While the questions you are asked in an exam may not seem important in nature, they actually serve a vital purpose in ensuring you are receiving the proper care and care that is unique to you and your specific needs. Throughout your exam you will be asked multiple questions, some may be in regards to your family’s health history, medications you take, what your goal is for your vision, and “Which is clearer, one or two”. Questions like these provide a larger picture of who you are, what your risks are for developing certain eye conditions, and the best options for you based off what your vision goals are. For example, we may not recommend glasses to someone who does extreme sports and doesn’t like the feeling of something on their face while participating in the activity of their choice. In this situation your doctor may decide you would be a great candidate for a contact lens or you may have a low enough prescription your doctor may recommend only wearing your glasses during certain activities like reading or driving.
One question you will almost always hear during your yearly exam is “Which is clearer, one or two?” This question in particular assists the doctors in taking the objective results we saw during your refraction, the test that helps you get your glasses prescription, and turn them into a subjective prescription based on what looks and feels best for you. Another question that frequently pops up during your exam is “Do you have a family history of any medical or vision conditions?” This question is incredibly important as it helps your vision care team assess what your risk may be for developing certain eye conditions and can better equip us to be able to screen you properly for eye conditions. Knowing your family medical history can also help us asses your risk for developing certain eye conditions as conditions like Diabetes, Hypertension, and Crohn’s Disease can affect your vision health.
Overall, all the questions you are asked during your exam contribute to allowing your care team to provide a well-rounded and thorough approach to your eye health. Your honesty and openness during your exam help tremendously in ensuring you receive exceptional care.