The eye exam: which is better?
Yesterday I went to the eye doctor for my annual exam. All went well, fortunately.
But the experience reminded me that those questions the eye doc asks when he makes you don those weirdo glasses drive me nuts: “Which is better, number 1 or number 2?” Another piece of glass in front of your eye, in and out of the opening: “1 or 2?” And then another and another, 1 or 2.
Who knows? More than half the time, neither is better. Both drift in and out of focus as I continue to look at them, and he continues to wait, trying to mask his impatience. Or maybe both are better in different ways. One is darker, one lighter—does that count? Do it again. And then, apologetically, maybe just one more time.
After a while, I started answering “the first one,” just to make a decision and move things along. Otherwise I’d have been there all afternoon.
It’s a small complaint in the scheme of things, I know. But I thought I’d share it with you, you lucky people.
ADDENDUM: Funny stuff. Suggested by commenter “Prince Benjamin”:
Yes, yes, yes. Toward the end, there is no freakin’ difference between # 1 and #2. It’s always been the same for me (and my brother’s my ophthalmologist!).
In recent years my eyesight has been changing so much that I’m driving without glasses for now. It’s not great but still, I feel like I can still see a little bit better without the glasses than with them, especially at night.
I also hate that blue light thingy he always presses right onto the eyeball . (Glaucoma test?)
I only go in now when I absolutely must (ever since he told me that I’m an “abuser” of eyeglasses; I admit that I’m hard on them and have lost several pairs, but I wouldn’t go so far as saying I abuse them).
carl in atlanta:
Well, at least eyeglass abuse isn’t an actionable offense.
Yet.
I’ve stopped lying at the eye doctor. If neither one is better, I say “the same.” She still manages to converge on a single answer.
Glasses are for my convenience, not for the optometrist’s records, so my answer is always, what looks better to me, not what meets some objective standard.
I’m not shy about asking for a repeat, and if I can’t tell after a few goes, I say, “Can’t tell.”
(And sometimes when I say that, the opto gives me a nod that seems to say, good catch.)
My optometrist’s exam lasts about an hour. He is very patient and says thing like, “not which one is darker but which one is clearer”. He has me blink frequently and reminds me not to squint during the test.
It’s probably hard for most people to be as patient as he is. I think he does an excellent job but OTOH, neither my daughter or mother care for him.
Let me suggest that you try this phrase the next time.
“Do that again” and if you still don’t know, repeat that phrase and repeat it as long as needed for you to make a choice.
Since you’re paying the bill…challenge the eye doctor, if you sense that he may be impatient with you.
It works with my eye doctor.
I asked my dr about that. He said that the different lenses you look through are often very similar, but for some people, there will be a difference. So in other words, don’t worry about saying ‘they are the same’.
It’s still frustrating though…
Comedian Brian Regan does a wonderful play on the eye exam, I’m sure you and your readers will enjoy it, Neoneo.
Please enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8GMFkc3iSA
Neo…
Apparently you have yet to figure out their MO.
The WHOLE point of their queries is to reach an entirely indecisive end.
When you can’t figure out which looks better — No 1 or No 2 — then the correct prescription lies BETWEEN the two readings.
One test ALWAYS revolves around the axis of any particular distortion in your lenses. To find it, the test demands that the lenses be ROTATED around until the flips produce a NULL result. That can only happen when the lenses are flipping across the axis of distortion.
Of course, to the patient, this scheme is like sorting potatoes.
But, that’s what’s up.
Prince Benjamin:
Thanks. That’s very funny, and very apropos. I’ll add it as an addendum.
Third eye is better.
This was the plot of an episode of Newhart, sadly not available on DVD. Joanna tells Dick she is afraid of going to the eye doctor and of course he mocks her. Then when she explains all the pressure they put on you asking is this one better or is this one, Dick starts to see her point of view. I always sympathized with Joanna in that episode.
Honesty is always the best policy during an eye test. You’re only cheating yourself by not being truthful. The only way to get the correct prescription (if a prescription is needed) is to tell the truth about what you can and can’t see. Why would anyone lie about this?
I don’t understand why anybody would be anything but honest when having an eye test done. The whole procedure if for your well being and if you don’t tell the optician exactly what you see you are only sabotaging yourself.
I would rather spend longer than usual ensuring my answer is correct than walking out with the wrong prescription.
Some people get dizzy or pain at certain focus lengths. So it’s partially to reduce eye strain, but for nearsightedness, often a slightly lower power prescription will help maintain eyesight and reduce strain, especially if you don’t need 20/20 vision most of the time.