Many of us believe that if we can see well, we don’t need to visit an eye doctor. While good vision is clearly important, an eye exam does more than test your vision. Your eyes can be portals that offer a glimpse of your overall health. Many diseases show early signs in the eyes, including cardiovascular health and diabetes.

A comprehensive eye exam, offered only by an ophthalmologist or optometrist, looks at both eye health as well as your vision. Your doctor will check for:

• Refractive error: nearsighted, farsighted or astigmatism
• Focusing problems, including presbyopia
• Other vision problems, such as strabismus, amblyopia or binocular vision
• Eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy
• Other diseases, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, can often be detected in an eye exam.

While tests will vary based on your doctor and your medical history, most comprehensive eye exams include the following: