Staff is very professional, office clean and well kept. Dr. Griffiths is very personable and does a great job explaining my condition.
Julie Carbaugh
Comprehensive Eye Exams
Health Conditions Your Eye Doctor Can Detect
A comprehensive eye exam does more than measure your vision. The eyes provide a unique and direct view into your overall health, and trained eye doctors can identify signs of serious conditions that may not yet be causing symptoms anywhere else in your body.
Glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy are among the leading causes of vision loss, and all three can progress significantly before you notice any change in your vision. There is no pain, no blurring, and no signal that something is wrong until the damage is already done.
By the time symptoms appear, some of the vision loss may be permanent. Catching these diseases early through regular exams gives your doctor the opportunity to begin treatment when it is most effective and when the best chance of preserving your sight still exists.
The blood vessels inside your eye are among the only blood vessels in the entire body that can be seen directly and without surgery. This makes a dilated eye exam a powerful window into your cardiovascular and metabolic health.
Signs of uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain blood disorders can appear in the retina before a person has any other symptoms. Your eye doctor may notice swelling, bleeding, or abnormal vessel patterns that warrant follow-up with your primary care provider. Finding these changes early can prompt treatment that protects far more than your vision.
Not every change in your vision is simply a matter of needing a new glasses prescription. A sudden shift in refraction, double vision, or loss of side (peripheral) vision can each point to a medical condition that requires further evaluation beyond an updated lens prescription.
People with diabetes, for example, may notice their vision fluctuating as their blood sugar rises and falls. This can indicate that the condition is affecting the lens inside the eye. If you notice patterns like this, it is worth discussing with both your eye doctor and your primary care physician so the full picture can be addressed.
How Often You Should Have an Eye Exam
The right exam schedule depends on your age, your health history, and whether you have any known risk factors for eye disease. Sticking to a consistent schedule is one of the most effective ways to protect your long-term vision.
For adults without known risk factors, a baseline comprehensive eye evaluation is recommended at age 40, when early changes in vision and eye health most commonly begin to appear. Before age 40, adults who are experiencing no problems and have no significant risk factors may only need an exam every several years.
After the age 40 baseline, the recommended frequency increases as you get older:
- Ages 40 to 54: every two to four years
- Ages 55 to 64: every one to three years
- Age 65 and older: every one to two years
Your eye doctor will let you know if your individual situation calls for a different schedule based on what is found during your exam.
Certain health conditions and personal risk factors make more frequent eye exams necessary, regardless of how old you are. Your doctor may recommend annual exams or even more frequent visits if you fall into one of these groups.
- People diagnosed with diabetes or high blood pressure
- Those with a personal or family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration
- People of African or Hispanic descent, who face a higher statistical risk for certain eye conditions
- Contact lens wearers, who need yearly evaluations to confirm fit and check for corneal changes
If you are unsure how often you should be seen, your eye doctor can review your health history and recommend the schedule that makes the most sense for you.
Many people postpone eye exams because they see clearly and feel no discomfort. The problem is that the most serious eye diseases cause no pain and produce no noticeable vision loss in their earliest, most treatable stages.
Glaucoma, for example, can silently destroy peripheral vision over years before it begins to affect the central vision you rely on every day. A routine comprehensive exam that takes less than an hour can detect these changes while treatment can still preserve what you have. Waiting until you notice something is wrong often means waiting too long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common questions patients have before and after a comprehensive eye exam.
Bring your current glasses or contact lenses, a written list of all medications you take (including supplements), and any information you have about your family's eye health history. If you wear contact lenses, ask whether you should remove them before the exam and for how long, as some measurements are more accurate without lenses in. Coming prepared with this information helps your doctor make the most complete assessment possible.
Dilation temporarily blurs your close-up vision and increases your sensitivity to bright light, typically for four to six hours. Whether you can safely drive depends on the individual. Many patients find it manageable with a pair of sunglasses, while others are too uncomfortable. The safest approach is to arrange a ride or plan to wait until your vision returns to normal, especially if this is your first time being dilated or if you are unsure how your eyes will respond.
Vision screenings, like those offered at schools or primary care offices, check only whether you can see letters on a chart at a standard distance. They do not measure eye pressure, evaluate the health of your retina or optic nerve, or check for diseases developing inside the eye. A comprehensive exam is the only evaluation that can detect glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, and the systemic conditions that can appear in the eyes before causing symptoms elsewhere. A passed screening does not mean your eyes are healthy.
Yes. The vision screenings done at pediatric appointments can miss subtle but meaningful problems with how a child's visual system is developing. Conditions like amblyopia (often called lazy eye) and misalignment between the eyes are most successfully treated when caught early in childhood. A complete eye exam by an eye doctor gives a far more thorough picture than a basic chart test, and early identification of problems makes treatment significantly more effective.
If your exam shows you need vision correction or a prescription update, your eye doctor will go over your options and answer your questions. Depending on your prescription, lifestyle, and eye health, there may be several good choices available to you. At our Reston office, we have an optical department where you can explore frame and lens options in the same visit. For patients who are candidates and interested in reducing or eliminating their dependence on glasses, our team can also discuss whether laser vision correction may be worth exploring.
Coverage depends on your specific plan. Medical insurance, including Medicare, often covers a comprehensive eye exam when it is performed to evaluate or manage a medical condition such as diabetes, glaucoma, or eye disease. Routine vision exams for glasses or contact lens prescriptions are typically covered by separate vision plans. We accept most major insurance plans and can help clarify your benefits before your appointment so there are no surprises.
Schedule Your Comprehensive Eye Exam at NewView Eye Center
Your vision is worth protecting, and regular eye exams are one of the most straightforward ways to do it. Our team at NewView Eye Center is proud to serve patients across Northern Virginia with thorough, personalized eye care in a welcoming environment. Whether you are due for a routine evaluation or have specific concerns about your eyes, we are here to help you see clearly and stay healthy for years to come. We look forward to seeing you.
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