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Vision

Nicole 10 Apr 2018, 17:55

I know that you are all eye care professionals but all this talk of "accommodation" and reading glasses is foreign to me. As far as I know my daughter struggles to see in the distance. She can still manage to read without glasses but she holds the book fairly close to her nose.

Maxim 10 Apr 2018, 15:55

Hello, Cactus Jack, my compliments to your experience, and how you are giving really good advice!

Yeah, I should say, no problem about this young lady going without glasses at home, in surroundings, that are familiar and known to her! More or less a bit blurry, that wouldn't matter, that's the same, if we elderly are going around with our reading glasses on.

But, indeed, I did not think about this accomodation mechanism, that strength of the muscles, that could be lost without this training when reading or doing close work. So, when she could be convinced to wear her glasses when reading or doing close work, the necessity for readers or bifocals would be more far away than without using her glasses.

When she understands this, she might be more willing to use her glasses, who could explain that to her?

My best wishes!

Cactus Jack 10 Apr 2018, 14:43

Nicole,

It is likely that she is experiencing discomfort when trying to focus close, but there is no way to know that unless she says something. However there may be some clues that she is experiencing discomfort, such as reading without her glasses. If she is wearing her glasses, lifting them up to read or read text on her phone and similar actions.

If she is having problems focusing close with her glasses, she may need to gradually strengthen her focusing muscles. Strengthening focusing muscles is very much like building muscle strength at the gym. If you have a good trainer, they will start you with a relatively light weight ad lots of repetitions. Starting with weights that are too heavy invites muscle strain and sore muscles. If your daughter has not worn glasses that are this strong before, it could be like lifting weights that are too heavy.

If any of the above seem to fit your daughter, it might be worth another visit to her ECP to see if she is having trouble with close focusing with her glasses. There are several ways to strengthen her focusing muscles and her ECP is in a better position to decide which is best for her.

Nicole 10 Apr 2018, 14:01

She has had glasses for a while. Has never worn them at home though. She's in her early/mid teens.

Cactus Jack 09 Apr 2018, 20:24

Nicole,

Yes. Without her glasses, everything beyond about 12 inches or 31 cm is very blurry. which is probably why she trips over things. She really should wear her glasses from the time she wakes up until she goes to bed.

However, other than possibly tripping over something and falling. There is no particular harm in her not wearing her glasses at home with one exception. With out her glasses, she is effectively wearing built in +3.25 reading glasses. That makes reading easier, but it keeps her focusing muscles (Ciliary Muscles) from getting enough exercise. That can result in it being very uncomfortable trying to read or use the computer WITH her glasses.

you might ask her if she is having any trouble or discomfort reading WITH her glasses, That could make her not want to wear her glasses unless she absolutely has to, to see distant things.

Is this your daughters first glasses prescription? May I also ask her age?

Nicole 09 Apr 2018, 17:04

How do I gently tell my daughter that she needs her glasses more than she thinks she does?

She's had glasses for a while and is very good about wearing them outside the house and at school but she thinks her vision is good enough to navigate inside the house so she never puts them on at home. I think it's also because no one else in our family has poor vision.

I've noticed her being very clumsy and tripping over stuff but whenever I try to bring it up she always screams "I CAN SEE FINE MOM!"

She's going through a lot of changes at the moment with puberty. Braces, weight gain, the works so I don't want to push her but I'm worried about her safety.

Her vision is -3.25 and -2.75 -0.50 180 according to her script.

Would someone with her eyesight normally need glasses at home?

SC 09 Apr 2018, 11:27

Allie,

I've worn varifocals for over 9 years. I also have a +2.25 add so used to your problems. Particular problems for distances from 80cm out to 1.5m but generally fine for distance and close up.

I recently tried bi-focals and they were not so good for me - the field of vision for distance is good but the transition to reading is difficult and it only works for reading (40-44cm) so no use for computers. Whilst I could accept that trifocals offer another distance, varifocals have advantage of working at many distances and once your used to it then it is difficult to switch to something else

Allie 09 Apr 2018, 02:36

Thanks again. My eye has always turned in but I've never thought of it as a problem and it's never been suggested that it needs treating at any of my eye exams. It's not dramatically inward turning and is probably hardly noticeable behind my lenses. An old boyfriend used to say it was cute in fact.

I've decided to go out today and choose some new frames with just my reading prescription in them. They're really helpful at the place I go to, they take photos of me in various frames so I can see what they look like on me. I'm quite looking forward to it, I love getting new glasses, although they will probably take a week or so for the order to come in due to the complex nature of the prescription.

Likelenses 09 Apr 2018, 00:18

Allie

High myopic bifocal babe, my kind of girl.

The clip ons on a date would not turn me off on asking you out again.

NNVisitor 08 Apr 2018, 20:02

Allie

There is no perfect solution. I have worn contact lenses for many years and carried around reading glasses for reading small print. When I was without the reading glasses I used a magnifying glass to read small print and yes some people did comment about it.

I typically only wore my distance glasses at home and just took them off to read a book or newspaper etc. Being very nearsighted I had to read them very close too my eyes. In public I frequently see people just take off their distance glasses to read. I've never had bifocals or varifocals. I also did not want to have one contact lense for near and one for far. I guess everyone has to find whatever works best for them.

Cactus Jack 08 Apr 2018, 18:53

Allie,

The clip ons are for wearing over your varifocals in private or similar environments so you can use the distance portion of your glasses for extensive near or intermediate work without discomfort.

They would work anytime, but probably not where they would require too much explanation.

Typically, near PD is 3 mm less than your distance PD. Sometimes PD is written as 64/61. The first number is Distance PD / the Second is Near PD.

If your left eye is trying to turn inward, that could cause problems and dislocation of the Optical Center (sweet spot) in your glasses. Ideally, the Optical Center of a segment is co-incident with the central axis of vision for the best Acuity. The stronger the prescription the more important it is.

When you focus close, your eyes have to converge to not see double, thus the reduced PD. The Eye Positioning Control System in your brain. It uses the two images to adjust your eye position.

If you are having eye positioning problems or double vision, you might want to consider seeing a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. They specialize in eye misalignment problems in patients of all ages.

Allie 08 Apr 2018, 14:50

Thanks Cactus Jack but I still have fading aspirations to appear young and attractive and I dont think clip on magnifiers will help there. I can just imagine going on a date to a restaurant and getting my clip on magnifiers out to read the menu. I dont think Id get a second date, definitely a passion killer. Maybe something to think about when Im alone reading in bed but definitely not in front of other people.

The single vision reading prescription is a good idea though. I have my full prescription so that wont be a problem but I didnt know there is a different pd for reading. It makes sense I suppose but Ive never seen mine written down on my prescription. My pd is usually written as 64mm but thats with my eyes staring straight into the distance I presume. Having said that, my left eye turns in slightly although Ive never had a prism in my lenses so my brain must compensate somehow. Ive not thought of it till now but maybe thats why Im not getting perfect results with my varifocals? Surely the optician should take my left eye into account? When I chose my last frames (at Specsavers in the UK) I had to look at an iPad and the optical assistant took pictures of my eyes and used some software to position the centres of my pupils. I had to do this wearing some trial frames with no prescription in them so I couldnt really see where I was supposed to be looking. Maybe this is the cause of the inaccuracy?

Cactus Jack 08 Apr 2018, 13:36

Allie,

Another suggestion. You might check out RxSafety.com. They have high quality, relatively inexpensive Clip On Magnifiers in different + powers. I have several different powers that I use for different tasks.

I wear lined trifocals. The intermediate segment is just right for the computer, but I have to tilt my head up. If I have a lot of work on the computer, I clip on +1.50 magnifiers and use the distance part of my glasses. They would work for varifocals also and give you a broad field of in focus vision.

I also have a pair of inexpensive single vision prescription readers that I use if I have a lot of reading to do. IF you know your complete prescription and near PD, you can just reduce your Sphere prescription by 2.25 or other appropriate value, depending on your preferred target distance, and order on line.

The formula for focal distance is:

1 meter (100 cm, or 39.37 inches, or 40 inches is close enough) / focal distance = Lens power.

1 meter / Lens Power = Focal Distance

For example: 1 meter / +2.25 = 44 cm or ~17 inche

Allie 08 Apr 2018, 10:42

Thanks for your replies. I have to say I love the varifocals cosmetically, I don't think anyone can tell that they are varifocals or that I need reading glasses. I think the high distance prescription probably swamps the relatively small change to the reading part. I have +1.50 for intermediate and +2.25 for close up which work well when I'm actually looking through the exact portion of the lens I need. Outside this very defined point there is, as you say, a lot of distortion. I suppose I'm used to it and it's really only a minor annoyance but I always wondered if what I was experiencing was the norm.

My job involves a lot of close work and the rest of the time I like to be active and outdoors as much as possible so I really value acute distance vision. I already have a pair of specs in my distance prescription which give me good vision beyond about 3 feet and I can also use those for reading if I pull them a short distance down my nose but I usually feel a little self conscious doing that in public. I've never considered a separate pair in my reading prescription but I think that might be a good idea. They'd essentially be 2.25 dioptres weaker than I need for my myopia and so I should be able to use those for long periods and see well in my immediate vicinity which would be ideal at work.

I've worn glasses all my life with periods of contact lens wear but since I became presbyopic I found them a pain and pretty much reverted to glasses full time. I do occasionally use contacts where glasses are really not an option, like swimming for instance but otherwise my glasses are my eyes. A friend of mine tried bifocal contacts but just couldn't get them to work and gave up. She uses a monovision setup with her contacts now and makes do with the distance glasses pulled down the nose trick for reading without her contacts.

Guido 08 Apr 2018, 08:40

I wear varifocals daily. I have invested in a pair of pure reading glasses and love having them. I also have a pair of mono vision glasses for reading close and computer screen distance. Also love having those. It depends on your life style. When reading the readers are vey comfortable and, of course, the field is great to have. I also get around the house or office pretty well just with the reading script. If you have the funds to do so, I would suggest a pair of reading glasses in your near script. Online prices are pretty reasonable. I did have to have a special refraction for the monovision based on the distances involved. Only added a few minutes to the refraction and I had measured the distances before the exam. One more thought, having a pair of readers is nice when doing projects, home repairs, etc. as with varifocals the distance you need is never in the right spot.

Cactus Jack 07 Apr 2018, 13:24

Allie,

Varifocals are great, cosmetically. Unfortunately, they leave a lot to be desired, optically and often visually. The problem is finding the right place to look through for the distance involved. The transition zones can also have a relatively large area of distortion.

I suspect you will not like this suggestion. You might consider trifocals for general utility and use the Varifocals for social occasions. There are several styles of trifocals. The most common are FT-28 and FT-35. The FT means Flat Top and the number is the width of the line between the Intermediate and near segments. FT-28 is fine for most needs.

The optical advantage of trifocals is that the power is constant over the segment "window" and the visual field is large. That means that you can just move your eyes rather than moving your head to try to find the sweet spot, because the sweet spot is huge compared to the size of the sweet spot in a varifocal lens.

Unfortunately, varifocals cannot violate the laws of optical physics.

Allie 07 Apr 2018, 07:30

I was wondering if anyone on here has experience of wearing varifocals. I have high myopia, astigmatism and presbyopia and have been wearing varifocals for about 10 years but I've never really had a pair that gave me clear vision everywhere. Maybe my expectations are too high but I feel I'm always having to adjust the position of my eyes to get things in focus and it's never a case of just seeing naturally. I spend a lot on glasses and usually pay a fortune for the top end varifocal and high index lenses and I feel I should be seeing better with them. Thanks in advance.

24 Mar 2018, 08:17

23 Mar 2018, 19:08 poster

YOU are an ASS

24 Mar 2018, 03:11

Once again: Please don't feed the trolls! Just ignore...

23 Mar 2018, 19:08

23 Mar 2018, 18:26 poster

YOU are an ASS

23 Mar 2018, 18:26

can you cut with the all the best and best wishes crap? welcome to the internet. you aren't writing a letter and this isn't an email. you sound like an ass.

Lou 22 Mar 2018, 11:44

Hi Jamie

Thank you very much for the clarification. I understand regarding your youngest boys, I was just wondering whether the optician under corrected your 8 and 9 year olds last time, as they both seemed to have had relatively big prescription increases in less than 3 months.

My son has just turned 16, and started wearing glasses owing to being long-sighted, when he was four. From memory, I believe that he initially had his eyes tested every three months, and this was changed to six monthly intervals and then a year by the time he was the age of your boys.

As a mum myself, I'm thinking along the lines of that it is a good job that you noticed that your sons were having difficulties/they mentioned it themselves, as if they were not due to have their eyes tested for another three or even nine months, they would have ended up really under corrected.

I however fully appreciate that they are young and growing rapidly. My youngest is four, and after staying in the same shoe size for around nine months just prior to starting school in September, she has just starting growing like crazy and I've just bought her her third pair of school shoes since September.

I really hope that Scott gets on ok at this appointment next week.

Best wishes

Lou

Jamie 22 Mar 2018, 07:40

Lou

As far as I know Caleb and Trenton are the only ones purposely under corrected (Trenton's prisms and Caleb's sphere). The doctor said it was normal for them to need more or bigger changes now because of their age and because they are growing.

The doctor is however concerned about how much astigmatism Scott has. We are going to see a specialist next week.

Lou 22 Mar 2018, 02:44

Hi Jamie

I'm convinced that there is nothing to worry about regarding your children, but to understand your post better, I looked for you previous post to compare the children's prescriptions to their previous ones. You previous post was only from the 9th January this year. Did you see the same optician as last time? It just seems to me that your boys aged 8 and 9 had pretty big changes for a period less than three months, and I am wondering whether they could have been under prescribed.

All the best

Lou

Cactus Jack 21 Mar 2018, 12:15

Jamie,

Thank you for the update.

It looks like there were not any surprises. Scott's close vision issues were likely caused by his Astigmatism, which affect vision at all distances. Astigmatism effects are most noticeable when reading text at any distance.

Unlike Myopia or Hyperopia (Sphere correction) there is nothing a person can do about Astigmatism except Cylinder correction in glasses (best) or Toric Contact Lenses. Usually, Astigmatism is caused by uneven curvature of the front surface of the Cornea. Bifocals can't help tha,t because all they do is provide some extra PLUS in Sphere to help focus for reading. Sometimes, bifocals are used to reduce close focusing effort in children who have over convergence issues (prism), usually related to Hyperopia. Bifocals might be useful for Trenton at some point, but your ECP is the person to determine if they would be useful for him.

Keep up the good work.

Jamie 21 Mar 2018, 09:37

Hello everyone

Some of the boys had eye appointments this morning. Trenton and Caleb have to, and Chris joined them because he was having trouble at school even when he had his glasses on, I also took Scott with me because I noticed him squinting a lot and heard him telling Nick his glasses were not working that well anymore and he may need glasses like David too because close things are blurry too.

All of them need new glasses. Trenton and Caleb got the adjustments they were supposed to get. Scott just needed a stronger prescription and because his old glasses are too weak now he thought close up vision was blurry. He does not need bifocals! The new prescriptions are:

Chris: 9

-4.75, -1.5, 100

-5.50, -1.00, 050

Scott: 8

-1.75, -4.00, 085

-1.25, -4.75, 155

Trenton: 3

+10.00, -0.5, 085, 16, BO

+12.5, -1.00, 015, 16, BO

Trenton got the extra 2 prisms like planned, and some other slight adjustments to his prescription.

Caleb: 1

-4.25, -2.25, 120

-9.75, -2.00, 155

Caleb got his extra diopter added like we expected, he did also need a little stronger astigmatism correction in his right eye.

NNVisitor 19 Mar 2018, 20:33

David

I first needed glasses in grade 2 for myopia. My father had one bad eye from a young age. He had excellent vision in his other eye. His brothers and sisters never needed glasses at all except much later in life due to cataract surgery. My mother and her brother never needed glasses. All these people grew up in an age before TV, computers and smart phones.

I grew up in the TV age and as a child watched a lot of TV. My vision got worse and worse over the years. Today it's video games, computers, smart phones and TV for the younger generation. I've seen 2 year olds looking at smart phone and tablet screens. Myopia rates are skyrocketing. There has to be a strong connection for many people between nearsightedness (myopia) and these very bright screens be it computers, smart phones, tablets, TV's etc.

19 Mar 2018, 19:48

bRIEF and to the point GUYs!!! text diahreea overload!!!!!!!!

Soundmanpt 19 Mar 2018, 11:12

David

So when she first mentioned to you that she was having trouble seeing at night did she say anything about her glasses being too weak? If that was already a few months ago she had only had her glasses for about 6 months when she noticed a change in her vision. You may recall I said that she would probably need an increase in her glasses somewhere around 6 to 8 months after she got her glasses. I'm sure that you never told her what I said because you didn't want to cause her any concerns about her eyes getting worse so fast. I'm glad that once she started having trouble reading street signs even during the day with her glasses on she realized it was time to get her eyes checked. She doesn't seem like her need for stronger glasses already is bothering her at all. She just seems happy to be able to see everything clearly again with her new glasses. Plus i'm sure she liked being able to get new glasses even though she liked wearing her previous glasses. If she really likes her previous glasses she can have her new prescription put into them if she wants. For a backup pair she or just to have another pair to change into when she wants she doesn't have to get the blue light option on those glasses. By the way does her lenses look any different with that coating than her previous glasses that doesn't have that coating. In other words is there a slight blue tint on her lenses or do they look the same as her other glasses? Getting that coating on her glasses with the type of work she does was a very good idea. I wonder how much that coating would have helped her eyes if she would have gotten a pair of glasses with just that coating while her eyesight was still perfect? I notice on You Tube that a number of people that are constantly staring into screens with perfect vision are ordering glasses with just that coating to reduce eyestrain. So you noticed a noticeable difference after wearing your girlfriend's glasses in how your eyes felt after being on the computer wearing them. I'm sure they would help your eyes too. I'm sure your girlfriend did find it funny that less than a year ago it was her borrowing your glasses and now it was you borrowing her glasses. Just curious while you were borrowing her glasses what was she doing while she was without her glasses? Did she pull out her first glasses and wear them? If she did i'm sure she had to notice that things were pretty blurry wearing them now. Since she got her new glasses has she commented about how much more blurry everything is now when she takes her glasses off. She was already pretty dependent on her glasses shortly after she started wearing glasses. I know you said at first she would take her glasses off, but then she rarely took her glasses off except when she was sleeping. At first she was just getting used to wearing glasses, which even though she really didn't mind that she now needed to wear glasses still took some time getting used to. But at first i'm sure she loved how well she could see things at a distance with her glasses but things up close were probably a little bit blurry with her glasses. So she would probably take her glasses off if she needed to read something. I'm sure her first few days at work wearing glasses she had her glasses off quite a bit because it was still easier for her to read small print without her glasses. But the more she wore them the more her eyes were adjusting to her glasses for reading too. If her monitor is that far away from her i'm sure she can't see it very well anymore without her glasses. Plus i'm sure she is more comfortable wearing her glasses all the time anyway.

I don't remember her sister's prescription but I know it was pretty weak. Certainly not enough where she would have to wear her glasses all the time if she didn't want to. But it's more likely that once she got her glasses she liked how she looked wearing glasses and by going away to college would be the perfect time if she wanted to wear her glasses all the time because no one would know her so they wouldn't know that she just got them and that she barely even needs glasses. So anyone seeing her wouldn't know if she had been wearing glasses for years or only a few days. Now I agree once she started wearing them all the time now when she takes them off it's very likely that she does get a headache because of the difference between her eyes and because her eyes are adjusted to her glasses. No she probably never did wear fake glasses like your girlfriend did. But that doesn't mean that she didn't think glasses were cute. And seeing her sister wearing glasses may triggered her to want to wear glasses herself? She sure seemed fascinated by your girlfriend's glasses because she tried them several times as I recall you saying. Usually when you try someone's glasses you try them once and tat's all. I'm betting if the 2 of them went off to the ladies room like girls tend to do I am sure she probably tried her sister's glasses on again in their as well. She will probably get her eyes examined when she comes home on summer break. I will be shocked if she doesn't need an increase when she goes.

David 18 Mar 2018, 15:22

Soundmanpt

Yeah, I did let her use my glasses until she got her appointment and glasses made so she did have an idea of what she would be seeing with glasses on when she got her first pair. She had mentioned a few months back that she was having a little trouble seeing at night but ended up putting off the exam. More recently she was having trouble reading street signs during the day too so that was what made her go in for another exam. So I think she realized that her vision changed but maybe not the degree of change. The doctor told her that she probably won't need a drastic change next year, probably just a bit of fine tuning is what she said. The blue light lenses seem to do a pretty good job of preventing eyestrain too, she let me try them out on the computer yesterday and it made a noticeable difference so I may get my own pair. My girlfriend found it funny since I was trying on her glasses which was the opposite of last year when she was trying on and borrowing mine. They are also as bit stronger than mine which is the exact opposite too. Also, at work she sits pretty far from the monitor since she has a drawing tablet along with the keyboard on her desk between her and the monitor. She said that when she first got her glasses she would sometimes take them off to work but recently she needs them to see the screen clearly, especially the small details that she has to see for her job.

I think her sister said she was going to wear her glasses all the time because without them she got a headache from her one eye being worse than the other. She probably likes her glasses but as far as I know she never faked having poor vision before like my girlfriend did lol. My prescription changed the most when I was in college so I wouldn't be too surprised if hers does too.

NNVisitor

My girlfriend started her job about 3 years before she got her first pair of glasses. She had done a bunch of graphic design course work in college before that too but never wore glasses. She even renewed her license without glasses around the same time she started working. When she was in college she always had excellent vision and sat towards the back of most of the classes we had together so I think most of the change probably happened after that. Though she had a lot of coursework she spent a lot of time outside doing her drawings or working on her projects and didn't really spend a lot of time on the computer until she started working. There are days where she doesn't really leave the screen from 9-5 now.

That's really interesting, I guess I had never considered that. I think my vision started changing when I picked up programming/computer work as a hobby so all the time in front of the screen could be the culprit. Especially since neither of our parents need glasses.

Soundmanpt 17 Mar 2018, 12:23

David

I forgot to mention, thank you for the update on your girlfriend's sister. I know she commented when she got her glasses that she was going to wear them all the time even though she only had a weak prescription. But I remember when you and your girlfriend was at dinner with her their parents and they were seeing your girlfriend wearing her glasses for the first time and her sister was extremely interested in your girlfriends glasses and asked to try them several times. So if she has had her glasses on every time you have seen her since she got them she must enjoy wearing her glasses as much as your girlfriend enjoys her glasses. With her being in college and likely doing a considerable amount of reading and studying she is likely going to need an increase in her glasses when she gets her eyes examined in few months.

Are we ready for baseball?

NNVisitor 17 Mar 2018, 11:58

David

When did your girlfriend first start working at a job where she spends long hours looking at a computer screen? Her vision probably started getting worse three maybe four years before she got her first glasses. Does that time frame coincide with when she first had to spend long hours in front of a computer screen? It's best for people to take small breaks to look away at far objects for 20 seconds or more every 20 minutes. Doing constant close work reading is often associated with myopia and increases in myopia particularly in young people. Somtimes myopia begins during the teen years and for some in their twenties.

When one sees photos or videos of remote tribes such as in some isolated and semi-isolated parts of Africa or Brazil the tribesmen don't wear glasses and can spot animals far away. They don't do much close work and probably can't/don't read, use computers or watch TV. They aren't nearsighted.

It seems that how we use our eyes can affect our eyesight over time. For some people long hours staring at a computer for years can bring on myopia or cause increases in one's prescription if already myopic.

Soundmanpt 16 Mar 2018, 19:16

David

I'm sure your girlfriend is noticing the difference between her first glasses and her new ones. She's right it isn't nearly as much of a change for her as it was when she went from not wearing glasses to wearing glasses full time. But as I recall at the time you were still wearing contacts daily so didn't you let her borrow your glasses while her glasses were being made? so she was adjusting to wearing glasses by wearing your glasses quite a bit which had to make it easier for her eyes to adjust when she got her glasses. But as you know with your own eyes once you start wearing glasses even a small change will make a difference in how you see things. She just needs to get better at recognizing when her vision changes and not hold off with getting her glasses changed when they start getting too weak for her eyes. I knew when she got her first glasses that they would only be temporary because she was almost certainly under prescribed and would soon need a stronger prescription. This wasn't the optometrists fault or your girlfriends fault. Her eyes just simply weren't relaxed enough when they examined her eyes. So she without realizing it had the help of her own compensating still trying to help her eyes see things along with her glasses. Now her compensating ability is gone so when she got her eyes examined this time her eyes were much more relaxed. She may need a very small increase in about a year or maybe not at all. Otherwise any future changes maybe caused by her job. That blue-light coating on her glasses should really help in reducing eyestrain for her. I don't think the change in her prescription is why she said her glasses make a noticeable difference for eyestrain on her computer. Remember your girlfriend is nearsighted so she really doesn't need her glasses for reading or even for seeing her computer screen. But even with her first glasses they mainly helped to relax her eyes and to somewhat reduce eyestrain for her. But now having that coating on her glasses should help even more. If you do much work on a computer than I suggest that you also get a pair with that coating as well. Most all of the on-line sites offer it and I personally wouldn't be afraid to get it from any one of them. I think on line it is around $35.00 extra depending which site you go to. Your local optical store is going to charge much more than that and I don't think insurance covers that coating? Anyway i'm glad that your girlfriend has her new glasses and her vision is back to being good again.

David 16 Mar 2018, 16:05

My girlfriend picked up her new glasses before work this morning and she called me afterwards to tell me how amazing everything looks with the new prescription. She was so happy to be able to properly read street signs again and said that it makes such a big difference that she needs to update her sunglasses prescription too. She said that she stood in the parking lot comparing her glasses for probably about 5 minutes after leaving the doctor's office. They showed her the difference when she got her exam but I don't think she realized how big of a difference the new prescription would actually make. I had told her that it would probably be similar to when she got her first pair of glasses and she didn't believe me because it was a smaller change. But since she was used to seeing well with her glasses even the smaller change would be a big difference, I know speaking from personal experience lol. I was really curious to hear how the blue light blocking lenses worked and apparently everything looks completely normal through them. I had expected them to actually block blue light but according to my girlfriend, everything looks normal color wise. She said that they did make a noticeable difference for eyestrain on her computer though. Before she would get pretty bad eyestrain towards the end of the day and would find herself squinting and straining at her monitor. With the new glasses she didn't have any problems or eyestrain, though some of that is probably due to having the right prescription as well as the blue light blocking lenses. I think I'll let her try the glasses out for a whole week or so before I decide if I want to get a pair myself. I saw that some sites online have the lenses but I think if I'm going to get them for a specific purpose then I should probably get them from the eye doctor to make sure that they actually help.

David 13 Mar 2018, 16:15

Soundmanpt

You are right, time really does seem to fly. It does seem like it wasn't that long ago that my girlfriend got her first pair of glasses. The new baseball season is about to start though so it really has been almost a year since then! I had my yearly exam and for the first time in years I skipped the contact lens exam. I haven't really used my contacts at all for months now and I figured it would be a waste of money for the additional exam and lenses if I wasn't going to use them. I think my doctor was a bit surprised since I had been wearing contacts almost exclusively for years but I think she was glad to see that I was giving my eyes a break from contacts. It wasn't a surprise to either of us that my girlfriend needed to get a stronger prescription since like I said she had been complaining about having trouble seeing while driving at night or in the rain. I think when they tested her vision with her glasses on she was seeing right around 20/40 like you guessed. When she finished the eye test they showed her the difference between her old prescription and her new one and she was pretty amazed at the difference. She even jokingly asked if she could keep the trial lenses because it was so much clearer. I think you are right about her job, the doctor did recommend the blue light blocking lenses after my girlfriend brought up her job. We are both hoping that the coating makes a difference with the eyestrain and maybe makes her work easier on her eyes. Even though she already had a pair selected before we went in she was still like a kid in a candy store when it came to looking at frames, the novelty of getting a new frame and changing up her look had her really excited. She told me that she is a bit sad that she has to "retire" her current frames but I bet she'll use it as a chance to order a different style online pretty soon.

I think it was about a month or so after that her sister got glasses. I've seen here a few times since then and she has always had glasses on. I think my girlfriend said that her sister gets a headache without them now since her eyes are pretty different. It probably helps a lot in class too, I know that I wouldn't have been able to pass my classes in college without glasses since the lecture halls are so huge, especially for most freshman courses. My senior year of high school and college were when my vision changed the most and I started having to wear glasses or contacts all the time so it seems pretty normal to need stronger lenses around then.

Soundmanpt 12 Mar 2018, 18:10

David

Nice to hear from you again. When you said that your girlfriend wasn't due to get her eyes examined until May it surprised me because usually they schedule eye exams every year and it seemed like she got her glasses not that long ago. So I went back and sure enough it in the middle of May when she accidentally wore your prescription sunglasses to the ballgame one evening and she discovered she could see nearly perfect wearing them and she quickly made her own eye appointment and got her first glasses. Time really does fly bye. Anyway so you were actually due this month to get your eyes examined and your girlfriend decided to get her eyes examined a couple months early. You're eyes didn't hardly change at all. just a -.25 in one eye and I agree not enough that you would even notice any change. If you're still wearing contacts every so often you should go ahead and upgrade the one eye but I wouldn't bother getting new glasses at this time. Your girlfriend got a pretty good increase from her current prescription. You may recall that I thought she would need an increase probably within 6 - 8 months time and she made it 10 months. But her glasses already needed to changed several months ago. Right now if she were to try and renew her driver's license I doubt that she would be able to pass it with her current glasses because they are too weak for her eyes to even see 20/40. No wonder she has been complaining about driving at night, it's because she can't see even with her glasses on. Daytime is better for her with driving but not perfect. She'll notice the difference when she gets her new glasses. I know when your girlfriend got her first glasses she was able to take her glasses off and still she pretty well at first until her eyes completely adjusted to them and then she pretty much kept her glasses on all the time. Things are going to much more blurry now whenever she takes her glasses off now. That is what she is going to notice the most. But she's going to love being able to see clearly again when she gets her glasses. I remember that she is a graphic designer which is almost certainly why she is wearing glasses now. And being a graphic designer is really hard on her eyes. So getting the "blue light" coating on her glasses is a very good idea. It should help reduce eyestrain for her. If I recall she did order some extra glasses on line? Her prescription has changed enough that all of her current glasses are going to be useless to her as backups. She should take them all and donate them to the Lion's Club. She needs to go on line and order another pair of prescription sunglasses as well as a backup pair of regular glasses. Since she already has the glasses she picked out as her everyday glasses the ones she orders on line don't need the "blue light" coating.

So it was only about a month after your girlfriend got her glasses that her sister also got her first pair of glasses. Her prescription was much weaker but she seemed to like wearing her glasses anyway. You helped her pack when she was leaving for college. I'm sure that you have seen her since then. Is she still wearing her glasses or did the newness wear off? So it won't be long before she is due for her eye exam. She is younger so she might also need a bit of an increase this time too. Oh and agree with the doctor about your girlfriend not needing too much of an increase next year.

David 12 Mar 2018, 16:13

It's been probably 6 months since I've posted but my girlfriend and I just had our annual eye exams. I was sue for mine this month and even though my girlfriend had hers originally scheduled for May she decided to move it up so we could both get our exams done at the same time. I had my appointment first and as I expected my eyes didn't change much, I went from -2.25 and -1.75 to -2.25 and -2.00 and the doctor said that I'd be fine sticking with my current prescription for now since it was such a small change. My girlfriend however, had a larger change. She went from her original -1.75 in both eyes to -2.25 -0.25 x 086 and -2.50 and she ended up getting a new pair of glasses. The doctor told her that she probably won't have another big change like this given her age and current prescription which she was happy to hear. She had been complaining a bit about driving at night over the past few months which is one of the reasons she wanted to move her exam up. At least this time she knew what style of frame she wanted so we didn't have to look through the entire selection like last time. I think she was secretly excited when the doctor said that she should get a new pair of glasses (she has been eyeing some online sites for a while now) and was super bummed when they said that it would take a few days to get her glasses made this time. She also made sure to order the blue-blocker lenses this time since she has to wear her glasses when on the computer and at work now and I think that is why it is taking the extra time to process the lenses. I'll have to ask her if those help once she gets her new glasses because I may order a pair with them in my new prescription too.

Buckeye 06 Mar 2018, 11:04

+1.00 -2.50 84 1U

+ .75 -2.75 77 1D

+2.50

Also note if lenses are removed from frame and held closer together vision is improved and progressive channel is line up better. Pupilometer always mismeasures at around 34/32 when it's actually the other way round I believe.

Weirdeyes 05 Mar 2018, 21:09

Buckeye

It sounds like you need less minus or more plus. Whats your prescription?

Buckeye 05 Mar 2018, 20:22

When I hold glasses away from face 2" or 3" vision improves significantly. Same if I sit back away from the refactor.

Can anyone suggest why. Actual glasses never as good as when held away. Optometrist just looks blankly when I describe. Appreciate advice.

Buckeye 05 Mar 2018, 20:22

When I hold glasses away from face 2" or 3" vision improves significantly. Same if I sit back away from the refactor.

Can anyone suggest why. Actual glasses never as good as when held away. Optometrist just looks blankly when I describe. Appreciate advice.

Lou 24 Feb 2018, 02:19

Hi Paul in Chicago

Please don't take my comments as interfering, but if I remember correctly, you said that your prescription was -0.75. Is this for both eyes, and do you also have a cylinder and axis for one or both eyes? I'm asking, because you have a different uncorrected visual acuity for each eye and what appears to be the same prescription.

It is possible that although your uncorrected visual acuity is different in both eyes, that the same prescription gives you the best corrected visual acuity for each eye, but I believe that it is more likely that you would need a slightly stronger prescription for your worse eye.

Therefore without meaning to interfere, if your prescription is the same for both eyes, it may be worth having a re-test to see whether there has been some change, especially since you feel that you need your glasses more. I fully appreciate that you put this down to having worn them more, but if your prescription is the same for both eyes and your uncorrected visual acuity is different, I honestly feel that it would be worth having your prescription checked.

Additionally, without meaning any offence, even though you won't have a restriction on your licence, I would have thought that if your uncorrected visual acuity is 20/40 and 20/50 respectively, that it would be safer to wear your glasses for driving in all conditions.

Best wishes

Lou

Paul in Chicago 23 Feb 2018, 08:13

Thank you Cactus Jack! I hardly wore the glasses the last few days, and did almost no reading this morning. First thing went to DMV. When I looked in the machine, at first I couldn't read line 5 on the left. She said to try line 4, which I could make out, and then I could read line 5. The middle section (both eyes) was easier to read, but the right side was all a blur. The smallest I could read was line one, which I did. Then we slowly worked our way down and I was able to squint and make out most of the letters thru line 4. Even squinting couldn't get to line 5. From the lines I could read, I don't know for sure if I got them all right. All done, she said I am at 20/40 left and 20/50 right, and don't require correction to drive! Thank you!

Likelenses 17 Feb 2018, 17:27

Gina

As you know, you have a very high prescription for both myopia, and astigmatism, and have been in glasses most of your life.

Earlier in your glasses wearing history , depending on how much astigmatism you had, you may have been able to read without glasses, but had to hold the material very close to your eyes.

But at the prescription level that you are at now that would not be possible.

The strength of your lenses makes everything smaller, so to enlarge the print, you need weaker lenses. This can be done by putting a bifocal in each lense, and then you will be viewing the print through a weaker lense, which does not make things as small, thereby actually magnifying the print.

There is another way, and that would be to have a second pair of glasses with the weaker prescription, which you would have to change into to do close work. If you have an older pair of glasses, they may work for close tasks, but that would depend on how much your prescription has changed, but worth a try. I would say that if your astigmatism part of the prescription , { the part that says cyl. } has not changed much, and the number is -13.0 and -11.0 or close to that , then you may be able to use those glasses for reading only.

Has you prescription gotten any stronger in the last two years, and with the newest prescription were you able to attain 20/20 vision with these glasses?

I might add that many guys here find women with prescriptions similar to yours very attractive.

Hope this info to be helpful

NNVisitor 17 Feb 2018, 16:21

Gina

Being nearsighted I understand your situation with reading. For some people the glasses for nearsightedness make reading especially small print difficult. It means your glasses which help to see far away more clearly can make it more difficult to see things close up like small print. It's not your imagination.

Soundmanpt 17 Feb 2018, 08:23

Gina

Yes it is very possible to be both nearsighted and farsighted in the same eye. Maybe better put you probably need a different prescription for reading now than you do for seeing distances. If you feel like your struggling with reading and you must be squinting as well your glasses aren't working as well as they should be for reading anymore. I would suggest that at your next eye exam you point this out to your ECP ( eye care professional). I am quite sure the result will be include an add in your glasses. in other words you're going to be prescribed with bifocals or progressives to make reading easier for your eyes. You're only 25 so you might want to get progressives so there si no bifocal line showing in your glasses.

Gina 17 Feb 2018, 06:48

Likelenses

My prescription is -14.00, -4.25, 120 (then empty squares) and the next row (which I assume is the next eye) is -12.25, -6.75, 095 (just like the top row there are empty squares). At the bottom under recommendation it says polycarbonate lenses.

I have worn glasses for almost 20 years now. I got them when I was 6 and am now 25.

Likelenses 16 Feb 2018, 22:15

Gina

Before answering your questions. If you would provide us with your current prescription, how long you have been wearing glasses, and your age, we can more accurately answer.

Gina 16 Feb 2018, 21:39

Hi, I have a question. Is it possible to be nearsighted and farsighted? I currently wear glasses because I am kind of nearsighted. About a week ago a friend of mine pointed out to me that she thinks I may need new glasses because I squint and seem to struggle when I read. When I said she must be mistaken because I wear glasses for seeing far away she was surprised and said she would for sure think I need them for reading.

At first I dis not give her comment much thought, but as the week went on I began noticing that she is right. I do struggle reading. It is like when the page is too close I cannot make out anything. As I move it further out it gets more in focus. However, even with my arms completely extended out the text is still a little hard to focus on unless the lighting is great, which it usually is not.

How is this happening. I am nearsighted. Close things should be clear to me. They used to be. Do you think my mind is playing tricks on me? Could it be a mind over matter thing, and hearing someone say something about my eyesight is making me think they are right? Because I never thought one could be nearsighted and farsighted in same eye at the same time. Can they?

Cactus Jack 15 Feb 2018, 09:13

Paul in Chi town,

Just wear the glasses when you absolutely need them. About 3 days before your screening. Don't do anything that requires wearing your glasses. Go to the screening as early as possible and try to avoid any close work before the eye test.

If you are lucky, your brain will correct what you see, but there are no guarantees.

One reason your vision is better in bright light is that your pupils contract which causes an optical effect that is very familiar to Photographer. Photographers call the effect "Depth of Field", which is the range of useful focus. You can duplicate the effect by looking through a button hole.

In low light conditions, your pupils open up and your range of useful focus decreases.

The cold reality is that if you need -0.75 vision correction, every thing beyond about 53 inches is increasingly blurry. Bright lighting conditions improve that, but in low light conditions, your vision is pretty close to what it really is.

If you don't like wearing glasses, consider contact lenses, but hat won't work for the DL eye test.

Cactus Jack 15 Feb 2018, 09:13

Paul in Chi town,

If you are lucky, your brain will correct what you see, but there are no guarantees.

In low light conditions, your pupils open up and your range of useful focus decreases.

If you don't like wearing glasses, consider contact lenses, but hat won't work for the DL eye test.

Paul in Chi town 15 Feb 2018, 08:15

I am 32 and work in an office. I have been "playing" with the new glasses to determine how they work. When I wear them during the day, they only brighten by vision a bit and make things just a bit clearer. But after wearing a while if I look over them distance is much more blurry and some signs are not readable. I really got them for night driving with an option to use them during the day, but I think that if I wear more often the option will no longer be an option. I have to have a vision screening for my license within a month and am concerned that now that I have worn the glasses so much during the day that I might have a restriction on the license. I think that if I wore them less (only at night for example) that I would have easily passed the screening. My other conclusion is that you are likely very right that there is really no change in my acuity, because I do see fine with the glasses...if my acuity changed then I presume I would have noticed that the glasses were no longer strong enough. I guess I am just not yet ready to become dependent on them.

Cactus Jack 14 Feb 2018, 17:56

Paul in Chi town,

What you are experiencing if fairly common. You vision is not actually worse, but it seems that way.

Vision actually occurs in the brain, your eyes are merely biological cameras. Your brain has the ability to correct images as long as it knows what something is supposed to look like, but it takes a lot of energy and processing power. The glasses correct the images optically. It takes a while for your brain to realize that the glasses are easing its workload and stop processing the images. That is what has happened and your vision is much closer to your actual needs.

You did not mention your age or occupation, but those can be factors. I would urge you to read "How to Study for an Eye Exam" and schedule another eye exam.

I have posted How to Study here and on the Vision and Spex site. If you can't locate it, I will post it again here or send it to you privately if you contact me at cactusjack1928@hotmail.com.

Paul in Chi town 14 Feb 2018, 16:12

A few ,months ago I thought that at night in particular signs weren't very clear so I went for an eye exam. I was prescribed glasses that are -0.75 right and left. I only wore them when I thought I needed them, usually driving at night or when I was tired. During the morning/day I didn't use them because I could see OK. Recently I have worn them more but also notice I seem to need them more...at night I really can't see clearly without them, and I find them more and more helpful during the day. Then I started noticing that my clear vision distance was shrinking to the point that often I now can't even clearly see signs across the room. Is my wearing the glasses more often making me more dependent on them? Am I becoming more nearsighted as I wear them more? It seems to be a remarkably fast degradation. Is this normal? Advice will be appreciated.

Cactus Jack 10 Feb 2018, 11:55

Louis,

A good suggestion. You should occasionally give your Cornea a rest by wearing your glasses instead of the CL

Louis 09 Feb 2018, 17:32

Cactus Jack and Weirdeyes,

I'm quite comfortable with my contacts, I just was told by my optician that I should have a pair of spare glasses and the old ones didn't help much.

Weirdeyes 09 Feb 2018, 15:49

Louis

I agree its because of the difference. I have a farsighted version of your prescription. I had the same problem when I first got glasses. I had double vision when I moved my eyes. But eventually I got used to it and the double vision went away. When I look over my glasses I always have double vision until my eyes readjust.

Cactus Jack 09 Feb 2018, 15:18

Louis,

It is hard to say exactly why, but I suspect is may be related to the difference in image sizes on your Retina. Apparent image minification with - lenses is one of the effects of Vertex Distance, which is the distance from the front surface of the Cornea and back surface of your glasses lenses. Minus Contact Lenses have very little minification because the Vertex Distance is Zero.

Image fusion is one of the jobs of the Eye Position Control System EPCS) in your brain. It seems to use the horizontal edges of elements in the images from each eye to fuse images vertically and vertical edges of elements in the images for horizontal fusion.

It is possible that because of the smaller image from your left eye, your EPCS is having trouble fusing the images vertically. Typically, the ECPS does not seem to work as well for vertical fusion as it does for horizontal fusion. That may be because it gets lots of exercise and practice with horizontal fusion because it has to do that all the time when looking from distance to close and much less experience with vertical fusion.

Many people, who have a significant difference between their eyes, wear a contact to make fusion easier. It is possible that some vertical prism (BU or BD) might help, but you need to consult with your ECP.

May I ask why you decided to wear glasses? If you just wanted to wear glasses, which is fine, you might consider wearing a +3.00 CL on your Right eye and glasses with -3.00 in the Right eye and -3.35, -0.50 x 90 in the Left.

Louis 09 Feb 2018, 13:14

Hi everyone, I'm new in this thread.

I recently got new glasses (after 4 years wearing contacts) and found out that I see double when looking up and down. What could it be?

My rx is:

R:Plano

L:-3.25 -0.50 90

Yes, I do wear only one contact

I'm 17 yo

Light 04 Feb 2018, 14:51

I posted here ages ago about me hating bright lights, getting eye strain and losing focus despite needing glasses for distance only when driving.

Well I got eyes tested and I have gone to minus 1.5 and minus 1 plus stigmatism of 0.5 in both. I am 30 but I suppose i never got tested since I was 25 (old glasses were minus one in one eye since I was 17).

I guess I thought blurriness (which has increased dramatically at night) was the only indicator for stronger glasses but it seems that I was compensating and living in sore eye hell. I think I was very accepting of just "getting by".

I was told that it was surprising I wasn't wearing glasses other than driving and would I consider driving. I haven't been seen by anyone except partner and people driving with me in glasses much, kind of dreading comments and having to explain? I am also surprised you can get more short sighted at my age!

Weirdeyes 01 Feb 2018, 03:25

Interesting paper. http://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2017/10/19/bjophthalmol-2017-310282

It explains why I can still see 3D movies without glasses.

Maxim 28 Jan 2018, 09:29

Are you a guy or a girl / young woman? Do take special alimentation (e.g. vegan) that could cause mineral deficits or iron deficits in the body? Do you drink sufficiently during daytime?

Maxim 28 Jan 2018, 09:25

P.S.: Your glasses prescription (respectively a myopia of 7 .. 10) is in my opinion not a reason in itself for this problem, a certain percentage of our population has this myopia. There is a certain risk of retina problems - higher than without this myopia - but it might be general health problems - and as you say, twice ove many, many years.

Good luck, but see the doctor - promised??

Maxim 28 Jan 2018, 09:20

I don't know, in which country you're living.

In our country a complete body check is a great thing, but it is not a great thing in terms of money (completely covered by the social insurance system). In this case, we would not hesitate to see the doctor. Just to make s u r e what it is. In most cases, it could be very well something not very dramatic. But I would say, could be more a problem of the body than a problem of the eyes. It's something like 'fainting' (I hope I got the right word in English). If you would be in the military, or a firefighter or a pilot, you would get this body check as well. The body check doesn't make you suffer, but a hidden problem might make you suffer in the long run.

Take all you courage, and see a doctor - you're going with my sincere best wishes, and then, tell us, what the doctor found out.

Question 28 Jan 2018, 08:35

I am 21 years old, and my prescription is quite high. It reads -7.25, -3, 110 and -7.25, -3.25 015.

Do you guys really think it is something serious? It has only happened twice with a 3 to 4 year gap.

Maxim 27 Jan 2018, 12:32

Yes, definitely see an ophtalmologist (Eye Doctor) and a General Practioner as well.

There could be something wrong with the eyes, or something wrong with the body (e.g. hidden diabetes, blood circulation problems, low/high blood pressure etc.). I feel, the diagnosis will be made rapidly, but it is important to know what it really is!

How old are you, and, as you are wearing glasses, can you tell us the prescription? The age is interesting here, as there are specific problems in the bigger periods of our lives.

Val 27 Jan 2018, 12:18

Question, you need to go see an ophtalmologist right away.

You need a complete exam of your eyes.

I am not an Eye Care Professional, but what you describe looks like a serious problem.

Question 27 Jan 2018, 08:50

I have a question about something that happened a few days ago. I was at a friends house, and all of a sudden I could not see clearly, it was as if I could not focus on anything, and rainbow little dust particle looking things were fogging up my vision. I know they were not actually there because no one else seemed to have a problem. Also, while this was happening it kind of felt like there was extra pressure pushing in on my eyes.

Also, I thought I should point out I had my glasses on this whole time. At first I thought there was something wrong with them, so I cleaned them, but it did not help.

Lastly, as this was happening, I remembered it had happened once before about three or four years ago. Then it was at home after I got back from school.

Lou 13 Jan 2018, 13:07

Hi Soundmanpt

You are very welcome.

Best wishes

Lou

Soundmanpt 13 Jan 2018, 10:43

Lou

You're not interfering at all. I'm glad you corrected me. I don't want to post anything that is wrong.

Jamie 13 Jan 2018, 08:03

Cactus Jack,

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I will definitely be keeping an eye and record of the boys prescriptions. I already have been, but did not really know if it would be helpful. Good to know it might be.

Lou 10 Jan 2018, 16:20

Hi Soundmanpt

Without meaning to interfere, Jamie said on 10th November, that the +0.50s are add values rather than cylinder.

i.e.

Jamie 10 Nov 2016, 18:57

Soundmanpt,

The +0.50s are under add.

Best wishes

Lou

Soundmanpt 10 Jan 2018, 10:44

Jamie

I was curious why you were told that you no longer needed to wear glasses at your recent eye exam. In looking back to November of 2016 I found your post and you had just been prescribed with your first glasses. The prescription was only:

OD .000 +0.50

OS -0.25 +0.50

A doctor won't prescribe glasses for the -.25 in your left eye and the rest of your prescription is astigmatisms. Astigmatisms are interesting because they tend to come and go. So overt the past year they seem to have gone away or at least reduced enough that glasses weren't necessary anymore. However there may be times when you might feel like you need your glasses. There is no harm to wear them anytime you might feel the need for them or if you just want to wear them for fashion even. Don't be surprised the next tiem you go for an eye exam they may have returned and you will be prescribed glasses again. But once again you would only have a very weak prescription much like you id with your first glasses.

Cactus Jack 10 Jan 2018, 07:46

Jamie,

I apologize for the grammar, punctuation, and spelling in my previous post. It was late, I was very tired, but I did not want you to fret about Caleb. He definitely has some vision problems and you are right to be concerned, At 1 year old, his vision with glasses is likely better than he actually needs at this time. Just keep an eye on him and if he seems to be struggling to see and recognize his favorite toys and individuals who are more than a few feet away, make an eye appointment for him.

Cactus Jack 10 Jan 2018, 01:13

Jamie,

Don't worry about the questions. I will try to answer as well as I can. Remember, I am NOT an Eye Care Professional.

Philip will probably come around. He is right, things do look funny when you start wearing glasses. He is too young to understand the reason why and the fact that that will go away if he wears his glasses for two weeks.

Vision actually occurs in the brain. Without correction, his eyes are delivering mildly blurry, slightly distorted images to his brain. The brain has amazing power to correct what you see, IF it knows what something is supposed to look line.

