Different eye test?

November2

Is there a different way to have ones eyes tested other than the machine with the black dots? I had awful trouble taking the test last time as I couldn't distinguish which dots were clearer or sharper. One set of dots were round but blurry edged, the other dots were elongated like an egg with not so much blurring around them but gave the impression of doubling. Sometimes both set of dots looked identical. I explained this to the optician but they just got irritated and said one set had to be clearer and sharper and kept repeating which is clearer 1 or 2, in the end I just kept guessing one or the other! I'm short sighted and have struggled for over a year now with glasses I can't see through properly. Surely in this day and age there is a more scientific method of testing eyesight.

djpailo

November2 wrote: »

Is there a different way to have ones eyes tested other than the machine with the black dots? I had awful trouble taking the test last time as I couldn't distinguish which dots were clearer or sharper. One set of dots were round but blurry edged, the other dots were elongated like an egg with not so much blurring around them but gave the impression of doubling. Sometimes both set of dots looked identical. I explained this to the optician but they just got irritated and said one set had to be clearer and sharper and kept repeating which is clearer 1 or 2, in the end I just kept guessing one or the other! I'm short sighted and have struggled for over a year now with glasses I can't see through properly. Surely in this day and age there is a more scientific method of testing eyesight.

There are often times when they do look similar and the correct response is to say they look similar (in my opinion). You should visit another Optometrist as soon as possible.

You can ask to have eye drops and get a slit lamp test done. The eye drops may sting slightly for a few seconds (doesn't hurt at all afterwards), but they dilate the pupils. The doctor than examines the eyes using a bright light and a mirror, a bit like using a magnifying glass. It doesnt hurt, except for the eye drops at the very beginning and its a mild sting. You won't be allowed to drive for several hours because your pupils will be dilated and therefore you will struggle to see in bright light. The effects wear off after a few hours.

November2

Hi, thanks for reply, just looked up slit lamp test but it seems to be for medical reasons and not sight testing. When I said the dots looked similar optician just kept saying one had to be clearer and just kept switching them back and forth repeating 1 or 2! Am going to book a different opticians but not sure which.
I find the whole testing method odd, I always thought it was done scientifically with measuring eye shape and light beams etc!, and I can't understand why when picking up glasses the vision isn't tested by the optician, instead a receptionist just asks if they feel ok!

djpailo

November2 wrote: »

Hi, thanks for reply, just looked up slit lamp test but it seems to be for medical reasons and not sight testing. When I said the dots looked similar optician just kept saying one had to be clearer and just kept switching them back and forth repeating 1 or 2! Am going to book a different opticians but not sure which.
I find the whole testing method odd, I always thought it was done scientifically with measuring eye shape and light beams etc!, and I can't understand why when picking up glasses the vision isn't tested by the optician, instead a receptionist just asks if they feel ok!

Some offer to take a photo of the retina, I think that is Vision Express. I'm not sure how they go about doing that or under what circumstances. I wouldn't be overly concerned. For any optician, you should also get a test for the pressure in your eyes with a "puff of air" test.

If you see persistent flashing lights (even with eyes closed), a shadow or "cobweb" of floaters - go straight to A&E. This may be a medical emergency and could be a retinal tear/ detachment.

nedmundo

There are lots of differemnt techniques for measuring your prescription. Try a different practice with different kit and see if you find that easier.

shortcrust

I’ve worn glasses since I was a kid without any problems but have had awful experiences this year with eye tests. A new Specsaver opened in my local supermarket. My glasses arrived and I said straight away that they weren’t right. I took me ages to convince them to retest. They found the prescription was way out. The second test was confusing. They kept asking “is it clearer or just bolder?” which means nothing to me. The second pair were much better but still not right. In the end I gave up and went to an old established optician. I knew as soon as I put them on that they were perfect.

I dread to think how many people around here are walking around with incorrect glasses.

November2

There's quite a few articles online, apparently there's an awful lot of people with the wrong prescriptions as it comes down to the opticians interpretation of the results, also you have to make sure you have the correct type of frames and that they fit properly, add to that they must be made correctly. I only started wearing glasses three years ago and have been to Specsavers and then Optical Express, both awful experiences, especially OE. Both tests were free ones and I'm now considering the old maxim 'you get what you pay for'. I've found a small independent opticians, they charge for testing but I think it'll be worth the extra cost, hopefully they'll be able to get me through the dot test without too much stress! Like you, Shortcrust, I have no idea what they mean by clearer as the dot shapes were so different. I was so hoping someone would know of a miracle fool proof test!

akira181

I went to specsavers and had about 10 months of trouble with my glasses. Biggest problem was that every time I went in, it was someone else that dealt with you and everyone had a different idea of what to try. And all of them seem to think just bending random bits until they fit is fine. One person bent them so much, I was looking diagonally through the lenses as they were no longer parallel to my eyes and gave me a headache after 30 seconds of wearing it.

Eventually one of them told me that specsavers had a "180 day no questions asked returns policy" if your frames aren't working but I was long past that. So I asked to speak to the manager to get something done, and he was great. Immediately knew what was wrong, how to fix it, and picked a similar frame that would work better for my face.

So the problem with Specsavers, or any big chain opticians for that matter, is really that you don't get any continuity and the experience of their employees varies wildly. Just keep going back until they get it right, eventually they'll put their most experienced person on the job and ask only for them next time.

A private opticians would give you better continuity and they'll understand better how to proceed with your test. You'll end up with better results but it will be a little more expensive, maybe less choice on frames and a poorer returns policy. If results are good, the latter two points shouldn't matter much anyhow.

I have similar issues with the black dot test and when I say one is blurry but the other not circular, he'll adjust something. If I think they kinda look similar, usually the optician accepts that. Sometimes he'll adjust something to make my sight worse and then try asking 1 or 2 to see if the change is more noticable.

Never had an optician get annoyed with my responses though. If he started getting annoyed or irate, I'd stop the test and leave. I'd stick a complaint in with the store manager if it was really bad.

tidus

Optometrists know the "dots" test can be tricky. We do it all day!

It's actually the main way we determine astigmatism, which you can google if you don't know what it is. We do the test because it usually produces the most accurate result.

To help you in future the "best" option is the one which makes the dots darker and most circular. If you can't make this judgement, just say they look about the same or they are too close to call - that's actually better than just guessing.

In reality it's only when you have a significant preference between the two options that the answer matters. When you can't decide, it means the lens already in is correct (or close to) so that's actually what we want to hear.

peachyprice

My optician always asks 'clearer or the same'. OP I'd find yourself a different optician who will actually listen to you.

November2

Thank you for your replies. It was the optician at Optical Express who was horrible, when I said they looked the same she kept repeating 1 or 2 like a robot! When I went back I had to argue for a retest, she said it was my eyes and not the glasses. She altered the prescription but then I started having pains in my right eye and the odd sensation of my eye 'not being there' when I took them off! I didn't go back due to her attitude and have struggled along with them ever since.
Thank you for trying to clarifying the 'best' shape for the black dot. The round dot was blurry, it had no defined or dark edges, the other was a squashed and elongated shape due to having a doubled up appearance, it was this egg shape that to me seemed 'clearer' as it had sharper darker edges even though it wasn't round. At the end of the test I was asked to read some small letters which I couldn't, the optician kept saying I should be able to see them but all I could see was a bright light and smudges without any definite shape.

I'm going to book in at a small independent optician, they have very good reviews, will cost more but hopefully worth the extra cost.