Astra 12 Aug 2011, 21:40
Cactus Jack ,
I notice that, the sharp image can be restored, if I stop using my current glasses to read, and use my previous rx or i.e. without cyl, and continue reading.
Then, the image problem doesn't show up for 60 min + reading.
Cactus Jack 12 Aug 2011, 10:26
Astra,
It could be, but it is more likely that your eyes need more tears. You typically don't blink very much when you read. Try blinking more and occasionally looking away form your reading and see if that makes any difference. Also, try some artificial tears with lubricant. If you still have problems it is possible that you are developing Dry Eye Syndrome. There is an Rx (in the US) eye drop called Restais. It is pretty expensive, but it seems to be very effective at improving the underlying condition. Remember, your corneas have no source of nutrients except tears and no source of oxygen except tears and the air.
Please let us know if and of these suggestions help.
C.
Astra 12 Aug 2011, 04:37
I notice after reading for 15 min , I get double image in each eye.
The eyes need to relax to restore the sharp image.
Is this a sign of changing cyl rx ?
Aubrac 10 Aug 2011, 02:45
New
Although rimless are a little more fragile than a semi or full frame they can be a good choice for a first frame.
Not only are they very light, but you have no frame to obstruct vision and so are less aware of them when looking from side to side or up and down.
My wife had rimless for her first pair and got on well with them, in some photos of her they are hardly discernable, and for a first time wearer do not make such a 'statement' as bolder frames do.
Soundmanpt 09 Aug 2011, 13:15
New
One thing to consider with rimless glasses is that they are generally not the sturdiest style of glasses. Probably not the best for a lot of on and off wearing. Also because your rx is very mild you should pick the 1.5 lens option if you get them from Zenni as that is a little bit thicker lens and will help in not breaking them. If it were me where ever you choose to get your rimless glasses from I would get a 2nd pair just in case of breakage. Don't get me wrong I actually like the looks of rimless glasses just that they need special care.
If you can post a picture of what you choose.
Cactus Jack 09 Aug 2011, 12:21
New,
You didn't mention where you live and that can affect you decision on where to get glasses. You should probably get your first glasses from a local retailer, but you may be able t order on line at considerable savings. Check out Zenni Optical as one possibility, but there are many others. The only thing you need is your Rx and your PD (Pupillary Distance). It is easy to measure with a rule marked in mm and a bathroom mirror. We'll tell you how, but many on line sites will also tell you how.
The fact that no one in your family wears glasses, does NOT mean that no one in your family needs them. Most people think that however they see is "perfect" until the difference between how they see and how they could see is demonstrated to them.
Astigmatism changes very slowly and it is unlikely that it will change much. Most cylinder and axis changes are the result of the inexperience of the patient. Look back through the Astigmatism posts for an explanation of why and how to do your part in the exam.
Depending on your age and occupation, it is more likely that your myopia will increase some.
C.
New 09 Aug 2011, 07:51
Dear Cactus Jack, James & Guest
Thanks for your comments
Still I havent ordered my glasses, I wish to order rimless pair.
Do you have any recommendations?
No one in my family wears glasses. So its bit odd to me.
Will my astigmatism get worse in the future ?
Guest 08 Aug 2011, 13:19
NEW
I found that even when I had low cylinder I tended to wear glasses all the time. I found there was a discomfort period when I took my glasses off which took a few minutes to dissipate.
One thing about needing/wearing glasses. Some people will resist wearing them but in the end their eyesight will determine how much they do wear them. If you drive at night you will probably be wearing your glasses. Everything else is optional (for now). If you have more self confidence you will probably adapt to them sooner.
James 08 Aug 2011, 11:54
New
My girlfriend has astigmatism and her prescription is only slightly stronger than yours RE SPH-0.50 CYL -1.25 AXIS 88, LE SPH-0.75 CYL-1.00 AXIS61. She got glasses at the end of April this year and has been wearing them more and more as time goes on. She started just wearing them for distances and using her laptop, now that she has got another pair of glasses (same prescription but with "Reactions" type lenses and different style frame) she seems happy to wear them pretty much all the time. You might not need to or want to wear glasses all the time but you'll be really heping your eyes even if you only wear them when you really need to. If your eyes feel more comfortable when wearing glasses then that is a sign you should wear them. As Cactus Jack said, you must wear them when it could be dangerous not to. The rest of the time it's up to you.
Cactus Jack 07 Aug 2011, 09:48
New,
The simple answer is: "Then don't, no one is going to MAKE you wear glasses", except in those instances, like driving, where you ability to see clearly affects the safety of others.
However, you need to be aware that even though your Rx seems very low
(your sphere certainly is) the thing that will cause you discomfort is your astigmatism as indicated by your cylinder correction. The axis (90 degrees is not very important, but the amount of cylinder in your left eye is followed by the cylinder in your right eye.
Astigmatism is unique because it causes problems at all distances and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it internally. The only way to correct it is with cylinder in glasses or toric contact lenses, which don't work for everyone, and they are a little pricey.
Astigmatism tends to be most noticeable when reading small text. If you read a lot or use the computer a lot, the astigmatism is really adding to your fatigue. You low sphere correction means that anything beyond about 2 meters or 6.5 feet is increasingly fuzzy as the distance increases beyond that distance.
Have you ordered glasses or contact lenses yet?
C.
New 07 Aug 2011, 05:01
Hi! I did my first eye test today. This is mr Rx I got
LE -.50 -1.0 x 90 RE -.5 -0.5 x 90
Can somebody explain this to me? Will I need to wear glasses full time? I don't like to wear glasses.
Soundmanpt 06 Jul 2011, 11:20
Chris
I'm a bit surprised that being fitted with -.75 contacts for both eyes without correction for your astigmatism didn't work. It would have also been much cheaper that way. As you probably noticed toric lenses are a good deal more expensive. But not to worry if you want to wear contacts and not glasses and you can see perfect with the -.50 -1.25 toric lens. It will do no damage to your eye and will not make your eye worse. You can't induce astigmatism. I know you don't like glasses but you should still get a pair to rest your eyes from the contacts even if you only wear them at night around the house before bed. Once your eyes get adjusted to seeing all the time with contacts you will find when you remove them things will be blurry enough that you will need glasses. For your glasses I would use the correct rx you got and only have -.75 for the astigmatism.
Chris 06 Jul 2011, 02:04
I started to require glasses about a year and a half ago as a cause of astigmatism in my right eye and some mild myopia. The astigmatism bothers me more than the myopia, because it affects my clarity of vision at all distances.
I was prescribed glasses at OS -0.75 OD -0.50 -0.75x007.
I've never liked wearing glasses, and recently attempted to be fit with a toric contact lens on the right eye. Subjectively, my astigmatism has increased over time. The CL optician tells me his autorefractor pins my astigmatism at 1.1. Curiously, my vision is still clear with my glasses.
We tried a 0.75 toric lens at plano, but it left things blurry. With the next step, 1.25, my right eye vision is totally clear. However, I become dizzy and disoriented after about 8 hours, and when I remove the lens, my astigmatism seems significantly worse.
Is there a danger of increasing my astigmatism by wearing this lens, even though it makes my OD vision clear?
ksnl 04 Mar 2011, 05:34
I went for my eye test... apparently in 7 years my eyesight went from RE -0.50 LE -0.75 (only details I remember) to PERFECT with slight astigmatism in the left eye: -0.25x15. The optometrist also said my eyes don't converge properly.
The worst was that the optometrist knows my dad from back in the day when he was still in the optical business. He kept asking about my dad and asked for his email address which I "suddenly forgot". I think this guy tested my eyes back in '98.
John S 03 Mar 2011, 19:03
ksnl,
Make sure you stress to the doctor the reason you can in. When you read, things get fuzzy and you get a headache. Some doctors don't pay a lot attention to reading complaints in younger people. They just correct for distance. The first exam I had, that is exactly what happened to me.
Please post the RX you get. Good Luck!
Soundmanpt 03 Mar 2011, 16:20
ksnl
Good job! It will be fine, once they give you the injection with the long needle in the pupils to help cut down on the pain of the exam you hardly will feel a thing. Well if you haven't passed out, I am only kidding. Nothing like that will happen, I am actually like you with the white cot thing. In fact I actually had a doctor include it on my record because it is that dramatic when I go and they check my blood pressure. They had found that time after time when they first check it and then we sit and talk about other outside things that my numbers are completely different. Fact is my doctor said she had never seen anyone that showed that much difference due to white coat syndrome. But an eye exam is totally painless except for the price of purchasing glasses from them if you need them. remember the option to go on-line and save a ton of money. Good luck, you will do fine.
ksnl 03 Mar 2011, 14:12
I have really amazed myself... I plucked up some courage and booked an eye exam for tomorrow... YIKES! Will have to see what the outcome will be...
Cactus Jack 02 Mar 2011, 08:52
ksnl,
May I suggest that you have a very severe case of "White Coat Syndrome" when it comes to doctors. I have a similar condition when it comes to Dentists. The real measure of COURAGE is knowing that the experience WILL NOT be pleasant and doing it anyway. Fortunately, eye exams, if you like REALLY sharp vision, can be a rather enjoyable experience. It is neat to watch thing get sharper and clearer as lens power is increased - Caution, it can be very pleasantly addictive (see the Inducing Myopia and GOC thread).
The make-shift test is is very subjective and the results can be easily affected by any astigmatism you have. The idea behind the "test" is to take advantage of the fact that a person who is myopic actually has too much PLUS power in their lens system for the length of the eyeball or if they do not, use moderate + power in reading glasses to make them myopic. If they are already a little myopic, a bit of + from readers can increase the apparent myopia enough the get the distances involved into the comfortable range (12 - 24 inches or 30 - 60 cm).
When you are ready to do the test, bring the small text close enough to be as sharp as possible and then move it away and note the distance where it just begins to become fuzzy. You want to approach that distance from the sharp to fuzzy direction. In other words from close to more distant by moving the text away from you. The reason for this is when you hold the text close, your crystaline lenses may add what ever plus is necessary to focus clearly. By then moving the text away, your crystaline lenses will relax until they cannot relax any more and the actual refractive error will come into play. If you used reading glasses to get the blur point into a convenient range, you have to adjust the results for the extra external plus power you used.
C.
ksnl 01 Mar 2011, 23:04
Cactus Jack,
I agree, it is a flawed reasoning but my reason is that I have a general fear of doctors, dentists, ophthalmologists, etc... it's not so much the eye exam, it's more a phobia I have. I also did your make-shift eye exam which you have spoken about in previous posts. Do you measure from where you can see the words or from where the blur goes away? I measured from where I could see the words which made both eyes around -1.00.
Puffin,
I don't want any extra attention, lol, that's why I would only wear glasses around strangers who don't know any better.
Puffin 01 Mar 2011, 16:38
If you do turn up suddenly wearing glasses, most likely you'll get some attention (which may be welcome, I don't know) and maybe questions for short while, and then everyone will get on with whatever else they need to get on with.
Cactus Jack 01 Mar 2011, 16:06
ksnl,
May I courteously suggest that your reasoning and perhaps motivation (or lack thereof) is flawed. It really takes no COURAGE to get an Eye Exam. The procedure is totally painless (other than some time and expense). The results of an eye exam are between you and the examiner. You do not HAVE to get glasses, nor do you have to tell anyone (but us, if you want) the results of the exam. If you get an Rx an decide to get glasses, you do not HAVE to wear them if you don't want to.
When it comes to health issues, it is better to know than not know. The results can be our little secret.
C.
ksnl 01 Mar 2011, 14:07
I guess I am a bit apprehensive. I have liked the idea of wearing glasses but probably would never wear them around anyone I know - only around strangers... lol, if that even makes any sense. If I EVER pluck up enough courage to go to an eye doctor I'll inform you...
Soundmanpt 25 Feb 2011, 16:12
ksnl
You are probably correct that you do need astigmatism correction. You can be pretty short sighted and never have headaches but even a small astigmatism of as little as -.50 can cause headaches depending on how much you are straining your eyes.
It sounds like you are still resisting getting and wearing glasses? It would be wise to get a current exam and order the proper glasses and see how much they help your vision and headaches? It would be up to you how much you choose to wear them.
ksnl 25 Feb 2011, 14:07
I posted this full story on the thread "When I was at school":
My dad had quite strong glasses (before he got Lasik, ugh)... I think he had/has astigmatism (I have only recently heard about astigmatism)... many eye conditions run in that side of my family, including Keratoconus.
When I was a little kid I think my parents were concerned that I would inherit his poor eyesight. They would ask me if I could see certain things and make me try on my dad's glasses to see if I was able to see with them on... to me it looked like there was a large hollow in the ground that I was about to fall into.