When you get your first glasses, it takes about two weeks for your brain to realize that your glasses are optically correcting the images and it no longer needs to work so hard. At 7, sharp distance vision is not very important, but that will change. Also, I suspect Chris' refusal may be a factor.

Chris really need to wear glasses. His prescription of:

-4.00, -1.25, 90

-4.50, -1.00, 055

Means that everything beyond about 8 inches or 20 cm is increasingly blurry. Too blurry, for his brain to be able to do much correction. I wonder if some of his refusal could be related to David, not wearing his glasses. Of course, David has a completely different problem that Chris. David can easily correct his mild Hyperopia without his glasses, using a small amount of his likely abundant, focusing resources. I wonder if David could understand enough of Chris' vision problems to be able to help.

Chris can probably function pretty well by holding books very close, but TV and Cinema probably just look like Blobs. Reading something on a board in a classroom is pretty much out of the question. One of the things that not wearing his glasses WILL cause is that his ability to use his Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline Lenses (his Auto Focus mechanism) will not develop properly. For their size, the extremely tiny Ciliary Muscles in your eyes are the strongest muscles in the body. Because of Chris' Myopia, I can almost guarantee that they are NOT getting ANY exercise and are probably VERY weak. Chris' glasses may be very uncomfortable for him to wear.

Often, if a person who is as Myopic as Chris and has never worn glasses, it is necessary to train the Ciliary Muscles. In some ways it is like strength training at a Gym. You don't start with heavy weights, unless you want to hurt a lot or even strain a muscle.

The way you strengthen very weak Ciliary Muscles is by prescribing LESS minus than the person actually needs or by prescribing bifocals or even trifocals. In extreme cases, a lower distance prescription and bifocals or trifocals are used. In young people, those measures are usually needed only for a few months until their Ciliary Muscles get in condition and then they can wear single vision, full prescription glasses.

More about that later.

Please don't freak out about Caleb. I did not mean to scare you. Here are some answers, but remember, I am not an ECP. Use my answers to help pose probing questions to your ECP.

1. It is extremely unlikely that Caleb is anywhere close to the point where his brain would completely ignore one eye and have it become a problem. Amblyopia can become a problem if not caught before 5 or 6, but your doctor is well aware of that. That is why he mentioned patching, but not yet. The idea behind patching is that you patch the best eye to force the "weaker" eye to develop.

2. Your doctor knows when patching would be most effective. At some point you may be referred to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. Dealing with things like this is their specialty.

3. The difference in image size with different power lenses is one of the optical effects of what is called "Vertex Distance" (VD). VD is the distance from the front surface of the Cornea to the back surface of the glasses lens. Minus lenses have a MINIFYING effect. Plus lenses have a MAGNIFYING effect. The amount of the minifying or magnifying effect depend on the POWER of the lens and the distance from the Cornea. The VD effect winds up affecting the image size on the Retina so in Calebs case the image on the Retina of the -8,75 eye will be a bit smaller than the image on the Retina of the other eye.

If that becomes a problem, it can usually be fixed with a contact lens to make the glasses prescription pretty much the same size, but that is a long way off.

BTW, Contact Lenses have a VD of Zero.

4. Progressive Myopia is a much more rapid increase in Myopia than typically occurs in children. Myopia typically increases in children as they grow (Hyperopia sometimes decreases as they grow). Both Asial or True Myopia and True Hyperopia are caused by a mismatch between the total PLUS power of the eye's lens system and the length (size) of the eyeball. Children are tropically born with small eyeballs. The eyeballs have to fit in the bony eye socket in their small heads. If the eyeball grows faster than their head does, the bones of the socket prevent it from growing outward, so it elongates. If it gets too long, then Myopia is the result. If it does not grow enough, Hyperopia is the result. The numbers are amazing until you understand more about optics. A good approximation is that 1 diopter of refractive error is caused by 0.3 mm of length error, That means that Caleb's -8,75 eye is about 3 mm longer than it should be for the power of his eye's lenses and David's eyes are about 0.3 mm too short.

5. There is no such thing as Progressive Hyperopia. Either Trenton's eyeballs have not grown enough or he does not have enough PLUS in his eye's lens system. Growth is likely the issue which, we believe is ultimately regulated by his genes.

With all the genetic research going on, it may be possible to encourage his eyeballs to grow a bit faster which would reduce his Hyperopia. Normal growth could even reduce it some.

There was some research done at the Johns Hopkins School of Ophthalmology done several years ago on extreme Hyperopia. There was some evidence that eyeball growth was caused by a hormone produced by the Retina (as regulated by the genes, which are in charge of everything). They were not able to isolate the hormone or prove that it existed, but it is an intriguing idea.

Both Trenton and Caleb may benefit from the research that is going on all over the world. We must use the best tools and methods to address these problems now, to promote development of the best possible vision. That will be the foundation to make future breakthroughs applicable for your boys.

I hope this helps. Don't be hesitant to ask more questions if I can help.

Weirdeyes 09 Jan 2018, 21:49

Jamie

While its important to deal with the difference between his eyes, a lot of people panic more than they need to. His eyes are most likely different axial lengths. So without glasses things probably look bigger through his more nearsighted eye. With glasses it most likely looks smaller, but the difference might not be as bad as you think. My glasses are R+0.75 L+4.25. Theres pretty much no difference for me since things naturally look smaller through my left eye. When I wear contacts I actually notice things look smaller through my left eye. While its important to watch out for amblyopia, theres also a chance it just wont happen. I didnt get glasses until eleven and I dont have amblyopia. What could happen is that the myopia in his worse eye will progress a lot and hell no longer be able to tolerate glasses.

Theres no such thing as progressive hyperopia. What does exist is latent hyperopia. That happens because your eyes are constantly compensating for your hyperopia. So it looks like youre less farsighted than you are. When your eyes relax your prescription might get a lot higher and it looks like you have progressive hyperopia.

Jamie 09 Jan 2018, 21:31

Cactus Jack

Nick is actually no trouble, he is good about wearing his glasses when they are needed. He keeps them on all through the school day, and at home when he needs his glasses. Chris and Philip are the ones I am concerned with. Chris refuses to wear his glasses at school, and will hardly even wear them at home. His teacher even called and told my husband that we should take him to see an eye doctor because he probably needs glasses. Philip, says he does not like wearing glasses because he does not like how things look with them on. Seems like he likes his blur more than what his glasses provide.

Trenton is doing great, thanks for asking! He loves his glasses and hates to take them off. My husband or I have to usually take them off him when he is asleep as he refuses to be without his "magic glasses" even for the time it takes to fall asleep. He has started preschool, and is doing very well, loves school and his teachers. One of his teachers is a actually crosseyed too, so that was a good feeling for my husband and I knowing she knows how much he needs his glasses and how important they are to him.

As for Caleb, I would be lying if I said I am not freaking out about what you said. My mind is going a mile an hour with questions and thoughts.I do not want to bombard you with questions, but I do have a few that I would really like to ask. You mentioned that a difference in the eyes can cause the brain to ignore one eye, are Caleb's eyes to that point? (The doctor did say he has a slight difference between his eyes, so we would have to do patching with him.) If so how would we know if that is the case? And since he will have glasses shouldn't both his eyes be seeing the same with glasses? About the progressive myopia how would we know if he has that? Ehat exactly is that anyways? Also, last one for now, I promise, is there such a thing as progressive hyperopia because if there is could Trenton have it?

Cactus Jack 09 Jan 2018, 20:28

Jamie,

Thank you for bringing us up to date. Curiously, I was thinking about you and your family just he other day, wondering how everyone was doing. I suspect you are not having much trouble getting those who need Minus glasses to wear them. Nick may be the exception, because his prescription is so low.

How is Trenton doing? I recall his (and your) reaction when he got his glasses and could see.

Caleb will need watching to make sure his vision develops properly in both eyes. There are are at least three concerns.

1. Different image sizes on his Retinas make it difficult to develop good 3 D vision

2. Be sure that Amblyopia does not develop. Amblyopia is usually caused by a significant difference between the eyes That can cause the brain to habitually choose to use one eye for vision and ignore the image from the other. If not caught and treated, the brain can decide to permanently ignore the poor image and even if that eye.

3. Nearly -9.00 at 1 year old is an indicator that Caleb may have a Progressive Myopia condition. Please check with your ECP about more frequent exams than is typical. He needs to be followed very closely.

I suspect David doesn't wear his glasses very much except maybe for close work.

I would urge you to make and keep a chart of your children's prescriptions and the time intervals between exams. If you always see the same ECP, I am sure they do it, but someday, their visual history may be important, particularly Trenton and Caleb.

Jamie 09 Jan 2018, 15:16

Hello, everyone

It has been a while since I posted an update on here, and since we all just had our eye exams about a week ago and the boys going to pick up their new glasses today I thought I would post an overdue update. Most of the boys' eyesight has unfortunately gotten worse since the last time I posted on here. I actually do not need glasses anymore, but we did find out newest addition, Caleb is going to be following in his brothers' footsteps and need glasses.He is quite the opposite of Trenton, and is fairly nearsighted. The boys new prescriptions are:

David: 11

+1.00

Chris: 9

-4.00, -1.25, 90

-4.50, -1.00, 055

Scott: 7

-1.50, -2.75, 085

-1.00, -3.75, 155

Philip:7

-1.50

-0.75, -0.50, 140

Nick: 4

-0.25

Trenton: 3

+10.00, -0.25, 085, 14, BO

+12.25, -0.50, 005, 14, BO

Caleb: 1

-3.25, -2.00, 120

-8.75, -2.00, 160

My husband, also got stronger bifocals

Lou 09 Jan 2018, 14:23

I've noticed something interesting on a couple of occasions. As I have said many times on here, I have both convergence insufficiency and an eye tracking disorder. I think both of them explain why although a pretty successful musician and good sight reader, I seem to struggle more than most when the parts are very small, the notes are squashed together, or there are multiple parts on one stave, even with my glasses.

What I've never realised is how good my distance vision is with my glasses. It seems normal to me, and blurred without, hence why after suffering a lot of eye strain, my optician suggested wearing my small general purpose distance prescription full-time, but I have never realised until after a couple of recent experiences, that my corrected distance vision is better than what quite a few other people are seeing. I suppose the explanation is simply that my eyes are corrected to 6/5 + 1, which is better than 6/6 or 20/20, but surely this is also true for others?

Years ago I remember my Science teacher talking about her obviously strong glasses when we talking about how the eye works, and explaining that with glasses she can see better than a lot of people who don't wear glasses, presumably owing to some of the people who don't wear glasses, having a very small refractive error.

Anyway, the first occasion, was a family Christmas game, when people wore cards clipped under their noses, and by taking turns to ask everyone in the room in turn a question that could only have a yes or no answer, they had to guess who or what they were. I was wearing my glasses as was my husband and my adult nephew's girlfriend. It seemed that I was the only adult who could read the cards from across the room. Admittedly I also found it pretty difficult, and in some cases, it was a case of working out what it said rather than seeing it clearly, so maybe the distance was just too great for the text size.

The second occasion happened today, and was a small blackboard message that had been put outside my daughter's classroom, notifying the parents of a meeting tomorrow afternoon. A couple of other Mums were discussing what it could say, and started to walk closer to it. From where I was standing (which was right next to them), I could clearly see what it said and read it out to them. I was as surprised as they were, that I could read it easily, when they were struggling to work out what it said. Maybe this is simply because my vision like that of a lot of people's, corrects to better than 20/20, or maybe the other Mums had small refractive errors and could benefit from glasses for at least driving.

It was reassuring for me, as despite being told that I have 6/5 + 1 visual acuity, probably owing to my other eye issues, I have never thought even with glasses that my vision is particularly brilliant. Close up and intermediate and in regards to ball sports, it probably isn't overly great, but clearly for the purpose of simply seeing signs in the distance, it appears to be rather good.

Another explanation is that I started wearing glasses owing to difficulties seeing music and experiencing a lot of eye strain, and not because I was particularly concerned about my distance vision, and it wasn't until I was prescribed a small general purpose distance prescription and tried it for driving, that I found that I could read road signs more easily and from further away with my glasses. Since I always drive with glasses, I noticed the difference when I drove without them recently, and didn't like it, but legally I don't need to wear glasses for driving. If my uncorrected vision is legally ok for driving, no doubt many others are driving with vision equal to my uncorrected vision, and wearing glasses for driving which I don't legally need, is no doubt resulting in me having better than necessary eyesight for driving. Doing a lot of long distance and night driving, I prefer to see as well as possible, so I'm not complaining.

All the best

Lou

Cactus Jack 06 Jan 2018, 00:51

Bill,

Maybe, but it is iffy.

I suggest that you try to do the renewal early in the day and avoid reading or focusing close before you get to the eye test part.

You can wear your glasses while you drive to the test, but put them in their case and in your pocket so they are handy if you need them. Don't let the case be visible. If they ask if you wear glasses, just say yes, occasionally and don't elaborate unless they question you further. DO NOT LIE to a public official. It is likely that you will wish you hadn't.

Some state will allow you to drive without glasses with 20/30 vision, about 2 lines up from the 20/20 line.

Most states (I'm assuming you live in the US) use a screening machine for the eye test. Don't try to cheat the machine by squinting, it won't work. If you flunk the test, the person administering the test will ask if you have glasses. Put them on and join the rest us who can't legally drive without glasses.

Bill 05 Jan 2018, 09:10

So I have cut back wearing the -.50's, mostly to driving. Yesterday I got a notice in the mail that my driver's license is due for renewal and I need to go in for vision test. What is the likelihood I can renew without a restriction for glasses. Anything I can do to improve my chances? TIA.

Cactus Jack 05 Jan 2018, 03:49

Miku,

She may not have been exaggerating much. My first prescription was -1.50 in one eye and Plano in the other. With the -1.50 eye I could read the big E, even though it was blurry. I could not read the second line.

Even Optometrists are affected by Vanity. It is a powerful force that frequently keeps people from seeing well.

Cherish, patronize, and recommend that Optometrist to others. She is a rare find.

Miku 05 Jan 2018, 00:58

Hi Soundmanpt,

I did ask her if she thought she'd get glasses soo, but she said she'd try to put it off until she's 40 (I guess some people have that mentality). I even offered her the trial frames with my prescription, but she either didn't get the hint or was reluctant.

You are right, most optometrists that I've met have a very reserved attitude, but I noticed that if you know what to ask them or show the right amount of knowledge, they'll share information. With her letting me try the +20, it was me pushing my luck, but yes, she was lovely and open and that counts.

I didn't say my prescription hasn't changed in 25 years. I am 25, but indeed, my prescription is pretty much the same as a few months ago. :)

The thing about not seeing the big letter, I think she was slightly exaggerating, in order to point out that people like me ( of my age and longsighted) sometimes can accommodate and see well without correction, whereas myopes can't really rely on their eye muscles that way and their vision is blurred.

Thanks,

Soundmanpt 04 Jan 2018, 09:10

Miku

You were very lucky to find an optometrist that was so open and honest with you and willing to share some of her knowledge with you. I'm really surprised that she admitted to you that her own eyesight doesn't seem to be as good as it could be. It sounds like it won't e long until she is wearing glasses herself. If her eyesight isn't perfect that could cause her not to accurate with refracting. I wish you had asked her if she thought she would be wearing glasses soon? I loved the experiment she did with you with +20.00 lens and you seemed to enjoy doing it as well. But did I read it right that she told you that someone with a -1.00 prescription wouldn't be able to read the largest letter on the eye chart without glasses? I am very sure that isn't right.

By the way you didn't mention how your own eye exam went as far any change in your eyesight? I would assume their was no change if your eyesight has been the same for the past 25 years?

Miku 04 Jan 2018, 06:39

Hi Cactus Jack,

Thanks for your prompt reply. I'm not sure what you meant Optics 101 haha. I've been dealing with optics for a while and I've been following your insightful advice for a few years now.

Funny you should mention trying different prescription glasses. I am longsighted and I have a pairs with various strengths in the house. However, I've never pushed myself to try your Simple Eye Test.

More importantly, I was really proud when you gave me an A grade :). I'm happy to receive any input from you. Also I'll gladly share any other encounters I have, hoping that people enjoy them as much as I do.

Thank you

Cactus Jack 04 Jan 2018, 03:09

Miku,

Oops, Make that sentence:

"I don't think the distance was 1 cm, but there are other factors that can make it hard to measure focus distance of high + lenses, close to your face."

Let me know if you would like to try the "Simple Eye Test" as another experiment using Sir Isaac's formula. It is amazing how accurate it is using crude methods and simple tools.

Cactus Jack 04 Jan 2018, 03:03

Miku,

Welcome to Optics 101.

You just experienced the effects of the most fundamental law of Optical Physics discovered and codified by Sir Isaac Newton, a bit over 300 years ago. Sir Isaac defined +1 diopter as that power lens which will focus parallel rays of light from a distant object at a distance of 1 meter (or 100 cm or 1000 mm). You can write that down mathematically as:

100 cm/ Lens Power = Focus Distance or

100/+20 = 5 cm

You can re-write that formula when you don't know the effective lens power as:

100/Focas Distance = Lens Power

100 cm / 1 cm = +100

Hmmm! I don't think the distance was 1 cm, but there are other factors that can make it see VERY close to your face.

The important result of your experiment is that a +20 lens will cause very small print to be in focus very close to your face and anything beyond a few cm to just be a blob.

Next time you are in a store that sells reading glasses. Try on a pair of +2.00 reading glasses and notice the focus distance. Then try on +3.00 and notice the focus distance. If you have NO refractive error. The distances should be 50 cm and 33 cm respectively. If they are not those distances, you have some refractive error.

We can actually use this formula and these effects to estimate a person's corrective prescription, which I describe in my "Simple Eye Test".

I give you a grade of "A" for your first experiment in Optics. Sir Isaac would be proud. Keep experimenting.

Miku 04 Jan 2018, 01:12

Hi all and Happy New Year,

I had a great and very interesting eye exam experience yesterday and I thought I'd share it. First of all, some of you might already know I've been a long-time follower of this website and I knew exactly what to expect. I'm a little longsighted, 25 years old and I've had virtually no change in my prescription, due to my part-time wear of correction... I only went for the fun of it.

Once we got the testing of my visual acuity out of the way, I noticed that the optometrist was rather chatty and she was quite open to answering questions. Here's where I mention that she was in her mid thirties and did NOT wear glasses. What she mentioned was that for my age, my prescription was rather strong and then told me about a relative of hers who is in her thirties and is already needing a bit of help with close up work. I got onto the subject of her own eyesight and she said she'd never had or needed glasses but recently, fine print hasn't been that "fine" anymore. But due to the nature of eyes, she's still putting off getting correction as she knows she'll be completely dependent on lenses afterwards.

I continued to ask questions and we reached the subject of strong prescriptions and she actually put a +20 lens in front of my right eye in the trial frame. It was something totally new for me. Everything was one homogeneous blob of nothing. HOWEVER, I brought the reading chart less than a centimetre away from my face and the smallest line was absolutely, completely sharp. The other thing we discussed was how shortsighted people wouldn't see even the biggest letter on the eyechart, even if their prescription is a mere -1. Can anybody confirm that. I have a slightly myopic friend who I think could read that.

Thanks,

Weirdeyes 03 Jan 2018, 00:54

My sister just said one of her eyes is much worse than the other. The last prescription I remember her having is R +1.25 L +0.50. According to Cactus Jack my 3.25 difference isnt even that much.

Cactus Jack 01 Jan 2018, 09:59

Bill,

That is a very common experience when you start wearing a low minus prescription.

Vision occurs in the brain, your eyes are merely biological cameras. Your brain has amazing ability to correct a blurry image IF it knows what something is suppose to look like. Your brain even has the ability to create images WITHOUT any images from your eyes. Ever had a dream?

Some people think that a refractive error of -0.50 is so insignificant that is does not need correction. Maybe not, but if you need -0.50 correction, that means that anything beyond 2 meters or about 6.5 feet is increasingly blurry. If you like to live in a world that is 2 meters in radius, so be it.

Your brain is a self programming, biological computer. When you start wearing even a low prescription, it takes about 2 weeks for your brain to realize that it no longer needs to expend the effort and energy to correct the blurry images being delivered by your eyes. It seems to file away the algorithm it uses to correct the images as "no longer needed, and re-directs the processing energy to other tasks.

If you decide to not wear your glasses, it will reload the image processing algorithm and starts using it again. It won't take 2 weeks, but there may be some complaints. Unlike people who need PLUS glasses, the complaints probably won't be in the form of headaches, but simply a strong urge to put your glasses back on.

Curiously, people who require significantly higher prescriptions and switch between glasses and contacts, which require different algorithms for each, develop the ability to change algorithms in seconds. They think nothing about the fact that their brain is dealing with significantly different image sizes and sometimes quality.

I hope this helps and eases your mind about a very common phenomenon. Remember that the only time you HAVE to wear vision correction is when not seeing well could endanger other people or property, such as when driving. Other times, it is up to you.

Bill 01 Jan 2018, 07:31

So I have had my glasses (-.50) for about 3 weeks now. I often put them on in the morning and, forgetting that they were on kept them on all day. Recently, more than before, I am aware of distance being much more blurry when I take them off. The crispness that I enjoyed especially at night isn't there and now when I drive at night and look over the lenses the blur is much more noticeable. So my co-worker, I think, was correct that I wouldn't be able to "try" the glasses but would likely come to need to wear them if I want to see clearly. I am wondering if I cut back my wearing to only when I really need them, like driving or a movie, if I can get back some of the sharpness.

Cactus Jack 27 Dec 2017, 09:57

Retinal detachment,

Welcome to ES.

Sorry to hear that you are having problems, Retinal Detachment is a tough thing to experience and is potentially very serious. There are only a few Eye Care Professionals (ECPs) here. I am NOT one of them, but I have studied how all this works for several years.

Could you tell us a bit more about yourself and your visual history? Also how your Retina was re-attached and a bit more detail about what vision problems you are experiencing.

We probably will not have a very satisfying answer to your questions, because Retinal Detachment can have different causes and different visual consequences. Maybe we can offer some comfort and perhaps we will hear from members who have had similar experiences.

Retinal detachment 27 Dec 2017, 09:17

Hi, I had surgery about two months ago for retinal detachment, and my eyesight has not improved at all, will it ever? Why hasn't it?

til 16 Dec 2017, 08:33

Hello everyone,

I recently bought the EyeQue miniscope that has been introduced here some time ago.

It appears to work well, at least for me. Doing the test bareeyed I came out with +/- 0 both eyes and after putting some +3.50 contact lenses in it showed -3.75 both eyes with no astigmatism. So there seems to be some precision in the measurement.

My girlfriend (natural hyperope) though was determined well underneath her most recent ECP prescription but with the correct sphere difference between her eyes. Her astigmatism was correct and just a few degrees off.

That led me to thinking that her accommodation at age 29 is confusing the results. This again got me thinking about overcorrecting her with contacts (making her myopic) and have her doo the test again. The difference between her resulting prescription and the sphere of the contacts should result in a more accurate real prescription.

Does that make sense?

Cheers

Soundmanpt 12 Dec 2017, 10:28

Bill

Your question is a very interesting one. It's true in many cases -.50 glasses can be considered as "beginers glasses" because you can end needing stronger and stronger glasses every year. But to be honest I think that only happens if your eyes are in the early stages of changing. So its very possible that you could have skipped getting glasses and gone for the next 2 years without glasses only to be tested and given a -1.00 or stronger prescription later on. I can tell you that just because you are given a -.50 prescription doesn't always mean that your eyesight is going to worsen. My best friend's wife about 4 years ago was complaining about her difficulty with seeing when driving at night. At my suggestion she went for an eye exam and see told the optometrist about her issues with driving at night. She passed the vision test without any problem and had no problem seeing the 20/20 line. But at the end of her exam she was given a prescription for glasses.It read -.50 with glasses with AR coating. She was told to wear her glasses when driving at night and any other time she felt the need for her glasses. Since then she has been back several times to get her eyes checked and she still has perfect vision without glasses. But she always wears her glasses when she drives at night. So wearing glasses hasn't had any effect on her eyesight as far as making it worse.

Your co worker probably got her first glasses just as her eyes were beginning to change which is very normal. So even if she hadn't gotten glasses when she did her eyes were still going to slowly continue to worsen each year. I bet by now her eyes have reached the stable point and she doesn't still get yearly increases. She may may get new glasses every year or so just to stay stylish but I doubt that her prescription has changed recently. Same way as your wife. You didn't say what your age or your wife's ages are but when did your wife get her last increase? Do you remember how old your wife was when she got her first -1.00 glasses? If she was under twenty then she probably had smal increases each year of about -.50 which is about normal and her eyes should be near or at the point where she shouldn't need anymore increases in her glasses.

Bill 12 Dec 2017, 04:43

My wife dragged me with her to her eye exam, because she had also booked one for me. I had my first exam in years. The Dr said I am borderline for distance and after a short discussion suggested I get some glasses for distance and try them. Said if I wear them for a while then I can decide if I should continue wearing them or just come back in two years for another exam. I got them and wore them to work. One of my co-workers was surprised to see me wearing them, and I told her what the Dr said. She says there is no such thing as "trying" glasses. She says that once you start wearing them and get used to them you get hooked, and NEED to wear all the time. After she got hers, they were made stronger at each exam. I have never seen her not wearing. These are only -.50 in each eye. Not sure what I should do. Distance letters are clearer at night, not so much better during the day. (Wife started at about -1.00 and is now -2.75 and wears all the time.)

Cactus Jack 10 Dec 2017, 16:12

Light,

One more suggestion:

When you go for an eye exam, make a list of ALL your symptoms and concerns and take them with you. It will help your ECP understand your concerns and give him/her some clues what to look for.

Remember, your ECP can do what is called the Objective part of the the exam using their instruments. However, is another part of the exam, called the Subjective part. There is no way for them to experience what you are actually seeing. You have to tell them your symptoms and what you SEE. I think "How to Study . . . " will help you with that part.

Not that you need this information, but if you live near London, Moorfields is one of the best eye hospitals in the world.

Cactus Jack 10 Dec 2017, 13:14

Light,

I have some more questions, but I don't want you to think that I am an Eye Care Professional (ECP). My background is Electronic Engineering and Computers. I am 80 now and have been dealing with eye problems since childhood. I live in Houston, Texas. I became very interested in Vision when I could not get satisfactory answers from my ECPs. I learned the principles of Optics in Physics.

One of the things I have learned over the years, is to investigate any health things that don't seem quite right, without delay. The key is to detect health conditions in their early stages when they are most easily managed. Curiously, a very thorough eye exam often finds other problems such as high blood pressure or even diabetes in their earliest stages. The reason is that the eyes are windows into the body and a dilated exam allows the ECP to see the Retina very clearly to check for problems.

I am concerned about the sensitivity to light and the halos or "cloud" around lights at night. That could be something as easily fixed as a vitamin deficiency or the early symptoms of glaucoma (excessive pressure inside the eyeball) or even Cataracts. More about that later.

I am NOT concerned about your glasses helping more at night. That is normal. The explanation of that gets back to the principles of Optics. I mentioned that the eyes are biological cameras and there are lots of similarities to high end cameras. Both have the ability to control the amount of light that reaches the Retina or Film. In a camera it is called the Iris, in the eye it is the pupil. The opening of the Iris in dim light condition and closing down of the Iris has a secondary effect that photographers call "Depth of Field" or range of useful focus. Then the Iris is closed down in bright light, every thing in the picture over a broad range of distances will be in good focus. In dim light, the Iris is opened wide and the range of focus in the picture will be very narrow. The same thing happens in your eyes. You can experience the same thing by looking through a button hole.

The problems at intermediate distances could be related to the early manifesting of the symptoms of Presbyopia. The idea that a person does not need focusing help until their 40 is a Myth. Presbyopia, itself, is caused by the gradual stiffening of the protein that makes up your Crystalline Lenses. It actually starts in childhood but typically does not become a nuisance until the late 30s or early 40s. A secondary cause of the symptoms of Presbyopia is weakness in the Ciliary Muscles. The Ciliary Muscles and the Crystalline Lenses are the Active part of your Auto-Focus system. For their size (very tiny) the Ciliary Muscles are the strongest muscles in the body, their job is to squeeze the Crystalline Lenses to increase their PLUS power for focusing close. I they become weak or out of condition from not being used much they have trouble squeezing the Crystalline Lenses. That is what happened to me. I mentioned earlier that my first prescription was -1.50 in one eye and 0.00 in the other. Needing a low MINUS prescription is like having built in reading glasses. I was reading with the -1.50 eye and using the 0.00 eye for distance. My eyes did not work as a team. There were other symptoms, but in the 1940s and 50s, no one "connected the dots" and I did not know any better. The most predominant symptom was that I could not play ball sports, Baseball here and perhaps Cricket there. I had very poor depth perception and by the time is figured out where the ball was, it was in the catcher's mitt. Because my eyes did not work well together, I wound up needing bifocals when I was about 20 and trifocals in my 30s to function comfortably.

I am a little concerned about seeing double, but it could be related to focusing difficulties. There is an interconnection in your brain between the Focus Control System and the Eye Position Control System. The interconnection causes your eyes to automatically converge when you try to focus close. Sometimes the convergence signal is too strong or too weak and you see double. That can often be fixed with some close focusing help or perhaps some Prism correction in your glasses.

The halos and clouding could be a symptom of Cataracts. There are several types of Cataracts, but he most common one is clouding of the Crystalline Lenses (mentioned above). It can happen at any age, including being born with Cataracts.

Years ago, surgery for Cataracts was extremely serious and required long recovery and wearing very high PLUS glasses. Today, as a result of discoveries made in the UK after World War II, Cataract surgery is very safe and is typically done on an Outpatient basis. The discovery was that some pilots had had slivers of the Perspex (acrylic plastic) in their eyes for years after WW II, without any problems.

That discovery meant that the clouded Crystalline Lens could be removed and replaced with a plastic Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) and the high PLUS glasses would NOT be required.

I had Cataract surgery in both eyes in 2001. It was the nearest thing to a non-event I had experienced. Today it is even better, should that be the problem with the clouding. Naturally, I was pretty scared for the first surgery. It only took about 10 minutes for the actual surgery and the vision improvement was so dramatic that my first question was "when can we do the other eye". The doctor replied, 2 weeks. I still wear glasses when I need to see very well, better than 20/20 or 6/6, but I can actually function without them. I'll tell you more about that if it turns out to be the problem.

I suggest that you do a few things.

1. Get a pair of +1.00 or +1.25 Over-the-Counter reading glasses. They are not expensive. Wear them over your regular glasses for reading or using the computer and see if they help.

2. Read the piece I wroth on "How to Study for an Eye Exam". I have posted it several time on ES and also on the Vision and Spex site. If you are unable to find it, I will post it again.

3. Make an appointment for an exam by an Ophthalmologist. You need to find out what is going on as soon as you can. Please DO NOT avoid this. It is better to know than not know and early detection of problems pays BIG dividends.

4. Please let me know what you plan to do and the results of the exam.

5. Feel free to ask more questions.

10 Dec 2017, 03:37

Thanks, I am 30, UK, work in an office.

I googled "dilated" and no never.

Prescription says R sphre -1.00 cyl -0.25 and L sphre -0.25 cyl -0.50

Cactus Jack 10 Dec 2017, 00:58

Light,

Vision actually occurs in the brain. Your eyes are merely biological cameras. If there is a difference in the clarity of the images in any visual situation, your brain will select the best image and use that as its primary source.

I suspect you are using your -1 eye for reading and your other eye for distance. I know how that works from personal experience. When it was discovered that I needed glasses, my prescription was -1.50 with Astigmatism in my Left Eye and Plano (0.00) in my right.

The results of that was that I would get severe headaches when I read very long with my glasses. I really needed bifocals, but because of my age (20), it was hard to find an optometrist that would prescribe them.

May I asl a few questions?

1. Your age?

2. Your complete prescription?

3. Your occupation?

4. Have you ever had a dilated exam by and Ophthalmologist?

5. Where do you live? (Country)

Light 09 Dec 2017, 14:49

Hi, just found this site on Google and I have a question. No eye problems before now except -1 in one eye and glasses help with night time driving but other than that I can see fine (just blurry when only looking out one eye).

However, in last year I have started losing focus when reading. Things go double involuntary. Its like im crosding my eyes. Vision is not blurry up close but i just lose control involuntary.

At a middle distance I get terrible strains, tears or burning. One person wearing a stripy shirt completely messed with me, I can't describe how hard it was to focus on him.

My other problem is glare off lights, headlights and street lamps. This is a "halo" according to Google but its more like a cloud? Glasses at night make it worse but I really can't see road signs then without them. Some lights burn abd give me a headache.

I am going to an optician, but what could be going on? Its like my eyes can't focus and are also light averse but the vision is much the same

Moonshiner 08 Dec 2017, 01:55

I deleted some inappropriate posts (including some using another's user name) in this thread mostly from IP addresses in California and Illinois.

Soundmanpt 06 Dec 2017, 15:47

David

I was just at a local sports bar and I was chatting with a server that got her first glasses from me back in July. She was telling me about falling asleep wearing them and waking up without them and she was scared she would find them broken. But she was happy to find that they were fine. But she wants me to order her another pair just in case something were to happen to her glasses. She wears her glasses full time even though her prescription really isn't very strong. But that made me think about you and your girlfriend. We last chatted in Sept. and apparently your girlfriends glasses were still providing her with perfect or near perfect vision if she was able to see the hockey puck so well. Something i'm sure she wasn't able to do before she got glasses. But she has had her glasses for around 7 months now and considering what her prescription was for her first glasses she really should be needing an increase in her prescription anytime now. In fact I honestly thought she would be needing an increase at around 6 months. Have you noticed her having any problems with seeing anything recently? I think you and her sister won't need increases until around the 12 month point which would be around early June.

What else is happening with you and other things? I'm still hoping the Cardinals can work out a deal to get Stanton from the Marlins.

Weirdeyes 04 Dec 2017, 23:36

Has anyone else here done a DNA test? I did one and I tried this app that predicted my glasses prescription based on my DNA results. It guessed that I'm around -2.75. That's kind of close to my dad's prescription, but nowehere near mine. I do think my current prescription does average out to close to +2.75 though.

JC 23 Nov 2017, 04:02

Cactus Jack: I for one thank you once again for your long term insightful contributions to this forum.

Lou 22 Nov 2017, 02:48

Hi again

Re. My post of 20 Nov 2017, 05:34, I've realised that I've ascertained what is going on myself via constructing my post on the Hyperopia and Presbyopia Progression thread regarding Carrie's friend Danielle.

I'll be 44 next month, and I don't yet have a reading add. I feel that my close up vision is starting to go a bit, but that my ciliary muscle is still sufficiently strong for me to accommodate over this, and what is happening is that on days when I do a lot of close work, my ciliary muscle is working hard, causing the burning I feel, then not fully relaxing later in the day.

I had this issue before I started wearing my distance prescription full-time owing to a lot of eye burning and eye strain, and it has now resolved on days that I don't do a lot of close work. I suppose that wearing my distance prescription full-time is preventing the eye strain that causes this issue, but that since my close vision is starting to go, that I am still experiencing eye strain even with my distance prescription, on days that I am doing a lot of close work.

Since I had the option of only a 0.25 add last time and I am not due an eye test until June 2019, I've decided to further enlarge the text on my lap top and smart phone and try to increase the viewing distance for now, to see whether this helps.

All the best

Lou

Cactus Jack 21 Nov 2017, 07:59

@Ross,

What you described It is common for people who have had Lasik to correct long existing nearsightedness (Myopia), farsightedness (Hyperopia), or uncorrected mild Hyperopia as they get older. Come to think of it, It can also happen to people who never had any type of refractive surgery and those with perfect vision.

There are two culprits at work, Presbyopia and Pseudo Myopia/Latent Hyperopia.

How these two things work to cause what you described has been explained many times on this and on the Vision and Spex web site. I suggest you look back on this thread and others for a full explanation.

Weirdeyes 21 Nov 2017, 04:14

Is it normal to NOT notice an image size difference when I wear my glasses which have a 3D difference? I actually notice things look smaller through my left eye when I wear contacts.

@Ross 20 Nov 2017, 21:03

Hello, I'd like some help in understanding what could have happened to the eyes of someone who has had laser vision correction in the past.

My wife and I were visiting my older sister and her family. I hadn't seen her for over a year, and I must say I was surprised to see her wearing glasses again, apparently full time. I could tell that her eyes were now slightly magnified, indicating she is farsighted.

She's 46 and had the surgery probably around 1999 or 2000. I'm ten years younger so my recollection is vague and quite limited. I do know she was nearsighted enough to need full-time correction and frequently complained about her contacts bothering her.

As we entered their home my wife quickly commented on her glasses and raved about her frame choice. My sister thanked her and explained that she had had reading glasses but now needed correction for distance as well, that she was having headaches, etc. She left out the surgery part. I didn't see the need to press the topic, particularly in front of her family.

True, she's had reading glasses for a few years, I think; I've seen her wearing them a few times while we were visiting one another. I didn't think much of it, though, because by then she was in her early 40s and was always an avid reader. It was a given that the surgery would not forestall presbyopia.

I am however confused as to how she could have developed the need for distance correction, and that, too, farsightedness. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Lou 20 Nov 2017, 05:34

I just thought I'd share a gripe of mine. During the summer, I was having two issues with my right eye/right eye prescription. The first was eye strain and burning without my glasses, the second was my right eye prescription sometimes seeming too strong, especially if worn for the first time later in the evening. Wearing my glasses full-time has largely solved both issues, but I have had a re-occurrence of my right eye prescription becoming too strong in the evening, probably owing to tiredness.

What basically happens is that after wearing my glasses all day without any issues, I've been sitting down to watch telly pretty late in the evening, admittedly with my eyes feeling very tired, owing to having done a lot of close work during the day for the past couple of weeks, only for the digital clock on my telly to look slightly blurred. When I cover each eye, I see that it is the right eye which is blurred. Without my glasses, my right eye is still blurred, but blurred differently. I've found that when this happens, that if I turn my glasses upside down (My prescription is R: +0.50 Sph -0.50 Cyl Axis 92, L: +0.25 Sph -0.25 Cyl Axis 85) and look through my +0.25 Sph -0.25 Cyl left lens with my right eye (which works since my axis is around 90 with each eye), it comes into focus.

Since I was worried that my right eye prescription could have changed since June, on two separate days, I have tested my vision during the day with a snellen chart pdf (following the instructions carefully). On both occasions, I found that my right eye was perfectly clear with my +0.50 Sph -0.50 Cyl Axis 92 prescription, and that when I tried my glasses on upside down, I saw a reduced same direction version blur of my vision without glasses, or to put it more simply, with the snellen chart, my right eye is blurred without my glasses, perfectly clear with my glasses, and probably as can be expected, with my glasses on upside down, is half way between no glasses and glasses. I'm therefore sure that my right eye prescription is overall correct.

I have a very good optician, who I trust, and I changed my

glasses owing to a small change in my left eye (my right eye stayed the same) prescription in February 2017. I visited her in June regarding this issue, scheduling my appointment for as late in the day as possible, and both my subjective findings and her objective retinoscopy both found +0.50 Sph -0.50 Cyl to be right for my right eye.

I've confirmed the same thing twice at home during the last week.

Why oh why then does my prescription reduce in this eye when I am very tired later in the day, so that I can then see better with +0.25 Sph -0.25 Cyl?

Which part reduces to 0.25, the sphere, the cylinder or both?

This post (see below)from another thread (I hope the poster won't mind me re-posting it here) also mentions needing less plus later in the day.

Do we all need slightly less plus/slightly more minus later in the day?

All the best

Lou

Mike 08 Nov 2017, 07:39

Weirdeyes

I find this Red Green chart to be easy to tell if you need more or less + or - Just need to open it on a big enough screen that you can view from 10 feet away or more.

http://www.digitaleyechart.com/graphics/Chart_redgreen.jpg

I messed around with a few pairs of old glasses, and I could tell the difference right away. With +0.5 the green was a little sharper, with +1.0 they are the same in the morning and the red is a little sharper when I tested at the end of the day.

SoCal 10 Nov 2017, 11:25

Soundmanpt

You're right, no contacts for me until I find out what this is all about. It's not terribly bothersome but it definitely is something to take a look at. I could see now how something like that could be masked by wearing contacts so much (from morning to night and sometimes morning to morning . . . eek). So glasses it is until further notice will be something I will have to adjust to. Thankfully I've been able to fix my favorite pair that my children so lovingly decided to bend so as to test their craftsmanship. I wonder what the annual exam will turn up. As long as it's not a decrease in rx I will be happy. I love where I am at right now but a little more sharpness won't hurt anyone. I love that HD feeling!

Soundmanpt 10 Nov 2017, 10:24

SoCal

It wouldn't heal if you have been wearing contacts lenses for those past 6 months. In fact that would only irritate it more. Also as you probably know with your contacts on your eyes don't as much oxygen as they should so that would also not help with the healing process. But i'm glad that you're going to get it checked out. One thing I am quite certain of is that you won't be be wearing contacts for a while.

SoCal 09 Nov 2017, 15:53

I don't think it's any sort of abrasion, since the discomfort has been around for about 6 months. Surely something like that would have healed by now. I don't have any other symptoms, such as redness or tearing, only a dull ache and intermittent itching when the lens or cold air come into contact with my eye. I would think that an abrasion or an infection would present with other symptoms. I guess we shall all find out on Monday.

Thank you all for your quick responses!!

NNVisitor 09 Nov 2017, 15:41

SoCal

A corneal abrasion (scratched cornea) could have been caused while inserting the contact lens. It hurts especially when subsequently inserting a contact lens during subsequent days. These are warning signs. The major concern is such an abrasion getting infected. That is a serious issue which is potentially sight threatening.

Soundmanpt 09 Nov 2017, 15:06

SoCal

I betting you have a scratched cornea. Probably some meds and time will take care of the problem but you will be wearing glasses for a while until it completely heals.

SoCal 09 Nov 2017, 14:01

-Cactus Jack

Just made an appointment for this coming Monday. I suppose I shall find out soon enough what the mystery eye problem is. I guess this has been the cause of some minor headaches. I just hope it's something that can be fixed quickly. In the meantime, it's spec, specs, specs!

Cactus Jack 09 Nov 2017, 10:41

SoCal,

See your ECP as soon as you can. Something has made that Cornea more sensitive than is normal. Possibly some kind of infection, though dry eye is possible. Another possibility is that you have inadvertently scratched your Cornea.

There is nothing to be gained by delay. It will probably not bet better on its own.

Please let us know what your ECP says is the cause.

SoCal 09 Nov 2017, 09:29

So, this has been an ongoing problem for the past 6 months or so. I wear contacts a lot, like more than any one person should wear non extended wear contacts. About 6 months ago, I was putting in my right lens and I felt something that I have never felt before. It happens every time I put the lens in without fail. The only thing I can equate the sensation to is a sensitive tooth. You know when you have a sensitive tooth and you eat something too cold or too warm, you get this instant ache in your tooth and the surrounding area. Well that same feeling happens when I put in my right lens. There is this dull ache when the lens goes in and then it kind of disappears. I don't know if this is something I should be concerned about or not. I also did notice that cold air makes my eye have the same sensation. It's like my eye has become sensitive to cold things. Is this making any sense? I'm wondering if it is just a dry eye, something that will go away on its own or maybe something that will eventually lead to something slightly more serious. I have consulted google and haven't turned up many results. Thanks!!

minus5wholuvsgwgs 09 Nov 2017, 00:49

My GF is a glasses wearer and has never gone for contacts thank goodness She has just 0.25 astigmatism interestingly when she first got glasses aged 7 she was able to go bare eyed so presumably a low prescription

NNVisitor 08 Nov 2017, 19:56

Re:Vertex distance

Re:Contact lenses vs. glasses

I remember an opthalmologist telling me to press as close as I could right against the lens he was showing me in order to read the letters he was showing me. With high myopia the vertex distance is very important. With eyeglasses for high myopia the images are smaller and the best possible vision is obtained when looking through the center of the lens. By habit many of us will look left, right, up, down and with strong minus glasses what we see is no longer so clear as by looking only through the center of the lens. With contact lenses the minification for me was gone. Everything looked natural without the distortion that strong glasses create and I have great peripheral vision. Of course some people have problems with, can't wear or don't want to wear contact lenses. For these people who wear glasses only their best vision is what they see wearing their glasses. Depending on their situation it may be very good or not so good.

Cactus Jack 08 Nov 2017, 07:53

minus5wholuvsgwgs,

Visual Acuity (VA) depends on many factors. The obvious one is the accuracy of the corrective prescription and its completeness. Cylinder and Axis correction for Astigmatism can be very important, if not completely corrected, along with the Sphere correction.

The non-obvious factor in VA, when correcting HIGH Myopia with glasses, is Vertex Distance (VD) effect. In your GF's case, minification of the image on the Retina. A "normal" Human Retina, typically has about 120 million Rods and Cones, which are similar to Pixels in a digital camera. That is a huge number, but there are only about 1 million fibers in the optic nerve. That means that the signals from those 120 Rods and Cones need to be compressed on to those 1 million nerve fibers. If the image (picture) elements are extremely minified by VD effects, some of the image detail (very small text) may get lost in the compression process. Same thing happens in your digital camera if the image sensor does not have enough pixels and 4K TV shows better detail than 1080 P HD TV which is better than Analog TV which is only about 450 lines.

One solution, if she can wear them, is contact lenses. They have 0 VD and only a little bit of image minification. If she has Retinal problems, she may not be able be fully corrected.

BTW, VD effects are the mathematical SQUARE of the glasses prescription. VD effects for -5.00 glasses are small which is why Contacts for -5.00 glasses are about -4.75 and contacts for -16.00 glasses would be about -13.00.

minus5wholuvsgwgs 08 Nov 2017, 06:10

my high minus GF -16.25 and -15.00 with a reading add of 1.5 I noticed cannot read signs too well Apparently she was not prescribed full distance correction apparently if they did she would need a separate reading pair Odd because she wears varifocals does anyone have any suggestions why this might be ? She does not drive

NNVisitor 30 Oct 2017, 17:38

Nat

People go into debt to get Lasik. Not something I would ever do even if I was able to get it. I don't want a laser to permanently change my cornea. I'd still probably need reading glasses after Lasik so I may as well wear contacts or glasses as I do now. Plus the money I won't spend on the procedures I can spend on other things.

Nat 29 Oct 2017, 15:52

I dont to have lasik have never thought about it until they asked. I have no problem wearing glasses or contacts. I read that nearly half the population is nearsighted so it's normal. All I asked was is it common for people to get lasik in America? Or is it for rich people that don't want to be seen wearing glasses. So you think they will get nearsighted again? If you need glasses then would need to wear them all the time anyway how much prescription you have

Soundmanpt 29 Oct 2017, 12:46

Nat

If those young ladies were around 27 years of age then most likely their eyes had become stable so at -5.00 and -4.00 is about perfect for having lasik. They both had probably ore glasses from when they were pretty young so they were tired of wearing glasses. So who knows how long they will be able to go until they need glasses again. But even if it is only 4 or 5 years they should be happy with the break they had from wearing glasses and most likely their eyesight won't get anywhere near as bad as it was before. So wearing much weaker glasses won't be so bad by then.

NNVisitor 28 Oct 2017, 10:39

Nat

You are happy wearing glasses and your myopia has increased while in your twenties. It may still increase. With Lasik there are risks and the cost. The risks are that you may still require glasses and have to pay the full cost for the surgeries. The Lasik surgery will change the shapes of your corneas permanently possibly to the extent that you will not be able to wear properly fitted contact lenses should you want to in the future. As a person who is happy wearing glasses I see no need to get Lasik.

Weirdeyes 28 Oct 2017, 09:00

Soundmanpt

I think I'll wait until my prescription feels more stable and comfortable. My mom got lasik for farsightedness, but she's still wearing glasses and getting fluctuating vision. I really hate fluctuating vision. I know it's partially due to presbyopia and latent hyperopia, but I think it's also regression. Her glasses were around +4.00, but they determined she's actually closer to +5.00.

Nat 28 Oct 2017, 07:44

I'm 28 and been wearing glasses about 10 years all the time as I'm shortsighted -5.00. They were both 27 one of them was also near -5.00 and the other -4.00. Is if common for people to get lasik there? I dont want the operation is ok with glasses and contacts. My optician has never said about lasik is normal to wear glasses and lenses here

Nat 28 Oct 2017, 07:44

Danbert 28 Oct 2017, 07:41

WeirdEyes,

I think it's good to be skeptical. Perhaps the most important question is whether you perceive any problems being farsighted and having to wear glasses? If you are happy with your vision wearing glasses as you are, perhaps there is no real need to undergo surgery.

Soundmanpt 28 Oct 2017, 07:21

Weirdeyes

Most likely they would only do your left eye. I don't believe, but I am not sure if your right eye is considered bad enough for them to work with. But maybe because of your astigmatism they might be able to do that eye as well. I think they would be able to correct your left eye to at least 20/20 if not slightly better. Most doctor do an evaluation at no charge if your thinking about getting it done. Remember if you only get your left eye done the cost will only be half as much. You may be better off going that way and just wearing weak glasses to correct your right eye.

Weirdeyes 27 Oct 2017, 21:51

Soundmanpt

Speaking of lasik my parents think I should get lasik. I'm pretty skeptical about it. I don't even know how it would work. Will they only do lasik on my left eye or will both my eyes get it done? If only my left eye gets lasik how often will I wear glasses? My current prescription is R +0.75 -0.75 L +4.25 -1.50. I'm pretty sure I have quite a bit of latent hyperopia as well. I wouldn't be surprised if they say my left eye is around +5.00 and too bad for lasik.

