Eye Exams

Woman Having an Eye Exam

Our practice provides comprehensive eye care to patients of all ages. Our doctors are fully trained and experienced in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of a variety of conditions.

Routine eye exams help you see as clearly as possible and detect early signs of disease. Many vision-threatening eye conditions, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, have no symptoms until the condition has progressed and permanent damage has occurred. Early detection can limit or even prevent vision loss. In addition, routine eye exams can help diagnose other health conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Your eye doctor will recommend how often you should get a routine eye exam. In general, healthy children and adults should get an exam every 1-2 years. Individuals over 65 and those with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, should get an exam every year.

Your doctor will take a detailed medical history and perform several tests to determine the health of your eyes:

  • Visual Acuity: uses an eye chart to determine the clarity of your vision, e.g. 20/20
  • Ocular Motility: checks whether the eyes are moving together properly
  • Tonometry: measures the intraocular pressure to screen for glaucoma
  • Refraction: determines your glasses or contacts prescription
  • Dilation: makes the pupils large to provide a window to see the middle and back of the eyes
  • Ocular Exam: uses a slit lamp microscope and specialized headlamp to examine the cornea, iris, lens, optic nerve, and retina

If an ocular or medical condition is detected during the routine exam, then a medical exam and additional testing might be required.

  • Myopia: also known as nearsightedness, this is when you can see near objects clearly but have difficulty seeing far objects. This occurs when light is focused in front of the retina rather than on the surface of the retina. The glasses or contacts prescription starts with a negative (-) number.
  • Hyperopia: also known as farsightedness, this is when you can see far objects clearly but have difficulty seeing near objects. This occurs when light is focused behind the retina rather than on the surface of the retina. The glasses or contacts prescription starts with a positive (+) number.
  • Astigmatism: this is when objects appear stretched vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. This occurs because the eye is shaped more like a football than a basketball. The glasses or contacts prescription has a second number and an axis (0-180º) after the myopia or hyperopia number. Almost everyone has astigmatism, but some people have a small amount that does not need to be corrected.
  • Presbyopia: this is when near objects, such as books and mobile devices, become harder to see. This occurs because the lens in the eye hardens with age and loses the ability to focus at different distances. Presbyopia typically starts around the age of 45 but can impact vision earlier or later based on the glasses or contacts prescription.

Most refractive errors can be corrected with glasses or contacts. We offer a wide range of standard, progressive, and multifocal lenses to make your vision as clear as possible. Some refractive errors can be corrected with laser vision correction, Visian ICL implants, and cataract surgery. We invite you to take our LASIK self-test and cataract self-test to determine whether these procedures could be right for you.

Four Convenient Locations

South Broad Street

1930 S. Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19145

Tel: (215) 339-8100 get directions

Allegheny Ave

2610 E Allegheny Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19134

Tel: (215) 423-5154 get directions

Wills eye Hospital

840 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Tel: (215) 339-8100 get directions

Wills Northeast Consultation Office

8025 Roosevelt Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19152

Tel: (215) 423-5154 get directions

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