A retinal examination — sometimes called ophthalmoscopy or funduscopy — allows your doctor to evaluate the back of your eye, including your retina, optic disk and the underlying layer of blood vessels that nourish the retina (choroid).

How is a retinal exam performed?

Your eye doctor uses an ophthalmoscope to shine a beam of light through your pupil to see the back of the eye. Sometimes eyedrops aren’t necessary to dilate your eyes before this exam. Indirect exam. During this exam, you might sit up or be reclined in the exam chair.

What can be diagnosed by looking at the retina?

Common retinal diseases and conditions include:

  • Retinal tear.
  • Retinal detachment.
  • Diabetic retinopathy.
  • Epiretinal membrane.
  • Macular hole.
  • Macular degeneration.
  • Retinitis pigmentosa.

Is a retina exam painful?

Retinal imaging allows eye doctors to see signs of eye diseases that they couldn’t see before. The test itself is painless and the results are easy for doctors to interpret.

Is a retina exam necessary?

Retinal imaging is imperative in diagnosing hypertensive retinopathy before it damages your vision. The high-resolution images allow your optometrist to evaluate the blood vessels in your eyes, retina, and optic nerve for any abnormalities that indicate early signs of disease.

Can the retina repair itself?

Yes, in many cases an eye doctor can repair a damaged retina. While a patient may not experience completely restored vision, retinal repair can prevent further vision loss and stabilize vision. It’s important that patients get treatment for their damaged retinas as soon as possible.

How long does a retina exam take?

How Long Will My Exam Take? A Retina exam is a quite extensive eye exam. Depending on the specialized test and procedures your doctor feels you need your visit could last 2-3 hours.

What to expect from a retinal exam?

What to expect with a retinal exam. Your eye doctor uses an ophthalmoscope to shine a beam of light through your pupil to see the back of your eye. Indirect examination (indirect ophthalmoscopy). Your eye doctor examines the inside of the eye with the aid of a condensing lens and a bright light mounted on his or her forehead.

What is the process of a retinal eye exam?

To have the exam,you simply look into the Optomap one eye at a time (like looking through a keyhole).

  • A low-powered scanning laser digitally scans the retina.
  • Different wavelengths of laser light are used to capture an image of your retina.
  • What is retinal examination in an eye checkup?

    Retinal examination This examination – sometimes called ophthalmoscopy or funduscopy – allows your doctor to evaluate the back of your eye, including the retina, the optic disk and the retinal blood vessels that nourish the retina.

    Examination of the retina (also called the fundus) is called fundoscopy. Your retina specialist can look at the retina using both high magnification with a hand held lens or contact lens to look at detail and then with a wide angle lens to look at large areas of the retina. Fundoscopy is the cornerstone of the retina evaluation.