Soundmanpt 27 Oct 2017, 18:06

Nat

Just curious when you say "girls" do you mean young girls say under 20 years old? I ask that because if the already have gotten lasik I wonder if their eyes really had become stable? Generally it is best to wait until your at least 20 years old and even better to wait until maybe closer to being 25 to get lasik. If these were teen girls chances are they will be back wearing glasses in then next year or so and I don't mean reading glasses. I mean they will be nearsighted again. Now depending where they had their lasik done they may have a warranty which would allow them to come back in and have a "touch-up" done which means having lasik done again as long as their corneas are still thick enough. But they will have to wait for their eyes to get to at least -1.50 before they can have a touch up done. Until then they will be wearing glasses. If their eyes don't get as bad as -1.50 they will be wearing glasses from then on. You're probably the smarter one by continuing to wear your glasses at least for now anyway. Later on after your eyes have completely stopped changing then if you want lasik you're likely to have better and longer lasting results.

Nat 23 Oct 2017, 16:58

I was talking to some American girls I made friends with while on holiday and they both have had lasik and was surprised I wasn't interested in getting it done. Is it really that popular to get lasik in America? I don't have a problem wearing glasses and I can always wear contacts. I don't want to pay for a operation and need reading glasses after

Soundmanpt 19 Oct 2017, 08:52

Carrie

You have mentioned about Danielle going in twice recently to get her eyes checked. I'm a bit surprised that Vickie didn't want to go along to get her eyes checked as well. She has had her current glasses for well over a year now and knowing how much she enjoys wearing her glasses I would think she would be hoping to get an increase as well as new glasses by now. Next time a glasses conversation comes up with Danielle and Vickie is around you should ask Vickie when she is due to get her eyes checked again.

Cactus Jack 19 Oct 2017, 08:04

JC,

Everyone is different, so it is possible. She could also have some allergies to things such as pollen and glasses may help minimize how many allergens get in her eyes. No way to really tell the cause of the bloodshot eyes without a complete examination and tests.

JC 19 Oct 2017, 07:53

Has anyone heard of red bloodshot eyes simply from not wearing needed glasses? I saw a video of a nearsighted girl who didn't wear glasses for about 15 minutes. I noticed red eyes and she said that happens when she doesn't wear glasses for chunks of time. I'd estimate her prescription in the -6 to -8 range, and she also mentioned astigmatism. She never wears contacts. My only guess is eyestrain from the astigmatism -- I'm nearsighted and have gone much longer stretches then that and never get red eyes from it.

Cactus Jack 14 Oct 2017, 10:13

WeirdVision,

I don't have enough information or knowledge to make any more suggestions. There is no way I can experience what you are seeing. My suggestion is to try to write down what you had been doing for 10 to 15 minutes prior to the event and collect enough data to see if there is anything in common that leads up to the event. Also, try to discover if there is anything that seems to cause your vision to go back to normal.

Discovering the source of a problem is like being a detective. You have to look for clues that may lead you to solving the problem.

Good Luck!

WeirdVision 13 Oct 2017, 20:04

The old glasses thing has never been mentioned. Also no subject really involves close work, I just do homeowrk at a usual distance. I am not much of a reader.

Cactus Jack 13 Oct 2017, 14:49

WeirdVision,

You are right. It is weird. The only things in your vision system that can change rapidly are your Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline Lenses. They are the optically active part of your Eye's Lens system that allows you to focus, similar to the auto-focus system on a camera.

There are two types of Myopia. Axial or True Myopia, which is caused by a mismatch between the total optical power of your eye's lens system and the length of your eyeballs The other type is Pseudo or False Myopia, which is caused by the Ciliary Muscles having difficulty fully relaxing for distance. Both types can be present and their effects add together. It is the Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline Lenses that compensate for Minus over correction that is the first step in Inducing Myopia.

The reason I asked about dilation is that one of the effects the dilating agent has is to temporarily paralyze your Ciliary Muscles so they cannot affect the results during an exam. However, the agents that are typically used are not very strong so they will wear off in just a few hours. If a person has been wearing much more minus than that need for full correction, the dilating agent may not have time to fully relax the Ciliary Muscles.

Where I am going with this is that if your Ciliary Muscles are under constant stress they can occasionally spasm or involuntarily relax. That might cause an effect similar to a zoom lens on a camera.

You mentioned that you were 18. I assume that you are in school and likely do a lot of studying and close work. Has your ECP ever suggested that you use an older, weaker pair of glasses for close work or any form of reading glasses to reduce your focusing stress? May I ask the subjects that involve a lot of close work?

WeirdVision 13 Oct 2017, 09:29

I live in America, and yes I have a had a dialated exam. I am not sure what my first prescription was at all. Sorry.

Cactus Jack 12 Oct 2017, 21:29

WeirdVision,

I keep thinking of questions.

You said that you started wearing glasses 4 or 5 years ago, to you remember what your first prescription was? Exact would be nice, but close would be helpful.

BTW, You need to understand that I am not an Eye Care Professional (ECP). I am an Amateur in the original sense of one who studies a subject out of love. In my case it was somewhat out of necessity. My background is Electronic and Computer Engineering (IOW "Problem Solving"). I just turned 80 and have been dealing with vision problems since my early teens. I was not satisfied with the answers ECPs gave me to explain my vision problem and I started studying about it.

These days, the word Amateur has a bad connotation. Many of the scientific principles we use today, were discovered by "Amateurs" such as Sir Isaac Newton, Voltaire, etc. I am far from being in that class, but I have earned a reputation as being a pretty good explainer.

Cactus Jack 12 Oct 2017, 16:05

WeirdVision,

Sorry to keep asking questions.

May I ask where your live (country)?

Have you ever had a dilated eye exam?

WeirdVision 12 Oct 2017, 10:44

My prescription is -7.75, -1.25 and -6.75 and -1.00

Cactus Jack 12 Oct 2017, 09:46

WeirdVision,

I am wondering if your Ciliary Muscles could be having occasional spasms. Could you post your complete prescription?

WeirdVision 12 Oct 2017, 06:46

I have never experienced vertigo. Just what I mentioned earlier. To go a little more into detail, what happens is I see something and all of a sudden it is like it zoomed in and then it quickly zooms out. Sometimes it is like my point of view changes for a split second. Sometimes (not that much) it is like everything moves quickly (I only see a blob of color) and then goes back.

Cactus Jack 11 Oct 2017, 22:06

WeirdVision,

I don't believe it would be called "normal" by any stretch. My experience with apparent undesired motion is related to the Eye Muscle Control System and its connection to the semi-circular canals (balance sensors) in your ears. I have had occasions where the tiny crystals in my semi-circular canals got out of position and caused sensations of Vertigo and subsequent random eye motion that made the room appear to be moving around. Have you had any thing like that happen?

If that is the source of the problem, it happens often enough that there is an Epley Maneuver of gently moving the head so that gravity will move the tiny crystals in the semi-circular canals back where they belong.

WeirdVision 11 Oct 2017, 19:03

Hi,

I have a question, for a while now I have noticed that sometimes I am looking at something and then it is as if it moves, goes further away or comes closer, sometimes even moves horizontally. I have no control over it, it just happens and I cannot make it happen either. Is this normal? If not why is it happening?

A little about me, I am an 18 year old nearsighted female (it happens both with and without glasses). I have had glasses for 4 to 5 years now, and I needed them for a while before I got them.

antonio 01 Oct 2017, 07:49

Question,

Maybe you have an eye infection,

you might need some antibiotica to put into your eyes

to cure it, please go to an eyedoctor to check.

if so it´s infectious and you could infect your family and people at work with it,

after you touched your eyes and then opening a door.

It should be cured soon, so don´t do nothing for a week or more, please

do you wear contacts ? then don´t do that for now, please.

so don´t you wear glasses full time ?

best regards, antonio

Question 01 Oct 2017, 07:31

Hi I have a question and am not quite sure where it fits, so sorry if you think it does not belong in the vision thread. To get to the point, for the last couple of months or so I have noticed when I wake up I have a lot of sleep in my eyes. Before that I used to hardly ever have sleep in my eyes when I woke up and when I did it was not much at all. Now it is like my eyes are glued shut sometimes, and sometimes it starts forming before I even go to sleeo. Also along with this I have noticed my eyes have been really watery too and very itchy here and there and when I itch them sometimes it hurts to touch. Lastly along with all this sometimes when I am on my phone as I am blinking I see two of all the text. Like a back layer is being streched out from the main text. This usually happens at night or in the morning though. I feel like it might just be looking through my eyelashes, but still I find it a bit alarming. It has happened with and without my glasses on. In all, I guess I am wondering is there something wrong with my eyes and what does all this mean or is it just a few unrelated things that don't mean anything.

NNVisitor 28 Sep 2017, 19:31

David/Soundmanpt

Nearsighted people typically have no problem reading books or other printed materials without their glasses on. Even many with high myopia can do so but need to hold things closer to their eyes. David's wife developed the habit of full time wear which is good for her except around steam while cooking and on a rainy day.I try to distance myself from the steam or at least my face with glasses on. In summer I wear a baseball cap which often can sheild glasses from the raindrops. Of course a person showing up to work at an office probably would look a little out of place wearing a baseball cap to work.

Soundmanpt 28 Sep 2017, 07:51

David

I'm not really surprised that your girlfriend is still finding some things that she wasn't able to see or not see very well before she got her glasses. Probably as her eyes were slowing getting worse she wasn't even trying to see somethings anymore. So once she began to not be able to see things at a distance she just didn't bother. You have to remember even though you and her now have nearly the same prescription the way you both got there is completely different. Your first glasses were quite weak if you recall. You had a couple increases to get to where your at now. Your girlfriend didn't take the slow rode to where she is now. So she went from having perfect vision to where she is now. That's a pretty big jump. Now i'm sure she feels nearly blind without her glasses. Of course she isn't but her eyes have really changed from being perfect like she once was. I'm sure her job is the main reason. The good thing is she apparently always wanted to wear glasses. She's probably not thrilled that her eyesight is as blurry as it is without glasses now. But that's why I asked you if now that the newness of wearing glasses has wore off if she maybe has become more unhappy about wearing glasses once she found many of the things most people complain about. She has found a couple things annoying to her. I'm sure trying to cook when her glasses fog up has to be challenge. Taking her glasses off shouldn't be a problem for her because she should be okay seeing close up without her glasses except for seeing the timer across the kitchen. Trying to watch TV and get comfortable lying down is a very common problem for most glasses wearers. You almost need strap on sports goggles. You both need to try to make sure you take your glasses off before falling asleep. because you could wake up and find your glasses broken. If they come off in your sleep you could roll on them and break them. Your girlfriend isn't cleaning her glasses as much because she has adjusted to her glasses. Even though she was fine with getting glasses she still had to get used to wearing them full time and her eyes had to get used to seeing everything through lenses in front of her eyes. I doubt that her glasses really needed to be cleaned so much but rather just learning to wear glasses. I know you said a while ago that once your girlfriend got used to wearing glasses she rarely took them off anymore which is fine but you both should be able to read a book comfortably without your glasses? The computer is different of course so she does need to wear her glasses for that. But if both bale to read without your glasses you really should try and remember to take them off when you're doing a fair amount of reading. Also have you seen your girlfriends sister since she headed off to college? How is she doing with her glasses? When you were helping er pack to leave you said she was wearing her glasses all that evening. Is she pretty much wearing her glasses full time as well?

David 27 Sep 2017, 16:17

Soundmanpt

It has been around 4 months now but every once in a while my girlfriend will still point out something that she couldn't see or was difficult to do before she had glasses. We both watched the game last night and she is really getting into hockey which is pretty awesome and I'm sure that being able to see the game made all the difference from last year lol. It's great that she is a sports fan, actually she is probably a bigger sports fan than I am and now that she seems to be getting into hockey I'm sure we'll end up going to a few games this season. When I tried to watch the game without my glasses I found it horrible so I'm pretty sure that's why she never enjoyed hockey. Baseball is much slower and the way the plays are shown on TV makes it pretty easy to see even without glasses so I'd bet that's why she had no problems watching baseball even with her uncorrected vision the past few years. We are both completely used to wearing glasses now, in fact, I don't think I've work my contacts at all outside of the gym/sports since we got our glasses. It's pretty much second nature now to grab my glasses first thing in the morning and my girlfriend is the same way, they are just right there on the dresser next to the bed so it is easy to grab them right after waking up. Now that she has had glasses for a couple months she doesn't really complain about them getting dirty anymore however there are a few things that annoy her about having to wear glasses all the time. The biggest thing she complains about is having them fog up when she is cooking. The heat from the oven and the steam from the stove can make it really difficult to see properly when cooking and sometimes she will get fed up and just take her glasses off. It's not too much of a problem since most of cooking is up close but the timer we have is on the microwave on the other side of the room and without glasses on neither of us can really see it from the stove lol. The other thing that we both find annoying is that it can be hard to lie down and watch a movie or read a book comfortably and if we try to cuddle they can get in the way sometimes too lol. Also, we've both fallen asleep with our glasses on a few times, usually while watching tv, and that is always awful too. It sucks to wake up and have a sore nose or worse having them knocked off and you have no idea where they went.

NNVisitor

That sounds like what I used to do in high school, I didn't like my glasses at all and didn't use them much until my prescription got bad enough and I got contacts. It was difficult enough to try and watch the game on TV without glasses on, I can't imagine trying to see the puck from the seats in a stadium. I'm not sure what your prescription is but at -2.25/-1.75 I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to see the puck at all especially since I tend to get cheaper seats lol. I remember when I first got glasses I didn't wear them to the game but I brought them with me and I was really glad that I did.

NNVisitor 26 Sep 2017, 21:49

David

When I was young I rarely watched TV with my glasses on. Instead I sat close to the screen. In retrospect that certainly was not good for my eyes.

I went to some real NHL games live back in the days when Bobby Hull played and Glenn Hall was the Chicago goalie. I didn't wear my glasses and was absolutely lost as to who had the puck.

My highlight was getting autographs outside their dressing room after the game. They and others on the team signed a program that I had. Unfortunately I don't have that program with all the signatures from the Chicago team back then in the 1960's.

Soundmanpt 26 Sep 2017, 11:53

David

Nice to hear form you. Always nice to get an update on how the two of you are doing. I guess there are still some things that your girlfriend is still finding out how much wearing glasses makes a difference to her. It seems watching hockey is one of them. So you now have a girlfriend that sine she can see seems to enjoy watching hockey. She already enjoyed watching baseball even without being really able to see it very well until recently. I think your one lucky guy to have a girlfriend that seems to enjoy sports. That's what every guy wants I think. It makes sense though, if she wasn't able to see the puck it would be very hard for anyone to enjoy watching hockey. I just looked back she got her glasses near the end of May. So she has had her glasses for about 4 months. You would think in that much time she would have found everything that she wasn't seeing properly by now but she is still finding things that she had been missing out on. By now you both should be used to wearing your glasses without much thought about them. I know she was actually excited about getting glasses and the only time she she seemed less than confident about wearing her glasses was shortly after she got them and you were about to have dinner with her parents and sister. She was even considering taking her glasses off before going in but you convinced her to keep them on. If you hadn't been their supporting her she probably would have taken them off. Otherwise she must have been fine with others seeing her wearing glasses for the first time. Now that the newness of having glasses has worn off a bit has she even complained about her glasses at all? By now i'm sure she has encountered things like rain and things like going from cold to warm and having her glasses fog over. Or maybe trying to get comfortable laying down trying to watch TV and having her glasses get mashed against her face.

So now I guess you and her will be going to some hockey games? I'm looking forward to hockey as well. Not a great year for baseball around here. I'm hoping the Cardinals go after Stanton. Do you know we haven't had a 100RBI guy since Albert left?

Lou 26 Sep 2017, 09:55

Hi Paul

Thank you very much for your response and further clarification.

When you mention my example, I guess that you are referring to me quoting my own prescription. In my case, although my refractive error is very small, I can see better when adding correction, with my visual acuity improving from 6/6 in each eye to 6/5+1. As well as greatly reducing eye strain, I do also notice an improvement in my eye sight at all distances with my glasses. I therefore believe that my hypothetical person is someone with either no refractive error, or one so small, that adding any correction does not improve their acuity at all. In both these cases, as you say, their best corrected vision would be with zero sphere and zero cylinder correction.

For this hypothetical person, I both fully understand and agree with your explanation, that a -0.50 correction would not result in them seeing distances more clearly, and would result in a slight deficit in their near vision.

Best wishes

Lou

Paul 25 Sep 2017, 20:17

Lou -- delayed response to your September 9 post, with this question: "Would this result in slightly better long distance vision at the deficit of slightly worse close vision, or more specifically, would this move the far point of focus further out at the deficit of also moving the near point of focus further out?"

Your hypothetical was a person "with no refractive error." I think this would mean (but this is worth checking) that the person has their best corrected acuity with zero sphere and zero cylinder correction; they can't see any better by adding correction, though they might see equally well with certain small corrections (including your example). So your question is basically whether a -0.50 correction would change what this person sees. At distance, their eye would have to accommodate the half-diopter for the image to be focused clearly...most people can do this easily. Would they see more or less clearly? Definitely not *more* clearly, as defined by the hypothetical scenario...if the -0.50 made things clearer, then the person DOES have a refractive error. And I would guess not *less* clearly either; 0.5 diopter creates hardly any minification and the eye's focusing mechanism doesn't add much astigmatism.

At near, the -0.50 would hurt this person's ability to see close up, but only slightly.

David 25 Sep 2017, 16:11

It's been a couple of months since I last posted but something kinda funny happened last night. I was watching the hockey game and my girlfriend decided to sit down and watch it with me. She has never really been into hockey and usually doesn't ever watch it at all. However, last night she was really getting into the game and seemed to be really enjoying watching it, even asking me about the rules and other stuff during the game. After the first period I said something like I didn't think you liked hockey that much. She replied that she never knew it was that exciting to watch because she always had a hard time following what was going on and couldn't understand what was happening during the game. It occurred to me that this was probably the first time she had seen a hockey game since she got her glasses earlier this summer and that she probably couldn't see the puck too well before. When the second period started I took off my glasses to see how hard it would be to watch that way and it was really hard to follow the action and even harder to see the puck properly. My girlfriend must have seen me squinting and making funny faces at the TV while trying to see the game because she just burst out laughing and said that about sums up her experience watching hockey before last night. I tried to last as long as I could without my glasses but gave up after about 5 minutes and threw my glasses back on lol, I can't imagine trying to watch a whole game like that. She seemed to really enjoy the game which is amazing because I'm a really big hockey fan and she even sounded interested in going to a few games once the regular season starts. Even after 4 months she is still discovering little things that make her glad she got glasses even more lol.

Cactus Jack 24 Sep 2017, 06:26

Vision occurs in the brain. 3 D vision requires 2 very slightly different images from your two eyes that are spaced only 6 to 7 cm (2.3 to 2.8 inches) apart. It is something the brain has to learn how to do. If the images are very different in size on the Retina, it is much harder to do. It is even possible for a person who has vision in only one eye to develop a sense of spatial relationships, usually related to object size, but it takes time process the image. Poor 3 D vision makes it difficult to play ball sports because of the time required to process the image(s). By the time you figure out where the ball is, it is too late to do anything about it.

Even excellent vision with both eyes, does not always provide accurate spatial relationships (3 D). Consider optical illusions that use object size to deceive the brain into thinking something is not where it seems to be or not the object appears to be.

IF a person has vision in both eye AND If there is a significant difference between the two images, the brain will typically select the best image and use that as the primary vision source and either ignore the other image completely (e.g. Amblyopia) or pick up a few additional visual clues from the other image.

3 D imaging methods, where two separate images are delivered to the Retinas, using physical separation (View Master or Stereopticon devices) or optical separation (polarized or red/blue glasses) are excellent training devices.

There have been cases where a person was unable to see 3 D and suddenly developed the ability. I know of two, but there are probably more. One was on TV where a woman in her 40s, who had Amblyopia, was driving and suddenly the brain turned on the previously blind eye. As she described it, the steering wheel suddenly appeared to jump out at her and from then on she had 3D vision. The other was one of our members who was severely cross-eyed because of some missing eye muscles. He also did not have all the lenses in his eyes, probably because of Rubella during gestation. He had to wear very high Plus glasses with lots of prism. I dont remember the exact circumstances, but one day the two images matched up enough that he suddenly saw one 3 D image. It didnt last very long, but as he described it, It scared the hell out of me.

If there is a considerable difference in the prescription for each eye, contact lenses, which minimize Vertex Distance effects on image size, can often provide good 2 D vision. One very important thing to remember is that everyone is different and a solution that works for someone else may not work for you.

Crystal Veil 24 Sep 2017, 01:52

Weirdeyes,

I have always been exactly on the threshold you mention and your assumption is right. No 3 D vision at all for me. As a result, no driving license either. Over the years, my prescription shifted from minus to mainly plus but the four diopter gap always remained the same. I have done mountain climbing all my life. No vertigo at all.

Weirdeyes 23 Sep 2017, 21:40

At what degree of anisometropia do people no longer have depth perception? I have 3 diopters of it and I can still watch 3D movies without glasses so I do have some depth perception. But I do fail all depth perception tests and can't deal with ball sports. So my depth perception isn't too great. I have no trouble passing depth perception tests with my glasses. When I'm only wearing my right contact lens, which gives me 4D difference between my eyes I do notice my depth perception is absolutely terrible. So maybe 4D is the threshold instead of 2 or 3 like I've heard.

Gregin Colo 18 Sep 2017, 20:15

Thanks Ric for the article you shared, very interesting and informative. Especially interesting to me was section 5 showing the lenses profiles for varying degrees of high myopia.

ric 18 Sep 2017, 03:47

Tom, here they explain how the lenses distrance from the eye varie the correction:

http://www.pointsdevue.com/article/high-myopia-specificities-refraction-and-optical-equipment#tab2

For high myopes is pretty notticeable, i can read well small prints just moving 2 mm my glasses.

Weirdeyes 16 Sep 2017, 22:42

Tom

I think people with stronger minus can increase their prescription a bit by wearing their glasses closer to their eyes. Low minuses can't really do that.

Tom 16 Sep 2017, 22:32

Having lunch with colleagues last week, and a female coworker who had not joined us the day before told us it was because she had been to her ophtalmologist for a check-up. She was surprised that he prescribed her an increase from -5.5 to -7.0, as she had not expected such big raise because not having real problems seeing with her -5.5 glasses.

It told this to my partner in the evening, and she could hardly believe it. She is myopic herself, but only with -1.5, and she said a same change for her, from -1.5 to -3.0, would be a huge increase, and she could not imagine my coworker not having had big trouble with her -5.5 lenses while in fact needing -7.0.

We had a long discussion about this, and my idea was that a 1.5 increase from -5.5 to -7.0 is indeed less "brutal" for a person, than a same 1.5 increase from -1.5 to -3.0, because the latter is x2 and the former "only" x1.27. My partner did not agree, saying an increase of 1.5 is as bad and vision-wise identical for anybody whether starting from -1.5 or -5.0. She said she sometimes try on colleagues' glasses when someone comes with new frames to the offices, and she can really tell the difference between looking through -3.0, -6.0 or higher.

So can you help? Does a 1.5 increase make the same difference for a -1.5, a -4.0 or a -6.0 person?

Stavy 14 Sep 2017, 10:38

Okay, I will let my doctor know. I am studying biomedical engineering.

Cactus Jack 11 Sep 2017, 10:19

Stacy,

It is very difficult to offer a suggestion. I am assuming the double vision with Red text is occurring primarily when you are reading. It could be caused by convergence problems related to the location of the optical center ("sweet spot") of the lenses or actual convergence issues. With high prescription lenses, the best visual acuity and least distortion occurs when looking thru the optical center of the lenses. When you read, your eye have to converge and you are not looking thru the "sweet spot" and any chromatic aberration in your glasses will be more apparent.

The plastic lens material with the best Abbe (aberration) number is CR-39. It also has the lowest Index of Refraction of about 1.49. That unfortunately means that the lenses will be thicker than the materials with a higher index. It is very tempting for people who need high prescriptions to order glasses with high index lenses to make the lenses thinner, but the downside of the lenses is that they can have some optical issues.

I think you should talk to your ECP and tell him/her about your double vision issues.

May I ask what you are working on in Grad School?

Stacy 11 Sep 2017, 06:06

So, I should not be worried about seeing double with red print? Just want to make sure because I am still slightly confused. I am 22 and am currently working part time and going to Grad School full time.

Cactus Jack 10 Sep 2017, 16:19

Stacy,

If your prescription is written in the traditional order it

OD Right Eye Sphere -8.25, Cylinder -2.00, Axis 170

OS Left Eye Sphere-8.75, Cylinder -1.75, Axis 125

There can be a few optional things after that, such as Prism (BO, BI, BU or BD), Add or special instructions and maybe PD (Pupillary Distance).

I doubt if the pinhole glasses have much chance of working. To amplify what Antonio said, you need ONE very small pinhole. It is very unlikely that you could do both eyes at the same time without seeing double.

The red print issue is not uncommon if you have prism in your glasses. With your prescription you could see some color displacement and color fringing if you look thru the lens, away from the edge, because of how lenses work.

One of the uses for a prism is to break up a beam of white light into its component colors. If you look at a prism end on, you will notice a point called the Apex. The surface opposite the Apex is the Base of the prism.

A lens is used to bend light rays. If you can imagine this, a MINUS lens consists of an infinite number of very thin prisms arranged in a circle with their Apexes in the center and the Bases on the outside. A PLUS lens is the opposite with the prism bases in the center and the Apexes outside. When light passes thru the lens it gets broken up into its component colors of light. Blue light gets deflected the most and Red light is deflected the least, but the eye is actually more sensitive to red than blue and so it is more noticeable. The amount of the deflection is determined by the prescription.

May I ask your age and occupation?

antonio 10 Sep 2017, 06:45

Hi Stacy,

Such high prescriptions are difficult to correct using pin hulole glasses maybe. If so they should be used in good daylight and with very small pinholes

Best regards, antonio

Stacy 09 Sep 2017, 14:33

Oh, my prescription is -8.25 and -8.75 and some other numbers, but that is what my doctor said in the last exam, and he said the other numbers were for something else I cannot remember. According to the card the numbers are -8.25, -2.00, 170, -8.75 -1.75, and 125.

Stacy 09 Sep 2017, 14:28

I see double usualy with like red print for some reason. I never thought much about it, that is the only times it happens.

Cactus Jack 09 Sep 2017, 13:30

Stacy,

It would be helpful if you posted your complete prescription.

The double vision thing, with the pinhole glasses, is probably related to how the Eye Position Control System (EPCS) works. You may have a bit of Strabismus, where your eyes would like to point in slightly different directions, many people do. It is sometimes called Muscle Imbalance, as a catch-all name.

If the EPCS has two good images to work with, it can typically fuse the two image, if they are moderately displaced, in a fraction of a second without your being aware that it is doing it. If the Strabismus is high enough to cause difficulty in fusing the images or maintaining fusion, you may need some Prism correction in your glasses. (I do).

There are some simple tests that you can do at home to get a good idea of how hard your EPCS is working to fuse images.

If you don't have problems with double vision when wearing your glasses, don't worry about it.

Stacy 09 Sep 2017, 11:20

I am nearsighted, I wear my glasses most of the time, I thought the pinhole glasses were supposed to make everything clear like my glasses do, but it was hard to see in those because the grid was in the way and I would see double of everything.

Lou 09 Sep 2017, 10:57

Hi Paul

Re, your following post, could I ask you a few questions, which I'd please be interested in your response:

Soundmanpt, please stop suggesting a person with 20/20 vision c an get 20/15 vision by wearing -0.50 additional correction. It does not work that way. Everyone has some "best corrected visual acuity", at which most people see 20/20, quite a lot see 20/15, and a few see 20/12 or 20/10. An eye doctor should, and typically does, prescribe the refraction for a person's best corrected acuity. To do otherwise would be failing to provide due service. In an eye exam, the whole "which is better, one or two?" Routine stops when one and two are the same.

My understanding is that most healthy adults without any underlying eye condition or health condition that effects their eyes, are able to achieve 20/20 vision with best correction if needed, that lots of people are able to achieve 20/15 under the same conditions, and that some people can even achieve 20/10.

Regarding having 20/20 uncorrected vision, I suppose that there is a difference between someone whose visual system is only capable of seeing 20/20, and somebody who is capable of seeing 20/15 or even 20/10, but is not seeing any better than 20/20 owing to an uncorrected refractive error.

I myself fall into the category. I'm British, so my visual acuity is described in metric. I wear a very small prescription full time owing to eye strain without glasses. My uncorrected vision is 6/6 but I can see 6/5 + 1 (which I understand to be the 6/5 line + 1 letter from the 6/4 line) with best correction, which in my case is:

R +0.50 Sphere -0.50 Cylinder Axis 92

L +0.25 Sphere -0.25 Cylinder Axis 85

In my case therefore, to obtain approximately 20/15 vision rather than 20/20 vision, I need a plus prescription in one meridan.

I suppose however that if a person had no refractive error at all, wearing a prescription of -0.50 would make them slightly long-sighted.

Would this result in slightly better long distance vision at the deficit of slightly worse close vision, or more specifically, would this move the far point of focus further out at the deficit of also moving the near point of focus further out?

Many thanks

Lou

Cactus Jack 09 Sep 2017, 10:53

Stacy,

Those pinhole glasses are pretty much worthless. Sometimes people who need vision correction will notice a difference looking thru a pinhole or button hole. If you don't notice much difference, you probably don't need any correction or very little correction. I don't think there is anything wrong, but there is no way for me to tell from here.

You did't mention your age, but if you have not had an eye exam in a long time, it is not a bad idea. If nothing else, it gives you a baseline.

Very mild refractive errors are very hard for an individual to detect. Some like simple farsightedness (Hyperopia) without Astigmatism can be corrected internally, without your being aware that you are doing it. Nearsightedness( Myopia) and Astigmatism cannot be corrected except by contact lenses or glasses.

Another thing about mild refractive errors is that Vision actually occurs in the brain. The eyes are merely biological cameras. If the eyes are delivering a blurry or distorted image, the brain can correct it, IF it knows what something is supposed to look like. Your brain can even produce images without any input. Ever had a dream?

If you decided to get an eye exam (I think you should) you might want to review "How to Study for an Eye Exam" on the Vision and Spex page. If you want to read it and can't find it, let me know.

Stacy 08 Sep 2017, 19:43

The glasses I got were free, I would not spend my money on those. Why are you reccomending I get my eyes checked? Do you think there is something wrong? Is that why I could not see right thru the pinhole glasses?

Cactus Jack 08 Sep 2017, 16:11

Stacy,

Pinhole glasses, where there is an array of holes (many more than one hole) are really not very useful for vision purposes, but they demonstrate a principle of optics and improve the bank account of the person selling them. Eye Care Professionals sometimes use a single pinhole to see if it is possible to correct a person's vision with glasses. Sometimes it is just not possible. In a pinch, looking thru the holes of a large button can sharpen an image.

A single pinhole acts like a camera lens with a very high "f" stop. I won't go into the technical reasons of what happens optically, but the tiny hole has a VERY broad range of useful focus (photographers call it "Depth of Field", but the downside of using a pinhole is that not much light gets thru the hole.

The pinhole is good for some tests, but it should never be worn for most visually intensive tasks. Never for driving and never in low light conditions where every photon is important.

If you have not had one recently, I urge you to strongly consider an eye exam, even if you think your vision is perfect. The eyes are windows into the body and often other health issues are first detected on an eye exam, when it is usually easy to do something about them.

Stacy 08 Sep 2017, 14:05

Hi, I found a pair of pinhole glasses and I remembered reading about them years ago, so i tried giving them a shot. I am not pleased. It is hard to see with them, not only fo I see the grid, I feel like I see double of everything sometimes, one is darker and clearer and one is like a shadow below the actual image. Why are the glasses not working for me? Is this hiw everyone sees with them? I thoughy they were supposed to make everything clearer, guess not.

Soundmanpt 07 Sep 2017, 09:18

Paul

I get you point but aren't we picking hairs here. All I was suggesting is that someone with 20/20 vision if they were to wear -.50 glasses they are going to see slightly better than they do without glasses and about the same as having 20/15 vision. Yes the sharper someone can see the 20/20 line they in fact may be seeing 20/12 with -.50 glasses. I know for a fact that many doctors will prescribe -.50 glasses with AR coating for people complaining that they have some difficulty seeing to drive after dark event though they have 20/20 vision. The -.50 glasses is just enough to sharpen their vision muc like HD vision.

Paul 06 Sep 2017, 17:38

Cactus Jack 06 Sep 2017, 17:27

Latent Hyperopia and Pseudo Myopia are actually the same thing, involving the Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline Lenses.

If a person is Hyperopic, it can be corrected internally by using the Ciliary Muscles to squeeze the Crystalline Lenses to add some corrective PLUS. If they do that long enough, the Ciliary Muscles will have trouble relaxing fully. The same thing happens if a person focuses close for long periods.

The name used depends pretty much on the underlying refractive error. If a person has a low refractive error, they may appear to be Myopic and need Minus lenses to compensate for the extra Plus produced by the Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline Lenses. If they are actually Hyperopic, within the available Accommodation Range, they may appear to have normal or near normal vision, until they start wearing external Plus correction - for any reason - and the Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline Lenses start to relax.

When the Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline Lenses relax the person will need more external Plus or Less external Minus depending on their actual refractive error.

JC 06 Sep 2017, 16:00

I've been a long term GOCer and love experiencing all different kinds of refractive errors. Today I had a dilated exam for the first time in years, and therefore a sneak peak at presbyopia (I'm 37). I hated it! Wearing contacts I couldn't see anything on the credit card machine to pay, and afterwards at home even using OTC readers I wasn't very happy. This is the first time I didn't enjoy experiencing a visual condition. But I suppose a few years down the road I'll have to get used to it.

Myke 06 Sep 2017, 13:45

This is a very interesting topic, I believe there is a lot of truth to inducing myopia, if this pattern starts a young age I think the eye growth can be affected and it will become permanent. However if you start wearing correction after your in your late 20's it may be just pseudo myopia. I think the same can be true if hyperopia is over corrected at a young enough age it may slow the eye growth... I would imagine once you get up to a -4 it is pretty hard to go down. In my late 20's I started with -0.5 and after a few years I was up to -1.0 but never really wore them full time so in the morning my distance was pretty good. As it turned out that was all self induced by picking the blacker sharpest image over the years at exams, and doing a lot of really close work. When I got to my late 30's I was Plano with just astigmatism correction, now a few years later I'm +1.0 still single vision specs but I'm sure I'll be in bi-focal's soon. When presbyopia starts to set in you will find out if any of the myopia was induced. I'm pretty sure I should have been Hyperopic my whole life, plus it runs in my family, but lack of eye exams at a young age and a lot of really close work after college lead to a weak myopic prescription for a lot of years.

M 05 Sep 2017, 18:00

I don't think anyone goes to the options and has the same prescription each year. If they gave -0.50 each year it wouldn't take that many years before you are blind without them. I'm nearsighted at -4.00 and I'm blind without glasses and I don't think my prescription is high. I have friends in there 30s that have never been to the opticians for a eye exam and they don't need glasses. I think it's best not to go to the opticians at all and maybe you won't get nearsighted

Soundmanpt 05 Sep 2017, 13:38

Your suspicions are at least true in some cases anyway. It's true that most optometrists are independent from the store they work at. But I personally know of at least one case where that didn't stop the manager of the store from suggesting the doctor give small increases needed or not needed because she needed the glasses sales.You're right I can tell you that if you want to encourage someone to get glasses all you need to do is have the try on a pair of glasses with -.50 lenses in them. What this prescription does to someone with perfect eyesight is change their vision from being 20/20 to an even better 20/15. In other words unless they have had their eyes examined recently they instantly see an improvement in their vision so they think they need glasses. So yes an optometrist could easily put -.50 lenses in the refractor and and the patient is going to see better. And that would work even for someone already needing and wearing glasses. I wonder how many have gotten their eyes examined and thought they did great and had the doctor say he / she was going to sharpen things up a bit for them. The doctor could just be giving them an increase of -.50 even though it wasn't needed.

Several years ago I found this out myself by accident. I was with, and still with, a non profit vision group that helps low income people gt glasses. Anyway that also allowed me to have a mice selection of sample glasses to show people to pick out glasses from.They all ahd weak prescriptions between -.50 to -1.00 so thye could be used to show how glasses would benefit them. Anyway a freind of mine knew that I was doing that so when she got her eyes examoned and was prescribed glasses I told her I could save her lots of money for her glasses. She didn't have insurance so she was glad for my offer. She was working at a sports bar and she suggested I meet her their. We met during the afternoon which was a slow time for a bar. I had about 50 sample pairs of glasses for her to look at and try on. We barely got started and several of her co workers came over to see what was going on. It didn't take long before they were all trying on glasses.My friend picked out the pair she wanted and gave her prescription so zi could order her glasses. But the others were still very busy trying on glasses. One of the girls seemed more interested than the others.The others finally went back to work but she stayed and had 3 pairs in front of her that she said she liked. She even asked if she could go look in the mirror? She came back and asked me how much they cost. I told her they were $20.00 and $5.00 for shipping. She pulled out $25.00 and said she wanted them. I told her she didn't need to pay until her glasses came in and that it would take about 2 weeks. I asked her if she already had her prescription thinking that she probably was wearing contacts. She said that she had perfect vision I told her that was fine and I would order her glasses as non prescription. She asked why she couldn't just buy my sample pair. I told her that they have a prescription in them. She put them on again and said that she could see even better wearing the glasses and she fine with them having a prescription. After a little of me trying to talk he rout of it I finally said fine as long as she was aware they were prescription.She paid me and walked away wearing her new glasses. When my friends glasses came in I e-mailed her to find out when she would be working so I could get her glasses to her. When I got their the first person I saw when I went in was the girl that bought my sample pair and she was wearing them. She came over and she was thanking me again for her glasses. She said she loved them and everyone likes how she looks wearing glasses. She started telling me how much better she could see with her glasses and how things weren't as clear without her glasses. She just assumed that she really needed glasses after all.

M 05 Sep 2017, 12:41

So many people are nearsighted but I wounder if some of them really needed glasses in the beginning. When you think about the optician is not going to make any money if you have 2020 vision. So they could tell you you need a prescription and then you keep going back every year and get a updated prescription. At say only -2.00 you would be stuck wearing glasses/lens? Then they are making money out of you every year for the eye exam new glasses and contacts. It's not cheap being nearsighted!

Soundmanpt 01 Sep 2017, 10:26

Michael

What has happened to your friend is very common during pregnancy. If fact I think about 50% of women that become pregnant either become nearsighted for the first time or if they already are nearsighted they will need a stronger prescription. Of course everyone's eyes are different and so is the amount of change in their eyes. Your friend will still be wearing glasses after she has her baby. Once the eyes have been lengthened they won't go back again. About a month after she has her baby she needs to get her eyes examined if she wants glasses in her correct prescription. Otherwise she can continue to wear her friend's spare pair of -2.25 glasses as long as she doesn't need them back.

Michael 01 Sep 2017, 09:28

A female friend of me never wear glasses in life. Now she is pregnant and I sax her wearing glasses. She told me that she had problems to see well in distance since july. A friend of her wear glasses for myopia ans she tried them on and she could see so much better with them on. Her doctor told her that eyesight could be chance in Pregnancy.

So she got a spare-pair of her friend for better vision in distance. I asked about the strength and she said it was -2,25 diopters in each eye. She also tried an older pair with -1,75, could see well with them but don`t like the frame.

Then I asked how often she wear them and she answered that since then she wear them constantly.

When her child will be born, she hopes her good eyesight come back.

Soundmanpt 31 Aug 2017, 09:24

I forgot to add that -.50 glasses isn't nearly enough the change her eyesight. You need to hope that she might decide that she likes her looks better with glasses and she might want her glasses to be stronger looking to others seeing her in glasses.

Soundmanpt 31 Aug 2017, 09:19

On the way to get glasses

So you need to tell a little bit more about yourself as well as your wife in order to provide you with a realistic answer. First of all what are your ages? Are you attempting to induce myopia? You apparently ordered glasses on line for yourself and your wife. You ordered -.50 glasses for your wife but you didn't say what you ordered for yourself. You seem to feel that wearing glasses is benefiting you based on being able to read road signs more clearly at night. Your wife likes her glasses and quickly noticed the jump in clarity and sharpness of color. She apparently is already very comfortable wearing glasses if she came home wearing them and forgot she was even wearing them. But only wearing them sparingly shouldn't have any real effect on her eyes. For her glasses to cause any change in her eyesight in most cases she needs to be no older than her early twenties and she would need to start wearing her glasses completely full time. At this point she seems to enjoy wearing them around the house but she might be a bit shy about being seen wearing glasses in public so far. When she went out the other night wearing glasses was she meeting friends on just going a store or somewhere she wasn't planning on seeing anyone she knew? If you like seeing her wearing glasses you need to encourage her by telling her how good she looks wearing glasses if you haven't already been doing that.

Cactus Jack 31 Aug 2017, 09:16

Eloise,

I believe you asked about two different things related to being nearsighted. Myopia is generally caused by the eyeball having grown too long for the PLUS power of your eye's lens system. if the eyeball grows too long, it places stress on the tissue that attaches the Retina to the back of the eyeball

VERY nearsighted (Myopic) people have to be aware of an increased risk of Retinal Detachment, but that depends on two things. The amount of the nearsightedness and the strength of the attaching tissue. People with weak attaching tissue can have Retinal Detachment even if they are not nearsighted. Sometimes, a blow to the head can cause Retinal Detachment, if you are prone to it. You may have posted your complete prescription before, but it would be helpful if you reminded us of it.

Cataracts can affect anyone at any time in their life, but I don't know if their is any any increased risk because you are nearsighted. Cataracts are typically the clouding of the Crystalline Lens. However, there can be other problems with the Crystalline Lens that require removal and hopefully the replacement of the lens with an Intra Ocular Lens (IOL). Modern Cataract surgery is nothing to fear these days.

Cataract surgery can be a life changing event. It can restore lost vision to near normal by minimizing or eliminating refractive errors by choosing the appropriate IOL power. If IOLs are not possible, a rare condition these days, then high PLUS (cataract) glasses may be necessary.

At 25, it is likely that the typical increasing nearsightedness has slowed significantly or stopped. Was there much difference between the Sphere correction in your most recent prescription and the previous one? Also, the time interval between the prescriptions is important.

Eloise 31 Aug 2017, 05:10

I'm nearsighted been wearing glasses and lenses for years.. is it dangerous to be nearsighted for cataracts detached retenier? My optician says it's normal and my prescription is a little higher than average but no problem with glasses and tells me to make the eye exam every year. I'm 25 and blind so allways wear glasses

On the way to get glasses 29 Aug 2017, 03:53

I guess I am not "On the way to get glasses" any more. I am realizing that I night I really need them to read signs although for daytime driving I am borderline. I ordered a spare pair on line, and also per suggestion ordered a pair just -.50 each eye for my wife. They don't work for me but she tried them and likes them...says she sees a bit of a jump in clarity and blackness. She also likes the look. Per the induced myopia thread I wonder if they will have an effect on her vision if she wears them often. So far she has only worn them in the house and she took them last night when she went out in the car. When I commented when she got back she was surprised as she forgot she was wearing them.

281 21 Aug 2017, 09:51

NNVisitor

Visual health services are usually much lower for populations in remote, isolated areas for poor access to transport . Also for the populations that suffer from poor access to information.

That optical store in a small city / large town at Northeastern end of Sichuan Plain , the optician was describing the scene where the urbanization was almost complete, previously isolated rural age 50 are now settling at the poorer fringe of the city, with services arranged by the regional authority. At least, the previously isolated populations in rural Sichuan Plains, are now more connected than before, they are now able to diagnose conditions that have neglected in the rural 20th century.

Their services was generally limited but slowly advancing. homogeneity across regions are high due to modern media such as internet .

NNVisitor 21 Aug 2017, 00:16

281

People on farms live a different way of life. Many can adapt to being nearsighted and not wearing glasses. Even if the do some reading just bring the book closer. Sit closer to the TV.

In cities children going to schools are often screened for vision problems. Or a teacher notices a vision problem. Or parents take their children for regular eye exams.

Affluence and modern city life are typically vision conscious and many people accept wearing glasses or just wear contact lenses. Some go around without correction but no as common in more rural areas that are poorer regions.

281 20 Aug 2017, 03:54

They end up with ciliary muscles poorly accustomed for glasses correction. They also lack awareness about visual defects. Soundman the missouri optometrist would know, clients who have better visual health awareness often have better outcome because they tend to follow the instruction from the optometrist. Clients who lack awareness about visual defects, may frequently have difficulty to follow instructions.

281 20 Aug 2017, 03:42

Quote soundman

"I wonder why she is claiming to have good eyesight when her glasses clearly have a rather decent prescription? And her job clearly doesn't require protective lenses."

I find her claim not typical for such girls who love to tag their work .

This happens very frequently for some situation, usually not from instagram users. Instagram users tend to be highly self conscious about details, tag their photos orderly.

When there is a lack of object for comparison. What is "Good" , what is "bad" , some girls have "interpretation" differ from optometrist or optical industry. Some girls may consider, needing minus 5 or minus 10 does not mean "bad eyesight" .

Typical situation for such girls can be, the girl never had 20/20 eyesight in childhood . The girl may wrongly think, needing minus 10 but the uncorrected eyesight is still acceptable.

I had met a optician talked about dealing with such client, who are typically never wore glasses until age 30 40 50 etc , tend to very stubborn, refute opticians advice about their severe prescription, claim they see only slight blur. Such client are very difficult to deal with, because they typically have poor correction with glasses, having lived without glasses for 30 40 50 years. The optician worked in an area which had widespread poverty until recent years, that is in Sichuan Province, at a second tier city at supposedly fertile Sichuan Plain area. The population there can be families of farmers who typically believe glasses are for the higher social class. They, from the lower social class and isolated from large cities, believed they deserve not able to afford glasses, they often heard glasses was expensive and not affordable.

Cactus Jack 19 Aug 2017, 14:19

Natty,

It is very likely.

There are two kinds of Myopia. Axial or True Myopia where there is a mismatch between the length of the eyeball and the total PLUS power of your eye's optical system. It is considered permanent. There is also Pseudo or False Myopia. That is caused by your Ciliary Muscles having difficulty fully relaxing. It is considered temporary, but temporary can be a long time in an environment where you constantly focus close (e.g. in University). A person can have both and the effects are additive.

If you are 24 and serious, you can probably wear glasses with more Minus. Just order some glasses online with this prescription:

OD -3.25

OS -3.50 -0.25 022

(I am assuming that the prescription was listed in the traditional order of Right Eye (OD) first.

Wear them full time. When those get comfortable, bump the sphere another diopter. DO NOT make any adjustments to the Cylinder and Axis.

May I ask your Major?

Natty 19 Aug 2017, 10:35

Today's a big day for me. I look forward to your comments!

Natty 19 Aug 2017, 10:33

PART 3

I'm not sure I'll ever have another increase at 24 but I'm studying very hard so it is possible. My only remaining vision dream is to become a true moderate myope (worse than -3) so that I can have the pleasure of being told that my glasses will be too thick if they're made using CR39 lenses. Can't believe that somebody with perfect vision has gotten to the point where their glasses need to be thinned. Love it. Thought I'd share.

Let me know if you think I'll ever get past -3...

Natty 19 Aug 2017, 10:31

PART 2

From no glasses to near moderate myopia in only 4-5 years (in my early 20s not in my teens!). Better still, no manipulation (other than demanding absolutely perfect vision during exams). Unfortunately, my pupils are large so I find reading the 20/20 line difficult even with glasses but I managed at today's eye exam!

Natty 19 Aug 2017, 10:30

My vision success story. PART 1

I've wanted glasses ever since I was a child but I had good vision. Fortunately, when I was 19 I got my first glasses at -0.50 and -0.75. Next upgrade came 10 months later. I was now in the -1 range. Soon I moved up to -1.25 and -1.50. By late 2015, I was -1.75 in both eyes (the optician was quite stunned because I told her I wasn't a glasses wearer!).

Had an online test earlier this year (self administered) and ballooned up to -2.25 and -2.50. Thought it was impossible. I bought the -2.25 and -2.50 glasses for fun (low cost) and wore only when I needed absolutely perfect vision (very, very rarely). Since my other glasses were broken or scratched, I wore a -1.25 and -1.50 as my regular glasses for a long time. Then, I decided to get a legitimate eye exam because I'm about to start a new academic program. That was today.

This is what the legitimate prescription was:

-2.25

-2.50 -0.25 022

Natty 19 Aug 2017, 10:30

Test :)

Soundmanpt 11 Aug 2017, 15:59

On the way to get glasses

Just about what I expected she would see wearing your glasses. Based on what she said it sounds like her eyesight is still perfect or at least very close to being perfect. When she seeing through your right lens she was actually seeing the way she would if she had 20/15 vision. So her saying that things appeared brighter and sharper is the way she should see with your glasses. And when ehe was looking through your left lens i'm sure she could feel the difference to her eyes right away.Things would be even sharper or more detailed but also look smaller Having her do the same test at night she should see even better through your -.50 lens than she does without glasses. Not sure what she will say about seeing through your -1.00 lens at night.I'm not sure where you plan on testing her eyes but the darker the better. Maybe find a nice dark road somewhere with road signs at a distance. . Based on this little test it doesn't seem like she needs glasses and she doesn't seem to think so either. Maybe after doing your next test you should tell your wife that you're going to go on line to get a spare pair of glasses to keep in the car and a pair of prescription sunglasses and you ask her to help you pick out glasses that would look good on you. Most of the on line retailers you can put in your picture and do virtual try ons. Then convince her to put in her picture so she can try on glasses too. She will almost certainly find several pairs that she will admit she likes. Make a point to write down tee number of the ones she likes. Then without her knowing you simply order the one she liked the most with -.50 in the SPH areas. If she liked the way the glasses looked on line she would wear them because like she found out trying your glasses she didn't have any problem seeing just fine through your -.50 lens.

swimmer 11 Aug 2017, 15:44

Thanks. I'm 34 -so not so young!