My parents got my eyes tested when I was about 5 (I was praying that I wouldn't have to get glasses) and my eyesight was fine... they were told that I would probably be wearing glasses before the end of primary school (which never happened).
When I was about 10 my parents sent me to get my eyes tested again. Once again I was praying that I would not have to get glasses. The guy tested my eyes with some machine that I looked into and he asked me questions about what I could see, lots of bright lights, etc. Afterwards he asked me if I got headaches and I said no which was a HUGE LIE - I would experience constant headaches - I don't know if I would have landed up with glasses if I had said yes but he decided I didn't need to get glasses... I have a feeling that I have some astigmatism which he had probably picked up (knowing what I know now). I know that there was a difference in rx between my two eyes and this used to really irritate me for several years afterwards. Later on I felt that my eyes had improved because it didn't annoy me as much or maybe I just got used to it.
The last time I got my eyes checked was in 10th grade (once again on one of those machines you look into) and I think I remember my eyesight being RE -0.50 LE -0.75 and I think I remember there being some other numbers on there which I assume were for astigmatism. I kept that piece of paper and can't for the life of me remember where I put it. Since then I finished high school, went to university and am currently working. I have no idea what my rx is now but I find when I'm doing paperwork and working on the computer at my work my eyes get blurry, I feel eye strain and I get headaches. I have read up about astigmatism and I'm guessing that's it.
Cactus Jack 01 Feb 2011, 19:17
Dan,
I though so. Try my epistle to Puffin and see if any of it makes sense? It is not my best work. Astigmatism is hard to explain in plain language and without pictures.. At -0.50 I would bet any axis up to 15-20 degrees either side of your true axis would not cause too much trouble. However, close is still better. I think what started all this way my trying to tell you not to get very excited about apparent axis changes at low cylinders. The differences are probably measurement errors rather than actual changes.
C.
Cactus jack 01 Feb 2011, 19:08
Puffin,
I'm not sure I understand your question, but I think the answer is No.
The first thing to remember is that the purpose of corrective lenses is to neutralize the errors in the eye's optical system. The correction of pure spherical errors (no astigmatism) is pretty easy to imagine once you understand that if a person is myopic, their lens system had too much PLUS power for the length of their eyeball which causes distant images to focus in front of the retina. All you have to do to fix the problem is determine how much MINUS you need in an external lens to move the focus point back to the retina. Generally this is done by having the patient view different size letters on a relatively distant chart (20 feet or 6 meters) and read increasingly smaller sized letters as the amount of minus is increased.
When you mix in some cylinder error (Astigmatism) the problem gets much more complex. You have to figure out how much cylinder you need to neutralize that error before you neutralize the spherical error.
Fortunately, I have a trial lens set and I can simulate different levels of astigmatism and cylinder correction. For this simulation, I will use a + 1.00 convex cylinder lens to simulate mild astigmatism and a + 8.00 convex cylinder lens to simulate severe astigmatism. I also have -1.00 and -8.00 concave cylinder lenses to neutralize the convex cylinder lenses. To keep this simulation simple, I will only simulate astigmatism with an axis of 90 degrees (vertical) and describe what I see. I am wearing my glasses which should correct my spherical and cylinder error to 0.00. I have had cataract surgery with IOLs so I have no accommodation to confuse the issue.
Looking through the +8.00 convex lens with the long axis vertical and comparing the relative blurriness of horizontal and vertical lines, horizontal lines are sharp and vertical lines are very blurry. Lines that run at 45 degrees are still very blurry, but not a blurry as vertical lines and not nearly as sharp as horizontal lines. If I rotate the lens so the long axis is just a small amount either side of vertical, the horizontal lines get blurry very quickly and rectangles look like parallelograms. If I use the -8.00 concave lens and match the long axis of both lenses, the distortion and blurriness is neutralized and I see everything as if I was not looking through the two cylinder lenses.
Doing the same test again using the +1.00 convex lens with the long axis vertical, The difference is very obvious. Horizontal lines are still sharp, but vertical lines are just a little blurry. Lines at 45 degrees are only slightly blurry and it is very hard to judge the difference in the clarity between the lines. If I rotate the long axis as much as 45 degrees away from the vertical the relative blurriness of the vertical, horizontal and 45 degree lines change very little and the amount is hard to judge, rectangles become parallelograms but the distortion is substantially reduced compared to the +8.00, but easy to detect.
Conclusions (for me at least) the lower the cylinder correction, the harder it is for the patient to judge relative blurriness. I have fairly low astigmatism I have had more success judging relative blurriness by concentrating on letters with no straight lines (an “O” if possible). The supplemental lens used by the examiner is actually a lens with fairly low cylinder mounted with its long axis at 45 degrees to the trial axis. When the examiner is flipping the supplemental lens back and forth, it allows you to compare the effects of shifting the axis 45 degrees either side of the trial axis so there is a change unless the true axis is exactly bracketed .
To me, asking the examiner to allow me to “fine tune” the axis after he has finished works very well because even with low levels of astigmatism and cylinder correction, I can easily spot the distortion of the letters and pick the angle where the letters look right.
To put it in engineering terms, at low levels of astigmatism the “peak” or “null” is broad and it is hard to judge the center. At high levels, the “peak” or “null” is narrow and it is much easier to find the center.
I hope this makes sense. Any comments, corrections or improvements would be appreciated. If everyone is throughly confused, I'll stop.
C.
Dan 01 Feb 2011, 18:49
Cactus,
My cylinder is only -0.50
Puffin 01 Feb 2011, 16:56
Cactus Jack,
are you implying that, for low astigmatism as you described, the rotation of the axis might just be apparent rotation due to someone viewing the situation under different circumstances, better able to judge the situation, etc?
If so I am assuming once the astigmatism goes up beyond this point determining axis gets easier, or at least less subject to interpretation.
Cactus Jack 01 Feb 2011, 13:08
Jennifer,
I would consider anything less than 0.75 to be low cylinder, but that is just my opinion.
The reason it is hard to find the correct axis for very low cylinder is that you, as a patient, have to judge relative degrees of blurriness betweens different axis angles, which is much harder than judging relative clarity of different lenses, and the lower the cylinder Rx, the lower the overall lower the overall blurriness of the letters.
As I mentioned in my reply to Dan, the way the examiner determines the axis is by presenting you with trial axes 45 degrees each side of the trial axis (by flipping the supplemental lens back and forth). Depending on your answer, he will change the axis. Theoretically, when he has the axis bracketed, you will perceive #1 or #2 as being equally blurry. The snag is that at very low cylinder powers it is sometimes very hard to tell much difference and the result is that the actual range of acceptable axis is pretty broad. As the cylinder power increases, the difference between #1 and #2 will be more pronounced if the trial axis is off.
Remember, the examiner has no way to see what you see. That is why I ask the examiner to let me fine tune the axis once he has the axis very close. At this point, I am looking for the sharpest image. The difference in my selection of axis and his is usually only a few degrees, but every little bit of accuracy helps make acuity better.
C.
Jennifer 01 Feb 2011, 11:08
Cactus Jack, what do you consider to be a low cyl prescription? And why is it hard to find the axis on lower cyl. Just curious, since I have astigmatism and never really understood much about it. Some eye professionals don't even discuss the cyl part of my rx. I became aware that I had astigmatism when I was getting my rx filled, some years back, and the optician tech said that I should get anti reflective lenses to help with my astimatism.
Cactus Jack 31 Jan 2011, 21:22
Dan,
You did not indicate the cylinder Rx, but I suspect it is fairly low. Astigmatism changes very slowly compared to sphere and part of the variance is related to your skill in playing your part in the exam. No one knows what you are seeing and the examiner had to depend, to a large extent, on your answers to his questions.
Accurate determination of the axis at low cylinder powers is not easy because it depends to a large extent on the skill and experience of the patient in judging relative blurriness rather than judging relative clarity as you do when comparing lens powers for sphere correction.
The axis is determined by bracketing the trial axis with lens choices that are 45 degrees either side of the actual axis. You have to compare relative blurriness of the two choices and determine when they are equally blurry.
I find that concentrating on letters that are made up of straight lines at various angles make the choice harder because the lines may be alternately sharp and blurry depending on the trial axis, the angle of the lines, and your astigmatism. I therefore concentrate on an "O" if possible and I also ask the examiner if I can fine tune the axis at the appropriate stage in the exam where he has determined the cylinder power and he believes he has the axis very close.
To do this, the examiner places my hand on the axis control knob of the phropter and I move it back and forth a few degrees for the sharpest, image like adjusting the fine tuning on an old TV.
C.
Dan 31 Jan 2011, 19:33
Mine started at 90 in my left eye with none in my right. Now, 3 years later I have 95 in my left and 85 in my right. Definitely a tricky thing to fine tune.
Puffin 31 Jan 2011, 18:52
mmm, does it go in one direction only? if so in 18 years it will be back where it started!
benn 31 Jan 2011, 16:39
About 20 degrees. And it changes every year with the same Dr.
Puffin 31 Jan 2011, 16:02
For those of you have astigmatism (and regardless of anything else) - a question:
How much does the axis rotate between checkups? Does it slow down as the myopia progression slows?
I have seen some wild changes reported here in the past, but can't remember specifics.
ray 06 Oct 2010, 07:47
thanks cactus.
Chrissi 28 Sep 2010, 21:47
Hello Puffin. I apologize for the delayed response.
My visual acuity is 20/30 with my current contacts. I need slight astigmatism correction and a slight increase in my minus to achieve better vision.
I will probably get new contacts in 8 months or so, since my vision is okay.
I will, however, order new glasses as I haven't gotten new ones for a while!
Stingray 27 Sep 2010, 23:06
Cactus Jack: totally off topic, but by any chance do you repair aircraft instruments? Or at least be able to test them to see if they are operational. contact me at helcat@bellsouth.net
Thanks
Cactus Jack 27 Sep 2010, 21:57
Ray,
I live in Texas. I am semi-retired. My background is electronics, computer design, and engineering with a little aviation and avionics thrown in for good measure. Over the years, I have done a lot of industrial teaching and have a reputation as an explainer and a problem solver.
I am just one of several members on Eyescene with above average optical knowledge. My optical knowledge comes from Optical Physics and a lot of research and self study to solve some uncommon vision problems of my own.
Later, I discovered Eyescene and started sharing my self taught knowledge. About 95% of the new posters on Eyescene, like yourself, have unnecessary concerns about very common vision problems. Sometimes, it is because they are not familiar with how their eyes and vision work. Many Eye Care Professional (ECP) do not have or will not take the time to explain, in easy to understand terms, what to expect from a new prescription, a new pair of glasses or why they are needed.
I sure do not have answers to all the questions and quickly refer those questions to other members who may be able to help. On rare occasions, someone will ask about symptoms that indicate a potentially serious eye condition and we will strongly suggest that they seek highly qualified professional help, immediately.
I tend to be long winded because I am generally trying to do more than just give a quick answer. I am trying to help the person UNDERSTAND why something is happening and increase their knowledge.
I urge you to explore the different threads and read of others experiences. In a few short months, you will come to understand more about the miracle of vision, what can go wrong, and what it takes to make it right.
Welcome to the group.
C.
Ray 27 Sep 2010, 20:28
@Cactus
Thank you! i'm from philippines. how about you? i think youre an ophthalmologist? ;)
Cactus Jack 27 Sep 2010, 20:15
Ray,
You are just going through an adjustment period. Your prescription is very low, but the difference in the sphere combined with the astigmatism, probably makes sitting at a computer all day without glasses very tiring.
It is normal for your Rx to vary a little even through out the day and the amount your Rx changed over 2 years in insignificant and nothing to get excited about. Sphere correction can vary significantly in younger people, but astigmatism changes very slowly no matter what your age. At your age, I would be very concerned if your sphere Rx changed 2 or 3 diopters over 2 years, but not at all concerned about the very small change you had. It is nothing.
The doctor gave you good advice about wearing your glasses full time for 6 months, considering the work you do. In a few years, you may need some different glasses to make your computer work easier, but that is to be expected also. It just happens to almost everyone,
You didn't say where you lived?
C.
Ray 27 Sep 2010, 19:29
@cactus
I thought im not near or far sighted only astigmatic. do my vision will be corrected right?
My doctor told me to wear eyeglasses for six months.
hi! im 32 years old and i'm always in front of the computer monitor in short i'm a IT person.
i'm new to this eyeglasses is it a normal reaction the sometimes i'm out of focus (blurr) when i stare for so long to a specific object. then if i blink twice it will focus the object clearly. also my focus return if i close either of the left or right eye. and i feel that there is a barrier between my eyes and the object maybe because of the eyeglasses that i wore and because this is the first time i wear eyeglasses permanently.
the first question that i asked lately can be explain like this
2 years ago the doctor says my vision as far as i can remember was
OD 1.25
OS .50
and today is
OD -50=-0.50x99
OS-25=-50x99
is it possible that my vision will change to this values?
