Certified Ophthalmic Assistant Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The eye drop that paralyzes accommodation, thereby allowing all of the hyperopia to be uncovered, is Atropine. Atropine is an anticholinergic agent that works by blocking the action of acetylcholine on the iris sphincter and ciliary body muscles. This results in a paralysis of accommodation, which is the eye's ability to focus on near objects.

When accommodation is paralyzed, it allows for a more accurate assessment of refractive errors, particularly hyperopia (farsightedness). This is because, in a hyperopic patient, the eye has to exert effort to focus on near objects. By using Atropine, the need for this effort is removed, thus revealing the full extent of hyperopia during the examination.

Although other drops like Cyclopentolate, Tropicamide, and Phenylephrine are also used to induce mydriasis or to facilitate examination of the eye, they have shorter durations of action and may not fully paralyze accommodation to the same extent as Atropine. Cyclopentolate, for instance, is commonly used and does induce cycloplegia but is less effective than Atropine for long-term accommodation paralysis. Tropicamide is primarily used for dilating pupils and