# Improving Results on an eye exam

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-results-on-an-eye-exam/221461>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 28, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-results-on-an-eye-exam/221461 "2003-12-28T22:08:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-results-on-an-eye-exam/221461/1 "2003-12-28T22:08:17Z")

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Are there any ways for improving ones abilities to read an eye exam chart? Dry eyes? Moist eyes? Perhaps do some heavy reading before hand? Perhaps avoid any reading before? Basically, would “exercising” the eyes yield any improved results?

I’m not trying to directly falsify results here; I’ve just noticed that there have been times when I’ve gone in with, say, watery eyes making it much more difficult to read. Or itchy eyes, and from rubbing them, it makes focusing difficult.

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**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-results-on-an-eye-exam/221461/2 "2003-12-29T02:07:52Z")

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Sounds like you might have allergy problems. CHECK WITH THE EXAMINER FIRST, and maybe you can use allergy eyedrops. I sometimes get allergic conjunctivitis, and I use one of the OTC eyedrops that are formulated to relieve allergies, and I am MUCH happier.

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**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/improving-results-on-an-eye-exam/221461/3 "2003-12-29T02:35:27Z")

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oh, I KNOW I have allergies.

However, I’d still like an answer to the question: What conditions of the eye make for and ideal eye exam reading?