Sorry to bother you more :), i need to comprehend myself about this. Thanks in Advance and GOD BLESS.
Cactus jack 27 Sep 2010, 07:23
Ray,
SV/Crizal means Single Vision with a Crizal coating. Crizal coating is an anti reflective protective coating to keep down glare and help protect the lens from scratching.
You are a little myopic (nearsighted) with mild astigmatism in both eyes.
The Rx us not very clearly written - not unusual - and can be clarified like this:
Right Eye (OD) Sphere -0.50 Cylinder -0,50 at 99 degrees Axis (just a little past vertical
Left Eye (OS) Sphere -0.25, Cylinder -0.50 at 99 degrees Axis
If it were not for the astigmatism, you might be able to get by wearing them only for driving and maybe sharp vision at night if you didn't want to wear them full time. Your astigmatism is low, but enough to make fine print a little fuzzy at all distances.
Eyes out of focus and a headache does not seem normal to me.
What is your age and occupation? Did the doctor suggest when to wear them?
C.
Ray 27 Sep 2010, 01:51
Thanks Cactus... btw this is the actual reading that the doctor presribed.
SV/Crizal
OD -50=-0.50x99
OS-25=-50x99
can you explain this to me thanks.
i'm wearing my new eyeglasses now but it seems that sometime my eyes is out of focus. and i feel an headache is this normal?
Thanks.
Cactus Jack 27 Sep 2010, 01:41
Ray the specific answer to your question is NO, it is not possible for all the reasons I listed. If you can provide your complete new Rx, we will try to explain it if it it would help.
C.
P.S., (With a smile) Don't ever ask me the time, unless you want to know how to build a watch.
Cactus Jack 27 Sep 2010, 01:32
Ray,
I think you must have misread something. 20/something and 6/something are used to indicate visual acuity in standard formats. Their meaning is actually the same because the first one is referenced to an eye test chart at 20 feet and the other is reverenced to an eye chart at 6 meters. 20 feet is 6.09 meters or almost the same number. 20/50 means that the best you can do is read the 50 foot line on the chart from 20 feet, but it doesn't give any information regarding the reason why that is the best you can do. The problem could be a need for minus glasses, plus glasses, or if astigmatism is involved, cylinder correction. It could also be caused by cataracts or retinal problems.
The 50/125 could be and indication of the cylinder Rx needed to correct astigmatism. Because there is no sign and no decimal, it could mean cylinder correction of +0.50 at an axis 125 degrees. That could be a possible component of a prescription for corrective lenses for someone with around 20/50 vision. However, complete prescriptions have much more information in them.
It is customary form, almost world wide to write a corrective prescription in the following format.
OD (Right eye) Sphere, Cylinder, Axis, Bi or Trifocal Add, Prism, and PD
OS (Left Eye) Sphere, Cylinder, Axis, Bi or Trifocal Add, Prism, and PD
Add, and Prism are often left blank if not required.
PD can be shown below OS if it is total distance between the centers of the pupils of both eyes. If listed for each eye, it is the distance from the center of the nose to the center of the pupil for that eye.
There can be remarks below all of it.
Usually, if no Sphere or Cylinder required there will be something in the box to indicated that it is 0.00 or Plano. Axis is required only if Cylinder is a number other than 0.00 or something to indicate that no cylinder is needed.
I hope this rather long winded explanation helps answer your question. Glasses prescriptions are very precise instructions from the Eye Care Professional that tell the lens maker how to make the exact power glasses you require, but they are not hard to understand.
C.
Ray 26 Sep 2010, 21:20
Hi all i need to ask is it possible that my vision last 2 years ago was 50/125 and i often used my eyeglasses then today i went to the different doctor and said that it is 20/50.
Puffin 24 Sep 2010, 18:52
Chrissi
Just wondering, what is your visual acuity with just the contacts?
Glasses for astigmatism should correct distortion rather than distance or near focussing errors. Probably should be a bit thicker in the middle, but not so much as true plus lenses.
Chrissi 24 Sep 2010, 17:28
Hi, everyone. I posted this on the New Glasses thread, but as this is not relevant to new glasses (except for me), I'm now reposting it here.
I was wondering about glasses for astigmatism. I recently got prescribed glasses to correct my astigmatism for wear over my contacts.
What are glasses with astigmatism correction like? like, glasses for myopia have thicker edges and if you hold them far away, things look smaller; glasses for hyperopia have a bit of a thicker middle.
Are glasses correcting astigmatism supposed to be slightly thicker in the middle?
I think the optical dept put the wrong prescription in my glasses. The lenses are supposed to be plano with +1.50 @90dg for cyl. I wear them over my -10.5 and -9.5 contacts. However, when I wear the glasses, print up close is clear, but everything far away is blurry. This was not the intended result. I was hoping I could have a pair of glasses to correct only my astigmatism for things like driving (when I start doing so), but the glasses don't seem right. is there a way to tell without bringing the glasses into the optician's to have them check the prescription? lol because I don't want to have mistaken and then have them tell me that...because that would be a bit embarrassing.
I hope this is enough description. if not, I will try my best to explain more thoroughly if need be.
Julian 12 Sep 2010, 13:27
unclear: yes, certainly. Mine do.
unclear 12 Sep 2010, 11:27
My prescription is:
O.D. +100 cyl +025 axis 180
O.S. +125
ADD +200
When I went to get bifocals I was convinced progressive lenses would be much better.
My question-would the progressive lenses provide correction for my astigmatism?
inthecloset 04 Sep 2010, 04:59
My astigmatism side of my glasses, seems to minify my ear/side burns...
http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/5582/dscn0260c.jpg
inthecloset 04 Sep 2010, 04:52
Hello all. My current contact lens script is. -2.00 Left, -1.00, -1.25cyl x90 Right. My last contacts script was -1.75 Left, -1.25 -1.25sph x100 I had issues reading with my old right eye script for contacts. However my distance vision seemed great better when I was fitted. I really like glasses better(in the closet), but don't wear them a lot. I was wondering why looking at an online astigmatism test that my right eye with glasses is clearer then my left? Does anyone know why, right lens in my glasses looks thicker/minifies the sides? The script when putting on trial contacts read to be stronger for my right eye then my current right contact?? Can someone explain. I'd like to order stronger glasses approx -1.00 diopter! Does anyone know if my cyl side be updated to accommodate? thx
Kris 29 May 2010, 20:37
I should mention that my glasses prescription is L1.25 add 1.25 and R 1.75 add 1.25. My contacts prescription is L 1.5 and R 2.0.
Kris 29 May 2010, 20:35
Thanks Cactus Jack. I should note that I really had 3 exams that day, 2 by students and one by the optometrist and all confirmed the prescription that I currently wear on the subjective part of the exam (when they ask which lens is better). The astigmatism prescription was determined in the objective part of the exam where they adjusted the phoropter to focus the light on the back of my eyes.
I am wondering if, despite seeming to prefer not to have my astigmatism corrected, I should ask to have the cyl correction on my prescription at my next eye exam (due in a few months). I don`t have real problems with the current prescription but do feel that I could have sharper vision. I only started to wear glasses 2 years ago and and required a 1.25 add at my last exam with my regular optometrist. I suspect he is easing me into my full prescription as I struggled with my glasses at the beginning (seasickness for a couple of weeks after starting to wear fulltime and needing an increase in my script within 2 months of getting glasses). I think he wanted to make sure I adapted to progressives before toying with the cyl correction.
Cactus jack 10 Apr 2010, 08:33
Kris,
Your question is not very clear. Is the Rx you posted of L +1.25 and R +1.75 your complete glasses Rx or is it a contact lens Rx?
If you HAVE significant astigmatism and it is not corrected, your vision will not be as good as it should be. If you DO NOT HAVE astigmatism and a cylinder correction is included in the Rx, your vision will not be as good as it should be.
Typically, for contact lens Rx, small amounts of astigmatism are partially corrected by adding 1/2 of the cylinder to the sphere to avoid having to prescribe toric contact lenses. Toric contact lenses are rather expensive and are hard to fit in some patients because the lenses will rotate as the patient blinks which will cause the axis of the cylinder to not be aligned with the patients astigmatism. There is no reason to not correct astigmatism in glasses. Cylinder correction does not affect the cost of the glasses unless it is very large and there is no problem of misalignment.
I do not understand the statement that you "rejected" the cylinder correction unless she got confused by your responses during the exam. Accurate determination of the cylinder and particularly the axis portion of the Rx depends to a large extent on the skill and experience of the patient in selecting the more blurry of two axis choices. The axis is determined by bracketing the axis with lens choices that are 45 degrees either side of the actual axis. I find that concentrating on letters that are made up of straight lines at various angles make the choice harder. I therefore concentrate on an O if possible and I also ask the examiner if I can fine tune the axis at the appropriate stage in the exam. To do this, the examiner places my hand on the axis control knob of the phropter and I move it back and forth a few degrees for the clearest image.
You may want to consider another exam.
C.
Kris 10 Apr 2010, 06:32
I recently had an eye exam by an optometry student who commented that I rejected my astigmatism correction. My current prescription is L +1.25 anf R +1.75. The student refracted me at about L ??? cyl -.75 R +2.5 cyl -1 (I was trying to read her notes when she wasn't paying attention).
My questions are: Wouldn't I see better with the astigmatism correction? Is it common not to prescribe for astigmatism? I have told my optometrist that I feel like my vision could be sharper, so should I ask for the astigmatism correction on my next lens prescription or will it not make that much difference? Have other people has this experience?
Thanks
Curt 01 Apr 2010, 12:43
Val: There is another way to think about this. A cylinder lens either magnifies (plus lens) or minifies (minus) along one axis only. Magnifying something along one axis is the same as minifying (shrinking) it at 90 degrees opposite the axis. The concept sounds simple enough; if I had any kind of graphic skills at all I would do a diagram of it...
Val 31 Mar 2010, 13:58
Thank you Cactus Jack,
I've posted on photobucket a drawing of what I've had in mind: http://s1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/popie_zd/?action=view¤t=sph-cyl.jpg
Maybe there is a reason why lens maker almost always use minus cylinder. I'm thinking of the typical human eye refraction error is PLUS and has to be compensated with MINUS. But you say that results of using plus or minus are optically identical, so maybe I'm wrong.
Anyway your work in the ES Community is kindly appreciated. Your patience for explaining everything.
Cactus Jack 31 Mar 2010, 06:46
Val,
There are two techniques for doing a refraction for astigmatism correction. One techniques involves using PLUS cylinder lenses and the other involves using MINUS cylinder. Trial lens sets typically include both PLUS and MINUS cylinder lenses and phropters are available in two "flavors" - PLUS and MINUS cylinder. Both techniques work equally well and the results are optically identical.
Generally, the choice depends on the preferences and training of the examiner. In the US, optometrists (ODs) typically use MINUS cylinder and opthalmologists (MDs) use PLUS cylinder. Sometimes, a person, who is used to their glasses Rx being written in MINUS cylinder, will get an exam from an ECP who prefers PLUS cylinder. Often, the new Rx will shock them because it will look like there has been a sudden large change in their sphere Rx when really, there has been little or no change at all.
There is a simple procedure for changing an Rx from PLUS cylinder to MINUS cylinder and vice versa:
1. Algebraically add the cylinder to the sphere ( eg. Sph -4.00 and Cyl + 1.00 = Sph -3.00)
2. Change the sign on the cylinder (+1.00 becomes -1.00)
3. Add or subtract 90 degrees to the axis so that the result falls between 0 and 179 degrees or between 1 and 180 depending on what is customary in your country, (The axis convention is that 0 and 180 are horizontal and the angle increases counter clockwise facing the patient. 90 degrees is vertical.)
Lens makers almost always use MINUS cylinder. If they receive an Rx written in PLUS cylinder, they perform the above procedure and grind the lenses with the cylinder being concave in the back surface of the lens.
C.
Val 31 Mar 2010, 04:21
I've always want to ask a question about the cylinder in the lenses. I've learned that you can write in two ways the power of the cylinder lenses, but a question still remains: if two lenses are grinded differently, one convexe and one concave, can the lenses produce the same optical effect ? Does not apply the same principle
like in the sphere lenses ? Convexe = magnifying, concave = minifying (all axes for sphere and only one axe for cylinder)
Al 27 Feb 2010, 13:37
Thanks CJ for the assurances as I was wondering if maybe things got backwards and I sure can't blame the makers of the eyeglasses for something written for me if both eyes turned out blurry in my order.
At least it sounds like I have a very ethical doc in not trying to push torics. Another thing that surprised me as I wasn't sure about this either but the base curve stayed the same (figure diameter would have stayed the same) on my old and new contacts. I thought maybe that would have changed based on brand of contacts.