Soundmanpt 11 Aug 2017, 15:26

swimmer

So I assume you mean your prescription is R -1.00 -.25 / L -1.00 -.25? if this s correct your actual vision is then around -1.13 in each eyes. You can take about half the value of your astigmatisms which is the -.25. So the goggles are going to be a little stronger than you need but you will be able to see better than you can without any correction. Being a competitive swimmer I assume that your rather young? So your eyes are still probably changing anyway so the -1.50 in the next 6 months or so might be pretty close to what your prescription will be by themn.

swimmer 11 Aug 2017, 15:07

My prescription is -1 -0.25 in each eye. I find it quite hard to see markers in open water races so looking to get prescription googles. The ones I like start at -1.5. Is this likely to be too strong or would they work?

On the way to glasses 11 Aug 2017, 07:12

Ah..she finally tried my glasses. The -.50, she says, brightens and sharpens distant letters, but the -1.00 sharpens but makes distant letters a bit smaller. But she insists she can see fine without them.

For me I notice much more of a difference now when I wear them for a while and then take them off. I have't had the courage to wear them full time..just around the house and when driving. When I first got them I think they made no difference during the day, but now there is a small difference in improved clarity. The difference at night is much more noticeable. I'll try to get her to try them more at night.

Soundmanpt 08 Aug 2017, 07:53

On the way to glasses

Your prescription as you know is rather weak. But as you're finding out even though you're able to make out road signs and store signs pretty well without your glasses your glasses do make them easier to see especially at night. When your looking over your glasses your actually only seeing those signs with your right eye. Your brain is automatically ignoring your left eye. If you were to cover your right eye with your hand and without glasses those signs will be much harder for you to make out what they say. Hard to say how well your wife will see wearing your glasses. It really depends on how good her eyesight is to start with. But even if she has perfect eyesight she should still be able to see pretty well wearing your glasses. You may need to have her test each eye separately since your you have a different prescription for each eye. I would suggest that you have her first cover her left eye with her hand while wearing your glasses. She should be able to see signs at a distance slightly better than she sees them without glasses. A -.50 is just enough over correction to provide her with 20/15 vision. Now have her reverse it and cover her right eye with her hand. If her eyesight is perfect she is likely going to comment that your glasses feel a little strong but if she keeps them on for several minutes her eyes should start to focus pretty well but things may appear a but smaller than her normal vision. Now of course if your wife's eyesight isn't perfect your -1.00 lens may make a bigger difference to her. So depending which way she sees better will determine if she needs glasses or not. Again I think she is going to like how she sees through your right lens for sure. If you're wanting or hoping that your wife might need glasses i can tell you that even if she has perfect vision if she is willing to start wearing glasses she could easily wear -.50 or -.75 glasses without any problem and see perfect wearing them. I'm surprised that your wife hasn't asked to try your glasses just to see how well see can see with them and to see how she looks wearing them.

On the way to glasses 08 Aug 2017, 07:08

I am 35. I don't read a lot but do use computer a lot. Got the glasses. They really don't do much during the day, but I can see how a night signs are much clearer with them. When I look over them I can see ok to drive, and can see the print on most store signs and street signs, but can read them easier looking thru them. I haven't had a chance to have my wife wear them yet..I wonder how she will see with them or what she will say.

Cactus Jack 04 Aug 2017, 13:43

On the way to glasses,

Welcome to the group. It is much more common than most people think because they don't know how vision works. Vision actually occurs in the brain, your eyes are merely biological cameras.

Your brain has the ability to correct the images it receives IF it knows what something is supposed to look like. Your brain can also produce images without any visual input. That is what happens when you dream or have hallucinations.

When there is a difference between the image quality from your eyes, which you have to a small extent, your brain will select the sharpest image and use that image as its primary source of data and supplement it, where possible with data from the other eye.

The -1.00L and -0.50R means that everything you see beyond 1 meter with your Left eye is increasingly blurry and everything beyond 2 meters you see with your

Right eye is increasingly blurry. For reading, you brain is probably using mostly your Left eye. For distance your brain is probably using mostly your Right eye.

I suggest that you consider wearing your glasses full time for 10 days to 2 weeks and then decide how often to wear them. A few things will happen.

That will give your brain time to develop an improved image processing algorithm and get used to a reduced image processing workload. This may cause you to initially think the glasses have made your vision worse. That is really not true. Really all that has happened is that your brain has become accustomed to working with quality images from both eyes. One of the benefits with having two high quality images is improved 3D vision and depth perception. If you decide to not wear your glasses, which you can, except maybe for driving, your brain will go back to using the old algorithm.

From the brain's point of view, your glasses are labor saving tools. I don't know about you, but I pretty quickly get attached to my labor saving gadgets and don't like to not be able to use them. A good example is electric screwdrivers. When they first became available, I turned up my nose, until I got one. Now I look for the electric screwdriver, even for 1 screw. I guess you could case that dependency.

With your low prescription, glasses will probably be optional, with the exception mentioned above.

You may have more questions and please feel free to ask them. May I ask your occupation and how much reading or close work you do, including using a computer?

One other item, sometimes the ES server is slow. When you click on the "SUBMIT" button and it turns Blue, your post is acceptable, but it may take a few seconds for it be uploaded. If you click a Blue SUBMIT button again, you will get a double or triple post.

Soundmanpt 04 Aug 2017, 13:29

On the way to glasses

Your experience is really very normal. That same thing has happened many times before. You take or go with someone to get an eye exam. Many times because they will dilate the eyes and it helps if someone else is driving. Next time have your wife take your son maybe she will find that she needs glasses just like you did.

On the way to glasses 04 Aug 2017, 11:46

My wife made an appointment for an exam for our 10 year old, but I had to take him. I went in with him for the exam. He did well, and doesn't need glasses, but when he read some of the lines I couldn't make out I asked the Dr if his vision was 20/20 or better than that, he wanted to know why I asked. I told him that my son could see better than me. He suggested I have an exam and scheduled me for this morning. I was prescribed glasses for distance, -1.00L and -0.50R He said I will see clearer with them, especially at night.

I am new to this glasses thing. Is it unusual for someone to find out accidentally that he needs glasses? How dependent will I be on them. (34 years old)

On the way to glasses 04 Aug 2017, 11:46

I am new to this glasses thing. Is it unusual for someone to find out accidentally that he needs glasses? How dependent will I be on them. (34 years old)

Maxim 01 Aug 2017, 12:13

to newglasseswearer

Gratulations!

You will be very happy with your glasses, and I wish you the very best!

Don't bother, your eyes will definitely NOT detoriate with glasses on, honestly, for sure!

My regards to your mom, she should be happy with you, - it is important that you have good vision now!

newglasseswearer 01 Aug 2017, 09:07

Hi everyone,

Yesterday, I got my first pair of glasses and I cannot believe how clear everything is! Now I actually want to watch TV because I can see everything on it! Also everything is so bright and colors are so vivid. Like i know everyone says this when they get glasses but can you believe it... there are leaves on trees?!!! It usually is all just one giant blob for me. School was one of the hardest times of my life as I literally could not copy down what the teacher was writing on the board even from the front row no matter how hard I squinted. Sometimes I would have to literally walk up to the board like about 6 inches away to see it clearly and it was really embarrassing but I didn't know how to copy down the notes another way. But anyways, I got my first pair yesterday around 4 pm. And when I tried them on in the store, I was BLOWN AWAY! I could see all the glasses around me in FULL detail! Then I took them off because my mom says that if I wear them often, my vision will deteriorate. Ugh it sucked when I took them off cause I literally could not see anything again. Then we went outside to walk to my mom's car and I put them on for a quick second and again I WAS BLOWN AWAY! (This was when I noticed the leaves on trees and people's faces from miles away!) My mom then said I could wear them on the way home to see what I was missing out on and I did and OMG in the car ride, I could see the time on the screen up front from the BACK ROW! I could also see road signs and wow it was quite an awakening. Then, when I got home, I took them off and everything was a BLUR! When I went to watch the TV, I decided to test out my glasses, and WOW IT WAS AMAZING! I could actually see letters on the screen and details of EVERYTHING! And I looked around my house and I could see so many details like the lines within my wooden floor! Went for a walk myself and everything was so clear and detailed and ughhhh I didn't realize how much i was missing out. But then I saw my friend from school and I was a little embarrassed to be wearing my glasses as I have never worn glasses till now. I can't wait to test them out at school on Monday but I'm a little afraid. I think I'm going to have to break the news to my mom that I will have to wear my glasses full time because I literally CANNOT see anything. I even have to wear them to see my computer clearly and in HD.

BTW, the doctor said my prescription is -3.25 in both eyes. Don't really know what that means but he said it was a super strong prescription for a first pair of glasses and now I can see why he said that!

Carrie 31 Jul 2017, 14:10

Cat I am so sorry to hear about your vision problems. I can't imagine what it must be like. I'm afraid I am unable to give you any advice even though I would if I could. I hope things don't get any worse.

Cat 30 Jul 2017, 10:59

Hi, I had another eye exam on Thursday. It did not go so great. My eyesight has been deteriorating for a while now. I had been a low vision patient, and on Thursday I made the jump to legeally blind. I am still in shock, and do not quite know what comes next. Does this change anything, I don't know. I don't know what I am supposed to do with this new piece of information. I did not have the best feeling going into Thursday's appointment, as the last few months have been especially hard for me. Just normal everyday stuff was harder. Reading, getting around, and doing normal stuff was getting harder. In the last month alone I bumped into so many things and people and eveb fell down a few times. Has anyone else gone through this? How did/do you get by? Also, does it get easier because right now I feel like everything is against me, and I am alone.

30calcat 23 Jul 2017, 13:33

It would be incorrect to call EyeQue's measurement a prescription because a prescription would have to be prescribed by a doctor.

The measurement is taken at some distance away from the eye, similar to the arbitrary vertex distance a phoropter is positioned in front of you at the doctor's office. If you need a zero vertex distance power for contacts, I believe ECPs today already calculate this by reducing the power from the phoropter measurement. I don't think there is a practical way to physically perform a refraction right on the surface of your eyeball. Seeing that you cannot order contacts without a prescription EyeQue doesn't help with that anyway.

One possible improvement of EyeQue would be to add another adjustment on the scope that would change the vertex distance. With my high minus lenses, the vertex distance difference in my frames easily changes the effective power almost 3 diopters. But taking a vertex distance measurement, especially on a pair of glasses that you don't even own yet, is not intuitive, and is probably more trouble than it is worth for a majority of people who have less than a quarter of my lens power.

NNVisitor 23 Jul 2017, 12:03

30calcat

I think that a lot of young people will be interested in purchasing the EyeQue device. They'll figure it's cheaper and more conveniant than an appointment with an Optometrist. For low nearsightedness or farsightedness with no or a tiny bit of astigmatism it probably will work well though I doubt many young people will be patient enough to do the test many times before ordering glasses. I expect the ordering will be mostly online for which they will need their correct PD.

Anyone with a moderate to high plus or minus correction requirements and those with a lot of astigmatism should still have regular checkups with an optometrist or an opthalmologist to check eye health and to obtain a precise prescription.

At about $30 for the device it should sell reasonablly well. They may possibly up the price to $35 to $40 if sales are really hot because that's how capitalism works.

Even if some people are dissappointed by the resulting eyeglasses that wind up at less than accurate prescription equivalent they'll conclude that they only spent $30 plus got a cheap online deal and it didn't break the bank.

JC 23 Jul 2017, 09:02

The EyeQue device sounds very interesting and I would love to get one to try out, but unfortunately they don't yet support my phone model. One thing I am curious about is they call their output eyeglass numbers, or something similar to avoid the term "prescription", and they hint at using them to order glasses from Zenni. Since they seem to be marketing towards eyeglasses rather then contacts I wonder if the device makes a correction for an assumed vertex distance? If not and it is giving 0 vertex distance numbers then some with higher "eyeglass numbers" (prescriptions) won't be happy if they order glasses based on it.

30calcat 22 Jul 2017, 18:39

As a basis for ordering glasses, you should definitely do multiple "full tests" to give the app sufficient data points to reach the "score" of 100. It is a fairly time consuming test compared to using an auto-refractor - plan to sit down for at least 30 minutes to take the 80+ readings required. It takes patience and some getting used to, to align the scope exactly perpendicular on all planes so that both green and red images are coming in equally and consistently. You don't have the benefit of having a chassis to set your chin and forehead up to like proper ECP equipment.

Also, the way the app is set up, you might not be able to go through the full test with multiple people. Your tests and data are stored and aggregated in a user account registered to the serial number of the EyeQue scope, You can't delete data from your account, so each new person would need a new account. I am not sure how many times EyeQue will let you use the same serial number to create a new account. I would think they would allow more than 1 to allow families to use the same scope but they might cut you off at some point.

Soundmanpt 22 Jul 2017, 17:05

Crystal Veil

You are correct I also remember seeing them for $19.95. It seems they must have found a big demand so they have raised the price. I am considering ordering it. I often come across young ladies that don't have health insurance meaning they don't have vision insurance either. If the "EyeQue" really works that well for simple prescriptions it will be well worth the $29.95. Right how all I can offer these ladies is several places That I have setup that will do a "take-along" prescription for that very same $30.00. But this of course could be used over and over for everyone.

"30calcat" based on your tests do you think for just doing tests for very simple prescriptions the "EyeQue" works well enough to order glasses using it?

Crystal Veil 22 Jul 2017, 16:40

Cactus Jack,

I just checked the links again and this time the price was $29.95 everywhere, including Zenni. No sign of the $18 anymore. I'm sure it was there in one post. Anyway, the new price is still OK.

30calcat 22 Jul 2017, 14:53

Eyeque was a few dollars less than $29.95 on Amazon, or you can get a 15% discount by joining their mailing list on their website.

To get quantitative cylinder output you have to do the "full test" multiple times to gather enough data points. It saves each test with a "score" that tracks how consistent your responses are getting. It seems that the app uses some aggregation of your responses to average out small variations in your responses, This makes sense to me, since I found myself hitting the + and - button back and forth trying to figure out "which is better: one, or two?" and they looked about the same. I finally sat down and did the test 4 times without wearing any lenses and saved all the results, and it produced a full readout including cylinder, Amazingly, the cylinder power indicated is exactly what I got at my eye exam, and the axis was different by only exactly 15 degrees.

NNVisitor 22 Jul 2017, 12:53

I was reading the latest postings here on my smartphone with my distance glasses on. Usually I need to take my glasses off to see the small print. I forgot to do so and I increased the print size. And surprise surprise to my amazement I can read it clearly. My add would be +2.50 if I had it so my eye muscles must be working amazingly well today.

Cactus Jack 22 Jul 2017, 11:23

30calcat,

Thank you for that excellent review of the EyeQue. It will be interesting if they can come up with a way to accurately measure Cylinder and Axis. Still, for the price, it seems very useful.

Crystal Veil,

I am curious about the $18 price in your last post. Everything I have found indicates the price as US$29.95.

30calcat 22 Jul 2017, 09:36

I received the EyeQue and it is intriguing. Some official documents say it is good for measurement up to -12. The app will take measurements up to -19.75, but if you are as nearsighted as I am when you look through the scope without lenses the red and green boxes are out of focus so results may not be as accurate as you get into the upper teens in refractive correction. It's like when you go to the eye doctor and you are asked to look through the autorefrator at the picture inside. For me it is a big blob. EyeQue also claims to measure astigmatism, but as of now it just provides a qualitative indicator of "low", "moderate", or "high" without a cylinder and axis reading, so you don't really get a full set of numbers for ordering lenses.

What EyeQue is particularly useful for, however, is measuring how effective your corrective lenses are. The app instructs you to remove your glasses and contacts before the test, but it you keep them on, you are able to see how close your lenses are to ideal correction. I did a test wearing my current glasses, and the result was R -0.25 and L 0.00, indicating that they are right on. For high lens powers, EyeQue can reveal the huge impact vertex distance can have on effective power. I tried the test with another pair of glasses with the same power, but the lenses sit further away from my eyes. The test result showed I am -1.75 undercorrected in those glasses. You can imagine the frustration those of us with strong lenses deal with when ECPs don't bother to measure vertex distance of the exact frame that they are dispensing and we wind up with glasses that we can't see well with.

For another test I pulled out an old pair of glasses with weaker lenses and did the test, and it produced a result of R -2.5 and L -1.5, which corresponded exactly to the increase in lens power I was prescribed since then. For fun, I switched to a pair of -20 glasses that are too strong for my eyes, and the EyeQue test produced R +6.5 and L +5.5, indicating how many diopters too strong the glasses are. This can also be useful to verify GOC calculations. I popped in +5 contacts and did the test for fun. The rectangles were pretty blurry but in spite of that I got a reading of -18.75, which is about right.

30calcat 12 Jul 2017, 17:41

With EyeQue it appears that you provide feedback to the application by adjusting the distance between red and green rectangles until they completely overlap. The distance of deviation from the focal center that you select to produce the perfect overlap is used to calculate correction required for your eye. It's similar to adjusting a phoropter to find the right diopters to produce the perfect image, but instead of providing feedback on the clarity of a chart 20 feet away you are looking at rectangles.

NNVisitor 12 Jul 2017, 11:25

When I'm asked to look into a phoropter it adjusts until everything is clear. After when my eye doctor tests my vision all different lenses are used to obtain the correct prescription I need for my myopia and astigmatism. If the phoropter cannot show the correct final refraction then how can this $18 EyeQue device obtain one?

Crystal Veil 12 Jul 2017, 03:46

Cactus Jack, Trent,

the price of this EyeQue device appears to be only $18. So far, I have been unable to find any reviews by customers. A "must have" for some of us here (myself included) if it works well. Thanks for posting.

Cactus Jack 11 Jul 2017, 21:00

Trent,

It looks very interesting. I may order one to try out. If I do, I will let you know my thoughts.

Trent 11 Jul 2017, 19:37

Has anyone heard of this device called "EyeQue"?

http://www.eyeque.com/zenni-special?utm_source=bronto&utm;_medium=email&utm;_term=VISIT%20EYEQUE&utm;_content=Test%20Your%20Vision%20Anytime%20with%20EyeQue&utm;_campaign=060817%20WproJA%20Eyeque%20(Brand)&_bta_tid=08923354205476431225904611513900175839964640106216579333884858221776240384225431312566720992872764536185&_bta_c=b7ier4w28o0xs7ilrf9rv5h858eo6

David 11 Jul 2017, 16:40

Soundmanpt

It has been awhile since I posted last, I've been really busy so I haven't had a chance to reply. We are both fully adjusted to wearing glasses now and its pretty much second nature for both of us at this point. Personally, my eyes feel so much better now that I'm not wearing contacts for 18+ hours a day and after a few weeks of wearing glasses I think I'm actually starting to prefer glasses over contacts. My girlfriend absolutely loves her glasses and her new found ability to see clearly lol. Like I said before, after the first few days she was already comfortable with her glasses and it didn't take her long to order a few new pairs to go with different outfits. You're correct, she wears her glasses 24/7 and almost never takes them off now and since we have almost the same prescription I know just how much she needs them. Actually, last week we went on a trip and went to the beach a few times to swim and snorkel. Neither of us wanted to wear glasses in the water or while swimming so we left them with our stuff on the beach and just had to make do without. Surprisingly we could actually see okay underwater but everything else was pretty blurry especially since we both took our glasses of right before getting in the water. It wasn't great when we tried to find each other after we split up while snorkeling and if you squint while wearing those masks it tends to let water in. Luckily we found out that there are prescription masks for rent so we grabbed two of those the next time we went out lol. Also, my girlfriend is still really happy with her glasses, I'm sure that the novelty has worn off a bit but she loves how she looks in glasses and of course they are still functional. She is always on the lookout for cute glasses too, if we are out shopping and she sees some frames she likes she will almost always try them on so there is some additional novelty in that lol. I think I'm actually liking my glasses more now that the "newness" has worn off since I'm now used to seeing myself in glasses and adjusted to having them on.

Soundmanpt 10 Jul 2017, 14:52

David

It has been nearly a month since your last post. So just curious how you and your gf are doing now that you're both wearing glasses full time. For you it was just getting used to wearing glasses again instead of contacts, but for you gf she was adjusting to wearing glasses, real glasses not the fake ones she wore in high school, for the first time. By now she should be completely adjusted to her glasses and she probably feels very dependent on her glasses to see much of anything clearly now without her glasses. Does your gf still seem to be as happy about wearing glasses as she was when she first got them or has the newness of that wore off a bit? I doubt that you know anything new about your gf sister and and how she is doing with her glasses?

Soundmanpt 06 Jul 2017, 07:43

Jen

No need for thanks, i'm just glad that you're taking good care of your eyes now. I'm sure your new lenses has sharpened things up for you. Also i'm sure you were at least slightly worried that they might somehow break your glasses again making the change in lenses. Hard to say how long you have been watching fireworks and really not able to see them so clear. Of course since you had nothing to compare to you had no idea they were blurry. Actually you now have 2 different ways of viewing fireworks. With your glasses of course and without your glasses the fireworks have a complete different look as well.

When I went back looking for exactly when you got your glasses I read several of your early posts and it was interesting because even though you seemed to know that you needed glasses and were likely to get glasses you very clearly didn't want glasses at all. Then when you were told that you needed glasses you wanted to go straight to contacts. But once you got your glasses it was amazing how fast you not only adjusted to wearing glasses but you quickly feel in love with them and still are. Now you don't really like even taking them off anymore. It doesn't hurt if your friends think you even look younger wearing glasses.

Jen 04 Jul 2017, 21:10

Thank you Soundmannpt and NNvisitor for the kind words! Got new lenses for my glasses, I can see more sharply than ever! I'm so excited by the clarity in which I'm able to see! Just got back from 4th of July fireworks and I can't believe how impressive they are when you're able to see them! I must have been in my teens when I last saw fireworks do sharply! I don't even care anymore about being a nearsighted "old lady" with bifocals/ progressives...... I can see! And I've noticed that people actually think I'm younger when I'm wearing glasses than when I'm not....kind of a nice benefit!

04 Jul 2017, 09:33

Typically the cataract lens is removed and an artificial lens replaces the removed lens. After the operation patients see well enough to either not require glasses or need glasses that are much weaker than those they wore if they previously had a strong prescription. Each eye operation is done separately on different days.

NNVisitor 03 Jul 2017, 09:40

Jen

Welcome back. I truely admire your positive attitude and your determination. It's amazing how when we don't really see clearly and don't wear glasses that we can adapt and sweep admission to ourselves of a vision problem under the rug. You had probably known on some level in the months prior to finally getting your first eye exam earlier this year that you had a vision problem. Maybe quite a bit longer. Your adaption skills took over so you probably felt your vision wasn't really that bad until it became apparent that "I think I might need glasses" evolved to "I really believe I need glasses".

Your eye doctor did the right thing by first giving you a reduced prescription. When I was young I had to edure a full prescription which I found just about impossible to tolerate. Which seemed too strong and I simply did not wear them most of the time.

In your situation you have suceeded due to admitting to yourself that you need glasses, your positiveness and determination and your optometrist who allowed you to go through stages of adjustment. Best of luck to you Jen going forward. Very nice to read your updated entries. Have a great summer.

Soundmanpt 03 Jul 2017, 06:48

Jen

There wasn't any doubt in my mind that your were going to be getting an increase if you were noticing that your distance vision wasn't as good as it was when you got your current glasses back in April. Your eyes are far more sensitive now to how you should be seeing things with your glasses. When you first got your eyes examined back in early April and got your first glasses your eyes were so badly strained and used to straining to see things that you were able to see the 20/20 line on the eye chart sooner than you really should have been able to see it with the lenses the doctor was inserting in the refractor. You might recall that even only after wearing your glasses for about 10 days when you went back to get progressives you already needed an increase of -.50 in that short time. But that was because your eyes were already becoming more relaxed wearing glasses. Now you are going on 90 days since you got your current glasses and you wear your glasses full time. So your eyes have now gotten much closer to be fully adjusted to your glasses and relaxed as well. Now I can't say if this might be your full prescription or if you might need another increase in a year or so. But I don't think you will be needing an increase in 3 months either. Are they going to change your lenses at no cost to you or are they charging you for new lenses? Let's hope they don't break your glasses making the switch this time. I assume you plan on waiting for them to make the switch while you wait? Be careful driving because even with your glasses on you wouldn't be able to see well enough to pass the DMV vision test. You're needing a -.75 increase and that is enough that your eyesight is slightly worse than 20/40 with your current glasses.

Your near vision didn't really change. If you were want glasses just for reading this is what your prescription would be. OD -1.75 -100 145 / OS -1.50 -1.25 90. So pretty much the same as you were at +1.50 for your add.

Your prescription did change enough that your backup glasses aren't going to be of much use to you anymore. Now might be a good time to try out Zenni for a nice pair of backup glasses as well as a pair of prescription sunglasses. I think you will be able to find a very nice pair of progressives for around $55.00 - $65.00 and a pair of rx sunglasses in single vision for under $20.00. You don't need to get progressives for your sunglasses unless you really want to. But just for things like driving and being outside single vision should be good.

Jen 03 Jul 2017, 03:10

Good morning,

I was able to get my eyes checked yesterday and get my new RX. As expected I got an increase for my distance, but I also got an increase for near. I suspect the near increase is only to compensate for the distance.??

Anyways here's my new RX.

OD -3.75, -1.00 x 145

OS -3.50, -1.25 x 90

Add +2.00

Seems like more of an increase than I thought it would be, but maybe that's normal....

Going later today to get new lenses for my glasses. Yay! Can't wait to have things sharpened up. So glad I don't have to deal with the whole adjusting to glasses thing again, as well as seeing people for the first time.

Anyways, have a great day!

Jen

Soundmanpt 29 Jun 2017, 09:35

Jen

I just went back to see exactly when you got your current glasses. Like you well remember after struggling with headaches with your first single vision glasses you got your eyes examined for progressives and you planned on having the lenses put into your current frame. That was on April 13th. They took your glasses from you and while they were making the change you were wandering around the mall half blind, according to you, without your glasses. When you git back to get your glasses you told that they broke while making the switch and of course they didn't have another frame like yours in stock. But luckily they did have one at another location in your town which they could get in so you could have your glasses the next day. So the glasses you're currently wearing you got on April 14th. So based on mt math July 14th will be a full 3 months since you got your glasses. The reason that is important is because, even though you say I think you must have gotten your glasses at a Lencrafters and they have a policy that if for nay reason you need your glasses changed or even just don't like them you can get them replaced or changed including if you need a change in your prescription. So don't hold off going and getting your eyes checked because if you feel that your glasses aren't as sharp and clear as they were back in April almost certainly they need to be changed. What's happening is that your glasses are still trying to catch up your eyes. Your eyes aren't really getting worse but rather they are are just getting in a much more relaxed state now that they are constantly seeing through your glasses. After this increase I would think your glasses won't need any changing for another year and even then probably just a very small increase if any thing at all. Like you know you may remember me telling you before. Your first prescription was about what the average person would be getting for their 3rd or 4th change in prescription. So even though you could see fine with your first glasses their was no doubt that you were under prescribed because your eyes were so strained and unrelaxed. So do make that appointment to get your eyes checked because you only have 90 days to get your lenses changed at no cost to you.

I think you have done very well with adjusting to wearing glasses full time. Even more so considering that you really didn't want glasses in the first place which i'm sure explains why you held off so long with even getting your eyes examined. But once you got your glasses you were shocked at how much you had been missing seeing for so long that you quickly decided that you didn't want to take your glasses off. You even wore them full time while they were giving you headaches doing close work. Now your glasses feel vert natural to you and lie you say you hardly even notice that your wearing glasses anymore. That's exactly the way you want your glasses to feel.

Nice to hear from you. Let us know the outcome of your eye exam and if they do in fact change your lenses at no charge to you. (they should)

Jen 29 Jun 2017, 04:46

HI all.

I've not visited for a while but thought I'd check back in. Over the past few months I've adjusted well to wearing glasses full time and I don't even notice that I have them on anymore. My vision seems pretty good but not as sharp as it did back in April when I first got glasses. Distance vision seems to be slipping. Thinking of going back and getting my eyes checked again. The Dr thought I would probably need a bump in rx after 6 months or so but I'm only at about 3 months, maybe I'm just extra sensitive or a little OCD. I guess I'll know soon.

Hope you all are well!

Jen

:-)

Specs4Me 28 Jun 2017, 20:50

The last time I was tested and given an acuity number, it was 20/400 in my lazy eye..

I can sort of make out the big E, that is mostly because I know that it is there. If I look at things with my lazy eye and I know what they are, I can sort of make them out. I can't explain how it is that I can see clearly and yet not be able to know what I am looking at. That is beyond my ability to explain. The fact is that as a very young child I had double vision because my eyes were not lined up correctly; thus, my brain chose to accept the vision from the dominant eye and not that of my weaker eye. The image is there but the brain doesn't accept and process it properly.

I was living in a foreign country at the time and it was not discovered right away, when it was discovered or at least when an attempt to treat it was undertaken, my good eye was patched and I was to use my bad eye. The unfortunate part of this was that I was in school by this time and was not able to function very well. Effectively, I was legally blind which was not conducive to being in school. I soon refused to wear the patch and therefore it was not corrected.

As I understand it, I have some kind of muscle imbalance which could possibly have been corrected with surgery or I suppose I could have worn prism lenses to make my eyes converge properly.

Tom1 28 Jun 2017, 11:41

Specs4me: thanks for explanation, although it is very hard to understad how can you be unaable to recognize objects through your lazy eye although your vision is no blurry.

I understand it has very mch to do with the brain, for sure. But sounds very strange to understand.

How much do you see on a snellen chart? Are you able to figure out simple shapes (such as letters are) with your lazy eye?

Jack 28 Jun 2017, 11:37

NNVisitor

A fetish is a selfish reason.

NNVisitor 27 Jun 2017, 20:56

Someone has the chance to have the best vision they've had in many decades or even in their lifetime. Why would anyone want to derail that opportunity? And for purely selfish reasons?

Take a bunch of photos and that will be your memory. Let the woman decide on her own without influencing or pressuring her.

Cactus Jack 27 Jun 2017, 18:09

Erica's Guy,

Most Ophthalmologists will honor requests for an approximate final prescription, if it is reasonable. The important thing is her current prescription.

She is very used to being Myopic. If it is moderate, say less than 3.00 with very little Astigmatism, she may find it useful to be able to do close work such as reading or sewing, without glasses. Most will honor that request.

She would need glasses for distance, but she is used to that.

If you can supply her complete prescription, I may be able to offer a better response.

Remember, whatever her prescription is after cataract surgery, will be pretty much it, from here on out. It usually takes about 30 days after cataract surgery for vision to stabilize fully and after that, changes will be very small. It is rare for there to be very much difference from a day or so after surgery until it stabilizes fully. The exception is if they are unable to do an IOL.

I had cataract surgery 16 years ago. My sphere correction is pretty much the same now as then. My Cylinder and axis have changed some, but not much. I have some Strabismus issues that have nothing to do with refractive errors that have changed. If her current prescription does not include any prism, that will not be an issue.

Erica's Guy 27 Jun 2017, 11:30

Thanks for your reply Cactus Jack. A lot of useful information there, some I was aware of, some I wasn't.

I guess my question though was; does she have the option of remaining significantly short sighted after the cataract removal or would a doctor refuse to do this?

Cactus Jack 26 Jun 2017, 10:19

Mervyn,

Don't worry about all the numbers. I was concerned that they might cause you a problem.

It is likely that you will still need glasses, but they will probably be much weaker than your present glasses. With the weaker glasses, you will not be able to adjust the focus by moving them closer or farther from your eyes. You will probably need bifocals, trifocals, or progressive power lenses to allow you to focus at all distances.

The biggest benefit would be that text would be much larger and easier to read, because the weaker glasses do not make things as small as your present glasses do.

The second biggest benefit would be that the glasses would be much lighter in weight and much easier to make.

Mervyn 26 Jun 2017, 09:59

Cactus Jack

Just read your answer. I am still not sure if I will need these glasses still. I got confused with all the numbers. Sorry.

Cactus Jack 26 Jun 2017, 07:52

Erica's Guy,

There are several factors that can affect a person's prescription after Cataract Surgery. The most important factors are their actual prescription prior to the surgery, their wishes, and the availability of IOLs that will result in their desired prescription.

There are many options available today including multi-focal IOLs, that supposedly eliminate the need for bifocals or trifocals. However those lenses are optical compromises. When I had Cataract Surgery in 2001, I was offered bifocal IOLs. However, the ophthalmologist suggested that because of my engineering occupation, I should either choose single power IOLs for both eyes or different powers for Mono-vision for the best possible vision. Mono-vision is where one eye is used for distance and the other eye is set to focus at about 66 cm or 26 inches. I selected Mono-vision because it allows me to function pretty well with out my glasses if I need or want to. I wear trifocals, for the best possible vision (sometimes better than 20/20).

One tip. It is no longer necessary to wait until cataracts get "ripe", for removal. In fact, it makes modern Cataract Surgery more difficult. These days, the clouded lens is removed by making a tiny incision in the side of the Cornea and emulsifying the clouded lens and sucking it out. Then, a rolled up IOL is inserted thru the incision. Your body heat causes the lens to unroll and expand to normal size of about 6 mm and it is inserted in the lens capsule. The whole procedure takes about 10 minutes and is typically a medical "non-event".

If you wait too long, the clouded lens becomes harder and is more difficult to emulsify and remove which may introduce complications. Sometimes it is necessary, because of insurance or other rules, to wait until vision become so degraded that it is difficult to function. However, the general rule is: If you are going to need Cataract surgery, the sooner the better.

Of course there are some Psychology issues related to any eye surgery. I was scared to death before my first Surgery on one eye, but it was so easy and successful, I could hardly wait until the other eye was done.

Hope this helps.

Specs4Me 25 Jun 2017, 21:27

Tom1 - I'll try to explain what I see with a lazy eye or amblyopia.

In my case, my right eye is the lazy one. If I close my left eye, the vision is not blurry as such; however, the image does not get properly processed by the brain. Thus, in most cases I can't recognize what I'm looking at. It's very hard to explain. I have reasonable peripheral vision to my right side, that is to say that I am aware of movement or objects to the right side of my face. Again, I can't distinguish what they are.

I have extremely poor depth perception and basically see things in 2 dimensions as opposed to 3 dimensions. 3D movies are a no go for me. I play golf, for many years it was especially challenging the first time I played a golf course because even with yardage markers on the course I struggled to understand how far out I was from my target. As I learned the course that improved and I must say that the new GPS distance finders are wonderful because I don't have to hunt a sprinkler head and count yards from there to my ball.

I hope this helps.

Tom1 25 Jun 2017, 15:06

Can someone describe the vision that one has through a lazy eye? I mean, how much does one see and which are the symtpons if he/she closes her good eye? Is it a blur similar e.g. to shortsightedness? Is it something different? Can he/she read well to a Snellen chart? I'm very curious about this and would like to understand.

Thanks to who will decsribe/explain/share.

Erica's Guy 25 Jun 2017, 13:25

My partner is severely short sighted and at her last eye examination was diagnosed with the early stages of cataracts. I have a very strong fetish for short sighted women which my partner is aware of and has been (much to my delight) willing to indulge throughout our relationship. She has solely worn glasses since I've known her, although she did wear contacts in her twenties and thirties before we met. She is, at 61, more than twenty years older than me, although she looks considerably younger and people tend to think we're about the same age.

My question is what are the options for her? Will they inevitably remove the cataracts and implant lenses taking away the need for glasses altogether? I admit I'm very torn by this idea. I love her dearly and if she wants 20/20 vision then I'm fully supportive but I have to admit that for purely selfish reasons I would love her to remain needing glasses.

Cactus Jack 25 Jun 2017, 11:30

Mervyn,

Why will you likely have a lower prescription after cataract surgery, if you don't have implants, has to do with the optics of the eye.

Myopia or nearsightedness is often caused by a mismatch between the total optical power of the lenses in the eye and the distance from the back of the lenses to the Retina.

The eye actually has 4 lenses inside it, but we typically only concern ourselves with two of them. The Cornea is the lens you see at the front of the eye, it has a fixed power of about +40 diopters. The Crystalline Lens is at the back of the lenses and it has a variable power of about +19 to maybe +25. When a person is young, it is the Crystalline Lens that allows a person to focus close to read. It is also the lens that becomes cloudy when Cataracts develop.

In a normal eye, the total power of the eyes lens system is about +59 diopters and it is about 17 mm from the back of the Crystalline Lens to the Retina. In your situation, as it is for most people who are nearsighted, your eyeballs grew too much, as your were growing up. The typical cause is your genetic inheritance from your parents, but we think there can be other causes, we just dont know what they are, yet.

Please try to stay with me on the next part. It can get a little complex.

You are NOT as nearsighted as you think, based on your glasses prescription. That will have a significant effect on what happens to your vision after Cataract Surgery.

The reason you are not as nearsighted as your prescription would indicate has to do with an optical phenomenon called Vertex Distance (VD). VD is the distance from your Cornea to the Back of the Lenses in your glasses. It is the VD effect that causes images through your glasses to be much smaller AND for you to be able to focus close by moving your glasses closer or away from your eye.

I wont try to show you the calculations for VD effects, but please trust me that with a prescription of about -36, VD effects are about 1.3 diopters per mm. If we translate the -36 from the glasses back to the Cornea, it is about -20 diopters. The -4 for Astigmatism and other factors such as insufficient tears, makes it difficult for you two wear Contact Lenses, but have a minimal effect on Vertex Distance.

We are getting close to the answer to your question.

Cataract Surgery, involves what happens, optically, when the cloudy Crystalline Lens is removed. The numbers only demonstrate the principles of optics involved, and may not apply in your situation.

If your Crystalline Lens is a +19 and your actual prescription at your Cornea is -20. The result would be +19 from the Crystalline Lens and -20 from your eyeball length = -1.00 final prescription after Cataract Surgery.

Astigmatism is typically caused by uneven curvature of the front surface of the Cornea, and It may be possible to correct SOME of your Astigmatism during the surgery. If that is possible, your final prescription would be much less, overall. Another benefit, would be that the images through the weaker glasses would be larger and you might find reading much easier, but you would likely need bifocals or trifocals after the surgery. I had Cataract Surgery in 2001 and I wear Trifocals, most of the time. My prescription before the surgery was about -4 and -3. Today, with implants, it is close to 0.00 and I can function without my glasses, but I function much better with them.

The decision to remove ONLY the Crystalline Lenses and do implants (IOLs) or completely remove the Crystalline Lens and its capsule (the old way of doing Cataract Surgery) depends on your situation.

implants, with IOLs, is a very simple and easy procedure. Recovery is very fast, in most situations it is a day surgery procedure and in some situations, the patient can see pretty well, without glasses, immediately after the surgery and can function very well the next day without glasses.

Modern surgery with IOLs involves a very tiny incision (3 mm) in the side of the Cornea. The cloudy Crystalline lens is broken up into tiny pieces, using a very tiny ultrasonic jackhammer. the pieces are washed out and a new lens (rolled up) is inserted thru the incision, and your body heat causes it to unroll and assume its normal size of about 5 mm. It is positioned inside the Crystalline Lens capsule. The big advantage to leaving the Lens capsule intact is that it provides a barrier between the two types of fluids (called humors. Which minimizes the possibility of the Retina becoming inflamed.

The old type of Cataract surgery, with complete Crystalline Lens and capsule removal, is a much more serious surgery. Recovery can take weeks or months, with the head held absolutely stationary, primarily because of the risk of Retinal problems. Often the surgeons wanted to wait until the Cataract got Ripe or very hard before removal. I often thing the real reason was that they hoped the patient would die, before that was necessary. For the modern type of Cataract surgery, it is not good to wait. If the Crystalline Lens is still soft and pliable it is easier to break up and remove with the ultra sound device.

With the modern type of Cataract surgery, doctors want to wait about two weeks between surgeries on the two eyes.

I suspect you may have had Retinal Detachments or your doctors are concerned that you are very susceptible to them because of the stress on your Retina attachment to the back of your eyeballs. That could make the decision to do any type of eye surgery more difficult.

You are very fortunate that you live in England. Moorfields Hospital in London is one of the best in the World for treating eye conditions. I urge you to investigate using them if you can.

I hope this helps some. Please let me know if you have more questions.

Cactus

Mervyn 25 Jun 2017, 05:54

Cactus Jack,

Why will cateract surgery make my prescription lower if I don't have implants?

I have had two times trouble with the back of my eyes. Now I have to be very careful not to knock my head. I didn't follow the doctors reason but the shape of my eye causes the problem.

Cactus Jack 22 Jun 2017, 20:11

Mervyn,

Thank you. I have a reputation as a pretty good "explainer" of complex subjects.I will try to answer your questions in ways that make sense to you.

I have done a lot of teaching over the years and I tend to be a bit long winded. The reason is that I want you to understand. I you don't understand anything, please let me know. You won't hurt my feelings.

Many people read our exchanges and they may need a better explanation also.

Mervyn 22 Jun 2017, 13:29

Cactus Jack,

I am 55. A man. I live in England. I did not do well at school, best at rural studies. I work as a storeman in a local factory.

Cactus Jack 22 Jun 2017, 08:39

Mervyn,

Working on a response.

May I also ask your age, gender, where you live, familiarity with everyday math, and occupation?

I want to be sure that the explanation I provide is easy to understand. The more you understand about how this stuff works the better decisions you can make about your vision. Remember, you have to live with the results every waking hour. The Eye Care Professionals do not.

I also plan to offer some thoughts about cataracts. Been there and done that. These days, cataracts are nothing to get very concerned about, except in rare instances where IOLs cannot be used. If IOLs cannot be used, both the clouded Crystalline Lens and Lens Capsule have to be removed, as they did before IOLs were developed. This results in longer recovery time and increased risk of Retinal inflammation.

Have you had any problems with Retinal Detachment?

Mervyn 21 Jun 2017, 11:50

RE -36.5 -4.0 120

LE -35.0 -4.5 95

Hope that makes sense. I have worn glasses all my life. For reading I adjust the position of the glasses and use a magnifying glass.

I don't really understand the workings of the eye, but I know there are three points always mentioned, axel length, lens and cornal shape. I have not been able to wear contact lenses at all.

Cactus Jack 21 Jun 2017, 10:18

Mervyn,

May I ask your present complete prescription? I may be able to help.

NNVisitor 20 Jun 2017, 22:38

Mervyn

Cataract operations are done by Opthalmologists who are trained to perform such operations. An Opthalmologist is a specialist MD.

It is best to discuss your situation with the doctor who will operate on your eyes so that the best solution for your vision needs are met.

Mervyn 20 Jun 2017, 13:50

Last Friday I went for my annual eyetest. The optician said I had early stage cateracts. No surgery as yet but talk about when it's done to have the cateracts removed and no implants, this should help reduce my very strong prescription.

I found this site at the weekend through google as I am trying to find out what options are available to reduce the strength of my glasses. I am confused by what I read, can anyone help please.

Plus Tony 20 Jun 2017, 13:11

Mandy

It may be that you have some uncorrected astigmatism or could benefit from a reading prescription that is not quite as strong as your distance script. If you are able to share your age, full prescription and occupation and how you use your eyes (e.g. do you do a lot of computer work, driving, reading etc.) there are some good people here who will, I am sure, be delighted to offer suggestions.

How do you find reading with your glasses on?

Plus Tony 20 Jun 2017, 13:05

Bell,

I have been following your daughters situation with interest and would like to offer some thoughts about the prescription that she has been given. I apologise in advance for the length of this post.

Before going any further I should add that Im not an eye care professional (ECP). Im just an occasional ES contributor who has developed a keen interest in the subject of hyperopia since discovering that I had a small amount of uncorrected hyperopia a couple of years ago in my early 40s. I now wear specs full time mainly because of visual comfort. Like most long/far sighted people I can still see OK in the distance without glasses but it is more comfortable to leave them on (my worse eye is +2.00). We have a regular contributor here called Carrie who is also longsighted and she has a prescription of (if my memory is correct) +3.75. She is in her early 20s and is also a full-time wearer. Your daughter who is less than half Carries age has been prescribed +7.25 and +9.50 which is a very high first prescription.

The reason for comparing your daughter, Carrie and me is because despite the considerable difference in our ages and prescriptions the reality is that we can probably all see reasonably in the distance without our glasses on (even if it isnt very comfortable). Given the effect of age and the eyes ability to accommodate to deal with long sightedness it wouldnt surprise me if what we see without glasses at distance is broadly similar. As Cactus Jack has already explained, hyperopia is the only refractive error that can be corrected internally although our ability to do it well decreases with age. If that was the only issue, your daughter might be able to cope without glasses for some time to come (although I doubt if it would be comfortable). That said the consensus among ECPs seems to be that hyperopia of greater than +2.25 in children of your daughters age requires corrective lenses.

Your daughter also has a relatively significant degree of astigmatism. My understanding is that an eye doctor will generally give a full astigmatism prescription (cylinder correction) to a school age child if the refractive error is greater than 0.75. As your daughters astigmatism is -1.75 that is what he has done. Combined with the degree of hyperopia that has resulted in a substantial first prescription.

The biggest concern, given your daughters age is probably the difference of 2.5 dioptres between each eye in the spherical part of her prescription and aside from the basics of the refractive error that is why I think she really needs to wear her glasses. A difference of more than 2.00 dioptres between the two eyes is known as anisometropia. If this is not corrected the brain could stop processing the signals from the weaker eye and the result could be a condition called amblyopia (where the weaker eye cannot be corrected to 20/20 vision and the strong eye becomes dominant, meaning a person does not have binocular vision). Most professionals believe that anisometropia can only be successfully treated up to about the age of about 9 years old. I suspect that your daughters eye doctor thinks there may be a chance of avoiding amblyopia by giving your daughter the full prescription for hyperopia and astigmatism. This is also why patching was mentioned as a potential treatment option both to strengthen her weaker eye and prevent it from turning in (which is particularly likely to happen under visual stress).

I absolutely do not envy you your task but I think your daughter really should be wearing her glasses all the time to try to address the anisometropia issue. The eye doctor should have made this very clear when she had her test. Did he try to explain things directly to her or did he ignore your daughter and talk only to you? I ask because although she is only 9 your daughter is the patient (and being told you have to do something you dont want to do usually works slightly better if you are told directly). It is by no means certain that your daughter will require such a strong correction forever. Hyperopia often decreases as children get older (it is difficult to predict) so it is by no means certain that your daughters prescription will increase or even remain the same. There is a tendency to become less farsighted as children reach their teenage years. Given the level of your daughters prescription I think it is unlikely that she will get to the stage where she doesnt need glasses at all (particularly because of the astigmatism) but her long term vision prospects could improve if she wears her glasses now. There is no guarantee that she will avoid amblyopia but I think it is worth a shot while she is still young enough to have a chance.

I wonder if a return visit to the eye doctor so he can explain what he is trying to achieve clearly might help? Maybe she thinks being prescribed glasses is some sort of punishment, which it absolutely isnt. Cactus Jack also mentioned the possibility of contact lenses. Your daughter may be a little young for these but if she is mature enough to deal with them it could be an option for correcting the hyperopia part of the prescription at least and it might help to address her concerns about lens thickness. It is possible to get contact lenses that correct both sphere and cylinder but I believe they are very fiddly and might be a challenge too far for one so young.

As I said at the start I am not a professional nor even an experienced amateur like Cactus Jack but the difference between the two eyes struck me as something that needed further consideration so I had a look at various academic and prescribing resources that are available online. I am sure that Cactus, whose wise counsel we all value, will put me straight if he thinks my interpretation is incorrect.

Mandy 20 Jun 2017, 10:54

I wear glasses for my nearsightedness but I take them off when I read. However, I get very dizzy and cannot read well without glasses. Do I need reading glasses or should I keep my glasses for nearsightedness on while I'm reading?

Andrew 20 Jun 2017, 08:16

I tend to work on the principle that people are used to seeing me in thick glasses, so however thick the lenses come out, that's fine by me. I've also tended to find that lower index lenses give me slightly better vision, because they also have a lower aberration index rating - and the glasses are there to help me see, rather than what I might look like.

Ric 20 Jun 2017, 08:14

NNVvisitor, getting 45, i started notticing it. Mostly for cellphone. Wearing almost always contacts, i ve found that i was not able to see mails, etc on the phone, so finally opted for multifocal contacts. By the way, when im wearing my current glasses, i have not problem, dont need neither taking them off.

Taking my glasses off, im able to read all, of course pretty pretty close.

Ric 20 Jun 2017, 07:15

In 1.60, depends on the size of the glasses, for -7,50 will not be thin...

Jess 20 Jun 2017, 06:04

What's the cutoff for semi-rimless/rimless in terms of thickness and prescription? I'm around a -7.50, longtime lurker and browsed around a bunch on this site and seen a bunch of questions like this but answers seem conflicted. My current glasses are full rim, but my prescription increased slightly and I want to get semi-rimless in something like 1.60. What would I be looking at in terms of thickness?

NNVisitor 18 Jun 2017, 23:32

Myopia correction and reading

For many people reading small print, computer screens, phones and books becomes more difficult when we reach our 40's. For some people with myopia even at a younger age. Of course taking our glasses off typically makes the smaller print clear. Being very nearsighted by doing I need to be very close to see. To read a book this way about 5-6 inches from my eyes. As I typically only wear my glasses at home I don't mind. In public I'd be a bit embaressed. As I wear contacts mostly I just use reading glasses or sometimes a magnifying glass. In fact using the latter on public library computers people actually came over to show me how to enlarge print on the computer.

The following on this topic is what I have read elsewhere by another highly myopic person. "If I'm home I take off my glasses and stick my face in the phone or book." The person goes on to say they never discussed the problem with an eyecare specialist.

I have spoken to eye doctors about this issue and thus why I usually use reading glasses when my contacts are in. So far I've been very hesitant to get progressives or bifocals as I hate the idea of using split screen glasses.

Courtney 16 Jun 2017, 12:01

To the opticians: What is the highest first prescription that you've seen in an adult?

Would it be -3? Are you surprised when you see this? Do you tell the patient how unusual it is?

NNVisitor 15 Jun 2017, 22:57

Bell

It's so simple but so important. Consider this statement in the context of your daughter.

Your perception=your reality.

