Intermediate Package

Ophthalmologist Eye Exam

Depending on the state commission you fight under and your age, you may be required to have an optometrist or ophthalmologist exam before you are cleared for a fight. Ask one of our pro doctors to find out if it is required. This checks for any eye damage or other factors that may either keep you from fighting effectively or determine if you may be prone to permanent damage should you move forward with the fight. If you need a pre-fight eye exam, see one of our pro doctors today.

The Ophthalmologist Exam

The physician will first take an eye history and note things such as:

Your overall vision history;
Your family vision history;
Your current medications;
Any vision problems you are having; and
If you are wearing contacts or glasses.

Your ophthalmologist will then perform a visual test where you’ll look at shapes, symbols, or the alphabet. Finally, he will make a note of your ability to identify these items from a distance as each line gradually gets smaller.

One of our pro doctors will then perform a refraction test with a device that switches to different lenses as you are looking at the eye chart. The purpose of this test is to determine whether light bends correctly when it passes through your lens or if you have a refractive error. This test is also useful in determining your corrective lens prescription.

Dilating Your Eyes

Your ophthalmologist may put drops in your eyes to enlarge your pupils. This is so the physician can view the back of your eye and check for damage there.

Additional Elements of the Exam

Your ophthalmologist will likely check your peripheral vision and your eye muscle health as well as the following:

He will examine your pupils to ensure that they respond properly to light.
He will use a lighted magnifying lens to check your eye’s blood vessels and optic nerve, the back of your eye, and your retina.
He will use a slit lamp to check your iris, eyelid, cornea, and conjunctiva.
He will give you a test with colored symbols to check for colorblindness.
He will test for glaucoma by using an instrument that blows a puff of air into your eye.

Possible Results from Your Exam

Normal results from your eye exam would mean that you have 20/20 vision; can differentiate colors; have no signs of glaucoma, optic nerve damage, abnormalities of the retina, optic nerve, or eye muscles; and have no signs of disease or other adverse conditions.

Abnormal results would be if the ophthalmologist found that you:

Needed corrective lenses;
Have astigmatism, which is blurry vision caused by a misshapen cornea;
Have an infection or trauma to your eye;
Have cataracts, which is the clouding of the lens;
Have corneal abrasions, which will be painful and cause blurry vision;
Have damaged blood vessels or nerves, and bleeding inside the eye; or
Have glaucoma, a condition that can eventually result in blindness.

If your condition or the rules of your state commission require you to have an ophthalmic exam, one of our pro doctors will refer you to a licensed ophthalmologist and have you tested. From there, we will work with that ophthalmologist to get you cleared for your fight or to outline a course of action to identify any abnormal results from your exam.

Physical Exam

One of our pro doctors can do a complete physical exam for you in our office as mandated by your state’s commission before being cleared for a fight. We will check for injuries or other deficiencies that may hinder you in the fight or become worsened due to the fight. If we determine that you are in acceptable physical shape to proceed, we will clear you to fight. Otherwise, we can either work out a plan of care to correct your condition or refer you to a specialist.

Our physicians will first complete a medical history profile on you. The first part of the profile is your family’s medical history. This will check for possible hereditary diseases such as blood disorders, epilepsy, diabetes, and tuberculosis. The second part of the medical profile is a personal history. We’ll ask you about major surgeries, allergies, medications, and your current alcoholic or drug intake.

We will then do a complete physical examination. During that examination, these are the areas we will check and what we will be looking for.

Ears – We will be looking for conditions such as bilateral deafness, recurrent ear discharge, persistent tinnitus, and complete deafness.

Face – We will check for any facial deformities that would impair your breathing or cause you not to be able to hold a mouthpiece in your mouth.

Heart – We will be looking for signs of rheumatic or ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and congenital heart disease. Any signs of an irregular heart may require EKG testing.

Lungs – We will listen to your lungs and check your history for any signs of recurrent bronchitis, tuberculosis, emphysema, and recurrent pulmonary fulminating infections.

Brain and Spine – We will check your history and look for signs of epilepsy, recurrent dizzy spells, cerebrovascular disease or insufficiencies, focal and persistent leg or arm tremors, previous history of syphilis, and degenerative spinal cord disorders. We will also look for any signs of impaired motor skills and irregularities in your pupil reaction.

Bones and Joints – We will check you for active, bony tumors or signs of degenerative disc disease of the spinal column. We will look for any signs of arthritis in your hands, forearms, shoulders, and legs, or muscular dystrophy and osteoporosis.

Torso – We will look for hernias, be they inguinal, abdominal, and hiatal. We will also check your abdomen for signs of an enlarged spleen or liver.

Endocrine – We will examine your history for any hypoglycemic attacks, adrenal and pituitary gland dysfunctions, and thyroid dysfunction.

Skin – We will check your skin for lesions, rashes, or other anomalies that may cause concern.

Blood – We will check for any history of anemia, leukemia, hemophilia, or other blood clotting disorders. We will also check your blood pressure to ensure that it is no higher than 150 over 90, as anything higher requires further investigation.

EKG

The electrocardiogram is abbreviated as both ECG or EKG. This test, administered by one of our pro doctors, measures the heart’s electrical activity. When a doctor administers this test, they place stickers on the skin of the fighter’s arms, legs, and chest. These stickers hold wires against the fighter’s skin on one end while the other end of the wire feeds into the EKG machine.

When the heart beats, an electrical wave (impulse) travels through the heart. This electrical wave causes the heart muscle to squeeze, which pumps the blood from the heart. The EKG shows the timing of the electrical waves as they make their way through the upper and lower chambers of the heart.

The upper chambers of the heart (right and left atria) create what is called a P wave, which is the first wave followed by a flat line. Subsequently, the heart’s lower chambers (right and left ventricles) make a wave called the QRS Complex. A third wave follows this, called the T wave, which signifies the ventricles return to a resting state.

There are two distinct kinds of information that can be gleaned by an EKG. First, by measuring the time intervals on the EKG, the physician can examine the electrical waves and determine how long it takes for them to pass through the heart. Studying how long the electrical wave takes to travel from one area of the heart to the next determines if the electrical activity is fast, slow, normal, or irregular. The second piece of information given by the EKG is to show the physician if any parts of the heart are too large or overworked, based on measuring the amount of electrical activity as it passes through the heart muscle.

To be more specific, with this test, a doctor can check:

Your heart rate. This can normally be established by simply taking your pulse. However, if you have an irregular pulse, the EKG can help the doctor identify a heart rate that is too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia).

Your heart rhythm. An EKG can detect an arrhythmia (heart rhythm irregularity). This could indicate a condition where the heart’s electrical system is malfunctioning. However, it could also be caused by medications, amphetamines, cocaine, over-the-counter allergy, or cold medications.

If you’ve had a heart attack. If you’ve had a previous heart attack, the EKG can show evidence of that. For instance, patterns in the EKG may indicate which part of your heart was damaged and the extent of that damage.

If you have inadequate oxygen or blood supply to your heart. If you can get the test performed while you’re having symptoms, an EKG can help indicate if your chest pain is from reduced blood flow to the heart muscle.

If you have structural abnormalities. An EKG can give clues about heart defects, enlargement of the walls or chambers of the heart, or other heart issues.

We can arrange for an EKG scan, review the results and give you a report. If there is cause for concern, we can refer you to a specialist.

Book an appointment with The Fight Doctors today!