I will post final results hopefully next week. 7 to 10 business days to process eyeglasses and I have not been emailed a tracking number just yet.
Also makes sense for the right eye in what you say as I do see a distinct mid range vision change from when I take the contacts out to an hour later so the contacts must be doing some shaping of the eyes albeit temporary.
Cactus Jack 27 Feb 2010, 10:33
Al,
Your contacs and glasses are reasonable. Usually the sphere Rx for contacts and glasses are the same up to about + or - 5.00. Above that value, vertex distance effects of the glasses lens being 10 to 15 mm from the cornea become important and there is usually a difference between the contact and glasses Rx. For minus Rx the contacts Rx will be less than the glasses for plus Rx the contacts will be more than the glasses. The importance increases as the Rx goes up by the square of the Rx value.
Theoretically, astigmatism can be corrected by using toric contacts, but torics have plenty of problems including cost and instability on the cornea. They sometimes rotate as you blink, really messing up your vision.
The practical solution is to ignore low values of astigmatism. This works because astigmatism is usually caused by uneven curvature of the cornea and even soft contacts can help smooth the curvature of the cornea slightly (your OD Rx of -3.50).
At higher values of astigmatism, one solution is to add 1/2 the cylinder value to the sphere. This works pretty well up to about -1.00 (your OS Rx of -1.50).
While you may notice a difference in acuity with each eye individually, with both eye, your brain will use the best image as it s primary source and supplement it where possible with information from the other eye. Remember, vision occurs in the brain and the eyes are simply biological cameras.
Above about -1.00 of astigmatism, torics sometimes get enough resistance from the uneven curvature of the cornea to hold them in the correct position on the cornea, but at some point they become more trouble than they are worth and the only solution is glasses with cylinder correction.
C.
Al 27 Feb 2010, 09:15
Just an update... Have not received glasses yet but did my standard contact followup visit and got my next year's worth of contacts
I was surprised at what was given to me as I was expecting the sphere values to be less then my eyeglass prescription.
Contacts are
-3.50 right eye
-1.50 left eye
Is my astigmatism values picking up the remaining sphere in the eyeglasses for the left eye?
Adding the 1 sphere and 1 cylinder would make it 2 which would make sense 1.5 on the contacts?
Or does it look like I am under prescribed on the eyeglasses prescription?
I do know with the contacts, I can see 20/20 based on today's exam with both eyes. 20/40 is the best I could do with left eye (no surprise here) and 20/20 with my right eye only.
guest 22 Feb 2010, 11:14
With an age of 50 you will probably find it hard to accomodate 1 dpt for a long period of time. I would have ordered the original prescription with no changes if you just want to comfortably use the glasses. Noone would have noticed any difference in lens thickness and you wouldn't have noticed any difference in image size.
Al 21 Feb 2010, 11:31
Thanks Catcus.
While I had a vague idea that the astig couldn't be played around with, I wanted to be sure.
I appreciate you clearing up the sphere part not affecting the cyl part, that I definitely didn't know. I was just thinking the effective power on the left would be the two values added together.
Not "quite" easy experimentally ordering willy nilly with a better half not understanding :-)about throw aways or getting + contacts to counter the extra minus.
Soooo, I did place the order based on your input but went with a 1 diopter higher on the sphere -2.00 (call it a compromise) as while I will be wearing contacts, I want these glasses to be functional for those days I don't wear contacts.
I also did put a 2.25 add rather then 1.75.
I will post my results when received (website said about 5 to 7 work days)
Cactus Jack 21 Feb 2010, 10:47
Al,
At these prescription levels, it is a pretty exact exact science. You always start with your actual Rx and modify only the sphere or the add, never the cylinder or axis. Usually, if you change the sphere, you change both eyes the same amount.
However, I still do not believe that you understand how this stuff works and what we are trying to tell you, but if you want to experiment, I would suggest ordering some low cost glasses from Zenni Optical. Their single vision glasses are only US$8.00 plus shipping. Bifocals are only US25.00 plus shipping. In both cases, I believe the lenses are polycarbonate. Glass lenses are pretty expensive and easily broken. At those prices, if you don't like the glasses, you can afford to throw them away and try again.
I suggest trying some single vision glasses first and some cheap reading glasses over them to see how you like the reading add. Once you arrive at an Rx you like, you can order what you want.
C.
Al 21 Feb 2010, 10:17
Thanks Cactus
Glass lenses don't come cheap so I want to do this right (within reason of course as I know this is not an exact science).
Since now that I know the the sphere is separate entity I think I will go the cautious route of only increasing by one diopter as I put in my original post. I am 50 this year.
This year is the first I have ever been given an add, so my accommodation up to date must not be too bad (I was dilated).
Another thought I had was to go -3 as you suggest and then go 2.25 as an add. I will be ordering 35 mm flat top bifocal. Would this be somewhat feasible to keep the overcorrection in check?
Cactus Jack 21 Feb 2010, 09:44
Al,
I think you are having some trouble understanding that the sphere correction (first number) is for your myopia (eyeball length) and the cylinder/axis correction (second and third numbers) is for your uneven cornea and that they are two independent factors in correcting your vision. If you want the lenses to have approximately the same thickness, you could order the following:
OD -3.50 -0.25 025 add 1.75
OS -3.50 -1.00 075 add 1.75
or
OS -3.00 -1.00 075 add 1.75
That would make the lenses approximately the same thickness and it would also make the image size on your retina approximately the same size, which is a good thing.
However, it will requires your left eye to attempt to accommodate for the additional minus. Depending on your age, that may be possible, but it will take some practice to make your eyes accommodate independently. A good solution to that problem is to wear a +2.50 or +2.00 contact on your left eye to compensate for the overcorrection so that your effective sphere Rx in your left eye is either -3.50 or -3.00. If you do that, no mental or visual gymnastics are required to hopefully give you the best possible vision. By supplying the same size image to both retinas, you may find that over time, you may begin to develop some stereo vision.
Whatever you do, I would suggest ordering some low cost glasses to see how they work for you.
C.
Al 21 Feb 2010, 08:04
Guest,
So, would I be OK in ordering
-2.00 -1.00 075 without affecting the astigmatism?
Other then accommodating for the sphere blur, the glasses will be useful in clarity with extra accommodation?
I know I can accommodate easily one diopter.
guest 21 Feb 2010, 07:08
You can change the sphere without affecting the astigmatism. But less minus will mean more blur and more minus will mean more accomodation and therefore more strain.
guest 21 Feb 2010, 07:06
Don't try this. This will be very umcomfortable because your eyes will try to regain a sharp image, but they just can't. It's a constant struggle.
btw: I don't think you will notice a difference in thickness of the both lenses.
Al 21 Feb 2010, 07:04
Puffin,
Would the same happen if I just adjust the sphere or does that affect the power of the cylinder as well?
What you describe sounds like progressives type of experience and I could deal with that in that I will have a "sweet spot" of clarity.
Again the eye being messed with is not my dominate eye (I don't have stereoscopic vision or depth perception) so most of my seeing is out of my right eye which I will leave that eye the actual prescribed amount.
Puffin 21 Feb 2010, 06:15
You're going to find that uncomfortable to look through.
Myopic or Hyperopic blur is not the same as the distortion caused by astigmatism. With the astigmatism not the right amount and angle, you'll find the image fairly sharp in some parts of the visual field, blurred and stretched in others, all in all rather confusing and irritating for your visual system. Your eyes won't know what to do, except complain!
Al 21 Feb 2010, 06:03
I plan to order through the internet and wanted to get the thickness of the left lens the same as the right lens and I figured by adjusting the script would be easier then putting in remarks
Since I like heavy glasses, I am ordering glass lenses with a large frame (59 and 60 mm with a vertical of 50 and 51)
Would I mess up anything by bumping up the sphere or is that also bumping up the astig power "by default"?
A "little" blur in that eye is fine as it's my non dominate eye but I don't want it be be not functional.
Cactus Jack 21 Feb 2010, 04:58
Al,
NO! You cannot accommodate in any way for astigmatism. Astigmatism is generally caused by uneven curvature in the cornea and there is no internal way to compensate for it. It has to be corrected externally with glasses (best) or toric contact lenses (maybe).
The only variable focus element in the eye's lens system is the crystaline lenses which can, until they get too stiff with age to do it, be squeezed by the ciliary muscles to increase their normal plus power to focus closer or compensate for a relatively small amount of additional minus of overcorrection.
A good rule is to never mess with cylinder or axis components of a prescription. Even people who wear high Rx GOC only adjust the sphere power of contacts and glasses and leave the cylinder and axis in the glasses exactly as in their real Rx.
Could you tell us what you are trying to accomplish? maybe we can help.
C.
Al 21 Feb 2010, 04:22
Can one accomodate for additional astigmatism?
My new prescription is
-3.50 -0.25 025 OD add 1.75
-1.00 -1.00 075 OS add 1.75
What would be the big difference in the following OS and which could I accomodate to easier?
-2.00 -1.00 075
-1.00 -2.00 075
My thoughts are while the astigmatism still is -3, the "overall" blur may be a little less with the first line.
I am a computer support person in the US
Henry 30 Dec 2009, 10:39
It's not a set, it's just lenses with a prescription given by you (these are meant to be used in glasses). There are many opticians on ebay who offer those.
Dave 29 Dec 2009, 15:00
Henry
Can you send me a sample link for the trial lens set? My rx is -0.5 sphere and -1.75 cyl and -2.25 cyl.
Thanks,
Dave
eyescene_dave (at) yahoo.com
Hollie 27 Dec 2009, 12:23
Andrew,
I find the 2 for 1 deals not so much useful as spares, but so you can have a couple of different looks. : )
Andrew 27 Dec 2009, 11:59
I'm with D+A and always get half-price glaases from them as I also get contacts as well. Rcenetly they have sent me a voucher for 50% off new glasses (yes, I know it's the same thing), probably because I had my eyes tested there a couple of months ago but did not buy new glasses then and there. Perhaps that's the trick; get the new prescription but hold off on getting the glasses until you can get a deal on them.
Two for the price of one does not do it for me; in over 30 years of glasses wearing, I have only broken one pair (so far), and that was when my sister decided to try and fight me...
Julian 27 Dec 2009, 08:34
Kate: I'm in the UK too and I've usually got better service from an independent optician than from what you call the mainstream ones, though I've never been to Boots. I've also found D&A hideously expensive, and Vision Express too (how else did they offer two pairs for the price of one?) The last independent I used was remarkably cheap - but I'm living in another part of the country now, and my present independent is not so cheap, but less stingy with near vision add!
Henry 25 Dec 2009, 01:40
Kate (and everyone else who is not satisfied with his/her optometrist), why don't you just buy a set of lenses to determine your prescription at home. On ebay you can buy lenses only (with no frame) with a prescription given by you. You can then order some spheric and toric lenses with values around your current prescription and determine your glasses-prescription at home.
Then you don't have to worry about the examiner and another big advantage is that you can try multiple times to see how different daytimes or visual stress affect the prescription.
It's actually very cheap and easy. I bought 8 lenses (spheric: +.25, +.50, +.75, +1 and toric: +.25 -.25, +.50 -.50, +.75 -.75 and +1 -1) for something around $50. But this saves you from having eye-exams in the next years and therefore you will actually save money.
Cactus Jack 23 Dec 2009, 08:54
Kate,
Oops! The last post was from me.
C.
Eyescene 23 Dec 2009, 08:52
Kate,
Independent optometrists tend to be under less pressure to get you into the chair and out again than those associated with a chain. Skill of the examiner plays a greater role in the resulting Rx than most people think, but teamwork is essential. It takes some effort and some expense to fine a good optometrist, but the effort pays off in comfort and good vision. Once you fine a good one, stay with them.
Remember, if you pay for the exam, you paid for services rendered and the Rx is your property to do with as you wish. Buying glasses from the prescriber is strictly up to you. With your Rx and your PD (we can tell you how to measure it) you can order glasses on line. You have to take control of the situation and the more you understand about vision, optics and exam procedures, the better your Rx. Many here have ordered from Zenni and been pleased.
Low astigmatism is very hard to correct satisfactorily with toric contacts because it is hard to keep them at the correct axis as you blink. When they get off axis, your vision is usually worse than without correction.
C.
Kate 23 Dec 2009, 07:59
Cactus Jack
I am in the UK and have been to most of the mainstream opticians (Specsavers, D+A, Vision Express, Boots). I've never been to an independant before. I find their glasses more expensive and am less happy taking the script away and then shopping elsewhere, though I probably shouldn't be. I will ask around and see if I can get a recommendation. I think i've mentioned this before but i've never had any luck getting contact lenses in the UK either whereas I get the feeling eye docs in the US will prescribe lenses for any prescription. Being someone who is interested in all things to do with eyes and vision I get very frustrated indeed when I want someone to help me get the best possible vision that I can!
