Eye Exam Part Ii: optical Acuities
How does the median man know... I mean, verily know... That they are getting a good eye exam? Well, I'm embarking on a series of blogs to give an insider's point of view... The Abridged Version. I can go on and on and on, and The Long Version would allow you to pass an Optometry national board exam. So I won't go there.
Eye Exam Part Ii: optical Acuities
In this second installment, we'll address... Optical Acuities.
After the case history (see Eye Exam Part I), one of the most basic measurements taken is your Optical acuity; that is, how well each eye sees a chart... At length and near, with or without healthful eyewear. You know the drill.... "Can you read these letters for me?" It seems mundane. A lot of eye care professionals verily delegate this task to a technician. But, I learned early in my career that Optical acuities... Well taken... Are primary to ensuring an definite spectacle correction. And isn't that what we all want? Glasses that are just right? Not too strong. Not too weak.
As a patient, it is good to comprehend that a good Optical acuity corollary is a threshold measurement. That means that the tester is seeing for the finest information your Optical system can resolve. She's probably even going to push a diminutive and ask you to guess at something you've already stated you cannot see..., and that's okay. That is one clue that you're getting a good eye exam.
During my rookie year of professional Optometry, I was having problem retention up with the 20 diminutive appointments, so I asked for advice. One of my mentors and a colleague at Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo, Ca - Dr. Peter Catanich- spoke fondly of his early career as a Wwii Army Optometrist and the rapid-fire eye exams he performed in a high volume, severe time constraint situation. "All I needed was a good case history, a estimation of their current glasses, definite Optical acuities, and I pretty much knew what to prescribe.... It's fantastic how you can make do with the time you're given, Grasshopper." No, he didn't say Grasshopper. Well... Maybe he did. But the point is... To an astute clinician, Optical acuities are pretty darn important because they verily enumerate more facts than one would expect. And as I learned from Dr. Pete, take the time to do it well, and definite results will be your reward.
Incidentally, the other guidance Dr. Catanich gave me was for marketing glasses. It turns out he spent ample time in the Philippine Islands while Wwii, so he picked up some nuances of our language and culture. "Gabe, you need to put up a huge neon sign.., Eyeglasses Mura Mura", he exclaimed with jazz hands emphatically opening to the rhythm of each Mura. (Pronounced Moo rah... Tagalog for "cheap".) Every time we crossed paths, it was Pete fading in or out, advent or going down a long corridor... Repeating the neon sign... Sprinkled with chuckles under his breath. Eyeglasses Mura Mura. Hmmmmm...? Kinda has a nice ring to it. I miss that guy.
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