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Complete eye check-up in Vasco, Goa

Many serious eye conditions, including glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and early cataract, do not hurt and give few warning signs at first. A complete eye check-up is how they are found while there is still time to protect your sight. It is also where most eye care starts: the power for new spectacles, the decision about cataract surgery and the answer to a child's poor eyesight at school all begin with a proper examination.

What does a complete eye check-up include?

The exact tests depend on your age, your symptoms and your general health, but a complete check-up at ReNew Vision usually covers:

• Vision test. Each eye is tested on its own, for distance and for reading, with and without your current spectacles.
• Spectacle power test (refraction). Lenses are tried in front of each eye to find the power that gives the clearest, most comfortable vision. This is the prescription used for spectacles.
• Eye pressure test (tonometry). Raised pressure inside the eye is one of the main risk factors for glaucoma. The measurement takes a few seconds.
• Examination of the front of the eye. The lids, the white of the eye, the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) and the lens are examined under magnification. This is where cataract, infection, dry eye and pterygium are seen.
• Retina and optic nerve examination. The eye doctor looks through the pupil at the retina (the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) and the optic nerve. Drops that widen the pupil are often used so that the whole retina can be seen.
• Colour vision test, when you need it for a job, a licence or school, or when the eye doctor suspects a problem.

When cataract surgery is being planned, a lens-power test (biometry, also called an A-scan) is added to calculate the power of the new lens. Read more on the cataract surgery page.

Some specialised scans and tests, such as retina scans or a visual field test, are not done at ReNew Vision. If the eye doctor feels you need one, they will tell you and explain the next step.

Is a spectacle power test the same as a complete eye check-up?

No. A spectacle power test finds the lens power that lets you see clearly. A complete eye check-up also checks the health of the eye: the pressure, the lens, the retina and the optic nerve. A person can have perfectly corrected vision and still have early glaucoma or diabetic changes in the retina. If you only need new spectacles, say so when you call; if it has been a long time since your last full check-up, the eye doctor may suggest one.

After the power test, the prescription can go straight to the Vision Correction Centre in the same building. See spectacles and the Vision Correction Centre.

Who should have an eye check-up, and how often?

Your eye doctor will advise the right interval for your eyes. As a general guide:

• Adults with no eye problems: a full check-up by about 40, when near vision starts to change and the risk of glaucoma begins to rise, and then as advised. Later in life, many eye doctors suggest a check-up every one to two years.
• People with diabetes: an eye check-up at least once a year, even if your sight seems fine. Diabetes can damage the retina long before vision changes. This matters in Goa, where the ICMR-INDIAB study (2023) found diabetes in about one in four adults.
• People with high blood pressure, a family history of glaucoma, high spectacle power or an old eye injury: regular checks as advised, often every year.
• Children: an eye check-up before starting school, and whenever a parent or teacher notices a problem. Children rarely say that they cannot see well.
• Premature babies: eye screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), usually starting within the first month after birth for babies born early or with a low birth weight. Ask the baby's doctor for the date, and do not miss it.

When should I not wait for a routine check-up?

Book a visit soon, without waiting for your yearly check, if you notice:

• blurred or misty vision, or glare from lights at night
• frequent changes in spectacle power
• headaches or tired eyes when reading or using a screen
• a red, sore, sticky or watering eye that does not settle in a day or two
• an eye that turns in or out, in a child or an adult

Some symptoms need to be seen the same day: sudden loss or dimming of vision, a curtain or shadow over part of your sight, a sudden shower of floaters or flashes of light, a painful red eye with blurred vision, or any injury or chemical splash. Emergency eye care at ReNew Vision is available 24 hours; see what to do in an eye emergency.

What happens during the check-up, step by step?