Kate
r.o. 22 Dec 2009, 18:50
It surprises me not, Cactus Jack.
Cactus Jack 22 Dec 2009, 15:39
Kate,
Don't be afraid to change optometrists. It took me a while to find a a really good one. One thing to remember, the optometrist will see you for about 15 minutes, but you have to wear the glasses for a year. If you are not sure which lens is clearer or blurrier, in the case of determining the axis, ask to see it again.
I have had the best luck with younger ODs who are independent or semi-independent. Surprisingly I found a very good one a a local Wal-Mart.
C.
Kate 22 Dec 2009, 15:00
Hi Cactus Jack
OK, I will try and remember what you said in your previous post when I have the test. My experience of optometrists is that they don't have much patience and expect you to say 'first' or 'second' in a few seconds. I find that hard! I guess I should tell them to slow up a bit, and I guess the other thing is that if i'm not happy wiht how I see once I get new specs they should sort that out for me (OK within a certain time frame) shouldn't they?
My test will be early in Jan. Will let you know how it goes!
Kate
Cactus Jack 22 Dec 2009, 12:02
Kate,
There is no real significance to the phenomenon you described, The primary change is in the horizontal (0 degree) axis. There has likely been a small change in your Rx. The important thing is for the cylinder correction to be accurate. Remember, the examiner must depend on your responses to the questions. Do not hesitate to ask to see a lens again and please be sure you understand my previous post.
C.
Kate 22 Dec 2009, 06:56
Cactus Jack.
Thanks for that, very interesting. I've just discovered that I get slightly better vision when I tilt my glasses upwards i.e. instead of putting them level on my ears, put them abit above into my hair. Does this mean anything? I read that people with minus prescriptions that need more sph tend to get better vision doing this. Does this apply for hyperopes or astigmatism? I would imagine for hyperopes it means the opposite. Am just curious. I will get an exam in Jan as I am fed up with not seeing properly both with and without my glasses!
Merry Christmas
Kate
Cactus Jack 15 Dec 2009, 13:56
Kate,
Cylinder and its angle for correcting astigmatism is very hard to prescribe accurately, particularly at low values of cylinder, because it depends to a large extent on the skill of the patient. What makes it hard is that you have to judge relative blurriness as the examiner flips a lens back and forth. The lens is mounted so that as it is flipped back and forth, its two positions are 45 degrees either side of the actual angle. When I am being examined, I try to do two things to improve the accuracy of the cylinder and axis Rx.
1. I try to concentrate on a "O" if possible. Letters with straight lines more obviously will alternate in clarity depending on the direction of the line, the angle of my astigmatism, and the angle of the lenses. An "O" seems to make it easier to judge blurriness because it has no straight lines.
2. Also, I ask the examiner if he/she will allow me to "fine tune" the angle when the sphere, cylinder and axis are determined. Most will place your hand on the angle knob and you can rotate it back and forth slightly for the sharpest image. This is done with each eye before the final phase of the exam where both eyes are checked together.
One other thing to check is equal sharpness of the individual images. This is best done when you are shown two separated images (muscle balance check). If both images are not equally sharp, you should advise the examiner. Absolute sharpness for the muscle balance check is not important at this point, but the images need to be the same degree of sharpness. Absolute sharpness becomes important a few steps later in the exam when the examiner is increasing the sphere in both eyes at the same time for the best overall correction and ability to read as far down the chart as possible.
An eye exam is very subjecting because the examiner can't tell what you are actually seeing, only what you tell him/her what you see.
C.
Kate 15 Dec 2009, 12:03
Willy
Thanks. I've experimented with angles as best as I can but it is rather difficult to do! I think there is a very slight improvement if I rotate the lens a little but it really is hard to tell.
My near vision is definitely better with the glasses, and things generally look sharper all around but there is just something not quite right. If I cover my left eye and look over my glasses with my right eye I can see better in the distance without the lens. Wearing my glasses tends to give me a bit of a sore/achey right eye and things in the distance seem to look a bit distorted and focusing on particular things like signs is hard. I do think it has something to do with the cyl Rx, although do you think I could have a similar problem if the sph is either too weak or too strong?
Because of the problem i've recently reverted back to not wearing my glasses full time, which is OK, but when I do put them on for certain things it takes me a while to adjust again which I find really annoying and uncomfortable.
I guess the only way to find out is to get an exam. It is a year and a half since my last one.
K
Willy 07 Dec 2009, 07:24
Kate - guest is correct about experimenting with rotating the glasses. Alternatively, do you find that the right eye is less clear than without glasses, or is it clearer than without, but just not as clear as you'd like? It may be that you need a stronger sphere or cylinder correction in that eye. Let us know.
andrea 06 Dec 2009, 12:45
guest,
yes, my astigmatism is corrected, -0.50 in both eyes. Sometimes when I blink the angle changes only slightly, sometimes up to 45 degrees.
guest 06 Dec 2009, 02:08
@andrea
Is your astigmatism corrected? Are the given values the shere? How much does the angle change per blink? Actually I noticed this myself. I have .5 astigmatism and it varies in a range of approximately 30 degrees.
@Kate
Just cover your left eye (don't close it with the lid) and look through your glasses with the right eye and try different angles by turning them. If you find another angle is sharper then it is probably wrong.
Kate 05 Dec 2009, 13:50
I've been wearing my glasses full time since September (see earlier posts) to correct for low hyperopia and astigmatism. I've been having some problems focussing at distance though my close vision is perfect. Any ideas what is wrong? Since I first got that pair of glasses prescribed I noticed my distance vision in my right eye was a little off, and this hasn't adjusted over time. I wonder if the axis is wrong. I want to find my old scripts as I think looking at the numbers it may be a few degrees different to my old specs. Would it be that noticeable if it was?
andrea 05 Dec 2009, 07:33
Hi!
I have a stable prescription of about -1 -0,5 for five years, doing an eye exam every two years. Recently I noticed, by checking the online astigmatism test, that my astigmatism changes every time I blink, especially in the left eye.
Is this normal??
Katy 15 Oct 2009, 08:33
Thanks JD, I think I might order some and see how they are :-)
JD 15 Oct 2009, 04:04
Katy,
Re Daysoft contact lenses. I use them on a regular basis without any problems.
Quality certainly has not been sacrificed for price.
Katy 15 Oct 2009, 02:15
Still on contact lenses theme (not sure where else to put this), has anyone tried these?:
http://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com/GB/CountryHomepage.aspx
They seem amazingly cheap but I don't know how you could tell if they're ok/safe to use or not.
russell 13 Oct 2009, 02:21
One of two things may have happened: 1.) She may never have needed the astigmatism correction.
2.) She may still need it but it is so small that her optometrist may not have detected it.
Refraction for glasses is subjective. It all depends on the response that is given at the time of the exam. And with a relatively small correction, a responder may say "yes" or "no" and then get the glasses and never realize that things could be better with a little additional correction.
minus 5 who luvs gwgs 12 Oct 2009, 22:38
Sorry typo she is 51 !!!
minus 5 who luvs gwgs 12 Oct 2009, 22:37
Is it normal for astigmatism to disappear My gf age 52 is a -6.50/-5.50 myope she had astigmatism of about -0.50 in both eyes until about 2 years ago but for the past 2 tests it has apparently gone
Katy 12 Oct 2009, 13:36
I tried some toric contact lenses the other day - I had been passing a local opticians and seen an ad for a free trial, so went in and ended up being persuaded to try them there and then! They were strange compared to what I remember of cls from when I had them before - when I looked in a mirror they looked really big - much bigger than my irises, and so really noticeable. Also the vision wasn't brilliant, not like with glasses. Has anyone here any experience of toric cls? Do they always look so big?! These were Acuvue - apparently they are 'melon shaped' now rather than weighted. I'm wondering whether I can get away with normal ones - cyl is -0.75 and -1.25.
mommy 20 Sep 2009, 10:12
sorry, I meant Cactus Jack. Must've had Pirates on my mind!
Melyssa 19 Sep 2009, 06:56
The place where I get the vast majority of my glasses usually does them in one hour. But with my RX, I found out recently that the reason it takes a week to do my glasses, even just updating lenses in old(er) frames, is not because of my -9 diopters, but because of my +3 cylinders of astigmatism.
mommy 19 Sep 2009, 04:24
Thank you for the responses!
Captain Jack, we live in Michigan. My daughter will go back in 6 months for another check. She's been under the care of a pediatric ophthalmologist for almost two years-she had surgery in January to correct bilateral ptosis (drooping eyelids). She may need another surgery when she's older. Right now they can't raise her lids any higher as they don't shut all the way in their current position.
The optician that dispensed her glasses questioned going that long before a recheck, but the pediatrician said it may be because she needs the time to get used to "seeing".
Thank you to the person that posted the link. I'll have a headache the rest of the day :) I can now see why she couldn't identify a difference between animals in the field behind our house!
As for long-term strategy, I think the opthalmologist is doing a wait-and-see. He's not sure if the lids are still putting pressure on the lids or if the astigmatism worsened between the last check and her surgery.
As for when I asked how bad her eyes were, all he said was "bad enough that she needs glasses". Not much help to me, who's never worn them!
Cactus Jack 19 Sep 2009, 02:14
Mommy,
Guest is correct. The simulator is a very good one, but if you do not read German, the first block is age, the second block is sphere and the third block is cylinder. The "GO" button is in the lower right corner of the square.
The Rx was written without the decimal points. For example, the sphere and cylinder should be written and entered as -2.00 and + 2.25. The axis is number from 1 to 180 or 0 to 179 but is not required for this simulator.
With this substantial first Rx, it will take a while for your daughter to get used to seeing properly. Fortunately, you have discovered your daughter's vision problems at an age when the vision center in her brain is still developing. It is likely that she has not learned to control her focusing muscles and eye positioning muscles very well and the PT should help her do that rapidly. It takes a newborn with good vision about a month to learn how to control their vision system and vision plays a significant role in balance. Initially, development will seem slow but then, once the basics have been learned, it should proceed rapidly. Be aware that until she learns to control her focus mechanism, she may need bifocals and/or or she may need frequent Rx changes. It is possible that she was prescribed less minus sphere than she really requires for good distance vision, to help her develop her focusing system for close vision.
Hopefully, the Doctor asked to see her again in a few months and you will know to ask him/her to explain the strategy for her long term vision correction, so you will know what to expect.
May I ask where you live?.
C.
guest 19 Sep 2009, 01:15
@Kate
A person with a -1 -.5 script can see clear in distances up to 1 m and a person with +1 -.5 has to strain the eyes on every distance. I think, that is what Willy is saying.
@mommy
Your doughter has a very strong astigmatism. With that amount she can't see clear at any distance and has propably a lot of eyestrain and headaches. For an estimated view of her sight check http://www.optiker.at/simulator/
Kate 18 Sep 2009, 14:12
Willy
Thanks for the encouragement :-)
However, not being a myope myself I don't really understand what you are getting at when you say 'unlike for example a -1 sph, -0.5 cyl myope'......am very interested to know what you mean though.
I think I will go full time, I don't feel I can put up much more with the eye aches etc. I just need to get some new frames and feel really comfortable with how I look as well.
Cactus Jack 18 Sep 2009, 14:04
Kate,
The rule of thumb for low cylinder correction in both + and - sphere only contacts is to add 1/2 the cylinder Rx to the sphere value of the contacts. In the case of +1.00 contacts and -0.5 cylinder. The result would be +0.75 contacts. In most instances the examiner would try +.75 contacts. For cylinder of -0.25 they would likely just prescribe the sphere value.
Astigmatism is caused by uneven curvature of the front surface of the cornea and even a soft contact can slightly correct the unevenness to the point where it is not much of a nuisance.
The reason torics are not fitted for low cylinder is that many of the lenses depend on the uneven curvature of the cornea to keep them aligned on the proper axis. If the curvature is low, the lenses may rotate and get out of position which, rather than correct the astigmatism, makes it worse.
C.
Willy 18 Sep 2009, 13:44
Dieter and Kate -- I can't speak on contacts and I won't totally get into the optics (I'll leave that to Cactus Jack), but Kate, as a hyperope with astigmatism, if you discern that you see more clearly and comfortably with your glasses at all distances, then you should not feel at all "guilty" about wearing them full time. The combination of the hyperopia and astigmatism means that you cannot get a clear picture at any distance without effort (unlike for example a -1 sph, -0.5 cyl myope), and once your eyes are used to having both problems corrected, they will strain more without the glasses. But let us know what you decide...!