For everyone who thinks they look great in glasses or utterly hates to wear glasses the above statement applies. We are all to some extent slaves of our self perception. Even knowing this it's still often difficult to change as self perception is etched into our minds and is the basis of many decisions which we make daily.

Soundmanpt 15 Jun 2017, 22:15

David

Your girlfriend's sister is probably okay to drive without her glasses if the doctor didn't actually tell her that she needs to wear them for driving but only suggested that they might be helpful for her with driving. Like i said earlier if her prescription is really only -.25 / -1.00 then based on her -.25 she should be able to pass the DMV vision test okay still without her glasses. But as long as your girlfriend has already told her that she needs to wear her glasses driving maybe leave it that way since she has glasses now and that is when she needs them the most anyway. And it seems like she might be planning on wearing her glasses all the time anyway which isn't a bad idea because of the imbalance between her eyes. You should ask your girlfriend how she was able to stop wearing her fake glasses without some interesting questions? The only thing I can think of is she could have simply told everyone that she got contacts. Without a doubt a big part of why she has taken so well to wearing glasses is because she really has never stopped wanting to wear glasses and because wearing them she can see so much better now than she has for a while anyway. I think if you were to ever suggest that she should get contacts she would be greatly hurt and upset with you. Is she still looking on line for at least another pair of glasses? I wonder since she tried on her sisters glasses if she is considering getting a pair like hers now that she is has gotten reused to wearing glasses?

Enjoy seeing Wonder Woman tonight. Your girlfriend will be happy to find that Wonder Woman wears glasses as her cover of her true identity. Not the most fashionable glasses but their glasses at any rate. I'm sure she is going to enjoy being able to actually see the movie clearly and you will enjoy not getting a stiff neck.

David 15 Jun 2017, 16:10

Soundmanpt

I had no idea that it wouldn't have been a legal issue since my girlfriend hadn't had her eyes checked before. I guess it makes sense because they wouldn't be able to really do a "field test" for vision too easily. I think that I already had glasses when I started driving and even though it was a low prescription I took the vision test with them on so I had a restriction even if I didn't need it at the time lol. Also, neither of us knew that getting prescribed glasses was the same as failing the DMV test and my girlfriend let her sister know too since she has a pair of glasses now. Thanks for the information about that, it was pretty helpful, not like my girlfriend was ever going to drive without her glasses anymore but it is good to know the legal aspects all the same. Yeah, she really did have to plan out how to fake needing glasses and even worked out how to hide it from her family but make it look like she needed them to her friends. I asked her what she did when friends came over and she said that she would always just tell them that she didn't need them around the house. Like I said before, she was pretty embarrassed about the whole thing and for years never told anyone, she said that she never even told her family. I'm not too sure how she explained to her friends how she stopped wearing glasses all of a sudden though lol. You're probably right, she adjusted to wearing glasses extremely fast and has really owned her new look. Tomorrow we are going to go see Wonder Woman and my girlfriend is really excited because it will be the first movie that she will actually be able to see clearly, at least over the past couple of years or so. I'm just looking forward to being able to sit further back so I don't leave the theater with a stiff neck lol.

Delilah 15 Jun 2017, 09:47

Hi,

My boyfriend wears glasses and contacts and he has a very interesting prescription. He asked me to order him new glasses and this is his prescription. I have never seen a prescription like this. Will someone please explain to me what this all means.

OD: SPH +2.50 CYL-0.50 AXIS 150 ADD1.50

OS: SPH +4.00 CYL-1.25 AXIS 135 PRISM1 6 BASE1 BO ADD1.50

Thanks!!

Curt 15 Jun 2017, 09:38

Puzzled: The process is called "fogging". They put + lenses in front of your eyes so that you cannot use your own accommodation to make things clearer. It allows them to see what your true refractive error is.

Puzzled 15 Jun 2017, 07:55

I had an exam for the first time in years. After looking in to my eyes he put the lenses in front of me, blocked one eye, and as I read the letters changed lenses and kept asking which is better, 1 or 2 etc. Then he said "I am going to make things blurry for you" and went through the same process. He then repeated this whole process on my other eye. Why did he do this twice, and why start the second set of lens options by deliberately making it blurry?I didn't think to ask.

Soundmanpt 15 Jun 2017, 07:43

Bell

Okay maybe I can be of some help with a couple suggestions on getting your daughter to start wearing her MUCH NEEDED glasses. One way I always suggest is the "reward" What I mean is i'm sure you know the things your daughter enjoys doing, going to or eating. So for example if she likes going for pizza. Tell her if she wears her glasses for the full day you will take her for pizza that evening. Maybe she likes going to the local mall? Again have her wear her glasses the whole day and then take her to the mall. Also does she relate well with her mother, your ex wife? You said that her mom got glasses about a year and a half ago. Suggest to her mom to make sure that when her daughter is around that she keep her glasses on as well around her. trust me by even getting her to wear her glasses for a few days all day long she will very quickly discover how much difference her glasses make in how she sees things.

Cactus Jack 15 Jun 2017, 07:38

Bell,

If written in standard format your daughter's prescription is:

Right Eye (OD) Sphere +7.25, Cylinder -1.75, Axis 120

Left Eye (OS) Sphere +9.50, Cylinder -1.75, Axis 150

What that means is that she is very Farsighted (Hyperopic) with Moderate Astigmatism.

Because of her age, she can probably easily compensate (accommodate)for most of the Farsightedness, but she cannot compensate for the Astigmatism. The most significant effect of Astigmatism is that small text can be difficult to read, but by holding the text close the letters will be large enough on the Retina to read, if the Farsightedness is corrected internally by accommodation. That makes some people think that the child is Nearsighted.

The biggest issue with internally correcting that much Hyperopia is that is can cause the eyes to try to turn inward or cross. On the "plus" side, there is some unproven evidence that internally compensating for Hyperopia MAY cause it to DECREASE.

My thought is that your daughter is VERY USED to getting her way. I think the only real downside of her not wearing her glasses is discomfort and possibly inconvenience. The discomfort will probably increase.

My suggestion is to drop the subject. I strongly suspect that at some point, in the not too distant future, she will decided that enough is enough and ask to see the eye doctor. Wait for it because time is on your side.

In the meantime, you can casually demonstrate the benefits of good vision by casually mentioning small interesting things you see such as birds, stars in the sky, wild animals, flowers etc. Just don't emphasize it. She is missing a lot, but she does not know, what she does not know. Her mind is made up, don't confuse her with the FACTS.

When she gets a bit more mature and able to deal with the care of contact lenses, she should probably get them. Contact lenses require good hygiene and care to prevent permanent cornea damage and she needs to understand the importance of doing it right.

I don't envy you for the task you have ahead.

Randy 15 Jun 2017, 07:07

I redid my self test by not wearing the glasses during the day for 3 days, and I think I did ok without them. I really didn't think I needed them. I only wore them for short periods will driving at night. Then I wore them all day yesterday. On putting them on in the morning there was minimal difference but I kept them on anyways...ALL day. When I took them off at about 6 pm, while still light and bright outside, everything dimmed on me. So I think that if I didn't wear them all day my evening vision would have been much better. So I am inclined to only use them at night.

SC 15 Jun 2017, 03:40

Bell,

I can't quite understand your daughters situation.

You mentioned in a earlier post that your daughter held things really close to read - that isn't consistent with the prescription you gave - if she had a -7.25 prescription that would be the case, but unlikely for +7.25 as the temptation is to hold things further away.

You mentioned that she couldn't see in the test - was she dilated (eye drops)? That would explain a complete inability to see near or far and would be consistent with +7.25 but would not indicate how she sees normally. I'd imagine a 9yo with +7.25 would see distance pretty well and would be good for close up unless tired - however this may gradually get more difficult as age weakens the ability to compensate. I have a friend who got to almost 40 before getting glasses and he is +4.00 to +5.00 for distance

I'm not a fan of + lenses for young children when they can mostly accommodate anyway and wearing glasses will make them dependent. I'm also wondering whether the natural process whereby at least 30% of teenagers become more myopic should also imply that many others become less hyperopic so someone who has perfect vision at age 9 can be -4 by the time they are 20 then someone who is +7.25 could be +3.25 by the same age. I'd like to know if there is any research that says wearing + lenses actually inhibits the start of myopia (or the lessening of hyperopia).

If it is idea of wearing glasses that puts your daughter off then this won't last long - while many can put up with distance blur (sit at front of class, ask a friend) not being able to see close up will be intolerable. If it is the idea of having a strong + prescription then you could consider much weaker lenses that would correct the astigmatism and give a little boost for close up and gradually increase over time

NNVisitor 14 Jun 2017, 15:56

Bell

As someone who mostly did not wear my glasses when I was a child I think I have some insight into this issue. As a first step I think you would feel happier if your daughter at least would wear her glasses some of the time. You can go out with your daughter and try a fun and challenging expiriment. A sort of game. Ask her in a calm friendly manner to try wearing her glasses and tell you what she sees. Have her alternate between wearing and not wearing them. At least then you will both be able to tell how well she sees with the glasses. She's now not wearing them at all so a first step is to get her to wear her glasses at least some of the time and then see how things proceed from there.

Bell 14 Jun 2017, 15:15

Hey guys

My daughter is still refusing to wear her glasses, I do not know what to do. She says she sees finw without them, and for some reason I am begining to believe her. Should she really be wearing her glasses? Or is she fine like this? If she should be wearing glasses how can I make her without forcing it?

Puffin 13 Jun 2017, 04:22

Randy

No, glasses don't make your eyes worse, especially for adults.

What happens is that the eyes adapt to the correction and the fact that they are getting help. It could be that your "real" prescription is say minus 3, but you start off with minus 2 because that gets you to 20/20. Then the visual system adapts, and then you need minus 3. The eyes haven't got worse, it's just a case of getting to where they should be, which is not an instantaneous process.

NNVisitor 12 Jun 2017, 15:54

Randy

A few comments here. If you have been driving a motor vehicle you should have had your vision checked at least every two years to be on the safe side. You believed your vision was perfect. Apparently it wasn't. How often to wear your glasses, other than driving a motor vehicle, is your business. Not sure how many decisions your wife makes for you or the reason(s) why. You know her and she knows you and apparently she was correct in having you get your vision checked.

I really don't think that wearing glasses make's ones eyes worse. The reason is that many people who need glasses wind up with a relatively weak prescription. Their eyes don't get worse and worse. Other people see their myopia (nearsightedness) get worse and worse whether they wear glasses, contact lenses or neither for years. Usually these people first need glasses at a young age. Most people who first become nearsighted in their 20's or older don't typically wind up needing stronger and stronger lenses. No need to worry about glasses making your vision worse.

Soundmanpt 12 Jun 2017, 10:55

David

I'm sure it scares your girlfriend now that she realizes how much she needs her glasses to see. Luckily she wasn't involved in an accident. But you brought up an interesting point about it even being a legal problem for her. Actually since her eyesight was still good enough when she last renewed her driver's license and she hadn't gotten her eyes examined since then it wouldn't have been a legal issue. But something many people don't realize is that if she had gotten her eyes examined since she renewed her driver's license and had been prescribed glasses and was told by the doctor that she needed to wear glasses when driving then if she were to have had a bad accident and injuries were involved and she wasn't wearing her glasses then it could be a legal problem because she was told she needed to wear glasses when driving by a doctor. So even though your girlfriends license doesn't show a restriction for glasses she is still required to wear glasses. Of course when she renews her license next time her new license will have the requirement on it. In Missouri the indication is an "A" under restrictions. Your girlfriend really had it all figured out when she was in high school on how to go about becoming a glasses wearer. So according to what she told you if she was putting them on as she walked to the bus stop each morning and then take them off when she got off the bus going home after school. I'm sure getting caught even though her friend didn't tell anyone had to be embarrassing for her and probably was whys she soon stopped wearing her fake glasses. Without a doubt the fact that she never really got over her desire to wear glasses has made it so easy for her to adjust to wearing glasses now.

Glad the photo tips helped. You knew they were going to be swapping glasses and they would both be wanting pictures wearing each other's glasses. I'm that both you and your girlfriend complemented her sister on how nice she looks wearing glasses. I'm sure her sister is still getting used to wearing glasses as well as her eyes adjusting to the prescription. I'm sure her glasses do make a big difference in her vision. It makes sense that they are reducing stress from her eyes. Before she got her glasses anything more than a few feet away she was only seeing with her -.25 eye and her brain was shutting down her -1.00 eye. So she is over working her -.25 eye. Now if she continues wearing her glasses she will be seeing everything with both eyes. Now once her eyes are fully adjusted to her glasses she is going to really notice things being blurry when she takes her glasses off because her brain won't be shutting off her -1.00 anymore. So even though her eyesight isn't very bad at all she will be better off if she decides to wear her glasses full time like her big sister.

Cactus Jack 12 Jun 2017, 07:44

Randy,

What is happening is typical and common. Vision occurs in the brain, your eyes are merely biological cameras. They work like high end cameras, with auto-focus capabilities (until Presbyopia eliminates most of that, typically around 40). Your eyes also have adjustable Iris (pupils) that control the amount of light entering the eyes. The Retina is the film or digital sensor that captures the image.

The difference in sharpness between day and night is an optical phenomena that is well understood by photographers. It is called "Depth of Field" or range of useful focus in photography. The effect is that in bright light the Iris or Pupils close down to reduce the light entering the eye and that produces a greater range of distances where images are in good focus. At night and in low light, the Iris or Pupils open up to let in more light, but that also reduces the range of useful focus. You can achieve the same effect, in low prescriptions like yours, by squinting.

As I mentioned above, vision occurs in the brain. The brain has amazing ability to do image processing and what you "see" is not necessarily what was delivered to the Retina. If the brain knows what something is supposed to look like, it can correct the image, but it takes a lot of work and energy.

Wearing vision correction, performs the task externally so the the images delivered to the Retina require no correction. It typically take a few days of wearing corrective lenses for the brain to realize that you have provided a labor saving device with the glasses and has stopped internally correcting what you "see". If you stopped wearing your glasses for a few days, your brain would go back to the old way of doing things, but there may be some complaints.

Think of glasses as labor saving devices. You probably have other labor saving devices that you use every day. How would you react if you were used to using a power screwdriver and suddenly had to go back to driving screws by hand.

As further proof that vision occurs in the brain, Your brain can produce images with NO input. Ever had a dream?

Your wife did you a big favor. I hope this explanation helps. If you have more questions, feel free to ask.

May I ask your age, occupation and where you live?

Randy 12 Jun 2017, 07:16

So about 3 weeks ago my wife is scheduled for an eye exam, having worn glasses (nearsighted) since high school. She says he will likely dilate her eyes, so wants me to come with. Was interesting to sit in the room and watch her first say she couldn't read the chart and then as lenses were flipped watch her vision "improve". When they were done, the dr says he will increase her by -.50 on each eye. She gets out of the chair, looks at me, and says "you are next". I told her it wasn't necessary as my vision is ok. She says that since we were married 12 years ago she doesn't recollect me having a vision test. So I sit, and can basically see ok..some lenses better than others, but when finished he says I am nearsighted, borderline, and suggests I get glasses for distance; driving, movies, etc. So I got them. Left eye is -.50, and right is -.75. During the day they make little difference although at night there IS more sharpness. Yesterday morning she suggested I wear them ALL day and I did. After a while I forgot I had them on. As we both got in to bed, with the TV on, I took mine off, and the blur was very striking..I could not read any of the smaller print on the screen. I know that previously I was able to read small print on the TV. If I could see the small print ok before the exam, why is it now such a blur after taking off the glasses. Wife couldn't comment as she could never read even larger print on the screen without her glasses. As a test we put the "guide" on the screen, which she could read with her glasses. I could make out some of it, but it was fuzzy till I put on the glasses and it really popped in to focus.

Am I making myself more nearsighted by wearing them? If I stop wearing them will it be less likely that I need them full time? Should I only wear them for driving? I wonder what the result would be if I would wear them full time for a day or two and go for another exam...would they result in a stronger prescription? I am new to this and so not sure what is going on.

David 11 Jun 2017, 18:09

Soundmanpt

My girlfriend was in real shock when she found out just how bad her vision is compared to how well she thought she could see at her eye appointment. I think that she realizes how lucky she was to not have been in an accident when driving because it would have almost certainly been determined to be her fault once the insurance companies found out how poorly she is seeing not to mention potential legal troubles. In my opinion, the ability to see perfectly is a good trade off for loosing your blur tolerance. I remember that I was perfectly happy tolerating blur with a low prescription but once I hit about -1.50 and started wearing my glasses 24/7 seeing clearly all the time was preferable to being able to interpret my blurry vision, not to mention it got a lot harder to do right around that point as well. Yeah, she told me that it took quite a bit of effort to pull off her glasses stunt in high school. She had to not only figure out when the vision screening was but also had to go behind her parents' backs to buy a pair of glasses. She said that she wouldn't wear them at home and would put them when she was on the way to the bus stop every morning and take them off once she got off the bus. It was apparently pretty convincing until her friend tried them on after getting glasses like I said and my girlfriend said that she was really embarrassed to be "found out" like that lol. She never told me that story until she got her glasses so it must have still been a pretty embarrassing story for her but now that she actually needs glasses she can look back on it and laugh a bit. Also, when the doctor told my girlfriend that she needed glasses her response was basically "that's great, I've always wanted some cute frames". Like I said before, she really jumped at the chance to look for frames and even was doing "research" prior to her exam so I think she was pretty excited about the whole thing. You're right, aside from the first day she hasn't complained pretty much at all about her glasses. On the contrary, she really likes how well she can see and how they look on her. I also don't think she was too concerned at all when the doctor said that her vision could still change, her mentality is basically that "I'm going to wear them all the time anyway so it doesn't matter". I know that if the doctor had told me at my first exam back when I was 15ish that my vision would get worse I probably would have freaked out a bit lol.

Yeah, the camera tips really came in handy, it didn't take too many attempts to get some good shots. The did swap glasses for a picture or two and I liked how she looked with the wayfairer style so I think she was going to order a pair as her backup or second pair pretty soon. Her sister didn't say much other than it makes a big difference and seems to take the stress off her eyes a bit and wore them the entire time we were there. We didn't really talk much honestly, we were all too busy trying to pack up the truck with all her stuff.

Yeah that was a really bad road trip, it seems like bullpen management has been a huge problem since Duncan and LaRussa retired and the offense has been suspect for awhile now so it isn't too surprising that they've had trouble this year. I grew up following the Rays (the Devil Rays back then) but my girlfriend is from Stl so I follow the Cardinals more now lol.

Soundmanpt 11 Jun 2017, 08:39

David

Trust me i'm sure your girlfriend is still in a bit of shock at how bad her eyesight is now, of course it really isn't all that bad but to her it is. Like she said she was walking around and driving without glasses just a few weeks ago and now she can't see well enough to do that anymore without glasses. Once she got her glasses and started wearing them she was then rapidly losing the ability to for her eyes to compensate her and allowing her to see somewhat better than she really could. Now all she can do if she doesn't have her glasses on is squinting to see things which helps her some but still not nearly enough that she is able to see anything clearly. Remember even though you both have nearly the exact same prescription you both got their in different ways. You started off with weak glasses and have slowly gotten increases every year or so to where your at now. Your girlfriend went from no glasses straight to where your at now with her first glasses. So no surprise that she hardly ever takes her glasses off anymore. When she first got her glasses i'm sure she took them off quite bit because she was still adjusting to them and getting used to wearing glasses and i'm sure she was trying to determine what she might still be able to see without her glasses. Now that she knows everything is blurry without her glasses there is no reason to take them off anymore. So I kind of hit it dead on when I suggested that she seemed to have quite an interest in glasses even when you first met her. What she did when she was freshman took a bit of planning. It wasn't something she just did on the spur of the moment. She had to first go to I assume a boutique and pick out just the right glasses and then wait for the vision and hearing screenings to come and go and then she was smart enough to know that she still needed to wait another week to show up wearing her fake glasses. Apparently she was convincing enough that no one doubted her need for glasses. But the problem is if anyone asks to try on your glasses. Then you can feel really foolish. She was lucky that it was a rather good friend that had gotten glasses and quickly determined that your girlfriend's glasses were fake. But she was nice enough and kept her secret. But she still managed to wear her fake glasses for several months before as she claims she grew out of that phase. But the truth is when anyone has that desire about wanting to wear glasses it never really goes away even if she made it sound like it did. I bet when she found out that she needed to get glasses and she was trying on frames she was like a kid in toyland. She told you correctly that getting glasses is a sort of fulfillment of a childhood dream a dream that never went away. I don't think she really minds wearing glasses at all. Aside from the first day when her glasses bothered her nose a bit has she ever complained about her glasses or having to wear them? I'm glad the doctor told her that she could see some changes in her vision over the next year. That is going to happen for sure. Her next glasses I would expect to be around -2.25 or even -2.50 depending on how long she is able to hold off getting her eyes examined. But like the doctor said she is 23 so she is pretty much past the real changing years. However since it seems rather clear that her job is what likely ruined her eyesight that could still effect her eyes a bit too. And you're 24 and you are probably close if not already at the stable point with your eyes.

I'm glad my suggestion about not using the flash worked so well for you. I hope you got some really nice pictures of your girlfriend and her sister wearing their glasses. I'm sure they wanted some wearing each other's glasses. So now that your used to seeing your girlfriend wearing her own glasses how did she look wearing her sister's glasses? Of course i'm sure your girlfriend couldn't really see much of anything wearing her sister's glasses. What did her sister have to say about wearing glasses? Even though her prescription isn't very strong the difference between her eyes is enough to for her to notice for sure. Does she seem to be wearing them quite a bit or did she only put them on for the pictures to be taken?

Yeah we sort of get used to being at least in the playoffs every year so last year was bad enough but nobody was going to stop the Cubs so it didn't matter too much. But this year has been pretty bad as well. Really good starting pitching but only 3 guys in the bullpen to count on and a bad defense and poor run scoring. But were in the worst division and even the Cubs are under 500. Who is your home team?

David 10 Jun 2017, 13:06

Soundmanpt

You're correct, my girlfriend has mentioned that she can't believe that she was walking around and even driving just a few weeks ago without glasses. She hardly ever takes them off now and if she doesn't have them on she is constantly squinting which she never did before. Also, she actually told me a funny story shortly after getting her glasses. When she was a freshman in high school she thought glasses were really cool and she actually really wanted a pair of glasses to wear in class. So She waited until they had their vision and hearing screening in school and then bought a fake pair of glasses and waited a week or so before taking them to class and telling her friends that she got glasses. I thought that it was hilarious because at the same time I actually had to get my first pair of glasses and absolutely refused to wear them at first. She said that it worked for a few months until her best friend had to get glasses and wanted to try on my girlfriend's glasses. Her friend found out right away that my girlfriend's glasses were fake but she didn't tell anyone, eventually she kind of grew out of that phase and stopped wearing the fake glasses. She said that having to get glasses reminded her of that and that needing glasses was sort of a fulfillment of a silly childhood dream lol. When she went in for her exam the doctor mentioned that her prescription was a bit high for someone who had never worn glasses before and mentioned to her after the exam that she still could see some changes in her vision over the next year. He did say that because of her age and relatively low prescription that he doesn't expect any significant changes perhaps just a slight tweak and suggested coming back in a year or so to fine tune the prescription. She didn't have her eyes dilated for the refraction but did get them dilated later for an eye health exam by the way. As for me, my prescription hasn't really changed over the last couple of years. I had the biggest changes in the two years after I got my first glasses when I was 16. Also the colorblindness information was pretty interesting, my cousin is blue/purple colorblind but his sister isn't. My girlfriend is actually a synesthete and she associates sounds with colors which is pretty cool and she said that it helps her when doing her design work and trying to come up with cool color schemes.

Your suggestion did help out a lot, at the graduation I was using flash which made the glare really hard to manage. I turned it off this time and just found better lighting and had significantly less problems getting a good photo. My girlfriend did actually suggest getting the lens coatings since she was so happy with her's. She also went for a bigger style and got a pair of the rayban wayfairer style glasses. As for college, she is staying in state but it is a bit of a drive from where we currently live. I must have missed that you are also a Cardinals fan, they aren't looking too great and may end up missing the playoffs for two years in a row. I don't know if I can ever remember that happening.

NNVisitor

I've found that the styles that male and female opticians pick out are often quite different. I've had more luck with female opticians helping me find frames that suite me. In my experience the women tend to give a better explanation of how the glasses look and why the work or don't while the men usually gave a yes or no and left it up to me to decide what exactly didn't feel or look right. As for my girlfriend's prescription, I don't think she is too concerned about it. The doctor told her that she may experience a small change in the next year or so but that it wouldn't be significant and since most of the glasses she is looking at are for either backup or specific outfits I don't think it would be a big deal if her vision changes slightly. I'm not sure how often she would end up changing her glasses anyways, I think it is like shoes, it's always nice to have options but you will usually go with what is comfortable and familiar.

Soundmanpt 10 Jun 2017, 08:50

NNVisitor

In my area we have a very well known family owned business that is a very high end glasses shop. They actually have 3 locations. The grandson is now running the business and I know him from a number of years ago. They only hire the most attractive young ladies to work in their stores. About 3 years ago best friends daughter got hired to work their. She got the job because a friend of hers was already working there and the owner asked her if she had any girlfriends that might be interested in coming to work their? She is a very pretty young lady but she isn't one to dress up all that much. She is required to always wear heels and makeup and hair neatly brushed and dress nicely. but she makes very good money because she gets paid a salary as well as commission from her sales. Her commission alone has to be quite good considering the price of the glasses they sell. She gets to pick out new glasses at least 3 or 4 times a year from the store and she often gets free glasses from the frame manufactures that come around. But all stores have found that customers / patients are more likely to want help from a woman rather than a man working in the store.

The optometrists did nothing wrong when she came in for an eye exam. As we all know most people will notice something is wrong with their eyesight than she realized it. So doing a dilation eye exam takes longer and usually isn't really necessary to prescribe glasses. And because her eyes were so strained and she was being helped by accommodation which is how she was able get by as long as she did without glasses that is why she was still able to see to drive, well sort of anyway. So I have no doubt that with the -1.75 lenses in front of her eyes she was perfectly able to see the 20/20 line which is all the doctor can prescribe for. But I am quite sure if you were to ask the doctor he knew right away that as her eyes become more and more relaxed she isn't going to be seeing 20/20 for very long before she needs an increase. This is why when she takes her glasses off now everything is much more blurry to her than it was before she got her glasses. Because glasses can be bought from places like Zenni for under $20.00 getting several pairs is fine to do and since she really needs her glasses she should have at least one extra pair as a back up anyway. And a pair of sunglasses as well. So probably when she does need to go and get new glasses she would be better off just donating all of her current glasses to the Lion's Club and buying all new ones rather than changing the lens in the ones she has now.

NNVisitor 09 Jun 2017, 23:30

Soundmanpt

Yes women are usually much better at picking out glasses than men. Women are very fashion conscious and many look at glasses as a fashion accessory. I remember well a female optician who was so helpful to me in picking out both the frames and lenses. Women also communicate differently than men do. Both verbally and non verbally. When someone communicates with us in person we not only hear what they say but are influenced by their body language. The latter often in an unconscious way yet nevertheless it can influence our decision making. As a man I always prefer dealing with female opticians/optical assistants when picking out glasses. Probably due to both their fasion acumen and their communication style.

You also brought up another interesting point. David's girlfriend may wind up with a prescription change. As she's keen to have several pairs of glasses she may wind up needing to change the lenses in each pair. Certainly something for her to keep in mind.

Soundmanpt 09 Jun 2017, 07:41

David

Your girlfriend has only been wearing glasses for about 3 weeks now, but i'm sure even for only having glasses for such a short time she couldn't go without her glasses for even a day anymore. But she has adjusted to wearing glasses very well and from what you say she really hasn't had any problem at all with getting used to wearing glasses. I wonder if she has always maybe been interested in or even wanted to wear glasses and just never considered that she might actually need glasses? And she has made her glasses a fashion accessory which is exactly how she should consider them since glasses can be very fashionable these days. So with being able to order glasses on line for so much less than the optical shops sell glasses for it makes perfect sense that she wants to get several more pairs that can be a fun pair and something to go with other outfits. But i'm not sure sure how or if you even want to tell her this. She shouldn't order too many because like I said earlier I really think the doctor wasn't as able to give her an accurate prescription for glasses and that she was probably slightly under prescribed as a result. If I recall they didn't dilate her eyes which would have really helped but at the time they had no idea how bad her eyesight really was. When most people get their first glasses as you know it is generally much weaker so there is no need to dilate. But when she got her eyes examined they were badly strained and that makes it much harder to refract someone. My guess is that she will be slowly starting to notice that things aren't as clear and sharp after about 6 - 8 months time. I don't think she will be able to make it a full year wearing her current glasses. So she doesn't want to invest too much money in glasses now. Now i don't think she is going to be needing a big increase but enough that she will be needing new glasses. You said that she is 23 and you're 24 so you both shouldn't need increases too much longer before your eyes become more stable. Something I learned years ago that I found very interesting and I wonder if your girlfriend has ever heard this. Women can see color much better than men and it is very rare for a woman to be color blind. After I heard that I started doing my own research and to this day I haven't found one woman that is color blind. But women are far more likely to be nearsighted. Print buyers almost always have women go out on printing press okays for that very reason.

I know because your girlfriend needed her glasses so badly they put a rush on them o she was able to get her glasses the next day. But her sister of course didn't need her glasses so quickly so I figured they put them through as a normal order. But even then they often can be made in a couple days depending on the lab. So I hope my suggestion helps out. Using natural or good lighting is much better than using a flash because the flash is too bright and spotty. You need to hope that her sister did get an AR coating on her glasses. Sadly I have a bad feeling that your girlfriend may nit have thought to recommend that to her, Doing a test run with your girlfriend ahead of time is a really good idea. I think you will find doing closeups much easier for seeing their eyes through their lenses rather than being further away. I'm curious what style glasses her sister got? If she maybe went for the bigger style or something more like what your girlfriend got. If her sister is already packing to head off to summer college I guess they won't get to see much of each other. How far away is she going?

By the way if you think your baseball team is doing bad have you checked on how bad the Cardinals are doing lately. They just finished a road trip to Chicago and to play the Reds and they lost all 7 games. Were not used to that here.

David 08 Jun 2017, 18:32

Soundmanpt

Yeah, like I said, I was pretty similar and only really started to notice other people's glasses and how they looked once I got my first pair. My girlfriend did an excellent job picking out her frames but she always keeps an eye out for new looks and fashion ideas. Even though she has to wear glasses full time she pretty much treats them like another accessory and is already planning on ordering more pairs to go with different looks. She has pointed out a few guys with glasses and told me that she thinks I'd look good with those frames and stuff like that, I always joke that she has to compensate for my complete lack of fashion sense lol. Like I mentioned earlier, when we first met I was wearing glasses and I would wear them pretty often back then since I didn't have contacts. I had a really ugly pair of glasses that were both too small for my face and not the right shape, that coupled with a lack of AR coatings made for some really ugly glasses that I was a bit embarrassed to wear in public. Our first date was at the movies and I had to wear my glasses and god was I afraid of what she'd say when she saw them lol. She told me that she really liked glasses on me and at the time I just thought she was being nice about it but she has since admitted that she finds glasses really attractive. I think now that I have an actual fashionable pair, and ones that she chose too, she likes how I look in them even more. When she was looking for her glasses she tried on a bunch of the larger plastic and chunkier frames but said that they all felt like too much pressure on her nose to get used to. I tend to agree as I've never really cared for the larger frames or the plastic bridges. She also mentioned that the plastic frames touch more of her face and would probably smear her makeup especially since she has to wear them all the time. She certainly thought of pretty much everything before finding her frames and besides everyone has those types of glasses now so I think she wanted something a bit different too. And as far as her driving is concerned, I feel very relieved that she has glasses now, not just for her safety but for everyone else's too. Her driving improved almost immediately and greatly after she got her glasses and got used to the prescription. We both may have dodged a bullet when she was driving around half blind for a few years lol.

According to my girlfriend, her sister did get her glasses already and we'll be seeing them tomorrow night because we are all going to help her get packed to move into her dorm for summer classes. Also, thanks for the photo tips, my camera skills are awful enough without having to try and figure out how to avoid glare on people's glasses. I'm sure that I'll be asked to take a bunch of photos so maybe I'll ask my girlfriend if I can practice on her tonight so it doesn't take forever tomorrow lol.

Soundmanpt 08 Jun 2017, 10:22

David

It's not that unusual that your girlfriend now really notices and pays much more attention to people wearing glasses than she ever did before she started wearing glasses. I'm sure she wants to feel that she looks every bit as good as everyone else wearing glasses. And she probably now really enjoys seeing how nice other women look wearing glasses. She is also probably checking out men wearing glasses as well but not mentioning it to you. But not because she is interested in them but only in how good they look wearing their glasses. You're a guy and we tend not to pay much attention to those things over all. But your girlfriend clearly must have thought you looked really nice wearing glasses if she even tried to get you to wear your glasses when you first met and way before she knew she was going to be getting glasses. And that was as you say even with a very unflattering pair of glasses. So it's really not just because she has to wear glasses that she is so insisting that you wear your glasses also, but that she really does like how you look wearing glasses. Your girlfriend is a very smart young lady which I guess you already know. She was right in her thinking that the bigger style glasses might be a bit heavier on her nose. Also most all of those bigger plastic frames have the pre formed nose pads. Her glasses have the adjustable soft nose pads which I think are a lot easier on the nose, certainly considering these are her first glasses which she needs to wear everyday full time. You probably first now must realize just how dangerous it was for her to be driving at night before she got glasses. But i'm sure when she had to pull out in traffic and she was looking both ways to see if cars were coming all she saw was blur. Any street lights only made things worse. If a kid on a bicycle had been passing by I don't know know if she would have been able to see him in time to stop or not. This of course is why she would drive slowly because she felt like that gave her more time to see anything in front of her. If she is like most young ladies being able to carry her sunglasses in her bag shouldn't be a problem. But I only suggested that because she is most likely going to be needing her sunglasses when she is driving to or from work so that is when some people often leave their sunglasses in the car rather than taking them into work with them. But if she often goes out to lunch with friends she might like having them if they are sitting outside. So mom and dad weren't given glasses but both know that the day is around the corner for both of them. Her sister is getting glasses which like I said before I think she was actually hoping for anyway. If her prescription is only -.25 / -1.00 her vision is still good enough to pass the drivers test without glasses. You are only requited to be able to see 20/40 with one eye. So her -.25 eye is probably only 20/25 or maybe 20/30 but still better than 20/40. Her other eyes she isn't good enough for her to pass. She is probably only about 20/60 in that eye. But even though she doesn't really need to wear glasses for driving its still a very good idea for her to get glasses and wear them when she drives. If she is driving with her windows down and something blows in her -.25 eye she isn't going to be able to see very well until she gets vision back in her better eye. Also wearing glasses should actually help prevent anything from blowing in her eyes. Her eye are a little bit out of balance so if she really does intend on wearing her glasses quite often like she says she is going to notice the difference much more when she isn't wearing her glasses. I'm just guessing but most likely her eyes are just starting to change and by next year her -.25 eye will be closer to -1.00. Nice that she was able to get rx sunglasses with her parents insurance. Is she currently waiting for her glasses to come in or does she already have them? I have a feeling that your girlfriend is going to want to see her as soon as she gets her glasses. I'm sure your girlfriend is going to want to try her glasses on and see how her sister's glasses look on her. They are going to have glasses in common now. So be prepared to be asked to do some picture taking. try getting in a light enough area and close enough ot nit use the flash that should really help with glare. Oh did her sister get AR coating on her glasses? If insurance doesn't cover it she may not have gotten it. But if she didn't she can always order a pair on line with AR for hardly anything.

NNVisitor 07 Jun 2017, 18:00

My wife didn't mind that I wore contact lenses. Some days though she would say that I don't need my contact lens on. That is after spending an hour in the washroom doing makeup and combing her hair. She didn't then want to wait a few minutes for me to put my contacts in and comb my hair etc. With me putting my contacts in was an almost daily ritual.

One day I noticed a lens was cracked thus I needed a new lens. I went back to wearing glasses and had my eyes checked. The ophthalmologist changed my prescription in one eye only. The astigmatism correction changed somewhat. My wife suggested I get new glasses first. Here's where I made a mistake. Instead of buying new glasses I brought my glasses in to an optical store just to have one new lens made and put in the frame. It took five weeks. Meanwhile without contact lenses to wear I wore an older pair of glasses with a different prescription that I was able to handle. The problem was that as those glasses were very thick with glass lenses they were heavy and I had a sore ear for weeks. Lesson learned. Since then if my prescription changed I got new glasses. Also the heavy pair was just prior to when I even heard of high index lenses as once I was told about the thinner lenses I always then opted for them.

David 07 Jun 2017, 16:41

NNVisitor

Yeah, when I first got glasses I felt pretty odd since nobody else in my family had glasses at that point (my sister didn't get them till about a year later). After I got my glasses I started to notice people's glasses more probably because I felt self conscious about mine. My girlfriend is the same, she has been pointing out other people's glasses now and often asks me if I think that those frames would look good on her lol. We can both also relate to adapting to poor vision, we both did to some degree, me much less so than my girlfriend but we both went around with blurry vision and probably a bit of denial that we couldn't see for far too long. I think that the reason that my girlfriend wants me to stick to glasses is partly to not stand out as suddenly needing glasses and partly because she really likes how I look in glasses and went through the effort of picking out the perfect pair. When we first started dating I mostly wore glasses as I didn't have contacts and she told me back then that she really liked how glasses made me look even though I had a really ugly and unflattering pair, in my opinion anyways. Was your exwife disappointed that you switched to contacts or did she not seem to mind at all? I'm not sure that I'm ever really going to switch back to contacts full time since I found glasses so much easier and now that I don't look horrible in them I feel much better about wearing them in public, besides I think we look like such a cute couple when we both wear our glasses lol.

Soundamnpt

Yeah, you're probably right, the staff at every optical retailer I've been to has been either all or mostly female. I know that I always have the hardest time picking out frames and would always end up with something dreadful if the staff didn't help me out yet my girlfriend was able to find a pair that looks really good on me with almost no effort lol. She was only thinking about getting a larger frame because they are pretty trendy now but decided, wisely in my opinion, to get something she would be comfortable wearing all the time and anywhere. She also mentioned that the larger frames were heavier on her nose and I think that was the real deal breaker there seeing as she had never had glasses before and the frames she ended up getting are so light and unobtrusive so they are easier to adjust to. She admitted to me that she never used to feel safe or comfortable driving and that she always used to feel like stops and cars would come out of nowhere when she was driving which made her really nervous. Now that she can see properly she is much more confident when driving as she used to be a very timid driver to the point where it would take forever for her to pull out onto the road or to turn. I too am unsure how she managed to drive at night, the few times I rode with her at night she drove pretty slowly and asked me to navigate so she must have been relying on me to tell her when to turn and just getting closer to signs to read them. Also, that's a good tip about not leaving glasses in the car, it gets really hot and muggy in the summer where I live and I've actually had a pair of frames warp after being left in the car during an August day. My girlfriend tends to just keep them in her purse though so it shouldn't be a problem for her since she likes to have them handy in case she needs them during the day.

I think pretty much everyone needs readers or something similar as they get older so her parents probably weren't surprised that they are getting to that point. I asked my girlfriend if she knew what her sister's prescription was and she said that it was -0.25 and -1.00 which her sister said means that she can still drive legally but should have a pair of glasses. Apparently she was able to order a pair of sunglasses too since she is still on her parent's insurance unlike my girlfriend whose insurance only covered one frame and lenses per year.

Soundmanpt 07 Jun 2017, 10:31

David

I think most women have much better fashion sense then us men. That is why so many optical stores employee so many young women as opticians and optical assistisants. She was right in taking her time in picking out what she thought was the perfect glasses for her face. as well as yours. For her sense she was already told that she needed to wear her glasses full time it was much more important that she got glasses that she would feel good about wearing. The bigger style glasses are very popular but I also think that sometimes they cover up too much of the face. I have a feeling that she also felt that way as well. I'm sure she is really glad that you convinced her to get the the AR coating. That is so much better for her eyes besides looking nicer. Nice to see that her problem with driving wasn't because she hated driving but because she wasn't able to see well enough to feel safe whens she was driving. She had to be really straining if she drove anywhere at night. In fact I don't even know how she was even able to drive at all after dark. So now that she has glasses she is starting to enjoy driving a lot more now. You shouldn't feel bad about not noticing that she was having vision problems when she didn't even realize it herself. Now of course you understand that the reason she felt so tired after driving any distance was because she was straining so hard to see that it had to completely drain her of any energy at all. Nice that her sunglasses cam in in time for her test them at the ballgame. Of course that will also be a great help for her when she is driving on a sunny day as well. Just a simple tip which you may have already told her. Just like her regular glasses when she isn't wearing them they need to be in a case. She doesn't want to just have them laying on the seat in her car or on the dashboard. Remember the heat in a car can get to well over 100 degrees on a summer day that can actually melt the plastic frames of sunglasses. So in a case out of the direct sunlight is best.

Her family came away pretty close to what I thought they might be told. Mom and dad are both starting toe head in the direction of needing reading help down the road. And not too surprising that her sister needs a weak prescription for distance. Something tells me that her sister would have been more disappointed if she didn't need glasses. I have a feeling she was pretty happy to hear that she needs glasses and apparently she has already has decided to wear them quite often because she likes how she looks wearing glasses. Even though she doesn't really need to wear them so much it isn't going to do any harm or cause her eyes to get any worse by wearing them more often. Most likely if she is heading off to college her eyes will get slowly get worse anyway and she will need her glasses more often anyway. I'm sure now that her sister is getting glasses has made your girlfriend feel even better about wearing glasses. I'm sure she is looking forward to getting a nice picture of them both wearing glasses once her sister gets her glasses. I hope that your girlfriend tells her sister to be sure to get a copy of her prescription so she can also get a pair of rx sunglasses on line since she is going to be wearing them for driving for sure. I'm thinking that her sister's glasses are probably somewhere around -..50 or -.75 in both eyes.

NNVisitor 05 Jun 2017, 18:56

David

Many glasses wearers don't want to feel different. Isolated. In fact seeing many people wearing glasses becomes a relief for many needing glasses. Thus a much lessor chance of feeling stigmatized. It's human nature to not want to feel isolated, stigmatized.

What you have related about your girlfriend not previously wearing glasses. Not even aware of any vision problem is because we as humans get used to the vision we have. How we see everyday is how we perceive how things appear. It's also often easy to adapt to less than perfect vision. It's only by wearing glasses or contact lenses every day all day is how we get used to a new perception. That's when it becomes difficult to adjust to vision without correction.

I believe your girlfriend felt it was moral support to her, solidarity, with her wearing glasses, for you to also wear them as she most probably did not want to feel different thus validating herself suddenly wearing glasses.

When I met my wife, now ex wife, I was wearing glasses. So was she. She had worn glasses most of her life. Myself never really liking being stuck wearing glasses have worn contact lenses for several decades. I told my then not yet my wife then. When I got new lenses, as I wear gas permeable ones, which had to be fitted and specialty made due to my astigmatism I went back to wearing mostly contact lenses.

As my wife wore glasses since she was five years old she was used to wearing them. Her parents, sister, and brothers all wore glasses. I was upfront to her about my typically wearing contact lenses thus we each wore what we were comfortable with.

David 05 Jun 2017, 16:18

Soundmanpt

Thanks, I also think my girlfriend has much more fashion sense that I do and the pair she chose out for me really suits my face so much better than all the pairs I've had before. That she was able to find the perfect pair for not just herself but also for me really shows that she has a keen eye for glasses lol. She thought long and hard about getting a pair of larger plastic frames but ultimately decided that they would be a bit too much for her first pair and she wanted something that would be able to go with nearly any outfit. Also, she really appreciates that I pushed her to get the AR coating since it was only recommended by the doctor and she was considering going without it. I let her try on one of my old pairs with no coatings and she couldn't believe the difference it makes so she is very happy that she paid a bit extra for the coatings especially since it is her first pair. My girlfriend has also been much more willing to drive when we go out now that she has glasses, like I said before she used to hate driving and always refused to drive at night all together. I probably should have realized that she was having trouble seeing and I feel kinda bad about letting her walk around with such poor vision for so long but I guess even she didn't really realize it so I can't feel too bad about it. She told me that driving was always difficult and made her really tired if she had to drive for any significant amount of time. I never really thought that was odd because I tend to fall asleep in cars all the time (never when I'm driving of course!) and just thought that she was the same. The eye doctor actually told us that it was probably due to visual fatigue caused by her constantly straining her eyes to see while driving. Now that she has her glasses that problem as gone away completely and she seems to if not enjoy but tolerate driving much more. She is also really pleased that her sunglasses came in time for the baseball game. She was able to wear them for the first couple of innings and was able to see everything perfectly. Funnily enough, the same add for the optometrist played on the scoreboard between innings and this time my girlfriend only had trouble figuring out the answer to the trivia question rather than trouble figuring out what the question said lol. We both really enjoyed the game and the team was even able to pull out a win which, unfortunately has been pretty rare lately.

As far as her family's eye exams go, her mother ended up needing reading glasses and has a slight astigmatism but not enough to require glasses according to my girlfriend. Her father has perfect eyesight but the doctor said to probably expect needing readers at some point in the next few years. Her sister though, ended up being a bit nearsighted in both eyes and the doctor recommended getting some glasses for driving and class since she will be in college with larger lecture halls. I think my girlfriend said that her sister was planning on wearing them pretty often once she got them since she really liked how she looked in glasses so she probably noticed something while wearing my girlfriend's glasses when we had dinner together and just didn't say anything. My girlfriend seemed pretty happy that she wasn't the only person in her family that needs glasses now and wants to get a picture of both of them wearing glasses before her sister heads off to college.

Rob

It has been a pretty interesting experience for both of us but after two weeks I think we are both pretty well adapted to wearing glasses all the time. I actually think that it is more natural for my girlfriend than me since there are mornings where I will almost slip back into my routine of putting in a pair of contacts lol. My girlfriend always has her glasses on first thing in the morning whereas I'll usually get ready without them then just throw them on before I'm ready to head out to work or something. All in all, it has become pretty much second nature for both of us, I still get a little distracted by seeing the frames while driving, usually while checking my blind spots, and my girlfriend is a habitual lens cleaner and gets annoyed by the slightest smudge or spec. Kissing is a bit different with glasses too, the first time we kissed with glasses on was really awkward lol. Since neither of us had ever worn glasses when kissing we actually smacked our glasses together and I somehow managed to get mine tangled in her hair lol. We've since worked that problem out ;) but it was definitely a surprise that neither of us saw coming at all. The only other thing was we went to go get drinks with some mutual friends on Saturday night and got lots of comments about our new glasses. They all seemed to really like how our glasses looked. I think that was probably the last mental hurdle for us, being seen by old friends with glasses for the first time was always a bit nerve wracking for me at least.

Rob 05 Jun 2017, 07:39

Hi David, how has the experience of being full-time glasses-wearers been for you and your girlfriend? Has wearing them become a natural process yet?

Maxim 04 Jun 2017, 14:57

to Bell

unfortunately, a long comment has been lost in the system here.

I am at a strict schedule due to a business travel for several days, but I'll be back here as soon as possible.

Please, be patient. What had not been identified and corrected in nine years, cannot be managed in just two or three days.

Be confident!

Let her try the new vision experience from time to time - the objective could be just 10 minutes per day watching the TV. She might like that in some days ... ??

The 'coming out' in school and with friends is a bit more difficult - and has been for me as a grown up - and between 27 and 50 no one saw me with specs! So, give her some time.

I'll write again, when i'm back - my best wishes so long!

Delilah 04 Jun 2017, 14:18

Hi,

OD: SPH +2.50 CYL-0.50 AXIS 150 ADD1.50

OS: SPH +4.00 CYL-1.25 AXIS 135 PRISM1 6 BASE1 BO ADD1.50

Thanks!!

Bell 04 Jun 2017, 13:32

My daughter was talking to her om on the phone today, and still is convinced she does not need glasses. She is convinced she was just tired during the exam, and had an eyelash in her eye which caused her to mess up. Also, she thinks the doctor was just out to get her glasses so they can make money off of us. I do not know what to say. I was in the room when she was getting her eyes tested, and my poor baby could not read anything on the projected wall chart, until the doctor put out bigger letters. On the near one she could not see any of it either, and even with the black glasses on she was not able to read all of it. I do not want to say anything wrong, but do not know what the right thing to say is. I do not understand this stuff, so cannot really convey why she needs to wear glasses. I feel I am at a loss.

Bell 03 Jun 2017, 20:08

She has gotten her glasses, not wearing them, but gas them. I want her to wear them, the doctor even said she should, but I do not want to force her into it and make her hate them even more. I want to wait a few days or even a day before I say anything. I feel if I said anything during the day or tonight it would/will be too soon. We also picked out her spare glasses. I did not want to force her to get smallee frames, but always said yeat to the smaller one. In the end she got frames smaller than her other onea, but still not that small.

Maxim 03 Jun 2017, 16:12

A PS to my earlier notice, where my last words were "But anyway ..".

That is not more and not less than a silly error.

I had started writing this, modified the text totally, and just forgot to delete these two words.

Just wipe it out, there is nothong hidden.

Thank you.

Maxim 03 Jun 2017, 16:07

to Bell and REd

Yes, I can only confirm - very often these kids look very, very pretty. That's why I said, nobody in the family should make easy jokes, and then, the kids are very proud and very confident.

Have you already got the glasses? Here, in Europe, it would be too late - we are at 0100, one hour after midnight (official time = summer time, in reality it would be midnight defined by the geographical facts).

The best wishes, I am feeling with you as a father of four (and the youngest girl, now 19 yrs. of age, with a strong prescription as well).

Best wishes again, sincerely ...

REd 03 Jun 2017, 10:24

Bell,

I know a girl whose age is close to your daughters. She also has a similarly strong hyperopic prescription. She is very confident wearing her glasses. I've never seen her without them and she is very pretty. All her classmates accept her as she is; I've never heard a single comment, unkind or kind. Glasses are simply a non issue at this school. I'd estimate 10-20% of the kids in 3rd and 4th grade wear glasses.

