refractive errors include:
- Nearsightedness (myopia)
- Farsightedness (hyperopia)
- Distorted vision (astigmatism)
The doctor will also use an ophthalmoscope, an instrument that shines a bright light into the eye, to look at the inner structures of the eye. At the back of the eye is the retina, which functions like film in a camera, processing the visual information into signals that are sent through the optic nerve to the brain.
Your ophthalmology provider will review findings and present a comprehensive treatment plan for your child. Any future therapy and/or appointments will also be discussed at this time.