Dieter 18 Sep 2009, 12:35
Kate,
That's a good question. Perhaps Cactus Jack or someone who has dealt more with plus prescriptions can answer. I'd like to know that, too.
Kate 18 Sep 2009, 11:56
Dieter
Does that apply for plus contacts as well, i.e. my glasses Rx is +1.0 and +0.75. Surely adding 0.25 to sphere (as my cyl is 0.5 in both eyes) would not work?
K
Dieter 18 Sep 2009, 11:47
Dan,
For contacts, it is customary for eye docs to increase the sphere by half of the cylinder to accommodate for astigmatism until they prescribe toric lenses. My wife has the same astigmatism as you so I am surprised at your contacts prescription. I would expect a glasses script of -1.00 -.50 x 90 and -.75 -.50 x 90 to become a contacts script of -1.25 and -1.00. In other words "bumping" the sphere by -.25 (half of the -.50 cyl).
mommy 18 Sep 2009, 11:44
I was wondering if someone could give me some insight. My daughter recently was given a glasses prescription. Based on her prescription can you tell me just how bad her eyes are? What does she see without them? She's not quite three and can't tell me herself.
Rt: sph -200 cyl +225 axis 100
Left: sph -125 cyl +275 axis 60
Any insight is appreciated. She's having some learning difficulties that the doctor is attributing to her eye problems. She's also currently having balance issues with the glasses on, so she's starting some PT soon for that.
Dan 18 Sep 2009, 09:08
Kate,
I live in the US and I feel my vision is the same with both glasses and contacts. I know that for mild astigmatism it usually can be almost unnoticable if corrected in the sphere for contacts. I had no trouble having the doctor prescribe me contacts.
Kate 18 Sep 2009, 03:17
Dan,
Thanks, that's interesting to know. Do you mean the contacts you wear only correct the sphere Rx and not the astigmatism? If so, how do you feel your vision differs between that and glasses? Also are you in the UK, did you have any problems getting contacts for that Rx? I totally agree about prefering crisp vision all the time.
K
Dan 17 Sep 2009, 19:11
Kate,
I have -1.00 -.50 x 90 and -.75 -.50 x 90 as my prescription and I wear my glasses all the time (usually contacts though which are -1.00 and -.75). I don't like the blurry vision w/o correction.
Clare 17 Sep 2009, 11:55
Danbert, Kate - I have -0.50 of astigmatism in one eye and when I compare with the other, which is only -0.25 less in sphere but with no cyl, the difference seems quite signficant in terms of how blurry one eye is to the other. Overall though I probably couldn't tell if the astigmatism makes any difference other than that.
Danbert 17 Sep 2009, 10:21
@Kate: As CJ says a few posts ago (22nd August), it doesn't necessarily take much astigmatism to make clear focusing difficult.
A good friend of mine only wears glasses at night or when she has to read a sign/billboard or view something in the far distance. She insists that her vision is ok, just slightly blurry. Once we were out sightseeing and she commented on something in view to which I replied that it was clearly visible about 1km back. Of course that was a little mean of me, but if she had worn her glasses she too could have made out that finer detail.
I have other friends with prescriptions which look very low and yet I have never seen them without specs on. Ever. I don't know what they're seeing without glasses, but I doubt they're all "blind as a bat" without glasses.
It comes down to your personal comfort. If you want to wear them all the time, just do it. If you only want to wear them some of the time, that's fine too. Who cares what anyone else thinks. Most of the time they probably don't think anything of it at all, and if they do, they are probably just curious, like the friend you talk about.
Kate 17 Sep 2009, 09:59
Hey there
It is interesting to see so many perspectives on astigmatism. My Rx is Left eye: +0.75 -0.5 x 70, right eye +1.0 -0.5 x 130. I'm 25 and do a lot of reading and computer work for my job and when i'm not doing that i've driving.
My first prescription a few years ago was +0.50 in both eyes with same cyl as now. My eye doctor was reluctant to give me glasses even though the reason i'd gone was increased headaches and general eye discomfort for most activities. She said it would make little difference to what I could see, but I suggested that seeing was not the issue but the strain my eyes were under to see was. Alas I came away with no glasses but after a few more weeks of discomfort and went back and insisted that since she'd given me a real, albeit, 'low' Rx that if she didn't make up glasses for me, someone would.
I do genuinely think that 0.5D cyl is noticeable and having persevered and got glasses in the end and it made a real difference to my comfort. However I was advised to only wear the glasses when absolutely necessary - whatever one might interpret that as being!
Anyway, I am glad that many of you share the feeling that 0.5D cyl can really have an effect and that there is no reason to discourage correction for this. But the point still remains, should those with only mild hyperopia/myopia like myself but with 0.5 cyl be tempted to wear their specs full time? I am constantly umming and arring over this and I end up going several days wearing my glasses all day long, then some days I don't. I admit that I feel a bit of a fraud wearing them all day when others around me who have more significant plus or minus prescriptions don't. Instead they take them on and off. I think it comes back to the noticeable blur/distortion at all distances from the astigmatism. I'd like it if my astigmatism increased to at least 0.75 then i'd feel a really good reason to become and full time wearer. What do others think?
On days when I've not been wearing my specs, more than one friend/colleague with little knowledge of vision asked me why some days I wore the glasses and others I didn't. To prevent getting into a long discussion I just said that sometimes I wore contacts (though I know that with 0.5 cyl contacts do not exist, and even when I asked an eye doctor about the possibility of contacts he shunned the idea. But it is interesting to read here that it is not impossible to do with either aspheric lenses or adding 0.25 of a dioptre).
K
Cactus Jack 23 Aug 2009, 07:46
bel,
Possibly, the test would be how well you see distant signs in low light conditions. If you find that you see better under those conditions, I suggest wearing them.
At 21, you should still have plenty of accommodation so a reading add would be optional. If you do a lot of reading, (for example studying) and seem to be having some discomfort, you might consider a +1.00 add or just some reading glasses from an on line retailer. Either are inexpensive and easy to order.
C.
bel 22 Aug 2009, 19:05
Thanks C, I am 21. I checked the new Rx again and there wasn't an add in there. Also, should I use these glasses for driving? My optician told me to use them whenever I feel the need to.
Cactus Jack 22 Aug 2009, 17:39
bel,
Yes, your eyes and brain are not having to work as hard to focus clearly. It is amazing how little astigmatism it takes to make reading uncomfortable, and computers involve a lot of reading. You didn't mention any add in your new Rx. I suspect you should have an add for reading.
May I ask your age?
C.
bel 22 Aug 2009, 16:43
Thanks C. I switched opticians recently and got a new Rx as follows:
L & R: +0.50 -0.25 X 180
My previous Rx:
L: +0.50 -- -- add +0.50
R: -- -- -- add +0.50
I find that the older Rx is better for reading whereas I get headaches if I use them on the computer. The one with the astigmatism component is a lot more comfortable on the computer compared to the older pair. Is there a reason for this?
Cactus Jack 22 Aug 2009, 13:37
bel,
It would make fine text a bit harder to read comfortably, small distant objects hard to see clearly, and distant signs a little blurry. If the hyperopia is uncorrected it would make reading more uncomfortable because it is impossible to focus an image accurately on the retina without external correction resulting in constant effort to focus.
C.
bel 22 Aug 2009, 08:57
I'm curious to know what the impact of -0.25 of astigmatism combined with very mild hyperopia is on vision?
Cactus Jack 21 Aug 2009, 04:14
NickC,
With that much astigmatism, she really needs to wear them full time. There is no possible way she can accommodate and see clearly at any distance without external correction. I think she will be surprised at how much easier it will be to read and see small objects with them.
C.
NickC 21 Aug 2009, 03:50
My gf just got glasses for astigmatism, her prescreption is
+/-0.00 -1.75 160
+/-0.00 -1.25 20
Should she be wearing them all the time? Or just when she needs them?
thanks
Cactus Jack 17 Mar 2009, 20:45
What have they done . .
Based on your most recent post, it appears that I was mistaken and you would like to learn a bit about what has happened.
Lets talk about Vision first. Vision actually occurs in the brain and the eyes are merely biological cameras. The brain has a very sophisticated image processing system. Image processing begins in the retina located at the back of the eyeball. In many ways it is similar to the image sensor in a digital camera. The retina has two types of light sensitive cells. They are called Rods and Cones. There are about 120 million Rods and about 6 to 7 million Cones. The Rods are very sensitive to light, but they are not sensitive to color. The Cones are sensitive to color, but not nearly as sensitive to light as the Rods which is why you don't see color in very dim light.
The Retina actually preprocess the image and sends it to the brain via the Optic Nerve. The Optic Nerve has only about 1 million nerve fibers so the retina has to do considerable processing to squeeze the signals from the nearly 130 million individual Rods and Cones onto the Optic Nerve which caries the signal to the Visual Cortex in the brain. Where vision actually occurs.
The brain has an extremely sophisticated image storage an processing system which is capable of creating images with no input from the eyes. Dreams and hallucinations are an example. In addition, it can create a reasonably clear image from a blurry image if it knows or thinks it knows what something is supposed to look like, but it takes a lot of energy, effort, and processing power to do it.
You are a bit young to remember the first pictures returned from space by the Hubble Space Telescope. They were very fuzzy and almost useless. It initially was believed that the HST was a billion dollar disaster. Then it was discovered that by applying a huge amount of computer power, it was possible to improve the images enough to make them useful. Further investigation revealed that the mirror had been incorrectly ground and the error had not been detected prior to launch. The fix turned out to be rather simple. Fit the HST with a corrective lens -glasses! The fix was simple, but the installation was a bear involving astronauts, the space shuttle, and lots of money. The end result are the incredible pictures of the depths of the universe with minimal extra processing.
Essentially, that is what your glasses do, is relieve your brain of the task of turning poor images into usable ones almost instantly.
Why did you adapt so quickly? Your glasses relieved your brain of a lot of work. If you had a job of drilling holes using a hand drill and someone gave you an electric drill. How long would it take you to decide that it was easier to make holes with the electric drill and how excited would you be about going back to a hand drill?
Now your eyes. They are simply biological cameras and in your case, you have two problems. The primary problem is that you are near or short sighted as indicated by the sphere correction of -0.75. What that means is that your eyeballs are a tiny bit (not quite 1mm) too long for the optical power of your eyes optical system. The optical system consists of the Cornea which is at the front of your eye and the Crystaline Lens which is the autofocus lens of your biological camera. -0.75 means that you should be able to see things closer than 1.3 meters or 52 inches pretty clearly, but everything beyond that distance gets increasingly blurry.
The complicating factor is your astigmatism as indicated by the -0.75 of cylinder. Astigmatism is usually caused by the Cornea not having a smooth curve. Ideally, the cornea should have a smooth curve like a section of a ball that has been sliced off. With astigmatism the curve is not smooth but in one direction (the axis) it has a cylindrical shape like a section sliced off the side of a can. In your case, it isn't very much, but it can cause lots of problems. In the direction of the axis, things are blurry beyond 66 cm or 26 inches and at 90 degrees to the axis only the sphere is working against you. The result can be something like the horizontal lines on an "E" might be in focus and the vertical line might be blurry.
You glasses should fix both problems and you should see clearly at all distances.
That was pretty long winded, but I hope it helps you understand what has happened. You can force your brain to go back to doing unnecessary work or you can let it relax and spend its time doing other, more useful things.
Will your prescription change? Probably. at your age, you may get a little more nearsighted, bt I suspect you astigmatism will be pretty stable.
C.
matthewson 17 Mar 2009, 15:21
in the end of the day, fetish or not: it's just glass, get over it, get LASIK or deal with it. Nothing harmful to look through glasses and see well, if you hate it there are other options. Having glasses is no stigma or whatever, most people find it either sexy or at least they do not care so whatever. Don't worry, at least you can see.
Puffin 17 Mar 2009, 14:47
I would point out at this point there are many human conditions & problems that are not so easily solved as putting on glasses. Some can't be solved at all. So, perhaps "what have they done to me" should be grateful something can be done.
Cactus Jack 17 Mar 2009, 14:25
What have they done to me?!
I guess mutual apologies are in order. I try not to be an arsehole, as you say, but unfortunately, I got the impression I was dealing with a closed mind and thought I might have to "kick open the door to knowledge". The opening line (the name you chose to use) of your post gave me the impression that you felt you had been in some way severely harmed and were deeply upset and offended by having to wear glasses and wanted your pre-glasses vision back.
Astigmatism and vision are complex subjects to explain and I don't mind doing it, but again I got the impression that you were not asking questions.
I regret that I am a bit rushed for time right now, but I will try to give you a more detailed explanation of what happened and why, a little later.
It would be helpful to know your occupation and educational background. I think we would like to welcome you to the discussion under a different name, if you so choose.
