At Litchfield Hills Eye Physicians, Drs. Berger, Howard, and Kessler believe that it is important for everyone to have regular eye examinations. How frequently you should have routine eye exams depends on your age, your health, your family history of eye problems and whether you have been diagnosed or treated for any eye conditions or diseases.

A general eye exam at Litchfield Hills Eye Physicians will include checking your vision as well as evaluating the health of your eyes. Please make sure that you tell your eye doctor about medications you are taking for any health condition as well as any other conditions that you may have been treated for in the past. They will also want to know whether any member of your family has any history of eye diseases or conditions.

Your eye examination will begin with a measurement of your vision with and without glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them. This will be done by having you read the familiar eye chart of letters or numbers. This will help determine the current state of your visual acuity.

Next, the movement of your eyes will be tested and the reaction of your pupils will be examined.

Using a specialized microscope called a slip lamp, Drs. Berger, Howard and Kessler will examine the structures around your eyes including eyelids and eye lashes. They will then use this instrument to further examine the tear film, the cornea, the conjunctiva and sclera (white of your eye), and observe the crystalline lens behind the iris-the colored part of your eye-by looking through the pupil which is the dark part of the eye. For most patients, one or two eyedrops will be placed in the eye to measure the intraocular pressure (IOP) in order to check for Glaucoma.

Eyedrops will then be placed in your eyes to dilate your pupils. It may take 15-20 minutes for the eye drops to work, so be patient. At that time, the internal structures of your eyes will be examined.
The health of your retina and its blood vessels and the optic nerve will be carefully observed. At the completion of the exam, you may be sensitive to light for a few hours and your near vision may be slightly blurred.

Drs. Berger, Howard and Kessler will check your eyeglass or contact lens prescription. They will provide you with a copy of your prescription so that you may purchase whatever eyeglasses or contacts are needed to correct your vision.

How often should I have my eyes examined?

If you are noticing any type of unusual problem with your eyes or your vision including pain, redness, discharge, flashes or floaters-PLEASE CALL IMMEDIATELY-and the receptionist at Litchfield Hills Eye Physicians will arrange an appointment right away.
The phone number for the office is (860) 496-0799.

If you are in generally good health and have not been diagnosed with any eye problems or vision problems, a routine exam every two years is sufficient. However, if you have a family history of
glaucoma, macular degeneration or are diabetic, you will need to be examined at least each year or as directed by Drs. Berger, Howard and Kessler. Because cataract and other age related eye problems become more troubling as we get older, patients over 55-60 may wish to consider a routine eye exam each year as well.

Children should be examined before they enter school in order to be sure that there are no undetected vision problems that might affect learning. The frequency of their examinations will depend on your family history and any specific vision problems or complaints.