1. Your history. You are asked about your symptoms, any past eye problems, your general health (such as diabetes or high BP) and the medicines you take.
2. Vision and spectacle power. You read letters or symbols on a chart, one eye at a time, and lenses are tried until the clearest power is found.
3. Eye pressure. A quick pressure measurement is taken.
4. Front of the eye. The eye doctor examines your lids, cornea and lens under magnification.
5. Dilating drops, if needed. The drops take a while to work, so you wait for some time before the retina is examined.
6. Retina and optic nerve. The eye doctor examines the back of each eye.
7. Explanation. The eye doctor explains what was found, whether anything needs treatment and when to come back. If you need spectacles, you are given a prescription.

Why are eye drops used, and can I drive afterwards?

Dilating drops widen the pupil so the eye doctor can see the lens and the whole retina. They may sting for a moment. For a few hours afterwards, sometimes longer, close-up vision is blurred and bright light feels uncomfortable. Please do not drive or ride a two-wheeler after dilating drops: bring someone who can drive, or plan to take a taxi or bus home. Sunglasses make the trip home more comfortable.

Some eye pressure tests use a numbing drop. It wears off after a short while; do not rub your eyes until it has.

Eye fitness certificates for driving licence, job and school

ReNew Vision provides eye fitness certificates for driving licence applications, jobs and school. Bring the form you have been given and your spectacles or contact lenses. The eye doctor tests your vision, and your colour vision where the form asks for it, and completes the eye part of the form or certificate.

If your form comes from an authority or employer with its own special rules, mention it when you call 072489 88039 so that we can tell you whether it can be completed here.

What is a colour vision test?

A colour vision test checks whether you can tell certain colours apart, usually with a book of coloured-dot plates. Jobs in shipping, ports, aviation, the armed forces, electrical work and driving often ask for a colour vision result, as do some training courses. Colour vision problems are usually present from birth and are much more common in men. They cannot be corrected with spectacles, but knowing early helps with choices about study and work.

Children's eye check-up and school vision screening

A child's vision keeps developing until about seven or eight years of age. A problem such as a lazy eye (amblyopia), a squint or high spectacle power responds better the earlier it is found. Signs to watch for include sitting very close to the TV or holding books close, screwing up the eyes or tilting the head, rubbing the eyes, an eye that turns in or out, and avoiding reading. ReNew Vision does children's eye check-ups and school vision screening, as well as squint check-ups and lazy eye treatment, and provides myopia control treatment to slow short sight in children.

What should I bring?

• your current spectacles, and your contact lenses with their case if you wear them
• any old eye prescriptions, reports or surgery notes
• a list of your medicines, including eye drops
• recent sugar and BP reports, if you have diabetes or high blood pressure
• the form, if you need a fitness certificate
• sunglasses, and someone to take you home if drops are used

Timings, the address and directions are on the visit page.

Guides about eye check-ups

Guides on eye tests and check-ups are listed here as they are published. Every guide is also listed on the eye blog.

Questions patients ask

How long does an eye check-up take?

It depends on the tests you need. A spectacle power test alone is quicker. If dilating drops are used, they take a while to work before the retina can be examined, so allow extra time and do not plan to drive afterwards.

Do the eye drops used in an eye check-up hurt?

They may sting for a moment. Dilating drops then blur close vision and make bright light uncomfortable for a few hours, sometimes longer. This is expected and wears off.

Can I drive after an eye check-up?

Not after dilating drops. Your vision stays blurred and sensitive to light for a few hours. Bring someone who can drive, or plan to take a taxi or bus home.

How often should I get my eyes checked?

Have a full check-up by about 40, then as your eye doctor advises, often every one to two years later in life. People with diabetes should have an eye check-up at least once a year, and children should have one before starting school.

Do you give eye fitness certificates for a driving licence?

Yes. ReNew Vision provides eye fitness certificates for driving licences, jobs and school. Bring the form and your spectacles or contact lenses, and call 072489 88039 first if the form has special rules.

Do you check children's eyes?

Yes. ReNew Vision does children's eye check-ups and school vision screening, squint check-ups and lazy eye treatment. A first check-up before a child starts school is a good idea, and earlier if you notice a problem.

This page is general eye-health information, not personal medical advice. Your eye doctor advises you after examining your eyes.