REd 03 Jun 2017, 10:11

Bell,

Your daughters lenses will be thickest in the middle directly in front of her pupils, and thinnest furthest away from her pupils. The larger the frame the thicker the middle of the lens must be. Thus smaller frames with give thinner centers. High index lenses will result in thinner lenses also. High index lenses bend the light more than lower index lenses. If she is concerned about appearance and lens thickness she will prefer small frames with high index lenses. There is no way to soften this fact-the magnification of her eyes will be significant and not subtle but least with small frames with high index lenses.. Hopefully she will appreciate her MUCH better vision

Bell 03 Jun 2017, 09:40

Thank you, Maxim, for your kind words and advice, I really appreciate it. I do not know much about glasses, eyes or eyesight as I only needed them for a few years of my childhood. Given that I am just wondering what you mean by "magnifying the eye?" Will her glasses make her eyes look magbified? If so is an obvious thing, or a subtle one? I did not think about getting a backup pair, thanks for suggesting that, will have her pick out another frame later today when we go to pick up her glasses. What are high index lenses? Will they help her see better? Lastly, why the smaller frames? Is it bad if she has bigger ones because the ones she chose yesterday were big ones? She looked beautiful in them (they were my favorite too). Sorry for all the confusion and thank you, once again.

We will be heading to get her glasses in about two hours, I really hope it goes well, and she is not so down about it. These are something she needs, and I really want her happy with them. I think, and hope she will like them when she gets them, because she did look lovely in them.

Soundmanpt 03 Jun 2017, 09:22

David

Yes I was able to open that one and your girlfriend has very good taste in eyewear. Actually semi-rimless glasses are a favorite style of mine for both men and women. In fact semi-rimless would have been a good choice for your girlfriends glasses. I say that because as you know you don't have the problem of having the frame in your line of vision. But her glasses only has a thin metal band around the bottom and sides which is very much like being rimless. You gave your girlfriend great advice in getting the AR coating. Not just for pictures but that coating makes a big difference for someone like her that is sitting in front of a computer screen all day. Without that coating i'm sure he eyes feel much more tired by the end of the day. Interesting that her sister didn't say anything when she was testing her eyes with and without glasses. Generally when someone tries on someone else's glasses if they are too strong they will make a comment. By now her parents and sister have had their eye exams. Her parents must be in their early 40's so it's possible they might need glasses for seeing close up. If her sister needs glasses it would likely be for distance and a much weaker prescription than your girlfriend got. It doesn't take long if you're wearing glasses full time for them to feel very natural already. I think you find that she will even enjoy driving more now that she can see. Driving for her had to become more and more difficult as her eyes were slowly getting worse. Glad to hear that her sunglasses came in. That will also help her with driving on sunny days now. So I have a feeling she enjoyed the ballgame even more now that she could see everything so much better.

Maxim 03 Jun 2017, 09:03

To Bell

My sincere best wishes for your daughter and for you! You (all the family, the teachers, her friends) have to be very careful with her and give her a good feeling.

This is quite a substantial subscription, and even if some children might be wearing glasses, most of them are not as as much magnifying the eyes, as this prescription does. If those children are hyperopic, they are mostly in the +2.00 to + 4.50 range.

Have always a backup pair ready for her, and, if you can afford the higher prices, ask for high index lenses, and prefer small frames over larger ones.

I took from your writing, that you love her very much, and that you can give her the feeling, that she is your little princess. My sincere best wishes!

But anyway,

Bell 02 Jun 2017, 23:06

The numbers are +7.25, -1.75, 120 and the second row's are +9.50, -1.75, 150.

Cactus Jack 02 Jun 2017, 17:59

Bell,

Did you get a copy of her prescription?

If you post it, I will try to explain it.

Bell 02 Jun 2017, 10:55

I took her in for an eye exam this morning, and as I suspected she does need glasses, but what I was not expecting was that her eyesight was this bad. I thought she needed glasses, but turns out she really needs them. Poor girl could not even see the big E on the chart. They had to make it bigger for her to be able to see it. With the black glasses thing on at the begining she could not make out the everything, but by the end she could see the wall chart perfectly! Reading however, she still struggled to see the bottom of that chart, but the doctor said it will be fine for now, but will take a look at it again next time and see if they can fix that if it needs to be fixed. The doctor said she has to wear her glasses all the time because of how poor her vision is without them. The doctor said she is hyperopic, and has astigmatism. Her left eye is a little worse than her right eye, and they might try patching later to get them to be closer if the glasses do not do the trick in the next 6 months. She chose her frames already, and will get her glasses tomorrow. She really is not excited about this in the slightest bit. She is still trying to talk me into believeing she does not need glasses. Hope everything goes well tomorrow, and she actually wears her glasses like she should.

Cactus Jack 01 Jun 2017, 22:44

Bell,

I am guessing your daughter is probably in the 3rd year of school. There are not very many students who have nearsightedness problems that early. Most students who need vision correction at that age are those with significant problems focusing close or with significant astigmatism, as my friend's son has.

These days, many schools do vision screenings for both distance and close-up vision problems, but it is often the teachers who notice that a child is struggling to see what is on the board or struggling to read.

Many times, vision issues are hereditary, but not necessarily manifest in the mother or father. Some genetic traits may skip a generation and have been manifest in the grandparents.

It is hard to tell the source of her opposition to glasses. She may have heard complaints from her mother or just some negative comments about wearing glasses. Part of the problem is that children with vision problems don't know they have them. They have nothing to compare the vision they have with what it should be.

I have a great nephew, about your daughter's age. A few years ago, when he started school, his grandfather (my brother) became suspicious that he was having some vision problems. It turned out he was farsighted and had quite a bit of astigmatism. At first he rebelled mightily about wearing glasses, but after about a week of wearing them, he realized what he had been missing and how much more comfortable his vision is with glasses. Now you hardly ever see him without his glasses. By the way, he picked out his frames. That helped.

Consider this possibility. Locate an Eye Care Professional who likes to work with children. Explain the problem and ask for suggestions. Some years ago I saw an ECP who used a hand held Auto-Refractor for a preliminary check on children's vision. It did both eyes simultaneously in just a few seconds when they looked at a picture inside the device.

I hope this helps some. It is a challenge, but if she needs vision correction, it is very worthwhile.

May I ask where you live?

Bell 01 Jun 2017, 18:00

We just moved towards the end of this last school year, so I have only gone to her classroom twice. I may not have seen her whole class in those two times, and some may not have been wearing their glasses, but from what I saw no one had glasses. As for our family I no longer wear glasses. I needed them when I was younger, but outgrew them by the time I was in junior high. My ex wife (daughter's mother) got glasses about a year and a half ago.

Cactus Jack 01 Jun 2017, 11:53

Brewster,

Yes she should wear her glasses full time, but she will need to decide that for herself. She may think that her glasses make her look old or less attractive. Hopefully, she has some attractive frames that enhance her attractiveness as facial jewelry. It might not hurt if her glasses were something of a "turn-on" for you.

Cactus Jack 01 Jun 2017, 11:46

Bell,

Your daughter seems to be a very strong willed 9 year old. Good vision is very important in children and she likely needs an eye exam to find out what she needs.

I suspect she is nearsighted, but there can be other problems that have some symptoms that are similar.

For example, I have a friend who has a 10 YO son who is significantly farsighted (Hyperopic) with quite a bit of Astigmatism. When I first met the son, he was not wearing glasses, but held something very close to be able to read it. I asked his father if the son needed to get his vision checked. He said his son had glasses, but like all kids, he was pretty hard on them. He does not wear them if he is playing something active, where they might get broken (again). I suggested some inexpensive spare or sports glasses from Zenni. I later found out that the son's prescription was Sphere +5.00 and his Astigmatism correction was -2.75. Because of his age, he was able to easily compensate internally for the +5.00, but he could not correct the Astigmatism without external help. Astigmatism messes up vision at all distances and makes reading text difficult. He could read the text with effort by holding things close, but could not read distant signs without his glasses.

Vanity, about wearing glasses, is probably not a big factor for your daughter, yet, However, peer pressure could be.

A few more questions:

1. Have you visited her classroom?

2. Are there any glasses wearers in her class?

3. Do any close family members wear glasses?

She may have a aversion to all things medical. Most children do. They often associate doctor visits with discomfort and pain. An eye exam is unlike any other medical exam. it is painless and can be a fun experience, if the examiner is experienced in working with children.

I may have other suggestions based on your answers to the above questions.

Brewster 01 Jun 2017, 03:32

My wife (45) is mildly near sighted and for years has worn glasses just for driving and watching TV and has never kept them on for reading.After mentioning a little difficulty with small print, she now has new varifocal glasses which she is struggling with. Apparently, her distance vision hasn't changed much and the new prescription reads ;

Right : Sph -1.5 Add +1.75

Left : Sph. -2.0 Cyl 0.25 Ax 30 Add +1.75

She's always been a reluctant wearer which hasn't changed with her new glasses although they look really good on her.I would appreciate any view as to whether she should now be a full time wearer.

ric 01 Jun 2017, 01:04

Bell: these are the signs of nearsighted, probably she sit close to TV also...

antonio 01 Jun 2017, 00:11

hi Bell,

seems to me, she is a little bit shortsighted,

perhaps even a bit more in her left eye as you say,

take her to the eye doc,

she can´t read the board like this if not sitting in one of the front rows at school and she misses too much,

she should at least have the possibility to wear some glasses if she feels that´s good and to know how it is to see alright which she has probably forgotten.

Don´t urge her to wear them too much,

but tell her she should have the possibility to use them whenever she wants.

If they do a good job for her, you can be lucky she wears them more and more often to see.

At least require her to wear them for tv at home.

if You want them to stay on her nose more tell her to wear them all the time on a weekend outside in nature or on a holiday anywhere. If you are lucky she can´t stand the blur without them afterwards and she will keep them on,

best regards, antonio

Bell 31 May 2017, 23:17

My daughter is 9 years old. What I have noticed is her squinting all the time (sometimes only with her left eye), and she holds books (or whatever she is reading) to her nose, and when I tell her to move it back she does for a second and before I know it, it is back at her nose. Also, the other day she was convinced this hotel was this other shopinh place based on the logo. The logos are about the same color scheme, but way different. She thought I was lying to her until we got to the parking lot and she said sorry it looked like the other sign. Then yesterday we went to tbis drive thru and she made me read the things off the board to her because her eyes were tiered and it was too dark.

Cactus Jack 31 May 2017, 15:44

Bell,

Denial is usually related to Vanity. It is a powerful force. Trying to reason with a person in denial is usually a waste of time and is often counter productive. They will dig their heels in and refuse to wear any vision correction even if they secretly know that they don't see as well as their peers.

There are 3 common problems.

1. Myopia or nearsightedness. Distant things are blurry near things are clear.

2. Hyperopia or Farsightedness. Depending on the amount and age. Distant things are clear, difficulty focusing close often accompanied by headaches.

3. Presbyopia. Difficult focusing close (arms too short).

There could be some Astigmatism associated with the above. It degrades the ability to read text at all distances.

Could you tell us a bit more about your daughter:

1. Age?

2. Symptoms?

In the meantime, say nothing more. It will just make the Denial stronger.

Bell 31 May 2017, 14:50

I think my daughter needs glasses, but she is in denial. Is there anyway I can prove she needs glasses, so I can know if she should go see an eye doctor?

David 31 May 2017, 12:41

Soundmanpt

Did that link work better for you in my last post? I tried doing a google image search before and it didn't work so I went to the store's site and copied the image link, hopefully it worked a bit better.

I don't know how many are using their phones to see like my girlfriend did, it could just be that they aren't too interested in the game and are texting. When I used to go with my family, my sister would be on her phone pretty much all game because she didn't have much interest in baseball at all. My girlfriend was really pleased with how the pictures from graduation turned out despite my awful camera skills, she was really happy that I took a bunch of pictures and got some where her eyes are perfectly visible. She has always said that her eyes are her best feature so she is happy to see that glasses won't hide them in pictures, it just takes a bit more effort to get the perfect photo now. She initially wasn't going to get the anti reflective coatings because they aren't covered by her insurance but I talked her into it because I've had glasses in the past without it and it is so much harder to get used to if you constantly see glares and reflections. I bet that she probably would have been forced to remove her glasses for photos without the upgraded lenses because of the camera flash. As for her sister, she seemed to be really down with her look in glasses. She did keep lifting them up when she had them on to test her vision but didn't say anything about how her vision was with them on. She did keep them on for a few minutes while snapchatting and taking pictures so they couldn't have been too stressful on her eyes. She asked for them a few times through out the dinner playing with different filters I think so she really seemed to like how they looked on her. My girlfriend was pretty amused at first but was getting a little annoyed after like the third time her sister took her glasses so I think she would be pretty happy if her sister got her own pair lol. My girlfriend also said that her family goes in for their eye tests tomorrow and that she is pretty eagerly awaiting the results. You are right, my girlfriend hasn't been playing with her glasses as much as before, she even said that they feel pretty natural now and that she even forgets that she is wearing them during the day at work which is impressive as I'm still not totally used to wearing mine. She will take them off while riding in the car to point out what she couldn't see before when she was driving which probably explains why she would always miss turns and exits on the freeway and I always just thought that she was a bad driver lol.

Also, my girlfriend's prescription sunglasses just came in today which is pretty impressive since she ordered them last Wednesday. She had been checking the tracking number religiously since they shipped so she was really looking forward to getting them. They came just in time for us to go to the baseball game tonight so it looks like she will get to test them out pretty soon. Since the game is an evening game I'll have to figure out how to carry my glasses with me so I can switch once it gets dark, perhaps I'll ask my girlfriend to carry them in her purse, otherwise I'll probably have to wear my contacts. It should be a pretty fun time I just hope that the team can get back to winning soon, hopefully we will see a good game and we will both be able to see it properly this time lol.

Soundmanpt 31 May 2017, 07:24

David

You pointed something out that I had never thought of before. Often times watching a sporting event on TV I will see quite few mostly young women with their phones in hand as if they are taking a picture. But it never occurred to me that they might be using their phone like binoculars in order to see a player up close better. That makes me wonder how many of them might be doing the same thing as your girlfriend, using their phones because they need glasses and don't realize it yet? Your girlfriend was right in not taking her glasses off for pictures. There are plenty of pictures of her without glasses from before she started wearing glasses. Now that she wears glasses full time that is the way she should be pictured since that is how she looks now. Of course as you found out it can be problematic for picture taking to get the proper angle so you don't get reflections from the flash. Trust me it would have been even worse if she didn't have the AR coating on her glasses. It was nice that her sister was interested enough in her sister's glasses that she asked several times to try them on and even snapchatted wearing them. I'm sure she was curious how she looked wearing glasses and what it was like seeing through her sister's glasses. While wearing her sister's glasses i'm sure she also was testing her eyes bit to see how well she could see wearing them. Did she make any comments about her eyesight wearing her sister's glasses? Needles to say I wouldn't expect her to be able to see perfectly wearing them and they probably felt too strong for her eyes. But she must have liked how she looked wearing glasses since she asked to try them several times. Glasses have become a popular item for many young ladies so if were to find out that she needs glasses I don't think it would bother her much at all. Even though your girlfriend has only had her glasses for just over a week by now I don't think she is doing much comparing of things with and without glasses. By now she knows about what she can and can't see with and without her glasses. You both should not only be getting much more used to wearing your glasses but also seeing each other wearing glasses now.

David 29 May 2017, 17:09

Soundmanpt

Sorry about the broken link, here is a version that should work better: http://clarksoneyecare.com/images/frames/JOE/JOE4037_Steel.jpg

I bet you are right, she probably wouldn't have even complained about her vision a few weeks ago. After all she thought that how she saw at the baseball game was perfectly normal until she tried on my glasses and found out that she wasn't seeing even close to 20/20. She did mention that she was really happy to have her glasses and that when she attended her cousin's graduation two weeks ago she initially took out her phone to take pictures and ended up watching the entire ceremony using her phone's camera lol. She said that it didn't even occur to her that she couldn't see, she just thought that the camera zoom made it so much better for everyone and saw that almost everyone had their phones out so I assume she thought that they were all doing the same thing. She said that looking back on it they were all probably taking pictures and not using it to see the faces of the people crossing the stage. She did renew her license about 3 years ago and that is also right about when she started her graphic design work so you are probably right, all the detail oriented work on her computer is probably the biggest contributor to her vision changes. Now that I think about it, when I got my glasses in high school it was about a year after I started doing a lot of additional course work and picked up programming as a hobby. Before that I had better than 20/20 so it was probably not inherited from my family. My younger sister got her first pair of glasses when she was probably around 12 so I'm not sure what caused her eyes to change, it could just be from growing I guess. My girlfriend didn't even think about taking her glasses of for the pictures, she said that she wears glasses now so she should have them on in pictures to properly capture the moment. I was asked to take their family pictures after the graduation and I found that the hardest thing about glasses and pictures is trying to git rid of the reflections and glare from the camera flash. I had to take quite a few pictures before I got one where I could see my girlfriend's eyes even though she has anti reflective coatings on her lenses, though that probably says more about my poor photography skills than her glasses lol. Also, her younger sister seemed to be the most intrigued by my girlfriends glasses and when we were at dinner the other night kept asking to try them on and was snapchatting with them on so I don't think she would be too upset about having glasses lol. We are both getting much more comfortable with being seen wearing glasses and it has already become pretty much second nature for my girlfriend. She keeps her glasses on the dresser next to the bed and puts them on as soon as she gets up in the morning so she is definitely used to her glasses and as evidenced by the family picture is pretty confident in her new look. She wanted me to help her look for another pair tonight so she may be ready to expand her glasses wardrobe.

Soundmanpt 29 May 2017, 15:41

David

Honestly I don't think your girlfriend even considered not wearing her glasses to her sister's graduation. Her biggest test was wearing them to dinner with her parent's the other night. Once she got past that I don't think she will have anymore issues with self confidence about being seen wearing glasses. Funny thing if the graduation had been just 3 weeks ago she wouldn't have had glasses to wear and even sitting near the back i'm sure she wouldn't have thought anything of it. Remember she didn't just start needing glasses a few weeks ago. This probably started not long after she got her graphic designers job and has slowly progressively gotten worse. She would have just assumed that everyone else couldn't make out the faces of people on stage. The getting your picture taken thing is interesting how people deal with it. In your case when you got your first glasses you didn't need them all the time so understandable that if you happened to have them on and someone started taking pictures you probably would take your glasses off since that wasn't your everyday look. Apparently your girlfriend had already made up her mind to keep her glasses on when it came time for family pictures. I'm really glad that her family didn't ask her to take her glasses off for pictures but rather left it up to her. She seems to be making a statement that she is comfortable with her looks wearing glasses and that is how she wants t be seen now.

I know you mentioned before that your girlfriends parents or sister don't wear glasses and the same for your parents but you have a younger sister that wears stronger glasses than you. So yes it's always possible that you, your sister and your girlfriend all need glasses because of your grandparents but that is kind of a stretch. No way to say for certain but considering that your girlfriend passed her drivers test fine just 3 years ago and shortly after that she started work as a graphic designer that would seem the likely reason she needs glasses now. That could be the same for you and your sister as well. Not a idea for your girlfriends family to all get their eyes examined since they never really have had a complete eye exam. If any of them do need glasses, her younger sister is the most likely to need glasses because she is more likely on her computer and phone more than her parents.

Your girlfriend's glasses look really nice. They are on the small side so they should be very light weight. I can see that they have spring hinges which is a nice feature as well and helps keep glasses in place better. The frame is thin around the bottom which shouldn't be a distraction to her like some glasses are at first. The picture of your glasses says "Error" There is little doubt how badly your girlfriend wants you to continue wearing glasses. But like you have found out there are some advantages to wearing glasses. One thing is the cost of them. And the whole cleaning of contacts and putting them on and taking them off and some days the eyes really don't feel like having them on.

I'm glad to hear that your girlfriend is planning on getting another pair. There isn't any rush so I agree that she should take her time and find that perfect pair.

Soundmanpt 29 May 2017, 14:41

Elle

That is entirely up to you. But at -4.00 you almost certainly are straining your eyes quite a bit to see your computer monitor without glasses. The same can be said for your phone. If you're still able to see those things without glasses then I wouldn't change anything.

David 29 May 2017, 11:59

Rob

Thanks, the graduation ceremony went really well and we both wore our glasses. Unfortunately we were a little late getting to the graduation so all the seats up front were taken and we were stuck in the back of the auditorium. My girlfriend was really happy to have glasses or else she wouldn't have been able to see what was happening on the stage. She said that without her glasses she couldn't see any of the people's faces and wouldn't have been able to spot her sister at all. After the ceremony ended my girlfriend and her family all got together for family pictures and she decided to keep her glasses on so I think she is pretty comfortable with her glasses now and it only took about a week. I remember when I first got glasses I refused to wear them for pictures, in fact I'm not sure that I even had a picture with me wearing glasses before yesterday lol. Also, both of my parents and both of my girlfriend's parents don't need glasses so it is pretty similar to your situation. My younger sister also has glasses and her eyes are much worse than mine so I'm not sure who we inherited our poor eyesight from or if it is related to our studies and technology.

Soundmanpt

My first glasses were a rimless style, I forget exactly who made them but I really didn't want to be seen in glasses because I was embarrassed about needing them. My girlfriend got these by Kate Spade: http://www.framesdirect.com/product_elarge_images/F-AMBRO0JUV00.jpg and I got these: http://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XWmSQCqXL._UX679_.jpg

That is a pretty good analogy, I'd only had my experience to go by so I guess I didn't know what it would be like to suddenly get glasses at a higher prescription like my girlfriend did. She said that it was a bit nerve wracking to show her glasses to her family but it wasn't so bad as long as we both were wearing them. She figured that it would split the attention a bit. It didn't really work but her family was really great about the whole thing and she mentioned that they had scheduled eye exams for the whole family after my girlfriend mentioned that she never even knew she needed glasses until she tried mine on. My girlfriend said that none of them had ever had a real eye exam before apart from the vision tests at the pediatrician and whatever vision screenings they had in school so she may not be the only member of her family wearing glasses for long lol. I know that she really wants me to wear my glasses and I think that after this past week I've found out that they aren't so bad after all. Before it was probably teenage insecurity that caused me to never want to wear them but now that I've matured a bit (probably lol) and have a wonderful girlfriend I've been getting more comfortable with wearing glasses. I think I"m probably just going to take the jump to full time glasses, there are a few other benefits too like being able to just throw them on in the morning an go without having to take time to deal with contacts. Also my eyes have been feeling a lot better and less dry and red lately so that's an added benefit too. My girlfriend is also still looking for a second pair but I don't think that she is in any real rush, she is going to take her time and find the perfect pair.

Elle 29 May 2017, 10:14

Should I wear my glasses when on the computer and when looking at the phone screen? How do you stop myopia getting worse or is just natraul.

Soundmanpt 28 May 2017, 09:06

David

You mentioned that your first glasses were a rimless style, i'm just curious what style of glasses you both are wearing now? I mean full plastic frames, "hipster" semi-rimless rectangle?

The lens for you right eye I assume is the stronger -2.25 prescription. So it is -.50 stronger than what your girlfriend needs for her right eye. So it's for that reason that things look extremely sharp and clear through your right lens but also considerably smaller. That is the over correction. But even with that eye being over corrected her eye / eyes were able to very easily adjust to your glasses. The longer she would have wore them the more the small effect would have slowly gone away.

The best comparison I can make for you is going to a swimming pool with 3 diving boards at different heights. If you had never dived before you would jump off the lowest one first and then after a few jumps you go to the second highest board and after few more jumps for that one you would go to the highest one. That's kind of the way you have gone with your glasses. Your girlfriend skipped those first 2 boards and went straight to the top one where your at. So yes of course when you first started wearing glasses you didn't really need glasses for running or other things. But now you do and so does she. So even though she has only had her glasses for about a week she can't see any better than you can. You're right that she has shown a lot of self confidence but you also need to remember that necessity is a big part as well. If her prescription was weaker she might not be quite as self confident. I'm sure going in to meet up with her parents and sister wearing glasses was extremely difficult for her. That was why she was fiddling with her glasses on the was considering taking them off to got in and knowing full well that by doing so she wouldn't be able to see very well at all. If you weren't with her and hadn't encouraged her to keep her glasses on i'm pretty sure she would taken them off and maybe never taken them out later at dinner even. That is what you are really helping he with and why she keeps wanting you to also wear glasses. Going running or working out or out with some of your guy friends fine to wear contacts then. She just wants you to wear glasses when you're with her.

I'm sure that you have asked her if her glasses feel comfortable or not and by now they should be feeling more and more comfortable to her. And you can tell by just looking at her if her glasses are staying in place like they should. Glad to hear that she did in fact order a pair of rx sunglasses. I still think she should get another pair just in case something would happen to her current glasses. And being a woman she should like having the option to change to a different pair for fun. Of course she can still do that if she wants.

Rob 28 May 2017, 01:26

Soundmanpt

Conversely, it was me who felt more self-conscious wearing specs than my girlfriend. I switched to contacts (which I now wear during the week, switching to glasses after-work and at weekends) after a few years of wearing glasses all the time. My wife wears glasses for work but will often switch to contacts for social engagements and weddings. I think she prefers the way she looks without glasses but believes they give her a more professional air in the workplace.

David,

Good luck at the engagement. I remember coming out to friends/family (and coming to terms with our new look when pics of ourselves were posted on social media afterwards) was possibly the most difficult aspect of wearing glasses. I remember visiting my parents for the first time after my girlfriend and I first started wearing specs. It was just after my younger brother started to go full-time with his glasses. Felt very weird with three people in their 20s all wearing glasses sitting around my parents (who don't wear them). It was if the generations had reversed and we were the ones with the bad eyesight that usually afflicts people in older age!

NNVisitor 27 May 2017, 23:27

Elle

I absolutely believe that screens have an effect on our eyesight. I have never seen so many young people such as teens and young adults wearing glasses. I'm much older than you. A product of the TV generation. I watched lots of TV, did lots of reading and had lots of close work to do due to school. My eyes got worse and worse. In my generation many young people became nearsighted but these days many more are. In my parents generation that is those who grew up before TV hardly anyone wore glasses for nearsightedness. Today with all the computer and cell phone use we have an epidemic of nearsightedness.

David 27 May 2017, 19:54

Rob

That's pretty interesting, it must have been odd when you both found out that neither of you could read the departure schedules. I also used to have a rimless pair of glasses, I think my first pair was completely rimless as I wanted to kind of hide the fact that I had glasses and hoped that they would be harder to notice. That didn't work of course like I hoped and I ended up opting for contacts eventually. I haven't really thought about it but it will probably be a bit strange when we start to see ourselves wearing glasses in photos. We are attending my girlfriend's younger sister's graduation tomorrow so I'm sure there will be a ton of pictures and probably the first of many showing us wearing our new glasses. My girlfriend spent a lot of time today trying to figure out how to best style her makeup with glasses so I think she feels pretty comfortable wearing them to the ceremony and of course for the pictures afterwards.

new wearer

Your experience is like the complete opposite of mine and my girlfriend's. What is funny is that my girlfriend said something similar, that when she tried on my new glasses everything in her right eye looked smaller and sharper and felt like super HD.

Soundmanpt

I guess I never really thought of it like that, when I got my first pair of glasses I never wore them running but since they were pretty weak it really didn't bother me. I started wearing contacts when I got my second prescription and wore those when running and I think it was only like -1.50 or -1.25 so yeah, it makes sense that my girlfriend needs to wear her glasses and since she doesn't have contacts she just has to make do with glasses while running. She has been incredibly confident about wearing her glasses, so much more so than I was when I first got mine. However, I think that she was a bit nervous about wearing them around her family since they have seen her for 23 years without glasses and further, none of them wear glasses at all. She said that it just felt really strange and kind of awkward to think about wearing glasses for the first time with her family. She did really surprise them when we walked into the restaurant wearing glasses and her dad did a bit of a double take which made my girlfriend burst out laughing. I think that really dispelled her nervousness and of course they were really happy for her and gave her new look loads of compliments. They asked a few questions like "when did you get glasses?" or "what was it like getting glasses?" which my girlfriend tried to explain then it was back to usual conversation. Her parents already knew that I wore glasses, in fact when I first met my girlfriend I was wearing my glasses so I don't think they were surprised to see me in glasses at all. I think my girlfriend is pretty excited to go to the baseball game next week now that she has her glasses. She is a really big baseball fan and has said that she will be able to properly keep her own scoresheet now that she can see properly and won't have to keep making corrections later when she realizes that she made a mistake or if someone else pointed it out.

As for me, I'm not sure if I'm going to go back to contacts full time. They are more expensive than glasses and besides I think that we look pretty good together both wearing glasses. I will definitely keep my contacts for running and working out but I may cut back outside of that. After all, at my last eye appointment the doctor did tell me that I should think about wearing glasses more often to give my eyes a break so I may just end up giving them an extended break, at my girlfriend's request of course lol.

Lastly, neither my girlfriend nor myself have had any problems with our glasses fit. When we were trying on pairs the staff at the optical store was really diligent in finding pairs that properly fit the width of our faces so there wouldn't be any problems later. I think that when she first got her glasses it was just the feeling of something on her face that was annoying which I can completely relate to. I haven't seen her fiddle with her glasses too much other than to playfully pull them down or to make cute faces at me lol. She has also ordered a pair of prescription sunglasses online already. She found a pair she really liked and since her prescription had her PD on it it was easy to place an order, I think she also paid for expedited shipping and hopes to have them before the game but if they don't come I'm sure she would have no problems using my sunglasses for the first few innings before it gets dark out. It is pretty convenient that we have such similar prescriptions and all in all I think that she has really taken to her glasses quickly, certainly much faster and better than I did.

Danni 27 May 2017, 15:52

I'm 24 and I have a -4 too. I wouldn't call myself blind without glasses but I definitely need them. Why don't you just wear contacts? That's what I do at work. You're right about screen time making us have worse vision. My 14 year old sister is a -6.

Elle 27 May 2017, 09:18

My parents have perfect eyesight and didn't need reading glasses until in there forties. Me and my sister are shortsighted and always need glasses and contacts. I'm blind without glasses at -4.00 my sister is worse. Is it more younger people are shortsighted because of computers or read to much. I'm 25 years old and stuck with needing glasses all the time. I'm a nurse. My last eye exam was 1 year ago

Soundmanpt 26 May 2017, 10:38

David

I'm sure the past few days have been a real adjusting period for both of you getting used to seeing each other wearing glasses. That's why she was insisting on you wearing your glasses more often as well so she wouldn't be the only one that would be looking different. You seem a bit surprised that she is wearing her glasses nonstop and even wearing them when you go running together. Even though she has only had her glasses few days when she takes her glasses off now she really can't see well enough even to go running without her glasses anymore. She first now is getting used to how blurry her vision really is. She never noticed it until she got her glasses. Now she doesn't want to be without them. This is much different for her then when you first got glasses. When you got your first glasses they were only -1.00 / -.50 so you could still see pretty well without glasses because when you were looking at something at a distance you were really only using your -.50 eye which barley needed correction. Her being -1.75 right away she isn't able to clearly more than a couple feet in front of her without glasses anymore. That's a big change for her. So for you all you're trying to do is readjust to wearing glasses instead of contacts which since you normally didn't wear glasses much does take a little re getting used to. But she is getting used to wearing glasses for the first time in her life and at the same time having her eyes adjust to seeing with glasses. Your girl has shown quite a good bit of self confidence about wearing lasses but she clearly was as confident about going to dinner with her parents and younger sister wearing glasses. That's why and when she needed your support and you gave her the support that she needed. Your advice to her was completely right when she was deciding whether to take her glasses off when going in and putting them on later on in the evening once she had told them that she had gotten glasses. She would have been miserable because her eyes have adjusted enough now that everything would have been so blurry for her and she might nit have been able to get up enough nerve to finally tell them that she got glasses. The best way was for her to simply go in wearing her glasses and be done with it which is what she did. Like you told her i'm sure her parents and sister gave her plenty of complements on her glasses and how nice she looks wearing glasses. I'm sure they were probably surprised to see her wearing glasses when she came in. But that would be expected since she didn't tell them that she was getting or had got glasses. That might have made it easier for her if she had called he mom the day she got her glasses and told her. Then they would have expected to see her wearing glasses. So what did her parents have to say and were they surprised to see her and you wearing glasses? She is really going to enjoy going to the baseball game now that she has her own glasses. I wonder how many games she already went to and couldn't even see the scoreboard let alone the ball in play. Even squinting wouldn't have helped her for either of those things. I have a feeling she will be doing a lot of testing her eyes by trying to see things without her glasses just to compare the difference. Actually since you both have nearly the same prescription you will already know what she is able to see and not see.

You seem determined to want to return to wearing contacts and that of course is between you and your girlfriend. I think she is going to be very disappointed if you go back to wearing contacts instead of glasses. Even more so since she in a way paid for glasses for you because it meant that much to her. One thing I would say is maybe hold out long enough that she is completely comfortable wearing glasses and completely self confident.

She probably would have liked for you to be with her too when she went to pick up her glasses so you could have maybe asked some questions that she wouldn't know to ask. But i'm sure sh understood that you had to be at your job. The only thing you might have helped her with is making sure that when they were fitting her glasses for her that they were doing a good job fitting her. Now that she has had her glasses a few days have you noticed her not fiddling with them as much as the first day or two? From what you can tell are her glasses staying in place pretty well? I mean she isn't having push them up every couple minutes is she? Aside from the first day when she said they hurt her nose a little bit but that went away later that same day. Has she said anything about her glasses hurting behind her ears or anywhere else? Does she seem like she is getting more and more comfortable wearing glasses? I'm sure you have asked her how her glasses feel on her? If she says anything about behind her ears check and see if there are any red sore marks behind her ears caused by the earpieces of her glasses. If so she needs to get them adjusted before the sores get worse. It's perfectly normal that her vision seems much more blurry now when she takes off her glasses than it was before she got glasses. That's because her eyes are slowly getting fully adjusted to the prescription of her glasses. You often hear people claim that getting glasses caused their eyes to get worse but that's not the case it's just the eyes adjusting to their glasses. Like I said before it's very likely that she won't make it a full year before she needs an increase in her glasses because she probably was under prescribed with her current glasses. But I don't think you should mention that to her. Lastly has she looked anymore at glasses on line? Even though she just got her glasses because she needs them full time and she is showing signs that she is quickly going to be dependent on her glasses she really needs to consider getting a backup or spare pair in case something were to happen to her glasses. Right now if something were to happen to her glasses she would be in trouble because there is no way she could see to drive anymore and even doing her job might be impossible for her without glasses now. And she can't wear regular no prescription sunglasses anymore so if you have the same seats at the ballgame if the sun bothered her enough that she even borrowed your sunglasses to watch the game she may have to let you wear your contacts so she can again wear your prescription sunglasses again. So she should be considering rx sunglasses as well.

Soundmanpt 26 May 2017, 09:02

new wearer

You simply discovered that you needed glasses like so many tend to do, by trying on a friends glasses. in answer to your question when you were trying on your gfs glasses they were just a little bit stronger than your eyes required. In other words her glasses were over correcting your eyes. But even being over corrected you were still able to see better wearing her glasses than you were able to see without any glasses. By being over corrected that is why even though everything looked nice sharp and clear to you things appeared smaller. now that you have your own glasses in the prescription that your eyes actually need your still seeing everything clear and sharp only now your seeing everything I their actual size. If you had continued wearing your gfs glasses after a wearing them for a while your eyes most likely would have adjusted to them and things wouldn't have looked small anymore.

new wearer 26 May 2017, 08:17

I've never needed glasses but enjoyed wearing my gf's around the house. When putting them on everything got sharper and smaller. When I tried a stronger pair, things got even smaller. When she went for her recent exam I tagged along, and got my own prescription, for the first time, of -.75. When I put them on I was surprised that they made my vision so sharp, but also seem to make things a bit bigger. Does it make sense that proper glasses magnified and too strong made things smaller?

Soundmanpt 26 May 2017, 07:19

Rob

You and your, at the time, girlfriend had to be quite shocked the first time you put on your glasses? Much like David's girlfriend. David's first glasses. -1.00 / -.50, was what most get for a first prescription so of course his glasses changed how he saw things but not as much as his girlfriends -1.75 or you and your partner at -2.50 and -1.50. For you and your wife both being prescribed glasses it had to make it a bit easier adjusting getting used to wearing glasses in front of friends, family and co workers. You really had each other as your support team to lean on. If only one of you had needed glasses i wonder how much that might have changed things for either of you? This is only my opinion but I think it is much harder for a woman and even more so if she is younger, to suddenly become a full time glasses wearer. Looks I believe is far more important to a woman than most men. I base this on how women often take hours to get ready and a man can be ready in half and hour. But after they have wore their glasses and got used to seeing themself in glasses they often begin to feel just as beautiful wearing glasses as they did before they had glasses to wear. I have a feeling that your wife now prefers how she looks wearing glasses more than she likes seeing herself without glasses anymore. If she didn't like wearing her glasses all the time i'm thinking she would also be wearing contacts. Interesting how wearing glasses even changed your personalities. Because now that you were both wearing glasses your friends thought you had a more professional or academic look you both actually became more serious minded as well.

Rob 26 May 2017, 05:45

Hi David, we decided to get our eyes tested because we used to commute home together, and there was one day where neither of us could read the train departure boards. When we got our glasses, we both settled upon a then-fashionable rimless style, which meant they both looked almost identical. I didn't think this was a problem until people started posting photos from our friend's wedding on Facebook! I think my girlfriend adapted quicker to being a full-time wearer than I did (she seemed to love the novelty of having a new look). In the first few days, our friends kept on telling us the glasses made us look more "professional" or "academic". Am sure this subconsciously seeped through into our personalities and the way we acted - within a year we definitely became more 'serious' people (i.e. less messing around).

David 25 May 2017, 15:09

My girlfriend and I have been wearing our glasses for the past couple of days and its been a bit of an adjustment for both of us. We are both having to get used to not only wearing glasses but seeing each other in glasses which was a bit strange at first. My girlfriend has been wearing her glasses nonstop since she picked them up on Monday morning, in fact she has even been wearing them when we go running. I have no idea how she manages to keep them clean and prevent them from fogging up, I was never able to feel comfortable wearing glasses while working out so I always wear my contacts for running or going to the gym. She is still absolutely in love with her new found eyesight and even after a few days she will point out to me signs that she couldn't read without her glasses. It's pretty funny to me as I'm sure that I did the same thing when I got my first pair of glasses because I still remember what it was like to suddenly be able to see clearly again. I actually think that she has adjusted to wearing glasses quicker than I have. I think the reason for this is probably because she can now see much better than before whereas I was already able to see perfectly with my contacts so switching to glasses is a bit more of a hassle/annoyance for me, but for her wearing glasses is a huge convenience and benefit. My girlfriend seems to really enjoy wearing her glasses and loves how she looks in them but I think she is still a bit self conscious about wearing them sometimes. Yesterday we met up with her parents and younger sister for dinner and she hadn't shown them her glasses yet. My girlfriend is usually very confident and outgoing but as we were pulling into the parking lot she was getting a bit nervous and kept playing with her glasses and asking how they looked on her. She was debating whether or not she should take them off at first and then put them on later once she had told them that she got glasses. I told her that they would be complementary anyways so there would be no point in walking around with blurry vision for part of the night. We have plans to go to another baseball game next Wednesday and we have similar seats but this time it will probably be a bit more enjoyable for my girlfriend with her new glasses.

Rob

That is a pretty similar experience, especially like you said showing our glasses to family/friends. My family knows that I wear glasses and contacts but like I said it was a bit difficult and strange for my girlfriend to show up to dinner with her family wearing glasses all of a sudden. I'm still deciding whether to go back to contacts as my everyday choice, they are convenient when working out or driving but my girlfriend keeps trying to talk me into sticking with glasses. What made you and your wife decide to get your eyes tested initially?

Soundmanpt

My girlfriend was also really happy that her glasses were ready to be picked up before work. The whole night before she kept telling me that she couldn't wait to pick them up. I kind of wish that I was there with her when she picked them up to see her reaction to putting them on but unfortunately I had to work as well. We did go and pick up some cleaning supplies for our glasses since we are both adjusting to wearing glasses and smudges and dust on the lenses drives both of us nuts. Thanks for the tips, especially not closing the hinges at night. I would always fold them up and put them in the case and I used to have terrible problems with screws falling out so it may have been due to this. I also liked to play with my glasses during class so that may have been part of it too lol. Also, my girlfriend has mentioned that after a few days of wearing her glasses that everything looks a whole lot more blurry without them just like you said. As for her new appearance, sure she looks different than before but she chose the perfect pair to complement her face and I think that they make her look even cuter and sexier than before. Now that I'm wearing glasses instead of contacts I think we are both getting used to seeing each other in glasses but it is kind of a cool experience for both of us.

Rob 25 May 2017, 01:01

She started on -2.50 back in 2007 and is now -3.50. As for me, I began on -1.50 and am now -2.50

Rob 25 May 2017, 01:01

She started on -2.50 back in 2007 and is now -3.50. As for me, I began on -1.50 and am now -2.50

Sam 24 May 2017, 19:50

Rob, what was/is your wife's prescription?

My girl is a -6.50, I'm a lucky guy!

Rob 24 May 2017, 07:45

Hey David, your situation is very similar to the experiences of my girlfriend (now wife) and I 10 years ago. We both visited the opticians for a check-up and were prescribed glasses. We both decided to bite the bullet and go full-time (her prescription was stronger than mine). Reinventing our look and identity at the same time was a very strange (but exciting) experience. The strangest thing was coming out to our friends/family as a glasses-wearing couple. I remember we attended a wedding not long afterwards, where we were the only glasses-wearers under 30. I lapsed into contacts around five years later, but my wife still wears her specs all the time

Soundmanpt 23 May 2017, 09:42

David

It was good that they had her glasses ready so she was was able to pick them up on her way to work. I was a bit afraid that they might not be ready until later in the day and she wouldn't be able to get her glasses until after work. Without a doubt i'm sure everything looked so bright, clear and sharp to her as soon as she put her glasses on. It really helps that she is only nearsighted and doesn't have any astigmatism issues to deal with. Even though she seems completely fine with wearing glasses she still has to get used to wearing glasses At first she is going to notice them more. She has to get used to the way they feel behind her ears and on her nose which she admitted bothered her a bit. And more importantly looking through lenses in front of her eyes is completely new to her. So she is going to notice every tiny little smudge or fingerprint on her lenses. I'm sure she probably cleaned her glasses quite a few times during the her first day wearing glasses which is very normal. Also i'm sure she is still testing her vision with and without her glasses Because her monitor sits far enough away from her eyes i'm not at all surprised that her glasses will make her job easier and she won't be straining as much to see her screen. Getting a box of cleaning wipes is a good idea but as she gets more used to wearing glasses she probably won't be cleaning her glasses all that much. Right now she is forgetting that she is wearing glasses when she is wiping or brushing her eye and she's smudging the lens of he glasses. And she might even be without thinking fiddling a bit with her glasses. The more she gets used to wearing glasses the less she will be cleaning them. But for now having a few in her bag is probably a good idea. As far as tips about wearing glasses I only have a few for both of you. When cleaning your glasses never use anything made from paper such as paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, or rough clothing. Use the micro cloth that should have come with your glasses or a very soft cloth. Warm water is good for cleaning your glasses. Never use window cleaner either. When you take off your glasses never lay them down on the lenses. At bedtime since you both need your glasses full time it is a better idea to leave your glasses open and sitting on the bedside table than closing them. The more you open and close glasses the faster the hinge screws will loosen.

You clearly seem to prefer wearing contacts which would be fine if your girlfriend wasn't going to be wearing glasses full time from now on. Before she found out that she needed glasses she was fine with you wearing contacts all the time. But now she clearly wants you to wear your glasses as well. She needs to know that you really are okay with her having to wear glasses now. So you should really make sure to wear your glasses anytime that you're going to be with her. When your out with the guys or at work and you want to wear contacts that's fine. Interesting that she even wanted to drive when you when went out that evening and even more interesting since it was at night which i;m sure was extremely difficulty for her before she got her glasses. Now she was excited to see just how well she could see with her new glasses. She only probably hated driving because she couldn't see very well and she didn't realize that it was because of her eyes. So I think you will find that she might start driving more often now that she cane see.

After wearing her glasses all day i'm sure that by that evening when she took off her glasses everything was a lot more blurry without her glasses than it ever was before. That;s because her eyes were already starting to get adjusted to her glasses. After a few days of wearing glasses she is going to wonder how she was able to get by without glasses. She will be seeing nearly the same as you see without your glasses now. So yes she is going to feel half blind when she takes off her glasses. I'm sure her co workers were a bit surprised to to see her wearing glasses when she came into work. But i bet they all knew it was just a matte of time before she would also be wearing glasses. Since all of her co workers wear glasses and also need them full time she isn't the odd one out anymore. I'm sure she enjoyed all the complements she got on how she looks wearing glasses now. Was it strange sitting at dinner across from your girlfriend and seeing her wearing glasses now? I'm sure she looked different to you since you have never seen her wearing glasses before. Just understand even though she seems fine wearing glasses i'm sure she is still getting used to seeing herself wearing glasses which has to seem very strange for her as well as you. But she will get used to her new look and hopefully you will get used to her new look as well. Remember you're her boyfriend so you will still get to see her without her glasses.

ahve a few for both of you.

ric 23 May 2017, 00:10

Megan, i can get enough accuity for driving. With contact lenses can get 20 20.

NNVisitor 22 May 2017, 21:54

Megan

My prescription is close to yours but I have astigmatism as well. I cannot see 20/20 with glasses. I've had problems with distortion wearing my glasses which translates into not having real peripheral vision with them. I wear mostly contact lenses and with them usually see 20/20 or close to it. Peripheral vision is great with my CL although I frequently get flashes off the edges due to pupil size changes and the movement of the lenses on my eyes as they are gas permeable lenses. You are very lucky to see 20/20 with your glasses.

David 22 May 2017, 20:16

My girlfriend got the call from the optometrist that her glasses were ready this morning and picked them up on the way to work. She called me immediately after she picked them up saying that it was amazing how clearly she was able to see. She mentioned that she would have to get used to wearing them but that she really enjoyed the clarity that they provided. She also let me know that my glasses were ready as well, I guess they put a rush order on my pair too, and that she had picked them up for me. When she got back from work she was wearing her new glasses couldn't wait to show me how they looked on her. I told her that she looked amazing in glasses and that they were the perfect compliment to her outfit. She seemed really happy and then she gave me my glasses that she had picked up earlier. I took out my contacts and tried them on to make sure the prescription was correct and they fit properly. My girlfriend then asked if I could keep them on when we went out for dinner instead of switching back to my contacts which of course I did. She kept talking about how great it was to be able to see properly and that she was comparing her vision with her glasses and without her glasses all day. She even said that it made her job easier and that she was getting less strain from staring at her screen all day. I asked how she was doing adjusting to her glasses and if she had kept them on all day. She told me that she did keep them on all day and that at first they were a little annoying and she could feel the pressure on her nose but around lunchtime she was already starting to get used to wearing them. She did mention that she needed to buy cleaning wipes since she kept accidentally touching the lenses when drawing and the smudges were distracting. She asked if I had any tips for wearing glasses but I've been wearing contacts for so long and even when I did wear glasses it was only for a few months before I switched to contacts. I joked that I would probably have the same issues and things to adapt to if I started to wear glasses more often. She seemed really intent on getting me to wear my new glasses more and said that she was really attracted to how I look with my new glasses on. When we went out for dinner she wanted to drive to test out her new glasses at night which I thought was funny since she always used to complain about having to drive anywhere. I think that it will probably take some getting used to for both of us but I feel like this experience has brought us even closer together.

Soundmanpt

We were also surprised that her vision was that bad and that she ended up with -1.75 as her first ever prescription. I was sure that she needed glasses but thought she would have been more around 20/40 or 20/50, closer to what I was when I got my first pair. When the doctor said that she was seeing 20/80 uncorrected and would to wear a -1.75 prescription full time I think I was probably more surprised than she was. After she got back from work she mentioned that after wearing her glasses all day everything seemed so much blurrier without them and that she had never realized how fuzzy everything normally was. Also, she didn't seem too upset that the BOGO offer didn't cover prescription sunglasses. She had been looking at glasses for me while trying on her frames and once she found out that sunglasses weren't covered I think she saw it as a chance to accessorize me too lol. I didn't have to have an exam since I had just had one about a month ago and I actually had a copy of my prescription in the car for some reason, I guess I forgot to take it out, and they were able to use that to order my glasses. She had mentioned that she was the only graphic designer at her company that didn't have glasses and now all five of them wear glasses and all of them need them all the time. She also mentioned that her co-workers were really supportive and complimented her glasses when she got into work. She hadn't told anyone since she just found out that she needed glasses so nobody was expecting it but they gave her nothing but compliments. So I think that you are probably right that her work has had the biggest impact on her vision since she hadn't started work yet when she renewed her license a few years ago. I really like the way she looks in her new glasses and I'm going to be as supportive as I can, I'm even going to switch from contacts to glasses for a time while she gets comfortable and confident with her glasses. She has mentioned how she thinks I look great in glasses too so I may end up not switching back to contacts depending on what my girlfriend thinks lol.

Cactus Jack 22 May 2017, 19:55

Elie,

You really did not provide enough information to answer your question. If you could answer the following questions, we might be able give you some answers:

1. Your Age?

2. Your Occupation?

3. Your Complete Prescription?

4. When was your last eye exam?

Cactus Jack 22 May 2017, 19:49

Megan,

It depends on several factors. The condition of her Retinas, her, Complete Prescription, and what form of vision correction she needs.

Many times a person who was born very Myopic has quite a bit of Astigmatism and she could have some Retinal issues or internal Lens issues,as well.

