What to Expect at Your First Eye Exam
Preliminary Visual Tests and Measurements
At the beginning of your eye exam, the technician or the doctor will take many measurements assessing how well you can see, how well your pupils react to light, how well your eyes move, and the general resting position of your eyes.
Refraction
After all the preliminary tests, your eye care provider will perform a refraction.This is where you sit behind a small machine called a phoropter, a diagnostic tool eye care professionals use to determine a patient's eye prescription.
Ocular HealthAssessment
After refraction, the doctor will assess the health of the front part of your eyes with a large microscope called a slit lamp.
Eye PressureAssessment
At this point, the doctor will check your eye pressures.
Dilation and Ocular Health Assessment
After checking eye pressures, your doctor will put dilating drops in your eyes so they can fully assess the health of the back of your eyes.
Treatment and Follow-Up Discussion
After your exam, your doctor will discuss any plans for treatment and follow-up appointments you may need.They will also give you a copy of your glasses prescription (if you need glasses) and direct you to where you can purchase them.
ProtectYour Eyes
When Using a Computer
Prolonged screen time without breaks is a downside of advanced technology
Seventy percent of workers complain of eyestrain, according to the National Eye Institute (NIH).
Contributing factors to eyestrain include:
Poor lighting and glare
Poor posture
Uncorrected vision problems
Low screen quality or resolution
Keep the Holidays Happy: Choose Safe, Kid-Friendly Gifts
Toy-related injuries are not uncommon around the holiday season. Still, doctors and clinical staff atThe Eye Institute (TEI) of Drexel University have some great tips to keep you and your children safe during the gift-giving season.
Click the read more link for some gift recommendations. Text Lin
For an appointment, call 215.276.6111 or visit our website.
Real World Diabetes: Coming Soon, March 2026
The Eye Institute and the Pennsylvania Ear Institute partnered withTemple University Health to offer “Real World Diabetes,” a series of free educational workshops to help patients and the general public manage diabetes and protect their health.
This program, led by a certified diabetes care and education specialist, teaches participants what they need to know about life with diabetes. Proper diabetes management is necessary for protecting both eye care and hearing, as high blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the eyes and the nerves in the ears over time.
The next session will be in March 2026. For more information or to register, call 215.276.6070 or email gym22@drexel.edu or md3893@drexel.edu
The “Looking Out for Kids” health care initiative assists economically disadvantaged kids in Philadelphia and beyond who need vision and hearing services.