Adults and Seniors

Ocular Health and Vision Assessment

A comprehensive ocular health and vision assessment includes all of the following:

• Measurement of Visual Acuity (eg. 20/20)

• Measurement of Refractive Error (eg. near-sighted, far-sighted, astigmatism)

• Determination of the alignment of the eyes

• Determination of the way the eyes adjust focus from distance to near

• Examination of the eyes for any disease or abnormalities

• A diagnosis from the results of the examination

• Recommendations for any treatment required, which may include referral to another health care provider

• Provision of a prescription or treatment plan for vision correction if required

• Any counselling or advice that is necessary, including need for future vision care.

In addition to these elements of the assessment, the doctors will often recommend additional testing such as visual fields and/or OCT (digital imaging of the back of the eye). These tests allow for a more in depth assessment allowing for the earliest detection of ocular disease.

Adults between the ages of 20 and 64 should be examined at least every 2 years or sooner if there is a family history of any eye disease. Seniors age 65 and older should have their eyes examined annually due to a higher risk of developing conditions like: cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma.

Children

Ocular Health and Vision Assessment

Children’s assessments include the same elements as adult assessments, we just alter the type of test we do to suit the age of the child. (eg. We have more fun!)

The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that children have their first eye exam at the age of 6 months old and annually thereafter.

Children do not need to know how to recognize letters or read or even speak. We use other techniques such as pictures or matching games to determine the information we need.

• 80% of learning is visual

• 1 in 4 children has a vision problem

• 61% of parents mistakenly believe they can recognize signs of a vision problem