Hello and welcome back to my blog! I’m Dr. Whitney Welder, OD here to guide you through all of
your exam concerns, which brings us to today’s question, “What’s a routine comprehensive eye
exam at Prairie Vision Center like?”
First, once you arrive, you’ll be greeted by our front desk staff. There may be some paperwork
you will need to fill out. Then, you will head back with one of our optometric technicians to begin
the exam. While you’re with them, you will complete pre-testing where the data collected will
help your doctor with evaluating your vision. The pre-testing includes an auto-refraction,
intraocular pressure check, blood pressure reading, and more.
After that, you will move to one of our exam rooms and see an eye doctor who will evaluate
your vision through further testing, including a refraction and assessment of your ocular health.
The refraction is when you sit behind the phoropter and the doctor will ask you “Which is better,
one or two?” With refractions, it’s important to note that there are no wrong answers and it is
one piece of data your eye doctor considers. You will also sit behind the slit lamp, where the
optometrist can see a very detailed view of your eyes. Depending on your specific health needs,
additional testing may be required. After the exam, you will have a new prescription for glasses
and a better understanding of your overall eye health.
Please note, I am an optometrist, but I’m not necessarily your optometrist. Any advice in the
above blog post is not meant to be taken as personalized medical advice. Come see me or one
of the great eye doctors at Prairie Vision Center for more personalized care.
If you have a question for the blog to answer, please email prairievisioncenter@gmail.com or
call 701-642-4090.