by Dr. Wright, Owner, Wright Vision Care, LLC
The answer is....... Whatever YOU think! There is no 'right or wrong' answer to this! Many patients worry there is a right or wrong answer. What if I give the doctor the wrong answer? Will I get the wrong glasses?! Oh my!
In a vision examination, one portion of the visit is referred to as the 'refraction'. The refraction is divided into two parts. one part is referred to as the 'objective'portion. This refers to tests performed without your input, rather the information is gathered by an instrument. The other part is the 'subjective' part of the exam.
The instrument used for the objective portion may be a retinoscope where the clinician can estimate your prescription by shining a light in your eye through a series of lenses and along with the movement of the reflex he/she can estimate your prescription. The most common instrument used today is the autorefractor. This high tech instrument sends multiple beams of light into your eye in a split second. The instrument then measures the time it takes the beam to return to the instrument. These instruments are very quick and very accurate. Our office has used them for many years.
The other part of the refraction exam is the subjective part. This is where the 1 and 2 choices come in. Usually, starting with the findings, the autorefractor has measured, the clinician must now see if you, the patient, agree with the autorefractor. The 1 or 2 choice test specifically measures the amount and location of your astigmatism, or the efffect the egg shaped eye, if you have one, has on your vision. We also use the choice test to finalize the nearsighted or farsighted portion of the exam.
We then take into account the objective findings, the subject findings and other information such as how you use your eyes to come up with the final prescription. And yes, we always recheck your responses for consistency.
So there is no need to worry! The answer to the question is: "Whatever you think it should be!"
