Eye Exams

Eye exams give you everything you need to protect your eyesight and eye health. At Harrisburg Eye Associates in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, leading ophthalmologist Alexander Szeles II, DO, and his caring team offer comprehensive eye exams tailored to your needs, from diabetic eye exams to expert eye disease management. Call the office or book an appointment online today to learn more about eye exams.

When do I need eye exams?

All adults need a comprehensive eye exam at age 40. If you have a family history of eye disease or a systemic condition like diabetes, you need a baseline exam much earlier. 

After your first exam, the Harrisburg Eye Associates team recommends an exam schedule that meets your needs. Most adults need eye exams yearly, and annual diabetic eye exams are crucial for people with diabetes. 

The team may recommend a longer time between exams (for example, every two years) if you have stable eye health and vision as well as a low risk of developing new issues.

What happens during eye exams?

A comprehensive eye exam includes:

• Health history review
• Medication review
• Eye history review
• Visual acuity test
• Eye pressure measurement
• Peripheral vision check
• Eye movement evaluation
• Pupillary response assessment
• Eyeglasses prescription update (if needed)
• Eye dilation
• Microscopic eye exam to check for eye disease

Depending on the information the team gathers during your eye exam, they may recommend additional testing to look for eye diseases like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 

If you have diabetes, your eye exam includes a particularly in-depth exam of the back part of your eye, where diabetes generally causes the most damage. 

Every part of this process is vital in evaluating and diagnosing eye problems. The team takes a detail-oriented and highly focused approach to make sure they perform the most complete exam possible.

How long do eye exams take? 

At Harrisburg Eye Associates, your comprehensive eye exam may take around 45-90 minutes, including the 20-minute waiting period for the dilating eye drops to take effect. 

How do I prepare for eye exams?

Before your scheduled exam, coordinate with the Harrisburg Eye Associates team to ensure they have all the medical information they need. If you’ve received eye care from another provider in the last year (for example, eye injections from a retina specialist), they also need that information to accurately evaluate your current eye health. 

If you wear glasses or contacts, bring them to your exam, particularly if you need to update your prescription. 

In general, you don’t need to do anything else to prepare for your comprehensive eye exam. The team goes out of their way to make the process easy and comfortable. 

Schedule your eye exam by calling Harrisburg Eye Associates or booking an appointment online today.