C.
eyespy 17 Mar 2009, 13:49
What have they done to me?!
Having recognised that these glasses are beneficial, how much are you wearing them? The fact is that your eyesight is now much improved and it's hard to go back to where you were. You just didn't know there was an improvement to be had. I think that people are different in terms of how readily they accept perfect vision. Some people can get by for a long time but others, like you I guess, immediately notice the difference and for those people it becomes harder to go without the necessary correction. Good luck, I'm sure you'll get used to, and even enjoy, good vision.
What have they done to me?! 17 Mar 2009, 10:21
I thought it would be a waste of effort to try to explain astigmatism and its effects in words of one syllable or less.
C.
---------------
Either you've misinterpreted my post, or you're just an arsehole. I'll offer the benefit of the doubt though, since I'd like to think I'm not one to judge someone based on a short forum post!
I don't have an issue with my glasses, nor the recommendation to use them - I was however shocked at just how quickly I adapted to them and how quickly my sight without them seemed to deteriorate. I certainly feel I've been missing out for the past few years and just wanted a little advice on my prescription and what it actually means to me. I appear to have offended you however, for that I apologise.
benn 17 Mar 2009, 05:09
I am not sure about angle, I was told I have two types of astigmatism, one on the outside of the lens and one in the back of the eye. CL's are not as good as glasses.
guest 17 Mar 2009, 04:36
I've also heard that the 'angle' of the astigmatism makes a difference too.
I have -0.50 and it's oblique. I do get eyestrain in that eye if I'm not wearing my specs so I assume it is the astimatism. Is that a fair assumption?
Can anyone explain why the angle makes a difference?
benn 16 Mar 2009, 19:39
Agreed, I just wanted to "lean" on the age thing a little.
I am -2.50 cylinder each eye. I get a headache within minutes without correction.
Cactus Jack 16 Mar 2009, 16:51
benn,
My comments were meant pretty specifically for " What have they done to me?!". Based on the post, he said he was 22 and only had the exam and got the glasses because of a free voucher from his employer. I have the impression that whatever his lifestyle and occupation, vision and reading are not very important to him now and were not important in school.
I suspect that if he stops wearing his glasses immediately. he can revert back to seeing poorly and not noticing it with his HD TV at 5 feet. I wonder at the screen size. The more he gets used to seeing well, the harder it will be to go back to his former glasses free existence.
I thought it would be a waste of effort to try to explain astigmatism and its effects in words of one syllable or less.
C.
Holden 16 Mar 2009, 10:29
My wife will be 40 this summer. She is also on the precipice of needing bifocals - her last exam showed she's at +.75 for the 'add' but the doctor did not include it in her Rx.
I am not sure why it wasn't included, but it is doubtful she'll be able to put that off much longer.
benn 16 Mar 2009, 10:13
The older you are and as you age astigmatism becomes a tough job to overcome without correction.
Catus Jack says a couple weeks your brain will go back and your headaches go away, but with age, I don't think it will.
Holden 16 Mar 2009, 09:33
Val,
My wife has astigmatism and a very smiliar Rx to yours:
R: -.75 -1.00 x120
L: -.50 -1.00 x82
When she first got them in late 2006, she was steadfast in only wearing them for driving at night. Then she started wearing them for the blackboard at school, for the computer, for the movies, for reading, etc.
She is now close to full-time wear - pretty much everything except for first thing in the morning and when she is at the gym. Everything else is Rx sunglasses and glasses.
She has multiple pairs now that look great and she is much more at ease with wearing glasses. Fundamentally, she now appreciates being able to see her best at all times. Before she made comments like, 'I can see good enough.'
I don't hear that amymore. Good luck!
Cactus Jack 16 Mar 2009, 05:06
What have they done to me?!
Answer: Corrected your vision.
Vision occurs in the brain, your eyes are merely biological cameras. Up to now, your eyes have been providing images that are out-of-focus and distorted because of your astigmatism. Your brain has learned to do an acceptable (to you) job of processing these images to allow you to function at a level you apparently like.
When you got your glasses, your brain quickly got used to the fact that it didn't have to work very hard to process the images and could do other things with the resources. However, all is not lost.
All you have to do is do what you did several years ago. Quit wearing your glasses. In a few days or a week or two, your brain will recover its skill at processing poor images and you will soon forget what it was like to have good, effortless vision. However, be prepared for some discomfort and perhaps headaches as you force your brain to go back to wasting its energy on helping you see. In a few days that will go away.
C.
Val 15 Mar 2009, 23:32
Eddie, 0.5D of cylinder is capable of getting you some headaches. But, if you are confortable with the OTC readers, you may wear them, at least until your next change in prescription.
What have they done to me?! 15 Mar 2009, 16:00
Hey guys/gals,
I had some glasses for school when I was about 13-14, but they just got neglected and forgotten - I've not really been wearing since.
I'm now 22 and got some vouchers from work for a free test and cheap specs - so I went with it and got the following prescription:
SPH L: -0.75
SPH R: -0.75
CYL L: -0.75
CYL R: -0.75
AXIS L: 82
AXIS R: 80
The optician explained that I had a bit of astigmatism and really shouldn't have been driving for the past 5 years, and was surprised I'd not opted for an eye exam sooner.
I've got my specs now, and have been wearing for a couple of days. I don't know much about eye prescriptions and what they mean - but I was well under the impression this was an extremely mild prescription.
After just two days though, I can't see a bloody thing without them! I can't watch TV (even in HD :P) and read any text on the screen from my couch which is only 5 feet away or so, can barely see font any smaller than 12pt on my PC, can't make out numbers on my clock or the titles on my DVD rack without getting up close - I'm sure I wasn't this bad a couple of days ago!
What's the deal with Astigmatism, and is this normal to grow quite a dependency to an almost non existent prescription in just a couple of days?
Cheers :)
Eddie 23 Feb 2009, 11:05
I posted this on another topic board and then found this thread:
I got a Blackberry and started having trouble reading the keyboard so I bought some +1.50 readers that are great. Now that I have become more dependent on them I decided to bite the bullet and get my first eye exam. Distance vision is off a bit, he says -.50, and he says the readers at +1.50 are good for me but says I have stigmatism at -.50 right and +.25 left. He says I don't really need the distance correction at this time, but told me I should get proper reading glasses made up ($90) to account for the stigmatism. Over the counters are $10 or so. Am I being hustled for an expensive pair of readers or can I buy the cheap ones?
(Now I realize I should have tried readers with and without the cyl correction to see the difference.)
Guest 05 Feb 2009, 05:36
Interesting discussion about astigmatism. I have -0.50 in one eye and a mild Rx for myopia. When I explained to my eye dr that I get headaches when I don't wear glasses, but only in one eye (the one with astigmatism) he only told me that myopes don't tend to get headaches.
Now I'm thinking that maybe it isn't the myopia but the astigmatism that causes the headaches. I don't get it when I'm wearing glasses, duh! My Rx is -1.50 both eyes, plus astigmatism in one eye. Worth trying fulltime wear for comfort do you think?
Aubrac 05 Feb 2009, 03:26
eyespy
Would agree with the prious posters. My wife has +1.50R/+1.75L with cylinder correction of -0.50 40R and -0.75 120L.
While her plus may cause similar lack of distance vision as your friend it is the astigmatism that makes reading difficult and reading any signs, notices, etc, at distance.
Astigmatism makes it difficult to differentiate between for example, upright strokes of an 'n' and a 'w', and can lead to mispelling of words.
There are many full time wearers who without any plus/minus correction wear a low cylinder correction.
Puffin 05 Feb 2009, 03:12
I suppose there is some truth to that. I imagine a large RX would encourage you to accept you have poor vision and it's not worth squinting and struggling (hence glasses) whereas a small RX it would be worth saying to yourself "oh its not too bad" and hence no glasses.
eyespy 05 Feb 2009, 01:35
Julian
Last post was from me! Too quick ...!
05 Feb 2009, 01:35
Julian
That sounds like an interesting volume. I've never had astigmatism (maybe I'm unusual) just myopia. I think girls are more sensitive about wearing glasses for smaller Rxs and if they're not told they should they just put up with it. Just what I've observed anyway. Guys seems to be far less prepared to suffer.
Julian 05 Feb 2009, 01:27
Somewhere, probably in some box that hasn't been unpacked since I moved across country, I have an ancient copy of Duke-Elder's 'The Practice of Refraction', and he says that slight refractive errors cause more eyestrain than severe ones, because if you have a small amount of myopia/hyperopia/astigmatism you can force yourself to see by squinting or whatever, whereas with really bad vision no amount of straining gives you good vision, so your eyes don't try and you don't suffer. My guess is that is even truer of astigmatism than of the other errors.
eyespy 05 Feb 2009, 00:45
Like Lenses
I'll pass on your recommendation, thanks! She wouldn't listen to me :-0
Like Lenses 05 Feb 2009, 00:26
eyespy
By all means the astigmatism is causing her headaches.
She should wear the glasses full time for about two weeks, as astigmatism glasses are harder to get used to. She may find them to be distorting at first, but that it why she needs to wear them full time to get used to it.
Sometime judging distances is odd until you get used to them. With my first pair, I would reach for a door knob, and it would hit my hand before I expected it to. Also had trouble with stepping up, or down a curb at first. But she will enjoy the incredible sharp vision.
I was amazed at how clear peoples faces were across a street.
eyespy 05 Feb 2009, 00:08
LikeLenses
Would you agree then that the astigmatism might be what's giving her the headaches? I suggested she wears her glasses to see if that alleviates it. Her rx is only quite low, she thinks about -1.25.
Like Lenses 04 Feb 2009, 23:28
eyespy
Astigmatism at .50 is very noticeable to most people. Books on optometry suggest full time wear at .75, and at 1.00 or more most people don't see well at all without correction.
Very different than nearsightedness, or farsightedness, in that all distances are blurred.
My RX is -1.50 with -1.50 cyl for each eye, and my uncorrected vision is a bit worse than 20/300, in good light, and 20/400 in poor light.With properly prescribed glasses,I have a little less than 20/20.
eyespy 04 Feb 2009, 19:58
Does anyone know what level of cyl starts to cause discomfort? I mean is it as low as 0.50 or would it be more? I guess for someone with low myopia it might be more noticeable since they might not always be wearing correction. A friend of mine has some astigmatism and wonders if that rather than the myopia is the cause of eyestrain when she doesn't wear her glasses. Any thoughts?
Holden 04 Jan 2009, 04:32
Clare,
I forgot to answer your earlier question. I don't know whether her astigmatism is irregular or more difficult to correct.
This is her astigmatism portion of her Rx:
R - 1.00 x 82
L - 1.00 x 120
Holden 04 Jan 2009, 04:23
Clare et al,
The 'feel like I'm drunk' sentiments wore off quickly after wearing her glasses for a few hours. Hey eyes have quickly accepted her new Rx.
What's interesting is that she has taken to close to full-time wear with this new Rx. She was wearing them all day, including at home, but she started to complain about the marks left on bridge of her nose. She does wear them all the time when she is out of the house though, and seems to have settled in nicely.
Based on your own experiences, what is the likelihood that she will change course and start wearing them less? Is it one of those things where, 'once you start you don't stop?'
Galileo 01 Jan 2009, 13:41
Yes, corrected astigmatism does make the wearer feel sea-sick. One of the reasons I only wear my glasses for driving is that I feel like I'm going to fall over when I wear them to walk around. My brain has adapted to the astigmatism (about -0.75) so when I put my glasses on circles look like ovals!
Clare 22 Dec 2008, 09:48
Holdne - it's sad but true, I did some research on astigmatism when mine doubled - albeit just from -0.25 to -0.50.
Apparently the angle counts too. Irregular/regular/whatever ... I have oblique which is apparently more difficult to correct, although I doubt it for such a small amount as mine.
Do you know what your wife's is? that may make some sort of difference.
Andrew 09 Dec 2008, 11:04
Changes in strength and axis of astigmatism correction can both have the effect of making the wearer feel a little seasick at first, but the effect soon wears off. The changes do not have to be enormous to be appreciated by the wearer, even if they are not obvious to others.
Holden 07 Dec 2008, 14:32
She got the first of her pairs of glasses returned from the lab yesterday with her new Rx. Her first reaction was interesting: "Whoa. I feel like a drunk. Boy, I can tell these are stronger."
Like Lenses 03 Dec 2008, 21:41
Holden
Well the one was -.50, and it is now -1.00 cyl. so that one has doubled, and as I said that most doctors suggest full time wear when the better eye is -.75 or more cyl.I found that in a book on optometry.
Even small ammount of astigmatism cause quite a bit of blur, at all distances.