If her ONLY refractive error was pure Sphere and her Visual Acuity decrease was only while wearing glasses, it is possible that image minification is the issue. Image Minification is cause by Vertex Distance effects. Normally, there are about 120 million Rods and Cones in the Retina, but only about 1 million nerve fibers in the optic nerve. That means that the Retina must compress the signals from the Rods and Cones and if a image element gets too small. It may not stimulate enough Rods and Cones to cause a signal to be delivered to the Visual Cortex in the brain. Vision actually occurs in the brain and if no signal gets delivered you can't "see" the object.

If she can wear contact lenses, that might help some because they significantly reduce the Image Minification effects because the Vertex Distance is Zero (0).

BTW, Vertex Distance is the distance from the front of the Cornea to the Back of the Lens in the glasses.

Will you get as Myopic as your friend or not be able to see 20/20? It depends on your age and your genes. If you could provide your age and complete prescription we might be able to give you a better answer.

Megan 22 May 2017, 17:37

Can you see 20/20 with extreme myopia? Something like -18.25/-19.00?

My friend has that prescription. She was born with -12 and has been wearing glasses since she was 4 months old. She can't see 20/20 unfortunately.

I got my first glasses at 5 or 6 (I think they were -2) and I'm now -9.75 and -10.50 but I can still see 20/20 (no peripheral vision with glasses though).

Will I stop seeing 20/20 soon?

Elle 22 May 2017, 13:31

Is there some way to stop getting shortsighted or no? I think i got shortsighted when I started using a smart phone and computer. Is it better to wear glasses when looking at the screen. We all spend too much time looking at our phones now no

ric 22 May 2017, 09:34

Being nearsighted, used to be able to read without my glasses or contact lenses. Now, of course i have to put the book much more closer than in my teens. Since 2 years ago, had to start wearing multifocal contact lenses for computer, phone, etc, but wearing glasses i can read small prints just sliding my glasses 2 mm.

NNVisitor 21 May 2017, 11:29

Cactus Jack

I have high myopia and astigmatism. I typically wear contact lenses most of the day and use reading glasses when needed for books, reading on my cell phone etc. while my contacts are in. When my contacts are out I have my primary glasses. For reading I either use a magnifying glass for small print reading or just take my glasses off. Doing so means reading very close for me. I'm decades older than the lady I mentioned. Usually I see younger people just wearing their glasses reading. It's not always necessary to do so. Personnaly I think this woman was correct not to use the computer wearing her glasses as nearsighted people do have that one advantage of being able to see things close up.

Cactus Jack 21 May 2017, 10:06

NNVisitor,

It is not uncommon to see a person who has low Myopia and little or no Astigmatism to take off their glasses for close work. In the low minus region, where Vertex Distance effects are nil, a persons "eye power" is the opposite of their glasses prescription for distance. For example, if a person needs -1.50 for distance their "eye power" is +1.50, which yields a focus distance of about 66 cm or 26 inches. Effectively they have built in low power reading glasses. Occasionally, you will see an older person who has low myopia wearing glasses with the lower portion of the lenses in their glasses cut off. If they have rimless or semi-rimless frames, it is a cheap way to get bifocals.

Now wearing their low minus glasses to read is not necessarily a good thing. It allows the Ciliary Muscles to work and exercise less than normal and can lead to early onset of Presbyopia.

Soundmanpt 21 May 2017, 09:51

David

Sorry for making that so long.

Soundmanpt 21 May 2017, 09:50

David

The fact that she needs glasses isn't at all surprising to you or her. But I am a bit surprised that she needs glasses nearly the exact same prescription as your glasses. No wonder she was able to see so well wearing your glasses. I honestly thought that she would be getting glasses with around -1.00 or -1.25 prescription and that her eyes were just enjoying a bit of over correction from your glasses. I'm sure she wanted you to be with her during her eye exam for a bit of support since this is all new to her. Also since you're her boyfriend i'm sure she wanted your help in picking out her glasses since you're the one that is going to be seeing her wearing glasses most often. The doctor must have wondered when she told him that she has never wore glasses before and she is sitting their with glasses on. Based on your description of how the eye exam went it doesn't sound like they dilated her eyes. By not doing that I wonder how accurate they were able to get her prescription? By not dilating her eyes her eyes weren't as relaxed as you would have liked them to be for the exam. But for now close enough anyway. But she may find that her glasses starting to feel on the weak side before a year is up. They likely suggested that she plan on coming back in a year to be examined again. So it had to be shocking to you when you found out that her vision was 20/80 and somehow she was able to see to drive when she needs to be wearing the same prescription as you. She can thank the fact that she had very good accommodation which is what helped her get by. After she has had her glasses for a couple of weeks and her eyes have adjusted to them i'm sure she is going to be asking herself how she managed to drive without glasses. Since she is going to wearing glasses full time even though sh had to try on nearly every frame in the store she was right in taking her time to find that perfect pair and knowing that you also approved of how they looked on her. The whole idea of a BOGO sale should be to allow a person to be able to get a pair of regular glasses and a pair of rx sunglasses. Most people don't really need a 2nd pair of regular glasses because if they already had glasses they can use their previous glasses as a backup pair. And generally someone getting their first glasses don't usually have to wear them full time so a backup pair isn't necessary. At the very least i'm surprised they wouldn't just charge the difference to make them up as rx sunglasses which should be a minimal charge. Anyway it was nice of her to give you her free pair. You didn't have to get an eye exam did you? Since you wear contacts and you are require to go every year for and eye exam even though you're going for your contacts they do write in your chart what your glasses prescription is as well. So all they needed to do was call where you go for your contact exam and get that information for your glasses. Anyway it seems very clear that your girlfriend is determined that she isn't wanting to be the only one in the relationship wearing glasses. She seems to be pretty self confident about the idea of wearing glasses but she still needs and wants your support. Remember wearing glasses is going to be a big change for her and you. You're going to have to get used to seeing her wearing glasses all the time now which is going to take some getting used to for you as well as her. At least the store is rushing her glasses so she can pick them up on her way to work Monday morning. I'm sure she will be in a rush to get to work but tell her to be sure to make sure her glasses feel nice and comfortable when they are fitting her with her glasses. She doesn't want to spend her first day wearing glasses that she is pushing up constantly or that might be hurting her ears or nose.

Don't be too surprised once she gets her glasses that she may start to enjoy driving more often. Even though she probably didn't realize it she had to be really struggling to see to drive. Now that she will be able to see she might find driving a lot easier. She has simply been making adjustments in her life because if her eyesight and not really understanding the real reason. Things like leaning in closer to the counter was probably so she could get as close as possible to seeing the menu board. So if she renewed her driver's license about 3 years ago and she was able to pass that means her eyesight had to still be at least as good as 20/40 or she wouldn't have passed. It has been since then that her eyes have changed. Being a graphic designer I would say is the biggest reason her eyes have changed. I worked in printing for well over 25 years and we had 4 or 5 graphic designers at all times. We were a medium size company so we had a graphic designer manager and she would hire young grads fresh out of school because they were willing to work fro less money to get started. most were young girls and some came in wearing glasses already but several got their first glasses while working at our shop. I can't remember even one that wasn't wearing glasses by the time they left and went on to a better paying job. The detail in graphic arts is so much more critical than just typing reports on a computer. You said that her new glasses will look both cute and sophisticated on her. Even though she is exited about getting glasses you still need to tell her how cute she looks wearing glasses. You don't want her to doubt her looks wearing glasses.

You're right it is soooooo much cheaper getting glasses on line and they honestly are every bit as good of quality as the glasses she is getting on Monday. Have he take a look at "zennioptical.com". All she needs to do is look for a nice rather large pair of regular glasses that she thinks would make great looking rx sunglasses. DON'T have her look in pre made sunglasses. Once she finds the frame she likes she simply goes to "tints" and adds on the color lenses she wants for sunglasses. If she likes her sunglasses on the dark side then she wants the 80% grey tint. She should be able to find something under $13.00 for glasses and they charge $5.00 to make them sunglasses in her prescription. So a total of $18.00. Also since she is going to be wearing glasses full time right away she really should find a pair of regular glasses in case anything were to happen to her Kate Spade glasses. As you well know once her eyes get completely adjusted to her glasses she isn't going to be able to go without glasses anymore. So she needs a backup pair and she probably might enjoy being able to switch from one to the other depending on what she is wearing. The only thing she still needs is her PD measurement which isn't a big deal. You can do that for her when she finds glasses she wants. All you need is a ruler with millimeters on it. Then have her take her glasses off and look straight ahead and you measure from the center of one pupil t the center of her other pupil. Do it several times and take the number that comes up most often. It should be somewhere between 57 and 63.

NNVisitor 20 May 2017, 22:33

I was sitting in a coffee shop today and a young lady was using her laptop computer two seats over from me. After about 35-40 minutes she closed her computer and collected her possessions to leave. I noticed that she was suddenly wearing glasses. Minus lense glasses which were not too strong. She did not wear glasses looking at the screen. She's in her twenties so I am wondering if it's easier for her to see the screen without wearing her glasses which if so is a bit of a surprise to me as She's quite young.

GreginColo 20 May 2017, 15:26

Thanks for the update David. Since you are getting new glasses also with an updated Rx, it probably good that you start wearing yours more often when you are with her,as it may make her feel less awkward about wearing hers, and when you are both bare-eyed you will have great appreciation for how the other sees. I know you say you eyes are bad, but your RX is actually considered fairly mild myopia, and there are guys whose Rx is 10 times or more yours, and are basically helpless without vision correction. Best of luck to both of you.

David 20 May 2017, 15:16

My girlfriend just had her eye appointment this morning and as we both expected, she needs glasses. She wanted me to come with her to help her pick out a pair since she felt a bit overwhelmed by the selection she had see online. She actually went in wearing my glasses and when she told the doctor that she has never worn glasses before he looked really confused lol. I had to chime in and say that she was borrowing my glasses until she got her own pair. They tested her vision without glasses and she was able to see about 20/80 with both eyes which is apparently twice the legal limit for driving so that was a bit shocking for her to hear. The doctor seemed pretty surprised that she was able to hold out so long without getting glasses. I got to sit in while she had her exam and it was a bit odd seeing the tests from the other side. When it was complete the doctor told her that she really needed glasses and that she shouldn't drive until she has a pair. He also recommended that she wear them all the time which I don't think she expected to hear. I did tell her to ask for her prescription and it turns out that she is -1.75 in both eyes so pretty much the same as me, although my right eye is a bit worse. We went and looked at the frames and she must have gone through just about the entire stock before deciding on a pair from Kate Spade that she really liked. The place was also running a BOGO special and she wanted to use if for a pair of sunglasses but unfortunately none of the sunglasses were included in the promotion. She also had me try on some frames since my glasses have an old out of data prescription and she didn't want the deal to go to waste. I've never really liked how I look in glasses but she found a pair that she thought looked great on me and said that I could use the BOGO offer if I promised to wear them more often instead of using contacts 24/7. After she picked out her frames the optician offered to put in a rush order free of charge since she really needs them to drive so her glasses should be ready by Monday morning and she can swing by and pick them up on the way to work. So it looks like my girlfriend is going to be wearing glasses full time starting Monday and she seems pretty excited to be able to see properly for the first time in a while.

Soundmanpt

I had never really noticed her squinting probably because I am usually the one driving. She has never really cared for driving and tries to do it as little as possible and with some of the drivers on the road I can hardly blame her. Apparently she last had her license renewed 3 years ago so it makes sense that her eyes changed over that span. As for her job, she is a graphic designer so she spends almost all day on the computer staring pretty intensely at her art so I can imagine the strain that has on her eyes. The only thing I really remember noticing is that at Starbucks she usually leans onto the counter when figuring out what to order. I had always thought that she was just trying to decide what to order but she may have been having trouble seeing and just subconsciously tried to move in closer. The glasses I lent to her had an older prescription since my insurance only covers contacts or glasses and I use my contacts all the time. I'm not sure what the exact prescription in them is but probably a fair bit weaker than what I have now since it has been a few years since I updated my glasses prescription. I really like how she looks in the glasses she chose I think they make her look both cute and sophisticated depending on the rest of her outfit. I think that we are going to keep looking for prescription sunglasses for her but we are probably going to look online since all the pairs in the store were super expensive, even more so than the regular glasses. All in all, I think she is rather pleased with her frame selection and has been saying all day that she can't wait till Monday when she gets her glasses and can start to see the world in focus again.

Soundmanpt 20 May 2017, 07:49

David

Even though she's your girlfriend it's very understandable that you never noticed her squinting. At some point even without her really noticing it, if she isn't able to make out what a road sign says she doesn't bother trying to squint to read it anymore. Her eyesight didn't change overnight. Her eyesight was still at least good enough to pass the DMV test when she either got her license or renewed it. Her eyesight has changed since then. What type of work does she do? It could be that if she has an office job that she is staring at a computer screen constantly has had an effect on her eyes? In most cases it is a very slow decline in ability to see things clearly but almost unnoticed to themselves. So her wanting to sit up close at the movie theater the other week was indeed likely due to her eyesight and if she is in a sports bar she probably tries to sit closer to the TV's their as well. But she doesn't think anything about and only assumes that it is the same for everyone else. Remember until she wore your sunglasses, only because she had forgotten her own she has never had anyway of comparing her eyesight before.

Funny thing what you said about how you needed your first glasses with the -1.00 / -.50 lenses so you could see the scoreboard and the ball. Many years ago a girl I was dating had -.50 glasses which she very seldom ever wore except when we went to ballgames. She complained that she couldn't see the ball without her glasses. The fact that your girlfriend made her eye appointment the very next morning after being at the game means that she must have been totally shocked at how well she could see wearing your rx sunglasses during the game and continued to wear them even after the sun had gone down. were you surprised that she asked to borrow your glasses until she could get her eyes examined? Did you loan her your current glasses to wear (-2.25 / -1.75) or I would assume that you have some that are slightly weaker that might even be closer to what she will be getting. She seems to be fine and almost looking forward to getting her own glasses if she was even checking out glasses on line. Now that your girlfriend is going to be wearing glasses and very possibility full time are you going to be okay with her new look wearing glasses? You seem to favor wearing contacts more than glasses. It might be nice for you to start wearing your glasses more often as a show of support for her and to let her know your fine with her wearing glasses now.

If you see this before she goes for her appointment you should suggest that she get the optional AR coating (anti-reflective) on her lenses. Since these are her first glasses it is a good idea to get her first pair from a local shop so she gets a pair that fits her perfectly. That way if she soon wants a nice pair of prescription sunglasses or maybe a backup pair of glasses she will be able use that pair to measure so she can order on line and get glasses about the same size. I am looking forward to seeing the results of her eye exam.

David 19 May 2017, 11:49

GreginColo

I can't say that I've really noticed her squinting or asking me to read signs but then again I don't think I've ever looked for it. We did go see Guardians of the Galaxy 2 last week and she insisted we sit up front even though there were were seats available in the back. At the time I though that it was because she is rather petite and hates it when people in front block her view however, now that I think about it it may be that it was much clearer for her up front since it was a pretty long theater. If her uncorrected vision is as poor as mine then I don't know how she has managed to put up with it though as NNVisitor said she may just be used to it and since I have glasses I'm not. I do usually wear contacts everyday since glasses can be a bit of a hassle especially when I go for a run or a bike ride during the day. I don't think she has ever tried on my glasses before as I don't really wear them that often and they are usually in my backpack in case I have a problem with my contacts during the day and have to switch.

Soundmanpt

My girlfriend and I are big baseball fans too and I don't know how she has been going to games without being able to see properly. I remember before I got glasses that I could hardly make out the ball and had problems reading the scoreboard and my first prescription was -1.00 and -0.50, I don't think that I'd be able to see the ball at all now without my lenses. I was surprised that she was able to see so well with my prescription since my eyes are pretty bad. I'm pretty sure that my girlfriend knows that she will be getting glasses especially since she made the appointment first thing the next day. When we got back she actually asked to borrow my glasses until she has her exam and has been wearing them a lot since. She did remark that she never knew that everything was so blurry until she put on my sunglasses and that she can't ignore it now that she knows. As for driving, she does have her license but the license is good for 6 years so I'd bet that it has been a while since she had a vision screening at the DMV and she has probably been driving around half blind for a while now. That was one of the reasons that I was happy to lend her my backup glasses until she can get a pair of her own. It sounds like she is looking forward to getting her eyes checked because she keeps asking me what the tests are like and has been browsing the internet looking for a cute pair since we got back from the game. Her appointment is tomorrow morning since it was the earliest that the doctor had an opening so she will probably have her prescription and glasses sometime tomorrow.

NNVisitor 19 May 2017, 08:48

David

People adapt to the vision they have. It's often easy for a nearsighted person to get around if they do not wear glasses or they only wear glasses in certain circumstances.

No harm is done provided they are not driving a car or other vehicle among the public. In that case they need the best vision with glasses or contact lenses.

When a nearsighted person wears glasses full time their brain adapts to the clearer vision. That's why full time wearers sometimes say they can't see without their glasses on whereas a non glasses wearer with the same or worse vision has little or no problem getting around. It's all about what the brain has adapted to.

Soundmanpt 19 May 2017, 08:05

David

Being a baseball fan myself (St. Louis Cardinals) I know when you say that your seats were in the middle deck near a foul pole that your seats weren't very good and in fact quite a distance away from home plate. So trying to see a baseball that is about 3 1/2" in diameter from about 340 feet away can be a nice test test for the eyes anyway even with good eyesight.

Were you surprised that your girlfriend was able to see so well wearing your prescription sunglasses? I'm sure that your glasses are probably stronger than she really needs but she will almost certainly going to be getting glasses when she gets her eyes examined. A part of of the prescription form your glasses she actually needs but another part is just her enjoying her eyes being over corrected. Please be sure to have her ask for a copy of her prescription when she goes. If she doesn't ask they likely won't provide her with a copy. Also if she gets glasses an she apparently likes wearing sunglasses she might soon be wanting prescription sunglasses. As long as she has her prescription in hand she can easily go on line an order a pair of rx sunglasses for under $20.00. I'm sure once her adjusted to your sunglasses she was able to see better than perfectly. So after a few innings wearing your glasses when you told her that she was wearing prescription sunglasses and she stated testing her vision with and without your glasses everything looked quite a bit more blurry without your glasses.

It's pretty common for people to discover that they need glasses much the way your girlfriend is finding out. Simply by trying on a friends glasses and finding the can see so much better. I don't think your girlfriends eyesight can be too bad if she drives a car or she wouldn't have been able to pass the vision test to get her license or renew it. Is her appointment today?

GreginColo 19 May 2017, 07:47

Thanks David for sharing about your G/F and your sunglasses. Had you noticed her squinting or asking you to read to sings, etc. As you know first hand what her uncorrected vision might be like, that's probably an interesting scenario. Do you typically wear contact when with her or had she ever had occasion to try on your regular glasses? Hope she's not driving too much until she has her exam.

Holy Cow 19 May 2017, 07:45

My wife just had her second cataract operation, and I went with for her follow-up exam. She is doing great. She asked if she can drive, and was told that if she is at least 20/40 she is legal. So the tech puts letters on the screen, and she just rattles off the letters. Then she does a second line, and on down with smaller and smaller letters. I almost chuckled when the letters were so tiny I couldn't read them, but she could..and then even two smaller lines. The tech said she is 20/30 and good to go. When I mentioned that I couldn't read from 3 lines bigger, she said that I might not be legal and suggested that I schedule an appointment. Holy Cow! Next week I'll find out.

David 18 May 2017, 16:14

Yesterday my girlfriend and I went to a baseball game and we had seats in the middle deck near the foul pole. It was an evening game and since the sun was setting it was shining right on our seats, directly into our eyes. When we got to our seats my girlfriend mentioned that it was really bright and hard to see and she pulled out a pair of sunglasses. I didn't really think anything of it until she remarked that my sunglasses had amazing HD lenses. I looked over at her and noticed that they were my sunglasses that I guess she had grabbed from my car. I was really surprised that she was wearing them since they are prescription sunglasses and I have a decently strong prescription at -2.25 and -1.75. I asked her why she was using my sunglasses and she said that she had forgotten hers at home and since I was already wearing a pair of sunglasses she stuck them in her purse in case it was bright out. I don't think she realized that they were prescription lenses initially since I normally wear contacts and regular non-prescription sunglasses. I asked her if she could see out of them and she said that they made everything really crisp and wished that hers did the same. When I told her that they were prescription sunglasses I think she was a bit stunned, she kept comparing her vision with them on and off throughout the game. There was even a sponsored event between innings by a local optical chain where they put up questions on the scoreboard that got progressively smaller and she couldn't read a few rows without wearing my sunglasses. The game went to extra innings and even though the sun had long since set she kept wearing the sunglasses. It turns out that she has never had an eye exam before apart from the vision screenings in high school a while back. She called to set up an appointment first thing this morning so it looks like my girlfriend is going to be getting her first pair of glasses soon.

Trent 17 May 2017, 17:13

Cactus Jack

Thank you for your insight. Yes, I have the posting entitled "How to Study for an Eye Exam".

Recently I have had three eye exams. I returned to the Dr. a second time complaining about my near vision. He got a different Rx result than the first exam. The third visit was a dilation exam. I answered truthfully trying to get the best acuity possible. Still not happy but I will allow myself more time to adjust to the new Rx.

Cactus Jack 17 May 2017, 14:26

Trent,

No, but you may need a change in the distance prescription for that eye.

There is a point in a typical eye exam, when both shutters are opened and you are shown two separate images. This is really a check for muscle problems, but it is an opportunity to compare the clarity of each image, separately. If there is a difference in the clarity, be sure and tell the examiner. The examiner will likely change the sphere power in the clearer eye so that it is the same as the less clear eye. What you want is for them to be the same. The overall clarity issue will be corrected in the final stages of the exam where the examiner is changing the power of both lenses to hopefully allow you to read the 20/20 or 6/6 line easily.

Your Add prescription is always referenced to your distance prescription.

I have posted a piece I wrote, "How to Study for an Eye Exam" several times. It might be helpful. If you can't find it, I will post it again.

Trent 16 May 2017, 18:31

I wear progressives. Does the add power always have to be the same in both eyes? The reading power in my R eye does not seem strong enough. If the Dr reduces the sphere in the R eye my distance vision suffers. I am reading only with my left eye now, the Right side is blurry.

Xiao 13 May 2017, 17:31

NNVisitor and Maxim

It is true what you say. All of my family, grandparents, parents and brother wear glasses to correct myopia. Each generation seems worse than before. I am very much worse than my brother, probably as I studied a lot when young.

NNVisitor 13 May 2017, 08:42

Maxim

That 20% is an estimate. There are estimates today of today of myopia rates in eastern Asia as high as 90% (Singapore) which is mostly a Chinese population.

I live in a region with a very high Chinese population and just by observation I can tell that the rates of myopia and high myopia are very high in the Chinese community among all age groups except the under five year olds. Among younger Chinese it's a mix of glasses wearers and contact lens wearers. Some have had vision correction surgery.

Among Caucasions I also notice a sharp rise in glasses wearers. Myopia rates are rising. We can disagree on estimates but the fact is myopia and high myopia rates keep rising. This is true of very diverse ethnic and racial groups.

Maxim 13 May 2017, 04:42

To NN visitor

Your quotation:

"In China the myopia rate was about 20% in the early 20th century ...." .

I am in doubt about these statistics. They pretend precision, where precision cannot exist due sociological turbulence and demographic measurement deficits.

China was very much in trouble through hunger, analphabetism, development status and poverty, the occupation by the Japanese, the 'Long March' and Mao coming to power, later the 'Cultural Revolution' etc.

Who, I ask this very seriously, who should have bothered about a myopia statistic in that times?

Nobody with smaller vision deficits would wear glasses, as glasses were not available, the workers or the farmers could not afford them, no eye tests etc., etc.

The Chinese in those years were living and working with excellent or poor vision, as God had created them!

NNVisitor 12 May 2017, 21:18

Elle

In China the myopia rate was about 20% in the early 20th century. Today it is over 50%. In other developed nations the myopia rates have been rising from about 25% in 1970 to close to 40% now. Myopia rates are projected to keep increasing. High myopia is projected to increase 500% by 2050 from the rate of high myopia today putting more people at risk of serious eye conditions. We have a myopia epidemic. Genetics alone are not causing these increases in myopia.

Many diseases have been linked to insufficiet vitamin D which our bodies make when exposed to sunlight reaching our skin. We can also take supplements of vitamin D. It is as yet unknown whether lack of sufficent Vitamin D plays a role in the development of myopia.

NNVisitor 12 May 2017, 21:06

Elle

This and my earlier post are responses to what you wrote.

In my family my father had a problem in one eye. When he was young he lived during a very backward era in Eastern Europe. A time when many small children died from diseases that today most children are vaccinated against. He said he had a lazy eye. Nothing was done such as wearing a patch. As a result he had poor vision in that eye. He had excellent vision in the other eye. My mother and all grandparents were not nearsighted. My sister was born myopic. Myself I had great vision when very young but by grade two I was prescribed glasses for the first time.

Soundmanpt 12 May 2017, 07:33

Elle

The comment by "NNVisitor" is very interesting and it does make you wonder how much effect the changes in the foods we eat might be effecting eyesight. No doubt genetics has always been the primary reason for children needing glasses, but that doesn't seem to be the case for you or your sister. However vision has been known to skip a generation, So it is possible that your less then perfect eyesight could have come from grandparents. But more and more it seems that kids are needing glasses without any background in their genes. That almost certainly means that other things are contributing to needing glasses. Children are spending less time outdoors enjoying doing sports or other activities. Instead they far too often inside playing video games, watching TV and it seems kids are being given more and more homework than ever before. And lastly and probably worse of all like "NNVisitor" pointed out so many devices that use small screen print has to be taking it's toll. It is nearly impossible to see a kid, teen or woman without a cell phone in her hand. Males for some reason don't seem to use their phones nearly as much. Forty-five and fifty years ago in high schools it was almost rare to see anyone wearing glasses. A few boys maybe but hardly any girls wore glasses because that was considered the "kiss of death" for a teen girl if she expected to get any dates. That's far different today.

Maxim 12 May 2017, 00:37

I forgot younger low hyperopes.

In school, it used to be an effort for them to read, and they went home every day with headaches - but never wore glasses!

Parents, teachers, doctors - all did everything to avoid and to refuse glasses correction!

And today, we have never heard about that and think they had healthy eyes, and we don't know about theier sufferings!

Maxim 12 May 2017, 00:32

to Elle

I think, glasses wearing is about habits and beliefs.

Fifty, sixty or seventy years ago - who was prepared to wear glasses?

A farmer's wife, melking the cows? Was she nearsighted, was she farsighted, did she have astigmatism?

Her husband - did he go for a vision test in an occupational health institute? This applies to nealry all professions.

And a child with a somewhat poorer vision? He or she was placed in the first row (when nearsighted), and the teachers, the parents and the doctors said, this poor vision would "grow out" - whatever growing out means, glasses wearing would only accelerate these vision problems. And later the girls squinted and were not prepared to go as 'four eyed'.

And not to forget - many of those lost vision on one eye, when they had been cross eyed or had a weak vision on one eye only - 'growing out' meant that in childhood the weaker eye just 'switched off'.

I'm am not sure, that so many glasses wearer today are only the result of small screens, part of it, we are more responsible today about vision and correction of vision defects.

NNVisitor 11 May 2017, 20:44

In my parents generation few people wore glasses before they were old. My generation grew taller than my parents generation. The generation that grew up with plenty of dairy foods, processed foods and TV. Lot's of reading and other close work in schools and many children became myopic (nearsighted). There is certainly a correlation between lots of close work, reading and higher rates of myopia. Eating more nutritious foods resulted in growing taller on average than the previous generation from the early 20th century. Myopia is usually an eye that grows longer between the cornea and the retina. Growth may be good for height but for the eyes when it creates myopia and high myopia it certainly isn't.

Today's generation has plenty of fortified foods, computers, video games and cell phones which are mineature computers. We wind up getting too much of some vitamins and minerals but not in their natural form and worse yet these foods typically lack other nutrients. All the screens viewed up close appear to be contributing to the ever increasing rates of myopia.

Elle 11 May 2017, 18:03

Soundmanpt 09 May 2017, 09:14

Steven

A +.75 prescription is on the weak side so it makes perfect sense that the small print appeared to be a bit clearer as well as slightly larger to her eyes. So even though she can still read small print she isn't seeing it as clearly as she should be. If she were to get glasses she would become more reliant on them. But even not getting glasses she is likely to have it on her mind every time she is reading a book or doing other close work since she now knows her eyesight isn't perfect anymore. Kinda like being told by your dentist that you're wisdom teeth are going to need to come out at some point even thought they aren't bothering. It's always going to be on your mind until you get them pulled.

Steven 08 May 2017, 14:12

Oh ok I understand.

She did say the smaller writing looked clearer, but she said it probably would do having 'magnifying' lenses in front of her eyes. Would this be true for everyone.

I think as she feels she doesn't need them at the moment, the prospect of getting some and becoming more reliant on them is a bit daunting.

Soundmanpt 08 May 2017, 13:03

Steven

Technically she needs glasses based on her eye exam, her eyes just don't realize it yet.

It isn't for me to say if she should get glasses now or wait. That is something between you and her to decide. If insurance is going to pay the biggest cost of glasses and she is undecided about wearing glasses then why not get them to see if they make reading somewhat better. Remember what the optician told her, if she gets glasses and wears them when reading her eyes will quickly adjust and she soon wouldn't be able to read small print or even her phone as well without her glasses anymore. But a +.75 prescription is not very strong at all so her glasses would be very easy for her eyes to adjust to. Getting glasses later on she is then going to need a stronger prescription so it could make it a bit harder for her eyes to adjust to. When the doctor put the +.75 lenses in front of her eyes they made the small print bigger and easier for her to see so that would be what her glasses would do as well. So if she liked being able to see small print easier then she should get glasses.

I'm sure she values your opinion quite a bit so you need to tell her what you think. Are you thinking that she should get glasses or do you think she should just wait until she actually feels a need for glasses? She doesn't need to wear glasses full time only when she is reading or doing anything that 0requirees close vision. Her prescription is weak enough that if she ever wanted to wear them for fashion she could.

Steven 08 May 2017, 12:11

No she hasn't mentioned any problems with reading small print, I think that is why she isn't sure she needs glasses.

What do you think would be the best option for her, to hold off till she really needs them, or to get some now to see how she gets on with them and if they really do make a difference?

Soundmanpt 08 May 2017, 10:26

NNVisitor

Even the prescription they handed her was a bit confusing. It was actually written as a bifocal prescription. She has a SPH of +.25 in one eye so they wrote her script with an ADD. As we both know a +.25 is really nothing They did tell her it was for reading but very optional.

NNVisitor 08 May 2017, 10:17

Steven

Your girlfriend should have asked the optometrist what exactly the prescription is for. She's handed a piece of paper with no explanation? Or an explanation that makes no sense to her?

An add is for reading print especially small print. Can she easily read small print on ingredient labels on foods etc? She can try checking various labels with small and tiny print to find out.

Soundmanpt 08 May 2017, 09:46

Steven

If she mentioned her eyes feeling tired after driving i'm sure the doctor checked carefully to be certain that there was nothing wrong there. In the early stages of presbyopia it is very common that a patient is able to still read small print perfectly but yet actually have a prescription prescribed. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. So I can understand why she doesn't feel the need for glasses and that is why the doctor isn't pushing her, but allowing it to be her decision. The doctor is right in saying that not getting glasses wouldn't necessarily cause her eyes to get worse. But with or without glasses her prescription will slowly increase from year to year. There is no way to tell how long before she will start to feel the need for glasses. It could a year or 3 years. A lot depends on how much close work she does as well. If she were to get glasses now and wear them when she is doing close work her eyes would very quickly adjust to them and it wouldn't be as easy for her to read small print anymore without her glasses. So she can get glasses now and get an early start or hold off until she eventually needs them.

Steven 07 May 2017, 23:08

Okay thanks for you reply, she is 35. I think she may have mentioned the problem of her eyes feeling tired, but this usually after a day of driving so this might be a normal thing.

When the optician gave her something to read up close she could read the small print without lenses, but it did make it bigger with the lenses in front of her eyes.

I think she isn't sure if the optician was trying to make her her get glasses as she had no trouble with her near vision. He did say that eyes wouldn't necessarily get worse without any, but if she did get some she may find that they would help and she would probably she would start wearing them more.

I guess this just sounds a bit strange to her when she thinks her near vision is okay at the moment, and she could read the small print when tested.

Soundmanpt 07 May 2017, 14:50

Steven

Okay so that makes sense. So she is very slightly farsighted in that eye for distance. But not nearly enough to bother with as for as glasses go. However if they have her with a prescription of +.75 in both eyes in the ADD area that is why they suggested that her glasses would be of help with reading or doing any other close work. Did she tell the doctor that her eyes feel tired when she drives? If she didn't I wish she would have.

You didn't say what age your girlfriend is but I assume she is maybe under 25? If she is under 25 it is because of her age that she isn't having or noticing any issues with reading or other close work. As she gets a bit older or starts doing more and more close work she will start to feel much more tired, sore dry eyes and possible headaches. But this is going to happen at some point. If she gets glasses and starts wearing them she will be surprised how quickly her eyes will adjust to them and after a very short time of wearing them she will find small print harder to read without her glasses. I can't say for sure but I don't think those glasses would help her with driving. But if she gets glasses it isn't going to do any harm for her to see if they make any difference.

Steven 07 May 2017, 13:07

Sorry it might under near ADD, if that makes sense

Steven 07 May 2017, 13:05

The +0.25 is in the sphere, and the other is under a title of near.

Soundmanpt 07 May 2017, 12:34

Steven

It didn't space things the way I typed it but what I am sasking is the +.25 under the SPH and where is the +.75 listed for both eyes?

Soundmanpt 07 May 2017, 12:33

Steven

Okay still somewhat confusing? A prescription has 4 things.

SPH CYL axis ADD

+.25 - - +.75

- - - +.75

Is this how it reads?

Steven 07 May 2017, 12:11

Hi I'm in England! I have just checked the prescription again and I made a mistake sorry. It was actually +0.25 in one eye then a reading prescription of +0.75 in each eye, would this just mean reading glasses? Sorry again for the error in the figures previously.

Soundmanpt 07 May 2017, 09:59

Steven

May I ask what country you're in and are you sure those numbers had plus (+) signs in front of them? Most optometrist write an astigmatism correction with a minus (-) sign in front of the numbers. The numbers you likely forgot, since you didn't include them, was probably axis numbers doesn't have any power values anyway.

Just as I stated in my previous post astigmatisms effects vision at all distances. Since she does a lot of driving and not as much close work she's noticing it more with her distance vision. When she is driving her brain is automatically forcing her eyes to hold focus without her even realizing it. In other words she is straining her eyes constantly while driving so she can make out what road signs better. That is why her eyes feel tired after driving for a while.Her eyesight is still probably good enough to pass the vision test for driving, but only because she is able to force her eyes to focus. That is mostly the reaction of the brain helping her out. If she gets glasses her eyes will start to relax and she won't be forcing her eyes to keep things in focus anymore. Then she will notice that if she doesn't have her glasses on those road signs are going to much more fuzzy and out of focus to her then before. If she doesn't do a lot of close work she probably doesn't notice any problem with that. But even though she doesn't notice anything wrong if she gets glasses she will probably find reading better as well.

Would i be right in assuming that your girlfriend isn't thrilled about the idea of getting glasses and even worse yet wearing them? Since these would be her first glasses i'm sure she thinks every pair she tries on doesn't look good on her. This is very normal because she isn't used to seeing herself wearing glasses so she thinks she looks bad in glasses. But at least she is looking which is a start in the right direction. She may find it helpful that when she is trying on frames to take several pictures with ones she "kinda" likes. Then maybe after looking at herself wearing glasses in the pictures she may start to like one enough to buy them. Not sure if it will help but I know that Zenni has a virtual try-on option. She can post her picture and then try on as many different glasses as she wants to on her computer. If she is really concerned that she doesn't want to spend a lot of money for something she may not wear that would be a good reason to go online for her glasses. If you and her decide to do that please let me know and I will give you some advice on how to be sure to get glasses that won't be too big or too small for her face.Did she get a copy of her full prescription? If not she should at least go back and request a copy so if she decides to order glasses on line or maybe after she gets glasses she might even want a nice pair of prescription sunglasses if she drives that much. She can get those for as little as $18.00 on line as well.

One last thing you and her need to know. Adjusting to an astigmatism correction is the hardest to adjust to. At first she may insist that the glasses have the wrong prescription and she may feel like the floor is slanted as well as even feeling a bit dizzy but after wearing them a few days her eyes will adjust and everything will be fine from then on.

Steven 06 May 2017, 23:36

Thanks for your reply. It was an opticians we went too, there see some other number but I couldn't remember what they were.

It was an annual check up, but she does a lot of driving with work and had mentioned about her eyes feeling tired after a lot of driving.

Would glasses help with this, as she was told the glasses were for reading mainly? Which she does not think she needs, as she has benn having no issues with this. She did look at a few frames, but she didn't see any she liked, I might mention to her about getting some online.

Soundmanpt 06 May 2017, 19:29

Steven

Based on how her prescription was written I would have to assume that had her eyes examined by an ophthalmologist for some reason? For just a routine eye exam she should have gotten her eyes examined by an optometrist. An ophthalmologist is a specialist and is a surgeon and generally doesn't prescribe glasses. An optometrist mainly writes glasses prescriptions.

Anyway you said that she was only getting her eyes checked because it had been 2 years since her previous eye exam. Was she complaining about any sort of vision problem before going? Often times people tend to not bother with getting their eyes checked unless they are noticing some type of change in their eyesight. Much like how I put off going to a dentist unless I have a tooth ache. The prescription she received is mostly because she has astigmatisms in both of her eyes. The +.25 is SPH and because it is the weakest possible prescription their is i'm sure if that was the only thing written on her prescription glasses wouldn't make any difference at all in how she sees things. But she has enough astigmatism correction that would make a difference to her eyesight. She probably doesn't think she needs glasses which is why you're asking about her vision. She can probably make out what a sign says in te distance but it's a bit fuzzy or slightly out of focus to her. And if she does much close work her eyes probably feel tired and strained after a short time and she might even be getting headaches more often as well. Glasses in her case will sharpen things up for her and she will feel like she is seeing everything in HD. And her eyes will feel much more relaxed and she won't be getting headaches anymore. It is up to her when and how much she wears her glasses but at first she may only wear them when she thinks about it because she can still see quite good without glasses just not perfect anymore. But after she starts to notice how much better things look with her glasses on she may decide to wear them much more often or even full time. She can't wear them too much. And wearing glasses isn't going to cause her eyes to worsen.

I would say this, the only way she is going to know is by getting glasses. If she hs insurance then her glasses shouldn't cost too much out of pocket. Or if she really wants to save she can go on line and order her glasses at places like "zennioptical.com" or "eyebuydirect.com" both have several hundred glasses for under $13.00 and they are good quality and look nice as well.

Steven 06 May 2017, 14:02

Hi, was wondering if anyone could help.

My girlfriend had an eye test today, it had been 2 years since her previous one so was just an annual checkup. She had never worn glasses before or needed any. Today she was given a prescription of +0.25 +0.75 and 0.00 +0.75. Could someone explain what this means and would she benefit from wearing glasses, and if she did when would she need them.

Cactus Jack 05 May 2017, 20:04

Bill,

Wearing your glasses for close work provides exercise for your Ciliary Muscles. At 32, you should still have enough Accommodation Amplitude available to allow you to focus at normal reading distances without discomfort. The fact that you are experiencing some discomfort means that your Ciliary Muscles are probably getting weak. That is the reason your ECP thought you would need an Add at your next exam.

One thing to remember is that the idea that a person does not need reading help until around 40 is a myth. Everyone is different and there can be valid reasons for needing an Add well in advance of 40. If your focusing discomfort is caused by your Ciliary Muscles becoming weak you can try reading with your glasses for 10 days to 2 weeks and see if that makes much difference.

Always remember that with the exception of driving, where the safety of others is involved, when you wear your glasses is your decision, no one else's. Think of vision correction as simply a tool. Not much different than any other tool upon which, you are dependent.

If wearing your glasses for reading, as suggested above, seems to help, there are some simple exercises you can do that will help make your Ciliary Muscles even stronger, which may help delay the onset of the effects of Presbyopia. However, you probably can't avoid Presbyopia forever.

Dan31 05 May 2017, 17:29

Hi, I'm 31 and work in IT. I noticed my mate could read signs that I couldn't do decided to get a check. I'll probably just wear them for driving and cinema. I'll see!

Bill 04 May 2017, 06:51

I am 32. I usually wear the glasses for driving, especially at night. I don't usually wear them for reading as they are a bit less comfortable for close. Are you suggesting I SHOULD wear them for close>

Cactus Jack 03 May 2017, 21:35

Dan31,

-1.00 glasses means that anything beyond 1 meter is increasingly blurry.

May I ask your age, occupation and what prompted you to get an eye exam?

Cactus Jack 03 May 2017, 21:32

Bill,

Age is the biggest factor in the onset of Presbyopia. Presbyopia, which is the gradual stiffening of the protein that makes up your Crystalline Lenses, actually starts in childhood. It typically does not become a problem until your late 30s or early 40s.

There can be a secondary factor that can affect your need for reading help. The de-conditioning of your Ciliary Muscles. Your Ciliary Muscles are very tiny. They are inside your eyes and their job is to squeeze your Crystalline Lenses to increase their PLUS power and allow you to focus close. For their size they are the strongest muscles in the body.

You are not doing yourself any favors by taking off your glasses to read. A person who is nearsighted, effectively has built in reading glasses. If your distance prescription is -1.00, that means that your built in "reading glasses" are +1.00.

When you are wearing your -1.00 glasses, they neutralize your +1.00 and you effectively have a prescription of 0.00 for distance. To focus at a typical reading distance of 40cm (16 inches) while wearing your glasses requires +2.50 diopters according to the laws of optics, as codified by Sir Isaac Newton around 1700.

That +2.50 has to come from somewhere. It can all come from your Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline Lenses, or some can come from your built in +1.00, if you take off your glasses, and an additional +1.50 from your Ciliary Muscles and Crystalline lenses, or externally from reading glasses or a bifocal add.

When you take off your glasses, your Ciliary Muscles don't have to work as hard as they would if you read with your -1.00 glasses. Your Ciliary Muscles are like all other muscles, if you don't use them, they get weak. Once you start down that path, you will need stronger and stronger reading add until you need +2.50 or more depending on your preferred reading distance.

You may be able to delay the need for close focusing help by strengthening your Ciliary Muscles, but that won't work forever.

If you are interested, we can offer suggestions, but we need to know your age and get a better idea of your visual environment.

Dan31 03 May 2017, 17:07

@Bill: do you wear your -1.00 glasses all the time. I recently got prescribed that same prescription.

Maxim 03 May 2017, 15:25

to Soundman and all friends here:

This is such a valuable forum for so many people, and you (and others) have helped and contributed so much.

I cannot understand that there are people out there, who want to destroy this forum, to destroy confidence and to destroy true help and friendship over borders and time zones.

Just carry on with friendlyness, help and love as you ever did and don't listen to those ugly voices,

Viva Eyescene!

Bill 03 May 2017, 13:46

Just found this site. I have had glasses for the last few years that are -1.00. Recently have been taking them off for easier reading. Dr says at next exam will probably prescribe a reading add. Anything I can do to prevent or delay that? I really don't want to become dependent on them.

Soundmanpt 01 May 2017, 08:17

Jen

Your words to Madeline I would hope will encourage her to wear her glasses proudly. Like you said the whole idea of getting glasses wasn't something you wanted, but once you got you very quickly realized howw much you had been missing by not wearing glasses. With that revelation you were soon wearing your glasses from the time you got up until you went to bed. Even with some bumps in the road you still were determined to wear your glasses. Once you got used to seeing yourself wearing glasses you like how you look wearing glasses better than without glasses. I have been preaching that for sometime that a woman is never going to look any less attractive wearing glasses. If anything they look even better wearing glasses.

Glad to hear that you';e pretty well adjusted to your glasses now. Adjusting to progressives requires your brain to react without thinking. When you first got your progressives you had to think about making your eyes find the area you needed depending on what you were doing. Now it is becoming much more automatic for your eyes to instantly go right to where they need to be in order to see. If you're already able to go running with your progressives that is very good in such a short time. I know you really love your glasses but remember when you're not going to be doing anything that requires much close vision you can wear your single vision glasses that you got. I get the feeling tat you really don't like the frame you got for the single vision glasses very much? If you dislike them that much you should consider getting a pair on line. You can get single vision for around $18.00 including the AR coating and if you would prefer getting another pair of progressives they would only be around $54.00 - $70.00. those prices would be the same for prescription sunglasses as well. Even though you love wearing your glasses you have to miss not being able to wear sunglasses anymore on sunny days anymore. Please tell me that your not wearing your sunglasses over the top of your glasses? You don't want to do that because you could scratch the lenses of your glasses doing that. Yeah even tough you love wearing your glasses it's normal that somethings are going to be annoying. You seem to have found a few of the ones everyone that wears glasses can relate to. Coming in from the cold is one of them and the dishwasher is another as well as opening the oven I bet. That's why it is important to always have a cleaning cloth handy. While your wiping your glasses i'm sure it is still amazing to you how blurry everything is without your glasses. Now something to think about. You know how you cheated to pass the vision test to renew your driver's license twice when you really already should have been wearing glasses to drive. But you know others have done the same sort of things or might have glasses but don't want to wear them and their out driving and can't see any better than you can without your glasses. Just like you i'm sure they probably don't think their eyes are bad enough to need glasses to drive. Honestly i'm not sure why when your doing close work such as on your computer and then looking up at something in the distance it takes 10 seconds or so for your eyes to focus. I really don't think it is because you don't have your full prescription in your glasses. Your distance vision seems to be just fine for now. I do remember some years ago that someone i knew had the very same complaint as you when she would be on her computer and look up. I asked a friend that is an optometrists what she thought the cause could be and she said it sounded like she needed astigmatism correction. I told my friend and sure enough it wasn't long after that that she got glasses and hse told me I was right that it was in fact astigmatisms causing her problem. If it continues and it bothers you you might want to ask where you got your eyes examined about it. based on how much you enjoy wearing your glasses now I think the only regret you might have is not getting glasses much sooner. You have a great day.

Soundmanpt 01 May 2017, 06:55

Carrie

I don't recall when you had your last prescription change? Has it been a year? It doesn't really matter if your vision is blurred now something has changed. It could very well be your astigmatisms if the symptoms are similar to when you got astigmatism correction added to your glasses before. As you know astigmatism can fluctuate some and it doesn't take much of a change to effect your vision. To save money I would suggest just getting your eye exam done and order your new glasses on line. I know you got glasses not long ago on line that you seemed to really like. maybe just order that same pair plus another pair as a backup in your new prescription.

Have you had a chance to chat with Vicky since she got her new glasses? by now i'm sure her eyes have adjusted to her new prescription. Even though her SPH went down by +.25 she now has a fairly decent amount of astigmatism which is going to effect her eyesight more than any of her previous glasses has. Her distance vision is now more blurred and out of focus when she takes her glasses off. Even tough she has been wearing glasses for some time I don't they affected her ability to see distances much at all. They probably did make a bit of difference for her with seeing small print.

Likelenses 28 Apr 2017, 22:48

Jen

The inability to focus quickly on distant objects, after close work is a strong indicator that your full correction is coming due.

What is your present reading distance for the computer, and also printed material ?

When getting your full correction, you may want to ask the doctor it he / she would be willing to over correct you slightly. This would do two things. 1. you will have absolutely incredible high definition distant vision, and 2. It will prolong the time until your next prescription increase.

Probably an additional -.50 would do the trick.

It has been said that once myopic eyes are first fitted with lenses, that they then eat minus.

Jen 28 Apr 2017, 20:24

Madeline

Now I'm not sure how I got by without glasses, I didn't know how well I was supposed to be able to see, so I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. Now that I know, I can't hardly bring myself to ever take them off. I was so against having to wear glasses but after getting them and wearing them for the first time, I didn't care what I looked like wearing them. Everything so sharp and no squinting....Now I like how I look wearing glasses better than how I look without.

Soundmanpt

Nice to hear from you! I think I'm pretty much adjusted to wearing glasses, stairs and curbs etc..are no problem now. As a runner, I've gotten comfortable running wearing the progressives although it took a bit if getting used to. One annoyance I've discovered was coming inside on a cold day or opening the dishwasher and having my glasses fog up. Of course off they come and the blur ensues. I can't believe I lived like that for so long...

The only complaint I have right now is when I'm doing computer work or anything closer, and I look at something in the distance it takes a while for me to focus on it. ( maybe 10 seconds or so?) I've been trying to look away from my close work about every 5 minutes or so thinking I need to exercise my eye muscles, but it doesn't seem to make the adjustment time any quicker. Is it normal to have to wait for the distance to come into focus?

Still putting them on first thing in the morning wearing them until I go to bed at night, loving being able to see all things, at all distances so sharply! ;-)

NNVisitor 28 Apr 2017, 18:08

Madeline

I've had glasses since I was in grade 2. For many years I mostly did not wear my glasses. My vision got worse and worse. I really did not have a problem getting around. I developed my own memory mapping system. The problem was that my vision got so bad that I finally just wore my glasses full time. By then I needed -6 or possibly a little higher. Looking back to those days I realize I was WRONG WRONG WRONG.

I was always given my full prescription. No mercy for me.

From wearing glasses full time after about 8-10 years I got contact lenses and since then the majority of my days I wore them most of the daytime hours.

I've always had glasses too and when I buy glasses I pick out the frames carefully and get high index thinner lenses as there could always be a reason that I could not wear my contacts.

The good news is that I've never gotten a serious eye infection. I have not otherwise damaged my eyesight by wearing contacts. Most important of all my worst fears about my future eyesight never came true.

I do have high myopia and astigmatism but my corrected vision is very good thus I am very happy.

