Comprehensive Eye Exams in Irvine,  CA

What is the Iris Bright Eye Exam?

There is much more to a comprehensive eye exam than just an accurate glasses prescription. At Iris Bright Optometry, we believe regular eye exams are an essential part of preventive care and healthy living so that you can detect, monitor and prevent many health conditions that go beyond vision correction and common eye disorders.

When you schedule an appointment with us, you know you’ll be getting:

A thorough evaluation of the function and health of your eyes and total visual system
The most precise and comfortable digital eye exam possible
Personalized counseling and education on preventive eye care, nutrition and healthy living

As part of our mission, our eye doctors use the most advanced emerging technologies like the optomap® retinal imaging and the Optovue AngioVue® OCTA to review your health risk profile every year during your eye exam.

How much time should I set aside for my eye exam?

Appointments are scheduled every 20 minutes. However, you should set aside at least an hour for your visit. You will spend:

5-10 minutes for registration and check-in
15 minutes for pre-test
20-25 minutes with the doctor
5-10 minutes for check-out
An additional 30-50+ minutes if you choose to browse and shop for a new pair of glasses or if you require contact lens training as a new contact lens wearer

WHEN SHOULD I SEE AN OPTOMETRIST?

You should see an optometrist at least once a year whether or not you believe you need vision correction.

With the right technology, the eye is the only place in your body where your doctor can evaluate the quality of your blood vessels without cutting you open. As such, an annual eye exam can detect not only eye diseases but also other systemic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, tumors, early sign of Alzheimer’s… etc.

Many serious eye diseases may start with no symptoms and when left untreated, can lead to vision loss and even blindness. With incurable eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, aged-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma, prevention is key in protecting and maintaining optimal vision.

So don’t neglect your eyes. Schedule your eye exam today.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING TO MY EYE EXAM?

You should bring your vision insurance and medical insurance information to your eye exam. If you have no insurance but have a current AAA membership, bring your AAA card for a discounted rate on your comprehensive eye exam.

If you currently wear any prescription lenses, bring your eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses so we can measure your current prescription

You should also bring any and all questions you may have. Contact our office if you have specific questions about any additional items you think you may need to bring to your eye exam.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD NEEDS GLASSES?

Taking your child to an optometrist for an eye exam is the best way to learn if your child needs glasses. Many children who need glasses aren’t aware that they do.

Signs of vision problems in children include sitting too close to the television, squinting, sensitivity to light, difficulty with eye-hand coordination, and avoiding visual activities like reading and drawing.

To see if your child needs glasses, schedule your child’s eye exam today. We will see children as young as 4 years of age.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GLASSES OVER CONTACT LENSES?

Eyeglasses:

Can be an extension of your personality and make a great fashion statement
Requires very little cleaning and maintenance
Doesn’t touch your eyes to wear, therefore decreasing risk of eye infections
Potentially cheaper in the long run since they don’t have to be replaced as often
Can adjust amount of light entering your eye for optimal comfort, when using transition or blue light protection technologies
Offers some protection from environmental factors like wind, dust and debris
Doesn’t exacerbate dry eyes or sensitive eyes sensation

What kind of tests are performed during my eye exam?

Your comprehensive eye exam will include some or all of the following tests:

General health screening of physical conditions and prescriptions that may affect your eyesight
Blood pressure testing
Visual Field to check the presence of blind spots in your peripheral (or “side”) vision, which can stem from eye disease such as glaucoma or from more serious neurological disorders like brain damage from a stroke or tumor
Color Vision to evaluate color deficiencies in the eyes (red/green or blue/yellow)
Tonometry to measure the pressure inside of your eye and assess your risk for developing glaucoma
Corneal Topography: Creates a map of the surface curvature of the cornea, similar to making a contour map of land. Using computerized imaging technology, the three-dimensional map produced by the corneal topographer aids in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of various visual conditions including astigmatism.
Binocular Vision Skills assessment to assure your eyes work together as a team; important for proper depth perception, eye muscle coordination, detection of lazy eye conditions including strabismus and amblyopia, and the ability to change focus from near to far objects
Stereopsis to assess depth perception and determine if your eyes are working together. It is especially useful for identifying “lazy eyes” in children, which can be treated if identified while young
Evaluation of your current glasses prescription
Cover/Eye Alignment: Uses a paddle to cover one eye at a time to help evaluate eye muscles. Can catch tendency toward crossed eyes in children. Helps evaluate for any indications of eye strain, which could be the result of strabismus or amblyopia.
Gonioscopy: anterior chamber (space between the cornea and iris) evaluation, mostly for glaucoma, diabetic or trauma patients
Pachymetry to measure corneal thickness to aid in the diagnosis of glaucoma
Optomap® Ultra-Widefield Retinal Imaging to capture more than 82% of your retina in one panoramic picture and allow your doctor a better ability to detect early signs of retinal disease including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy
Dilation, as necessary, to help view the internal structures of the eye
Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) to take cross-sectional pictures of the retina via a scanning laser. This technology is used to diagnose and follow treatment in certain eye conditions and diseases, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
Visual Acuity to measure the sharpness of your vision and determine if you need an updated prescription based on the degree of change you have in nearsightedness, farsighted, astigmatism and presbyopia
Muscle testing to identify any muscle weakness or involuntary movement.
Anterior Segment Imaging and Slit Lamp Exam: Allows your doctor a highly magnified view of your eye to thoroughly evaluate the front structures of your eye (lids, cornea, iris, etc.), followed by an examination of the inside of your eye (retina, optic nerve, macula and more). This test aids the doctor in the diagnosis of cataracts, dry eyes, corneal irritation, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.