If you wore glasses, you’d get it. It’s an almost universal image shown inside of a glaucoma test device, which puffs a quick burst of air into your eye. It doesn’t really hurt, but it startles you and initiates your blink reflex and causes your eye to water. The blink reflex part is the kicker, though, because blinking before the test is done will invalidate the test and they’ll have to do it again. I’ve sat there upwards of six times through this torture device. Lately, though, my eye doctors use a bump test after putting numbing drops in the eye. I think it’s probably more accurate, and it doesn’t initiate a blink reflex like the puff test does.
I wear glasses and never had a glaucoma test in my life. It is not necessarily common here to get your eyesight tested at a doctor’s though, rather it’s tested at a “glasses shop”.
Okay I’m going to step in here, you’re both not wrong, you just might come from places with different systems. Where I live (Los Angeles) there are opticians (the glasses shop) and optometrists (the eye doctor). Opticians can do a basic check of your eyesight or the prescription in your existing glasses. But they don’t do a complete eye exam, which includes checking your retinas and eye pressure and looking for cataracts, among other things. For that you need an optometrist. And if they think you might have something serious, they’ll send you to an opthalmologist.
Many optometrists also sell glasses, because there you are with your eyes and new prescription. But your eye health is their main thing.
And some opticians are actually better at fitting you with the most comfortable and effective glasses, because that’s their main thing.
Where I go, a very good optometrist and a glasses shop sort of share a space, and I often get my glasses at that shop, but I used to walk out with my prescription and shop at a different excellent optician before he retired.
Anyway, if you’ve never had a complete eye exam, including glaucoma test, you probably should. Especially because some eye health issues are more common in people who need glasses.
Yes, at a glasses shop, where the doctor is. You can choose to opt out of glaucoma testing. They’re probably just automatically checking the opt out box for you to save time, but if you ask, they’ll give you the test.
No, there are no doctors at the shops. And even if the shops usually opt you out, my point still stands that wearing glasses doesn’t necessitate getting this meme.
OP doesn’t realize that an optometrist isn’t an ophthalmologist. Optometrists check your vision. Opthalmologists will also check medical conditions like glaucoma.
I posted a long comment to the person you’re discussing with, but I want to mention a person could have an eye exam including glaucoma test and have 20/20 vision, not needing any glasses.
That’s weird. I’ve been getting tests for decades and never saw the picture. It’s always been a yellow light. Several years ago the doctor switched to a pressure test because the air puff isn’t as accurate.
K, very helpful.
If you wore glasses, you’d get it. It’s an almost universal image shown inside of a glaucoma test device, which puffs a quick burst of air into your eye. It doesn’t really hurt, but it startles you and initiates your blink reflex and causes your eye to water. The blink reflex part is the kicker, though, because blinking before the test is done will invalidate the test and they’ll have to do it again. I’ve sat there upwards of six times through this torture device. Lately, though, my eye doctors use a bump test after putting numbing drops in the eye. I think it’s probably more accurate, and it doesn’t initiate a blink reflex like the puff test does.
I wear glasses and never had a glaucoma test in my life. It is not necessarily common here to get your eyesight tested at a doctor’s though, rather it’s tested at a “glasses shop”.
Okay I’m going to step in here, you’re both not wrong, you just might come from places with different systems. Where I live (Los Angeles) there are opticians (the glasses shop) and optometrists (the eye doctor). Opticians can do a basic check of your eyesight or the prescription in your existing glasses. But they don’t do a complete eye exam, which includes checking your retinas and eye pressure and looking for cataracts, among other things. For that you need an optometrist. And if they think you might have something serious, they’ll send you to an opthalmologist.
Many optometrists also sell glasses, because there you are with your eyes and new prescription. But your eye health is their main thing.
And some opticians are actually better at fitting you with the most comfortable and effective glasses, because that’s their main thing.
Where I go, a very good optometrist and a glasses shop sort of share a space, and I often get my glasses at that shop, but I used to walk out with my prescription and shop at a different excellent optician before he retired.
Anyway, if you’ve never had a complete eye exam, including glaucoma test, you probably should. Especially because some eye health issues are more common in people who need glasses.
Yes, at a glasses shop, where the doctor is. You can choose to opt out of glaucoma testing. They’re probably just automatically checking the opt out box for you to save time, but if you ask, they’ll give you the test.
No, there are no doctors at the shops. And even if the shops usually opt you out, my point still stands that wearing glasses doesn’t necessitate getting this meme.
OP doesn’t realize that an optometrist isn’t an ophthalmologist. Optometrists check your vision. Opthalmologists will also check medical conditions like glaucoma.
And opticians make/sell glasses
I posted a long comment to the person you’re discussing with, but I want to mention a person could have an eye exam including glaucoma test and have 20/20 vision, not needing any glasses.
That’s weird. I’ve been getting tests for decades and never saw the picture. It’s always been a yellow light. Several years ago the doctor switched to a pressure test because the air puff isn’t as accurate.
Uh, never seen anything on the poofy glaucoma test. This is an autorefractor image to dial in your prescription.