Soundmanpt 28 Apr 2017, 16:42

Jen

Well seeing your comment to Madeline I guess i don't have to ask you how your doing with your glasses. You said that getting and wearing glasses was very dramatic and life changing for you. I'm sure that your right. If someone would have told you a week before you got your glasses that in two weeks you were going to wearing progressives full time and loving it i'm sure you would thought they were crazy. Now you're so comfortable wearing glasses that it's hard to believe that it was only a few weeks ago that you weren't even thinking about wearing glasses.

By now i'm sure that you don't have any issues at all with going up or down steps even with heels on. And your eyes now seem to automatically find the proper area of your lenses for reading or when your on your computer or looking at something in the distance. The only thing you found a bit annoying about wearing glasses was getting caught in the rain which forced you take you glasses off because you couldn't see through the raindrops. And at first you complained about needing to clean your glasses so often but I bet your not cleaning them as often anymore? So have you found anything else that is annoying about wearing glasses or maybe something you never knew about wearing glasses?

Madeline 28 Apr 2017, 16:42

These are my third glasses.

I found my last prescription! It says -1.25 and -1.00

The one before that says -0.50 and -0.25

Soundmanpt 28 Apr 2017, 16:13

Madeline

Apparently your prescription changed quite a lot if the doctor even told that your eyes have gotten a lot worse. Either you had a big jump in your prescription or you haven't had your eyes checked for a long while. So probably what "Maxium " said is about right. Your previous glasses must have only been around -1.00 which is why your new glasses made you feel as if your blind now without them. Are these just your 2nd pair of glasses? When did you get your first glasses?

Madeline 28 Apr 2017, 12:45

This was your first prescription? How did you go so long without glasses? I can't even cross the street without them...

Jen 28 Apr 2017, 12:37

Madeline

I just got my first prescription of about -2.75 and -3.00 with some cylinder correction as well.

To me this was very dramatic indeed and life changing. Don't worry about the strength of your prescription and just enjoy being able to see clearly! Noone really cares if you're prescription is stronger anyways; in fact wearing glasses seems to attract attention in a good way. I have received a lot of very nice comments since wearing glasses and people seem to like how I look wearing them.

Incidentally, my eye doctor said I'll probably need a stronger rx soon as he didn't give me my full prescription either.:-)

Just be glad you can get your vision corrected see clearly, and find a pair that you like. Embrace and enjoy your glasses and how you look and see with them, because they're great!

Madeline 28 Apr 2017, 11:00

I have to go back in 6 months because she didn't give me the full strength in this appointment

Maxim 28 Apr 2017, 01:08

to Madeline:

Yes, that's okay. Alot worse could be, when you came from a -1.00 or -1.25 or -1.50 prescription.

With these prescriptions, you have already been a bit dependent on glasses, and your present prescription is the double or triple value.

But again, -2.75 is NOT dramatic at all.

The necessity for glasses is also a result of our life today. 5o or 100 years ago, when a young woman just lived in a working class or farm household (or in a castle), nobody would have been aware of a -2.75 shortcoming of vision, and such a nearsighted girl or boy would not have been wearing glasses.

But nowadays (driving - road signs / school or university - the blackboard / at home, the TV set)) we have very sophisticated needs for our vision, and so also such a small nearsightedness is diagnosed and the person is given glasses - for a better functioning in our society.

So again, best wishes, don't be unhappy, buy nice frames, and be proud then.

Madeline 27 Apr 2017, 21:58

I don't exactly know my previous power but the doctor said it's -2.75 now and that it got a LOT worse

antonio 27 Apr 2017, 10:51

Hi Madeline,

yes -2.75 is not mich in numbers, but it was

When my troubles beeing bareeyed in every Moment of my life really became unbearable. I couldn.t read far signs not even squinting, and even confused friends approaching because I couldn't See their faces clearly. And I started to ask even moe silly questions like : Where is Andy. Just over there!!! Oh I see :-)

How about you now?

I ended uo wearing Them full time very soon because More and more people got to know I couldn't See alright any More

If you like visit us at http://lenschat.com

Best regards, antonio

glasesforeveryone 27 Apr 2017, 06:10

just been to opticians.

Last prescription:

R: +.75 -.25 21 +1.00 ADD 3.00 Out

L: +1.25 -.50 165 +1.00 ADD 3.00 Out

This one

R: +.75 -.55 55 +1.50 ADD 3.00 Out

L: +1.25 -.50 170 +1.50 ADD 3.00 Out

So, barely any change. Right eye more astigmatism, but still negligible. Left eye distance slightly better than before.

Add up .50 and contrary to most people's experience - prism static at the old value.

I am both relieved and disappointed.

Maxim 25 Apr 2017, 22:54

To Madeline

I just reread your post, and there is a good thing: at least you are not blind.

For example: look out of your windo into the street.

You might see something like a big green ball - that is a tree. When you put your -2.75 glasses on, you might see the leaves, without your glasses just the green ball - but you're not blind.

Without glasses, you can see a car in the street, the shape of the car, the colour (= not blind). And when you take your glasses, you can read the license plate, the maker's badge, the faces o driver and passengers.

It's like a coin having two sides:

... the good thing is, that you can see ... (compare your vision with a blind person's vision)

... the other side of the coin/medal is, that you need glasses for a certain precision of vision, like many of us, but -2.75 is really not very much.

My best wishes, and enjoy your good vision with your glasses, and don't worry too much!

Maxim 25 Apr 2017, 16:26

To Madeline

Don't worry, -2.75 is nearly just nothing.

Mathematically, it is, that your distance vision point is just at the reading distance, you are a little bit nearsighted. If you're choosing just the right frames, it that kind of nearsightedness, that makes women beautiful.

Best wishes.

Soundmanpt 25 Apr 2017, 14:20

Madeline

Do you know what your previous prescription was since you say your glasses are now much stronger? Actually -2.75 is what most would consider a fairly decent necessary prescription for glasses. I'm sure if you wearing a much weaker prescription that now you probably do feel somewhat blind without your glasses now. If you weren't already wearing your glasses full time you probably need to be now.

Madeline 25 Apr 2017, 09:00

My glasses have become much stronger :(

How bad is -2.75. I feel blind

Catwoman 24 Apr 2017, 04:36

Noreen,

I have worn glasses since age 6, and my husband of 27 years has worn glasses since he was 7. We have strong prescriptions, although mine has diminished over the past 10 years. As I told Jen, I went from single-vision to progressive lenses at once, just having to remember to keep my line of vision straight to avoid distortion.

Remember, Dorothy Parker was totally wrong when she said, "Men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses." True, it sometimes depends on the frame (that was from a 1970s commercial), but the vast majority of women I know who wear glasses are married. Glasses worked for me, and my bespectacled two daughters have never had much trouble getting dates.

Catwoman 24 Apr 2017, 04:31

Jen,

I'm glad things were finally able to work out for you in your first experience with glasses.

I jumped right into progressives in the middle of the last decade after having worn single-vision lenses for over 30 years, and it was relatively easy. Even with them, I sometimes have to look over my glasses if I need to see something very small (like super-fine print) or deceptive (like a piece of garlic that needs some skin peeled off). And of course, putting on makeup or eye shadow presents the same problem.

And as for that baseball game you went to on Thursday, I would be happy if it was in New York, because that would have meant my favorite team was victorious, which it was. :)

Noreen 23 Apr 2017, 15:22

Thank you to all that replied with kind comments to my post.

I will have to come here on occasion to learn more about eyesight, and glasses, and to learn more about how men feel about women like me that wear strong glasses.

Maxim 23 Apr 2017, 14:38

To Josh

I'm sorry, I cannot answer your question, I'm not a doctor. I only wanted to give you the info, as there are two interlinked groups of sources of vision problems: refraction and the muscle balance and coordination.

I was quite impressed, what they could find out with these measurements.

Best wishes for you, that you aregoing to find a solution for these problems.

NNVisitor 22 Apr 2017, 20:06

Noreen

I sure can relate to being self consious wearing my glasses in public however I have come to realize after many years that to most people seeing a person wearing glasses even strong ones is no big deal and that I have been needlessly oversensitive about the whole issue. Glasses wearers are so common these days that they are considered a normal part of one's attire. Myself I have had high myopia and astigmatism for many decades. My glasses are very strong. My vision has been stable since my early adult years. I did have a significant increase in my prescription then both for my myopia and my astigmatism. My previous glasses had been from a few years earlier so perhaps thats why. That was my last increase as after that my vision stabalized. The glasses that were made had major distortions and I could not adjust to them. So after two weeks I went back to the opthalmologist who tested my eyes and he wrote out a change in the prescription. The new lenses had distortions but not as bad as the previous ones. I had already decided to get contact lenses which I could only take homr after five weeks of appointments as the contact lens fitter was trying to get me to use an impossible technique to center the lens from the white part of my eye to the cornea. I found a different method which worked. Over the years wearing gas permeable contact lenses I've been able to increase my wearing time to most of the day so typically I wear my glasses when I wake up for an hour or two and then in the evening. Some days I just wear glasses all day. At work I don't use computers. I actually have to fill in work forms on paper which later on someone else inputs into the computer system. I do carry reading glasses which I use for very small print. If I would normally wear glasses at work instead of my contacts then I probably would get bifocals or progressive glasses.

Jen 22 Apr 2017, 13:35

Noreen,

Glad you finally got new glasses and are now able to see comfortably! Enjoy your better vision, and wear your glasses with confidence and pride! I now think it is faulty thinking that makes us think glasses will make us unattractive. I'm beginning to believe that glasses are like a bow on a present: they draw attention and make people want to see what's inside.

:-)

Stefan 22 Apr 2017, 04:04

Welcome to the site, and the thread, Noreen. It's good if it's made you marginally more self-confident about your specs!

Noreen 21 Apr 2017, 21:38

Interesting site, and thread.

Like Jen,I am in my early forties and have recently been prescribed bifocals.I have worn glasses for nearsightedness since age seventeen.I do not know my prescription, but it is very strong, and I have always been self conscious about my glasses.Even with my glasses, I do not have perfect vision.

I had been fighting off the bifocals for at least two years, but because I had to hold things so far away, and could no longer read without glasses,I had to give in and get them.

It is so nice to be able to read comfortably now, but I am even more embarrassed by my need for strong glasses.

I do not have vision insurance, so due to the high cost of my lens, I could not even consider progressives.

Ir is heartwarming to read here that so many men enjoy seeing women wearing glasses.I am single, and always thought that my glasses were a turn off to men.

Jen, your posts have given me a little more confidence. Thank you.

Jen 21 Apr 2017, 17:55

Soundmanpt,

I live in Minnesota and of course I'm a Twins fan, although I can't say I'm a huge fan because I don't follow closely enough. :-)

I'm coming due in May for my drivers license renewal and I think we renew ours every 4 years. I do remember last time I went to have it renewed I wasn't able to see the letters, but since there were several people in line ahead of me I was able to pass just by overhearing them and remembering. And now come to think of it, the time before that I barely passed by squinting very hard at the letters, and if my memory serves me correctly I got some of the letters wrong....I chalked it up to being tired or having a bad day.

It sounds so funny now that I really thought that my vision was OK, I mean I knew it wasn't perfect or anything, but nobody really has perfect vision right? Plus I seemed to function just fine, but the reality was I was not functioning fine. Lol! For as long as I can remember, I have always been stressed out about vision tests, and now I'm wondering how long ago it's been since I had 20/20 vision? I'm just happy I do now!

I'm happy that things are clear no matter what the distance is and I'm finding it pretty easy to find the "sweet Spot" for most anything I look at. It was a little difficult at first especially when looking down and to the sides, but now it almost seems natural. I really feel like my eyes are so comfortable now, and I don't even seem to feel like my frames are in my way anymore. The only complaint that I have, is when I'm looking at something close and go to distance, it takes several seconds for things to come into focus. Once they do its no problem though. I'm still amazed at how well I see and still realizing how life changing it is!

Soundmanpt 21 Apr 2017, 12:51

Jen

So nice to hear from you.

Once you start wearing glasses it's surprising how much of a difference they really made in your life. I'm sure if you hadn't gotten glasses you not only wouldn't have been to see the ball but even the players would small blurry blobs from your nosebleed seats. But if yo7u saw a game last year i'm sure that you probably thought that everybody was seeing the same blurry blobs on the field. It's funny, i'm sure that every so often you're still finding something else that you need to adjust to with your glasses. Yes of course because you were sitting up high and looking down now that you have gotten much more used to only moving your eyes when you look down that is your normal reaction now. But your add is only about half as strong as your distant part. So that area would be too weak to be of much help to you as you quickly found out. So yes that meant that you had to keep your head down to see clearly. Next time you go to the game or anything that might require distance vision only that is when that extra pair of glasses that you bought when they broke your glasses. Their only single vision but unless you normally read a book at the ballgame you shouldn't have any reason to need a reading segment. That was why I suggested that you should keep the spare pair in the glove box of your car. When your driving those single vision glasses should be just fine because you should still be able to see things in your dash such as your speedometer and gas gauage with just your single vision glasses. And for things like ballgames and going to concerts they should be perfect for those things as well.

So has it gotten easier now when you go from looking at something in the distance to looking at say a table menu? What I mean is are your eyes finding those "sweet" spots that you need to use in order to read small print or see your computer monitor? I know whe yhou first gt your progressives tat was the only small problem you were having was tying to find those spots that give you the best vision for the mid range as well as the full add. But I have feeling you're doing much better with that by now as well. I'm sure now that you're wearing glasses for close work it has to be much easier on your eyes, but are you even able to see whats on you computer monitor or read small print without your glasses anymore? By the way what is your team's name? I am a huge fan of the Cardinals. They also lost last night so we have that in common.I live about 40 miles west of St Louis.

Just curious do you live where you have to renew your drive's license every so often? In Missouri we have to renew every 6 years. To renew you also have to do a short vision test and you have to have 20/40 or better vision or you fail and can't get your license renewed until you get glasses. When did you last get your driver's license renewed and did you have to take a vision test as well?

Jen 21 Apr 2017, 11:53

Hi all.

Went to a baseball game last night, first time I've been to a game since getting glasses. Even though our team lost it was so exciting to watch now that I can see the ball! Took a little getting used to how to watch because we had nosebleed seats and looking though the bottom of my glasses made it a little difficult to see what was going on on the field. In no time I was tipping my head down and looking through the top for a crisp view of the game. Actually became a little weepy about being able to see the game! Lol, I'm such a sap!

Still grateful to live in an age when glasses are available! BTW, still no headaches!

:-)

josh 21 Apr 2017, 09:46

maxim

thanks. that helps. interesting. but you think that it might be possible that i have heterophoria even though i don't have the symptoms with my old glasses or without glasses?

anyone else has experiences with heterophoria?

Maxim 20 Apr 2017, 12:27

To Josh:

Key Words:

Switzerland - Suisse Romande? Deutschsprachige Schweiz?

An Eye Doctor from Switzerland - you probably understand German? His leaflet for patients' information:

http://www.augenpraxis-wattwil.ch/upload/pdf/patienteninfo.pdf

Germany / Munich:

http://www.thomavision.de/optometrie/sehtest-bei-erwachsenen

There are only a few practioners working with these methods.

josh 20 Apr 2017, 11:09

sounds interesting. i m from switzerland...

Maxim 20 Apr 2017, 11:03

Hello Josh, sorry that the cause cannot be found so easily.

In which country do you live, by the way.

I know about a method, where the optometrist makes an examination for about 90 minutes instead of 5 minutes in the usual.

I did it 8 years ago, and she found out for a vision acuity of 200 per cent instead of 120 per cent I usually could reach with glasses. Only the specially crafted lenses were too expensive for me (800.00 $ approx.).

I am going to look for this method, in the moment I'm short of time, give me 1 or 2 days.

josh 20 Apr 2017, 09:15

maxim

no, not really any changes in environment. and if i change back to the old glasses or sunglasses, after a while everything is fine again. so i guess it has something to do with the glasses. with the old glasses i can focus on different distances without delay and vision is always good

Soundmanpt 20 Apr 2017, 08:25

Nicky

Most likely the reason your eyes cross when you don't have your glasses on is because you have something called "strabismus" which means that you have a lazy eye. You didn't state your age but I assume that you're older than 10 years old? For young kids the doctor will often have them wear a patch over the good eye to make the lazy eye work more and strengthen the eye muscle. But as you get older the patch doesn't work as well. So your glasses probably has "prism" correction in them which works to hold your eyes in place. But whenever you take your glasses your eyes are going to rather quickly cross.

Soundmanpt 20 Apr 2017, 08:17

Reina

I assume that is what your new glasses are after an increase? So yes i'm sure that is more than enough for you to notice that your eyes now look smaller through your lenses. Your previous glasses were slightly weaker so your eyes didn't look as small. Next year if you get another increase your eyes will even smaller. But at -2.50 I doubt that to anyone looking at you that they will notice any change in your eye size. Of course if you got new glasses they will notice that.

Nicky 20 Apr 2017, 06:39

My eyes sometimes cross without glasses. Why?

Reina 20 Apr 2017, 06:24

I'm -2.50 I think

Jen 19 Apr 2017, 12:30

Likelenses

Nothing new to report, just feeling like my vision is almost natural now and no headaches!

Like NNVisitor eluded to, I'm just grateful to be able to see so well and so comfortably now!

;-)

Carrie 19 Apr 2017, 11:14

Nina - my friend Danielle has a prescription pretty much the same as yours except she doesn't have any astigmatism correction in hers and I don't know which eye requires the slightly stronger + power. Despite not having astigmatism she has found she needs to wear her glasses more than she used to. She needs them for distances now and not just for reading. In fact she is very nearly full time but does like to take them off when she isn't reading/working and her eyes don't feel tired.

Of course it is entirely up to you how much you wear your glasses but do follow the suggestions you are given at the optican's.

I am a little more long sighted (far sighted) than you and Danielle and I do need to wear my glasses all the time but I am not blind without them.

Soundmanpt 19 Apr 2017, 09:55

Reina

Actually even with a rather weak nearsighted prescription your eyes will appear very slightly smaller but yes it becomes more noticeable as your lenses get stronger. What was your old glasses prescription and what is your new one? You're more likely to notice your eyes looking smaller than anyone else will.

Reina 19 Apr 2017, 03:03

At what prescription do glasses make your eyes look small?

I thought it only happened at very high prescriptions but my new glasses are making my eyes look smaller!

Likelenses 18 Apr 2017, 23:32

Jen

Anything new to report about life behind lenses ?

NNVisitor 18 Apr 2017, 15:53

Jen

The good news is that your glasses are working out well for you. I'm not sure what beginners glasses are. Many people do not get their vision tested each year. Or know they need glasses but don't wear them. When I was young my mother had my eyes tested and I got glasses in grade two. I mostly did not wear them. My vision got worse and worse and I only began full time wear when things were very blurred. I didn't have a problem getting around. I developed a great memory mapping system whereby I adapted to my much less than good vision. When I did finally go full time I actually was happy as I didn't have to put up with the blur. Life is a learning system. When it comes to needing, wearing glasses not everyone deals with it in the same way. Anyhow the past is the past. Every day is a new day thus all we can do is appreciate each day and be happy and appreciative for what we do have.

Kevin 18 Apr 2017, 15:09

Nice story Matt. Are you from the UK?

Matt L 18 Apr 2017, 13:25

I'm not sure if this is the best place to put this. Ive always been interested in glasses, and notice when other people change their frames. I also like watching and observing their wearing habits and how they become full time wearers, as it took me several attempts to become a full time wearer. So I thought now might be a good time to tell my story.

I always wanted glasses, until I actually got them. I was fourteen when I first got glasses, but I dont think I wore them at all. As was to be expected, I got more short sighted as time went on and every year to eighteen months when I went back to the opticians I was prescribed new, stronger glasses. My second pair I did use in class to see the board. To begin with I would only wear them if something was on the board or screen and then I would take them off, but after a while once Id put them on, I usually left them on until it was time for the end of the lesson, but I never wore them outside the classroom. Whilst I could still cope most of the time without glasses outside the classroom, some things were getting difficult by this stage, such as reading bus numbers. By the time I got my third pair of glasses, I was thinking I probably needed to be wearing them all of the time I remember going to pick up this pair of glasses very clearly. It was a Saturday afternoon, after the glasses had been fitted, when I was asked if I was going to keep them on and I said yes, I felt I had made a good decision. I had to get my mum a birthday present, and it was good being able to see things in the shops clearly. I think I wore the glasses all weekend, but on Monday I remember not wearing them to school. The opticians never really told me how often I should be wearing my glasses: I think if they had told me to wear them all of the time I would have done as I was told. I never really felt happy wearing them. However, I did wear them more often in school, I remember that at times I would forget to take them off at the end of the lesson and would end up wearing them at break and lunchtime. That summer I started wearing them in sports lessons for cricket because I couldnt see without them. However, I still would not wear them at home or for anything other than school.

When I went for my next eye test, I didnt want the optician to tell me off for not wearing my glasses, so I put them on before I went for my eye test, and put the old ones on again before I left the opticians. Again, when I went to get my new glasses I left the opticians wearing them. This time I managed three days as a full time wearer putting them on before I left the house and only taking them off at bedtime. However, when it got to the weekend, I didn't bother wearing them and from that point I give up on full time wear going back to the routine of putting them on when I needed them in school and leaving them on until the end of the school day; the only time I wore them outside of school was for driving lessons, but once Id passed my test I wasnt insured on my parents car, so I didnt have to wear them. I dont know why I was so stubborn about wearing glasses full time, I was quite happy to wear them all day in school, but as soon as it finished, I would take them off.

I had that pair about 18 months but I broke them just after my A level exams. Again so I didnt get told off by the optician, I wore my previous pair of glasses to the test. He said the pair he was prescribing were quite a bit stronger. I am not sure if he meant than the pair I was wearing or the pair I had broken. On the bus into town to collect my glasses, II remember thinking I really should wear the new pair all the time and be done with it. This time I lasted a bit longer. I did wear them pretty much full time for the first three weeks. The night after I picked them up, there was an 18th birthday for somebody from school and I wore them for that. I did get a few comments from my friends, but most of them were positive. I remember them passing my glasses around and wanted to get them back so I could see again. That weekend I went away for a week to Spain with some school friends, I wore them pretty much all time time, whenever we were in the hotel or bars, even some of the time on the beach. However, a week so later, I was going to my cousins wedding and I decided I didnt want to wear them for that, I dont think I wanted the comments from my relatives. So from that point I wore them on and off for the next month. I knew that going to university was the perfect time to try again as a full time glasses wearer and from that point there was no looking back.

Soundmanpt 18 Apr 2017, 11:37

Nina

I don't think you you were at all surprised to find out that you do really need glasses now. You probably are blaming yourself for buying those readers and wearing them that they have ruined your eyes. but like I told you before I don't really think so. Actually if had never bought them and had gone for an eye exam even though you could still read your phone perfectly you would still have gotten the same prescription for glasses. But the doctor would have told you that it would be up to you if you wanted to get glasses or mot because your eeys were still able see small just fine without glasses. But he would have warned you that it was only going to be a matter of time before you would start to need glasses. Now how long you could have still been able to see fine without glasses no one knows. But the more strain you would be exposing your eyes to such as a job where you would be doing close work all day your eyes would very soon be needing glasses. But if you weren't doing much close work then you may have been fine for several years. But because you bought those glasses and started wearing them your eyes easily adjusted to them because they were very close to the prescription you actually need, your eyes weren't going back to the way the were before you started wearing those glasses. But I repeat again they didn't really ruin your eyes. The prescription you got for glasses is actually a little bit stronger for both eyes than the readers you bought. You also have some astigmatisms in both eyes as well. Because of those astigmatisms the doctor might have recommended that you wear your glasses full time when you get them? Do you remember how well you were able to see the eye chart? Were you able to see the 20/20 line okay or was it too blurry for you? I know you said that you were wearing the readers full time. Close up was fine with them and distances was only a little bit blurry. Did you eyes ever adjust to them for distance so you could see without any blur? So I know you only bought those readers for fun and because you liked how you looked wearing glasses. So now that you're getting glasses that you actually need how do you feel about wearing glasses? Did you manage to find glasses that look even better than the readers you bought?

Soundmanpt 18 Apr 2017, 11:00

Jen

Yes that is why I was hoping that you would get progressives instead of bifocals. Actually if you hadn't gotten progressives you really then should have gotten trifocals. Of course that would have meant that your glasses would have two lines going across the lenses. Because your job has you in front of a computer monitor so much I think you will be using that mid section even more than the reading segment. You have to be thrilled not to be getting anymore headaches as well?

I'm not surprised that most of you family and friends thought that your glasses really finished off your look. Glasses in many cases as long as they suit the persons face shape will often enhance their looks. Women seem to have discovered this and that is why some are even wearing fake glasses just because they like the way they look in glasses. There will always be a few that will comment about being a sexy librarian. Nothing really wrong with that look either in my book. Honestly even though these are your first glasses and I guess that does make them your "beginners" glasses your glasses are more like what would be expected as your 3rd or 4th pair of glasses. just like your friend that wears the -1.25 glasses her glasses might be her "beginners" glasses but most likely they are her 2nd pair. If you think about you should ask her if they are her first glasses or not? I have a feeling that you expected that at least all the women their and maybe even some of the men would be tying on your glasses. And of course some were sure to make comments about how "blind" you are. Of course this was something i'm sure you probably thought after you started wearing glasses. Your far from blind of course but compared to how well you see with glasses without them you probably do almost feel blind now. I don't really think you were being vain you just didn't think it was so bad to bother getting your eyes checked. Your sister-in-law is still able to accommodate which is why she doesn't feel the need for glasses yet. Like you know, and yes you have learned quite a bit about glasses and how the eyes work, she is farsighted but her left eye is just bad enough that her doctor thinks she should be wearing bifocals or progressives. If she were to get glasses and start wearing them for close work her eyes would very quickly adjust to them and she wouldn't be able to read her phone anymore without her glasses. She probably doesn't realize just how tired her eyes are by the end of the day now or she would get glasses. Next time you're out shopping and you see a rack of the over the counter readers you should pick out a pair that you think would look really good on her and find a pair in +1.25 power. Then give them to her and suggest that she try them when she is doing close work to see if they help her. And your cousin's wife must have been quite surprised that she could see so well at a distance using the add segment of your glasses. Since she tried them 3 different times it might be enough to cause her to get her eyes examined and most likely she will be wearing glasses at your next family gathering. After the 3rd time trying your glasses you should have suggested that she should get her eyes checked. The add segment of your glasses is -1.50 so anything -.75 or over means she should at least be wearing glasses for driving. the whole time everyone was looking at your glasses and trying them on you were just sitting there trying to see whatever you could make out without your glasses. And of course by the time you got your glasses back i'm sure they needed a good cleaning from numerous fingerprints. I'm sure that you very glad to put your glasses back on so you could see things again clearly. You've got to be shocked at fast you went from not wearing glasses to being so dependent on your glasses in such a very short time. The world looks a lot different now when you take your glasses off then it did before you got them. But it also has to look so much better with your glasses on then it has for sometime. One thing i'm sure about is that you're in no way a vain woman. You may have been with getting glasses but I don't thing it was because of vanity. Once you put your glasses on for the very first time i think you pretty much knew that you needed glasses all the time and you were a real trooper when all of us kept telling you that to keep wearing them while you were suffering from headaches caused by your glasses. And yet you still made every attempt possible to continue wearing them. And you had to be at least a little bit nervous wearing glasses for the first time around friends and family. Were you nervous on Sunday knowing that your wearing glasses was sure to be a topic of conversation? But you now seem very comfortable wearing glasses and if anything you're very uncomfortable when you don't have them on now.

You already know that in about 6 months or so your glasses are probably gong to start to feel on the weak side for seeing distances. I'm sure that extra -.50 isn't what you needed for your full prescription or you would have gotten that right away. But once you get your full distance prescription I don't think you will be getting an increase for that anymore but you might need changes in your add a few more times.

Nina 18 Apr 2017, 05:14

Confirmed, i really need glasses, just go out from eye test, doc gave me this prescription +2,00 -0,50x110° left eye +1,75 -0,25x80° right eye, new glasses will be ready tomorrow

Likelenses 17 Apr 2017, 20:59

Jen

Wait until a about six or eight months and you will begin having some distance blur again, at which time you will get your full prescription. You will again be amazed at how sharp your vision will be.

That will repeat a few times,and then your eyes will stabilize.

We myopes love to get new prescriptions.

Jen 17 Apr 2017, 20:44

Soundmanpt

Yes you are right, I spent most if my day at work looking through the add portion of my lens, but not the very bottom while looking at my computer screen. The very bottom I only use while reading small print on paperwork or the screen on my phone. Best of all, no headaches!

It was nice to see family for the holiday, and most people were surprised to see me wearing glasses. Most people thought that my glasses looked great and really finished off my look. There were also a few librarian comments. Some thought that they didn't look like "beginners" glasses and of course wanted to know when I was so sneaky to start wearing contacts. What?! (I think maybe the lenses look so thick because they are big frames and my eyes are pretty close together...) After I explained the whole story to them, that lead to passing them around and everyone taking turns wearing them. It was all in fun when they were all making fun of me for being blind and poking fun at me about being vain and not getting glasses sooner. lol!

My sister in law put them on and wrinkled her nose and squinted her eyes and took them off immediately. She then admitted she had recently had an eye exam and was told she needed to start wearing glasses full time but she hadn't gotten any yet as she doesn't really feel she needs them. I asked her if she knew what her prescription was and she pulled it out of her purse and showed me.(now that I'm so smart about glasses, lol) It read, R +.25 add + 1.25; L +.75 -.25 X 170, add +1.25. No wonder mine didn't work for her. She was a little elusive when I asked her why she went to get her eyes checked, I suspect someone else is in denial too.

My cousin's wife on the other hand tried my glasses on 3 times and mentioned that it was surprising that they were helpful in the distance while looking through the bottom; the top she said was way too strong and the bottom still seemed too strong but nevertheless still helpful. I think she'll be getting glasses soon.

Anyways it took me an hour to get my glasses back, and I hated not having them on. Shocking that I used to walk around that way until a few weeks ago and that that was normal. I've already gotten to the point that the first thing I do is put them on in the morning and the last thing I do at night is take them off. I'm amazed how dependant I've become in such a short time!

Maxim 17 Apr 2017, 11:13

Did you have changes in your living or working environment, did you change your car, or are there different painting chemicals in your office or in your home?

I am suffering from dry eyes, when driving during rain - I need the heater to get the windshield clear, and this warm dry air hurts the eyes, as an example.

After your description, I would not believe, that the problem lies in the correction lenses - the 0.25 differences could be tolerated - I think, it's something hidden.

Another idea is checkinig changes in cosmetics, shower gel, skin & body lotions, clothing - check everything for being the cause of sore eyes!

Maxim 17 Apr 2017, 11:06

Are you very much working (e.g. more than 1 hour during the day, and more than 5-10 minutes at a time) ..

.. with computer or laptops screens,

.. or even (worse) with smartphone screens,

do you do general office & paper work, or close-up work (repairs of small items),

or do you experience the new problems during distance vision (walking in the street, public transport, driving the car etc.)?

Josh 17 Apr 2017, 10:33

Hi guys!

Im 32 years old and ive been wearing glasses for 14 years now. Ive had different frames (including prescription sunglasses) and Ive never had any troubles adjusting. This time its different...

Last summer I ordered glasses online. The eye exam was made by a partner optician. It was:

R: -1.75 / -0.75 / 92

L: -2.75 / -0.75 / 53

My further prescription was:

R: -1.25 / -1.00 / 90

L: -2.00 / -1.00 / 55

I also had sunglasses with a slightly different prescription:

R: -1.50 / -0.75 / 90

L: -2.00 / -1.00 / 58

With the new glasses I had problems right away. On one hand, my eyes got tired and dry, and on the other hand, I had the feeling that my vision wasnt quite right when focusing on different distances. When focusing on a point for a longer time, it was ok. Three weeks later, i got another eye exam. The optician slightly lowered the prescription as he thought that the glasses were overcorrected:

R: -1.50 / -0.75 / 88

L: -2.25 / -1.00 / 54

Thereafter it was a bit better, but far from perfect. I still felt kind of a dizzy when walking around and my eyes got dry and tired. Another eye exam was made and lenses were adjusted:

R: -1.00 / -1.00 / 90

L: -2.00 / -0.75 / 65

Because the prescription was now weaker, i chose 1.5 as refractive index (1.6 before). Unfortunately I still wasnt happy. I didnt get dry and tired eyes anymore, but vision wasnt good. Besides I had the feeling that I saw worse than with my old glasses because of the weaker prescription. The online retailer took the glasses back. So I went to a coventional optician and chose new glasses. The result of the eye exam was:

R: -1.50 / -0.75 / 89

L: -2.00 / - 1.00 / 61

That was exactly the prescription my sunglasses have and Ive never had problems with my sunglasses. Besides the prescription of my old glasses was very similar, just 0.25 diopters less on the right eye. The refrective index was 1.6. Unfortunately i had the same problems. Two weeks later the optican tested all again (incl. PD, BVD, alignment). The result of the eye exam was the same. The optician made new lenses with the center on a different point. But I had the same problems. A few weeks later, the optician made new lenses with refractive index 1.5, as he supposed that it could be the reason for my problems. Ive had those glasses for 5 weeks and it was by far the best result but still not good. Eventually my optician told me to choose new frames. He did another eye exam; same result.

So these are the glasses I got now and Ive been wearing them for a month now. I still have the same troubles: Dry and tired eyes, vision is not perfect and I got headaches from time to time. I dont know what to do anymore and my optician either Is it possible that the prescription is too strong although I have the same prescription in my sunglasses that I wear without any problem? And can 0.25 diopters change that much and is it possible not to accommodate to them? Or could it be because all of my further glasses were squared and the ones Ive tried now are all round? Or do you have any other ideas? I would really appreciate it! Thanks a lot!

Soundmanpt 17 Apr 2017, 10:18

Jen

Thank you! I think you must have had a very nice Easter as well now that you have your glasses and you're finally not getting constant headaches wearing them. The best thing you could say was that you LOVE your glasses. You're still getting used to remembering to only moving your eyes when you need to see something up close. Right now you have to think about it when you start to read something but it won't be long until your eyes will just make the change from distance to seeing close up naturally. Over the long weekend you have probably mostly been using the distance part you you glasses which it sounds like increasing your prescription has made your distance eyesight with glasses even clearer. Once you go back to work you will be using the add much more. I think you're going to find that now going to see close up much better as well. You should start to find that your eyes won;t be nearly as tired at the end of a work day Remember what the doctor told that the reason you became so nearsighted was likely due to all the close work you do.

I'm sure you enjoyed the complements you got on how nice you look wearing glasses. Were any of them surprised to see you wearing glasses? I'm sure that most of if not all of the women tried on your glasses. Did you get any comments about how strong they are? Your glasses really aren't that strong but to anyone that doesn't wear glasses your glasses will seem strong to them.

Jen 17 Apr 2017, 05:54

Hi all. Hope you had a great Easter!

Well I've spent the weekend now wearing my new progressive glasses and I must say I LOVE them! I'm still learning where to look and how to use them but it's getting easier.

With the slightly increased prescription for distance, I can't believe that things in the distance could be even sharper! With the close up part of the prescription, now things up close are clear too, and everything in between.... When I had my first glasses I was so pleased with how well I could see in the distance, that I didn't realize I had trouble seeing near. Without glasses I couldn't see anything more than a foot away from me clearly and with them on I was having a hard time seeing things inside 3 feet clearly without straining. Now everything is crystal clear at all distances! Without squinting or straining!

Thank you all for helping me through this process.

I'm so happy! :-)

BTW, I received lots of compliments from extended family at our Easter gathering about how nice my glasses look on me.:-) When I explained they were progressives, the conversation outed a few others in the family that could maybe use a little visual help too. Yay! I'm not alone.

NNVisitor 15 Apr 2017, 21:02

I have never had bifocals or progressive eyeglasses. When wearing my contact lenses I typically would carry reading glasses with me for reading small print. When not wearing my contact lenses I would be wearing my glasses. To read smaller print I would either take my glasses off or use a magnifying glass.

I have a few mobile devices. The latest has a blue light filter which I use. I have an IPad and a cell (smart) phone as well both of which do not have the blue light filter. Apparently I am sensitive to bright light thus I typically keep the screens at a low light setting. I notice when looking at the screens of other cell other users that they are kept on a bright setting.

I'm wondering if blue light can actually harm ones eyesight? Also is the high brightness setting harmful to our vision? Or is the setting just indicative of one's visual sensitivity level?

Soundmanpt 15 Apr 2017, 10:43

Nina

So you were just looking at the over-the-counter readers that they sell at quite few stores and you found a pair that you liked how they looked on you, so you bought them. You're not the first young lady to do that. Glasses are very popular now so many young ladies want to wear glasses just for fashion sake. I doubt that you even paid any attention to the power of the lasses which you now know is +1.50. If you had you might have been able to find the same glasses in a weaker power of +1.00 which would have been better for your eyes and easier to see with as well. And of course you weren't going to buy glasses if you didn't intend on wearing them. But surprisingly they were comfortable to you for seeing close up and even tolerable for distance if not almost perfect. So of course by wearing them your eyes have adjusted to them and so anytime you were looking at your phone you had your glasses on because you had started wearing them full time. So I assume that wearing glasses was becoming more and more comfortable to you and you enjoyed wearing glasses. Did you ruin your eyes by wearing those glasses? Well yes and no. You're almost certain to be prescribed glasses when you get your eyes examined on Tuesday. But even though you didn't show any indication of needing glasses before you got those readers I think you probably would have been surprised before this if you had gotten your eyes checked because you likely would have been told that you needed a prescription, but because you're only 19 you still had enough accommodation left so you didn't show any signs of needing glasses. But by wearing the readers it quickly took away that accommodation and now you can't see your phone without glasses anymore. be sure after you get your eyes examined to ask for a copy of your prescription. That way we can tell you what the numbers mean. I will warn you to plan on picking out glasses after your exam.

Soundmanpt 15 Apr 2017, 09:46

Jen

Finally! I'm sure that is what you must have said when you finally got your glasses. I hope the optician did a good job of fitting your glasses on you. With progressives fitting is far more important than with single vision glasses. When you're looking at anything in the distance such as driving you should only be seeing through the distance part of your glasses unless you look down with your eyes you shouldn't see any part of the mid range area you now have in your glasses. Sounds like your eyes didn't have any problem with adjusting the added increase they gave you for your distance. You said that they made you deal on a pair of single vision glasses I assume so you could see to drive home. Actually for what they put you through they really should have just given them to you at no charge. Every optician I know will tell you that they have broken customers frames, it happens, but not with a new frame. It usually happens with an older frame because the plastic gets brittle with age. But even then it's rare to happen. I assume they put your updated prescription for distance in them? Since they will only be for distance you probably should keep the in the glove box of your car since that would be when you might ever need them. And you might even want to wear them just for driving since they will be perfect for that.

Yes i'm sure it's much different adjusting to progressives than it was with your single vision glasses. Now your lenses are really in 3 parts, or segments. At least your eyes were already adjusted to seeing distance with glasses so nothing new their except a slight increase which your eyes seem fine with already. But now you have to learn to only move your eyes when you need to see something like your computer monitor. And if you are reading from a book your eyes will need to move even lower to the reading area or add segment. I'm sure right now your eyes are having a hard time finding those areas or "sweet" spots in your lenses. But it seems like once your eyes find the sweet spot for close up you're able to see easier with much less effort. Trust me it won't take long at all before everything is going to be completely natural and your eyes will instantly go straight to where they need to be depending on what you need to see.

It certainly has been an interesting couple weeks for you that's for sure. You got prescribed with your first glasses something you really didn't want and were trying hard to avoid. Even worse you quickly find out that you really need to be wearing the full time. Your distance wearing glasses is great and you actually seem to love your glasses. But you're constantly bothered with headaches caused by doing close work because your glasses are too strong for seeing close. Then the unthinkable the optical shop breaks your glasses and of course they don't have your frame in stock. But let's hope everything gets better now.

Curt 15 Apr 2017, 09:06

Jen: the trick most people quote is "point you nose at what you want to see". Try not to look through the edges of the lenses; that is where all the distortion is.

Nina 15 Apr 2017, 05:04

I get the glasses, just for fun, like doing close things in them was nice, i kept wearing them full time, i have 19 years old and like the look in glasses, but before glasses i can read small prints, now i can´t, i´m a bit worried, i have an eye test tuesday

Likelenses 14 Apr 2017, 21:18

Jen

Be careful about posting photos of you in glasses with comments about your glasses on social media ,or you are likely to show up here sometime, on the thread Seen On The Web.

A few months back someone here found and posted photos of my girlfriend. She is very nearsighted, and also wears bifocals.

I never told her that she showed up here,and until now never acknowledged it here either.

If she knew, she would be very upset.She had some comments from people that she did not know, asking questions about her eyesight, and prescription, which kind of freaked her out.

Jen 14 Apr 2017, 20:09

Hi all. I finally got my glasses with progressive lenses in them. So far I think I like them. They definitely are going to take some getting used to. It's nice they put my stronger distance prescription and things are even sharper than before. (just a little)

It is now much easier to see things closeup, seems like much less work. It s weird though to try to find the right part of the lens to look through. I keep bobbing my head around. :-) I also feel like there's lots of distortion while looking around, which I'm sure will seem normal soon. Best part though is I didn't have any headaches today! Yay! Hopefully things normalize soon.

Soundmanpt 14 Apr 2017, 09:01

Nina

I suspect that the only reason you bought the +1.50 glasses in the first place was because you must have been having some difficulty with reading in the first place or felt like your eyes were being strained with seeing close up. Most likely you are experiencing the early signs of presbyopia. I'm sure that your glasses were helping you or you wouldn't have continued wearing them. So all that has happened is that your eyes have easily adjusted to your glasses. When that happens your eyes become much more relaxed which relieves the strain to your eyes. But now with your eyes relaxed they can no longer read small print comfortably anymore. What has happened to your eyes is very normal and at some point your problems with reading were sure to worsen. But even though your glasses seem to perfect to you I still suggest that you get your eyes checked by an ECP (eye care professional) in the very near future. It is very possible that you need a slightly different prescription than those readers might be. It even sounds like your eyes didn't object much to your seeing distance with them so there is a possibility that you might even need a small prescription for seeing distances as well. But no your wearing glasses didn't ruin your eyesight, but your eyesight has changed which is not unusual to happen.

NNVisitor 14 Apr 2017, 08:44

Nina

It seems like you only need the glasses for reading small print. Not all day use. I really don't think they can ruin your eyes. I'm not an expert. An optometrist or an opthalmogist is whom you should consult for an informed definative answer.

NNVisitor 14 Apr 2017, 08:38

Jen

I'm just about lost for words to respond. I hope everything works out well. I expect it will work out in a positive way going forward. Will your glasses now have the updated distance prescription? Or are you leaving it as the one you've been wearing these last two weeks?

Going around without your glasses for a while really shows the visual contrast between not wearing glasses and wearing them. The positive takeaway is that you have adjusted to the much clearer almost everything you see when wearing your glasses. There was no way you could have known in advance that reading, computers would cause you headaches when you were wearing your glasses. This situation will now be fixed and you'll be able to say "Yay no headaches".

Nina 14 Apr 2017, 07:42

Hi, i didn´t wear glasses till 3 weeks ago when i bought some readers in a drugstore, they are +1,50, comfortable for close vision a bit blurry far but tolerable, i was thinking i didn´t really need them, but wore them fulltime the last days, yesterday when i woke up i tried to read a msj in my cell phone whitout glasses and i can´t, ok i just wake up, rub my eyes a little but i still can´t without glasses, put my glasses on and it´s better, did i ruin my eyesight by wearing glasses, help please!

Jen 13 Apr 2017, 18:16

Sorry, I should have been more clear. They are just single vision lenses.

:-)

Likelenses 13 Apr 2017, 17:45

Jen

When you said no frills, non progressive, did you mean that they are lined bifocals?

Jen 13 Apr 2017, 17:13

I'm releived. They offered to make me a pair of glasses from a discounted pair of frames! Yay! They are completely a no frills, non progressive pair but will serve well as a backup to my normal ones. The price seems to be right and they reminded me of their warranty that allows you to return them for a store credit if you don't like them. I may keep them, they are not terrible looking or anything, they're just not cute like my other ones. Anyways they are going to call me when the replacement glasses are finished which they thought would be around noon or so. Fortunately, a pair was found locally at another one of their stores so I won't have to wait any longer. Hopefully after tomorrow this chapter can be behind...

Soundmanpt 13 Apr 2017, 16:15

Jen

Are you kidding me??? I can't believe they broke your glasses. That sometimes happens to older glasses when they replace lenses but not when they are new. There must have been a flaw or weak spot in the plastic. It was probably difficult enough wandering around the mall without your glasses while they were replacing the lenses and now you're going to be without glasses until sometime tomorrow. I don't blame you if you want to have a good cry. Without any doubt you have have really had an interesting couple weeks haven't you? After all this gets straightened out you might consider writing a book about your adventures with getting your first glasses. I see a possible best seller. Anyway on a more serious note, I have a feeling that you drove yourself to the mall and optical store? Without glasses you can't see nearly well enough to drive home so how are you going to get home and also get your car home? Funny thing that several of us were already suggesting that you need to get a 2nd pair of glasses because you were clearly becoming dependent on your glasses for for distance. But of course this happened much sooner than anyone would ever expect so nothing you could have done this soon anyway. But now you see how your glasses can get broke in crazy ways.

You know I was planning on making a suggestion to you earlier when it seemed like you had decided on getting the progressives. I knew that you were going to have to give your glasses to the store so they could cut the lenses and fit them in your frame and that would mean that you would be without your glasses for at least an hour if not longer. So I was going to suggest that you might want to first order a pair of single vision glasses in your new prescription as backup and also order a pair of single vision sunglasses at the same time and not take your glasses in to get the lenses changed until your backup pair came in. That way you would have been able to do whatever you wanted while they change the lenses except maybe read. Sorry I was too late but you probably wouldn't have wanted to wait 2 weeks for your backup pair to arrive anyway. Also while I think about it if and when you decide to order a backup pair with your full prescription you really only need single vision sunglasses because I doubt that you would be doing much if any reading while wearing sunglasses. You should be able to see the gauges on the dashboard with the add segment. That way your sunglasses should be less that $18.00.

I'm truly sorry about your glasses being broke, i'm sure the optical store felt pretty bad as well.

Madeup 13 Apr 2017, 15:40

It is, you know.

antonio 13 Apr 2017, 14:47

Poor Jen,

I understand you,

for me would be even worse to be without glasses

all the best you get new ones soon,

best regards, antonio

Jen 13 Apr 2017, 14:23

Arrggghh!!!!

They broke my frames putting the new lenses in them!!!!! They are not going to be able to fix them....they are working on figuring out how to get new ones ordered in.

Looks like they can't get replacement frames in until tomorrow. I'm slightly embarrassed that I'm crying about not having glasses for tonight. Not sure why I'm emotional about this. I just can't believe it!

Jen 13 Apr 2017, 12:52

Well, I decided to cut out of work early to get new lenses for my glasses. I'm excited to get my vision fixed once and for all. Seems as if this has been a long and bumpy road, which I'm sure will pay off in the end.

I just handed over my glasses for them to update. Now I'm wandering the mall and I can't see anything! OK, maybe an exaggeration, but I can't believe I lived like this before! Everything is SO blurred, much worse than I remember!!! Why did I wait so long? Since I got my glasses I haven't really taken them off, especially not out and about.(except the coffee shop episode) My denial and vanity kept me from getting glasses years ago, deep down I think I knew I needed glasses but I thought the problem would go away if I just ignored it. In the end it didn't and I need glasses anyways, not to mention I missed out on alot over the years.

Now knowing what I'm missing, I'm wandering about the mall, half blind; frustrated that I can't see things, I'm as excited as a school girl waiting for my glasses to get done!

Jen 13 Apr 2017, 10:39

Thanks guys for the encouragement!

Well I've made my decision, I'm going to go have progressives put into my glasses this afternoon. Looking forward to getting rid of the headaches. I'm over the fact that bifocals/ progressives represent getting older. If they work, and they look good.... Who cares?

:-)

Whats the Difference? If I need glasses, whether they're bifocals or not? Putting my pride behind me, if I have a flaw or a weakness, I'm OK with that. Noone likes perfect people anyways.....

;-)

Likelenses 12 Apr 2017, 17:54

Jen

It is interesting that your doctor bumped up the prescription by -.50,and you are still not at your full correction.

No one can predict with a high degree of certainty, but my guess is that in six months you will need another -.50 ,and within two years top out somewhere around -5.00, which is a great prescription.

As I had said earlier, you really need to maintain the proper distance for near work, to keep that myopia from going too high.

NNVisitor 12 Apr 2017, 14:25

Jen

It's been a big change for you going from no glasses to glasses. You've picked out frames that you love. You've transitioned well into wearing glasses. You have accomplished a lot in a short time.

You previously wrote that you wanted a backup pair. If so and since you've decided on getting progressives you do have the option to leave your present glasses as is and get a second pair as progressives. Just an idea but it's absolutely your choice as to what to do. Should you decide this route the distance prescription of each pair of glasses should be the same so that you won't just wear the one you feel works better.

I just want to comment on what others have written. I have done much reading without my glasses on. My astigmatism correction at slightly higher than -2 in both eyes and my reading has not resulted in eye strain. Furthermore doing so has not increased my myopia. Jen prior to wearing glasses you certainly engaged in reading and computer use. If it didn't cause you eye strain then I can't imagine it do so now.

Whatever you do decide upon is your decision. Best of luck going forward.

Soundmanpt 12 Apr 2017, 12:18

Jen

I know your head has to be spinning with how much has happened to you in such a short time. Gong from no glasses to wearing glasses and discovering that you no only needed glasses but that you need them full time and now being told that you really should be wearing bifocals. That's a lot to be hit with for sure. You're the same lovely woman you were 2 weeks only now you wear glasses like millions of other