Holden 03 Dec 2008, 20:00
Like Lenses,
May I ask how you arrived at your statement of a -1.00 astigmatism Rx warranting full-time wear? I am just curious as is it that much big a difference from what she had before?
She has been wearing her glasses about 80% of the time. Her new glasses will be ready next week.
Like Lenses 03 Dec 2008, 19:54
Holden
She will most likely wear these a lot as the -1.00 astigmatism in each eye would be rather blurred for both near and far,and the -.75 eye would be worse.
Most doctors suggest full time wear when the astigmatism in the better eye is -.75 or greater.
If she plays any sport in the gym, she could get some Rec Specs.
Holden 03 Dec 2008, 18:15
My wife had her exam today, and here are the results and comparison to 2007:
December 2008
-.75 - 1.00 x 82
-.50 - 1.00 x 120
November 2007
-.50 - .75 x 87
-.50 - .50 x 125
Yvonne 03 Dec 2008, 09:15
Cactus Jack,
I have read most of the posts but had no need to contribute until now. I visited my Optholmogist a day ago and was told that I am both myopic and hyperopic, I have astigmatism as well. How could a person be myopic and hyperopic at the same time? Please explain this RX: L -3.00/- Add +1.50
R -1.50/-0.75 Axis 83
Add +1.50
From my basic knowledge,the powers of the shpere and cylinder will be added with a result of:R -2.25 what happens to +1.50 and the axis of 85? I was prescribed RX for myopia only prior to this with an RX: -4.00 -3.00 respectively, why the change? What could cause this? Concerned.
Holden 02 Dec 2008, 12:10
My wife has her appointment tomorrow. I'll let folks know how it turns out.
Holden 13 Nov 2008, 09:35
My apologies....I see that Like Lenses gave several answers to my questions earlier in October.
Holden 13 Nov 2008, 09:31
Hello folks,
At the end of October in this thread, I was discussing my wife's situation with her slight myopic and astigmatic condition, and how she is gradually using them more and more for a broader range of activities than originally determined.
Her exam is in a few weeks. She recently got a Blackberry, and complained when the text was 'tiny' and so she enlarged the font size. Is this an indicator of presbyopia? She doesn't appear to hold it at a distance or anything - just says the print is small or tiny.
But since she wears her glasses to read all the time and these recent comments, I am curious if that is what is going on.
At her last exam (October 2007), she had a +.50 for the close up part of the test, but they did not include that in the Rx, because I don't think the doctor figured she would be wearing them for reading. So the -.50 she has for myopia would cancel out the +.50 for the add.
My question is, because she does wear them all the time for reading and close up work, how would a doctor remediate this with an Rx? Would she have bifocals with an add, bifocals with only the astigmatism correction on the bottom half of the lens with no add, or just be advised by the doctor to not wear them for reading?
I'll find out in 3 weeks, but my curiosity is getting the better of me.
Cactus Jack 03 Nov 2008, 13:21
The problem with prescribing correction for astigmatism is that it generally requires participation from the patient to identify relative degrees of blurriness when trying to bracket the angle. The examiner has no way to tell what I am seeing, only what I describe. It is particularly difficult to get the angle (axis) just right when the cylinder value is low.
During the part of the exam to determine cylinder and axis, I try to concentrate on an "O" if possible because the straight lines (strokes) of letters like K, E, etc. will will usually alternately appear clear and blurry as the examiner tries to bracket the angle. I usually ask if I can "fine tune" the angle at the end of that portion of the exam. At that point, I turn the knob for the sharpest overall image.
C.
JP 03 Nov 2008, 12:26
I always wondered if astigmatism is so difficult because perhaps it changes in amount and axis over time. Perhaps even throughout the day.
Certainly my Rx shows low correlation between tests.
Dieter 01 Nov 2008, 08:57
Not only am I having trouble with my astigmatism this morning, but I am having even greater difficulty with typing on my new laptop keyboard. Sorry fur all tha misspelt wurds.
Dieter 01 Nov 2008, 08:52
Clare,
Cactus Jack has mentioned in the past that it is dificult for doctors to get the astimatism correction exactly correct. He stated that he has asked the doctor to allow him to put his hand on the dial and fine tune it.
glassesforeveryone 01 Nov 2008, 04:11
Hi Clare, I think it's like someone has already mentioned, a 'black art' to prescribe it. I do have some astigmatism -0.5. My prescription is milder than yours though, so maybe I notice the astigmatism more as a result?
I notice that if I wear contacts and work on the computer I notice I get some eye strain, as compared to wearing my glasses when I don't.
JR 31 Oct 2008, 16:55
Clare
I do GOC and one set I have is +6 toric and I can do better with them than I do Bare eyed. I am -2.50 astigmatism.
Clare 31 Oct 2008, 12:22
glassesforeveryone - no not at all. At least I don't think so which must mean any difference is very marginal. All I notice is the difference when uncorrected when the one with astigmatism seems alot worse. Have you got astigmatism too? I think I'd rather have more minus than more astigmatism.
diva 31 Oct 2008, 05:05
Art or indiv. optom preference?
I actually have no idea.
Last one showed me with and without toric lenses and toric was def clearer (with less minus but had some more astig).
I think.
But then for us it's a bit subjective as well? I was quite nervous as I get with any doctor over anything, so I am not sure if it's my distortion too.
However my differences appear to be minor. Not sure what to go with.
The Oaysis toric lenses seem pretty comfy though.
Phil 31 Oct 2008, 05:00
I'm -3.75 and over the years I've sometimes had a liitle astigmatism diagnosed and sometimes not. Usually it's just been -.25, sometimes in one eye, sometimes both, but once it was .5 in one. Is diagnosing low levels of astigmatism more of an art than a science?
diva 31 Oct 2008, 04:50
I have had diff optoms (not in US or UK) who have had different views on corrections.
One had me corrected with no astigmatism to -3 and -3.5 ...
The other had me with -2.5 and -.25 astig and -2.75 and -.5 astig ...
Another with -3 in each eye with -.25 astig and pretty much none in the other.
I'm really not that sure what to believe - I've changed optoms as I have changed cities and locations within those cities (3x within 12 years - i am 31 now).
So I am not particularly sure what is best / right - I do know that my eyes haven't really changed, but the interpretations of what is most appropriate change with the individual optometrist at times.
Interested to hear others' opinions.
(I'm referring from age 18/19 onwards - after most stages of changes).
glassesforeveryone 31 Oct 2008, 01:43
Hi Clare,
You wear contact lenses which I assume are not torics so don't correct for astigmatism (albeit they do a little due to the fact that they represent a more uniform curve than your eyeball). So, do you notice a degradation in your sight when you switch to contacts from your glasses? You'd have to assume this would be the effect of the astigmatism.
Dieter 30 Oct 2008, 14:58
Clare,
I switched doctors last year which changed my script from the - to +. Without considering the difference, it makes it appear that your myopia increases when really there may be no change at all.
Clare 30 Oct 2008, 13:33
Dieter - thanks. I just wondered how much difference a -0.50 makes. The -3 with the astigmatism seems alot worse than the straight -2.75 and I wondered if that was usual.
Dieter 30 Oct 2008, 08:22
Clare,
The + or - cyl for an astigmatism prescription is the thing that Cactus Jack explained to me last year. I don't know how it works in England (or elsewhere) but here in the US optometrists write scripts in - while ophthalmologists write +. When written as +, the axis is rotated 180 degrees (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) and the cylinder is added to the sphere. So a script of -3.00 -.25 becomes -3.25 +.25.
Clare 28 Oct 2008, 12:35
I don't know much about astigmatism but have had it prescribed on and off for a good few years, and always the lowest amount (-0.25). Now I've got -0.50, which I know is still small but I wondered how much even this contributes to diminished visual acuity and at what rx it becomes a problem. (I also have -3 in that eye).
Also - does it always increase as we get older? And what is the difference between a +cyl and a -cyl in vision terms?
Holden 28 Oct 2008, 07:27
She wearing them about 50% of the time. While she was originally disappointed that her astigmatism returned, she really didn't complain about it beyond a day or two.
She accepted it as part of her genes (both parents have substantial myopia and astigmatism). Then we invested money in 4 or 5 pairs of stylish plastic frames. She got a lot of compliments from friends, and doesn't put up a fuss at all about wearing them.
What she WILL put up a fuss about is being required to wear glasses full-time. She doesn't want to wear them at the gym, or basically be dependent on them for everything.
Thinker 27 Oct 2008, 23:23
Given that she had a previous stronger Rx she was used to having 100% vision which would explain, probably, why she has taken to fulltime wear with such a low prescription. It must be very disappointing for her. Does she ever say she is disappointed that the lasik has regressed?
Holden 27 Oct 2008, 20:05
She did not wear glasses at all because she had LASIK performed in late 1999.
Like Lenses 27 Oct 2008, 19:48
Did she wear glasses at all from 2000 untill 2006, and if not why ?
Holden 27 Oct 2008, 19:35
Like Lenses,
It is her second Rx. The progression is as follows:
She wore glasses full time until 2000 with an Rx of:
-3.75 - 1.50 (forget the angle)
-3.50 - 1.75 (forget the angle)
She then got glasses in October 2006 with an Rx of:
-.25 -.75 x87
-.25 -.50 x120
She was expected to wear these to drive at night and the PC.
Her visit to the doctor in October 2007 yielded the Rx as shown earlier in the string.
The doctor told her to not wear her new Rx when reading because 'it would make her dependent on them.' Well, she wore and wears only her glasses with the current Rx, regardless of the activity.
Like lenses 27 Oct 2008, 19:22
Holden,
Forgot to answer your questions.
With the amount and angle of her astigmatism, she certainly needs them for reading, and even more if the prescription goes up.
And yes they could, and probably will give her bifocals. She could get regular bifocals, or progressives.
Like Lenses 27 Oct 2008, 19:14
Holden,
At 39 and if this is a first prescription, there is a good chance that her prescription will get stronger for the myopia, and perhaps the astigmatism also. You had stated that it appears that she does not see as well even with the glasses, and that she tends to wear them more often.
If she gets stronger glasses, print will be even smaller, but sometimes so much sharper that no bifocal is needed. However she should tell the doctor that she is having trouble with the print, and he will most likely consider bifocals for her.
Most likely when she gets used to her new prescription, she will be wearing them full time, as vision without will be very blurred wheather they are bifocal or not.
Holden 27 Oct 2008, 18:16
Like Lenses,
This is interesting. At her last appointment, the doctor had a +.50 on her patient chart, but did not appear in her Rx. When I asked about it, the optician said that because she has a -.50 for myopia that they canceled out so there was no need to have progressives. It would seem though, that the doctor assumed that my wife did not wear her glasses for reading or other up close activities.
So they can make progressive glasses with the +.50 on the bottom and still include the astigmatism? Would most doctors go this route or would they simply tell the patient to not wear her glasses for close up work?
She has had this Rx for one year. She is 39.
Like Lenses 27 Oct 2008, 16:55
Holden,
Although her lenses are not that strong, because of the astigmatism things at any distance are not clear without the glasses.
Most doctors recommend wearing astigmatism glasses full time if the correction for it is -.75 or more in the better eye. Since her better eye is -.50 she could get by not wearing full time. However astigmatism glasses are harder to get used to than just plain myopic glasses, and after getting used to, vision is so much better, that many with prescriptions less than -.75 become very dependent on them, and vision without them is very blurred.
She may benefit from bifocals if reading print seems too small.If she is under 45 the doctor may prescribe a +.50 bifocal, which in reality would be giving her only the astigmatism correction for near, by cancelling out the -.50. She would still have the same prescription in the upper part of the lenses for distance.
How long has she had this prescription, and is it her first?
Jeremy 27 Oct 2008, 16:04
I have a new prescription for glasses for reading, +1.25's. For the left eye it shows astigmatism of -.75 186, no astig on the left. Can I get by with over the counter glasses or will I need to order from an optometrist. The Dr. wasn't very patient with me and I forgot to ask her.
Holden 26 Oct 2008, 19:39
Thanks folks.
Recently, she has also been complaining (slightly) about eyestrain when she reads for a long time. I was curious if that was because of reading with the myopia correction she has in her glasses. As I understand it, it is the astigmatism that prompts the need.
I'm seeing signs of needing progressive lenses. She complains about text being 'too small' when reading the menus at the restaurant (when she does not have her glasses on). Is that something that plus lenses would address - make the text larger for her?
DWV 26 Oct 2008, 19:25
I was ready for progressive lenses when I was 39; I'd been having some difficulty with near vision for a year or two before that.
She might notice an improvement in reading comfort, or close work, if she tried wearing a pair of drugstore reading glasses over her own pair (+1 to +1.50 power).
Cactus Jack 26 Oct 2008, 18:53
Holden,
She might develop a little pseudomyopia. It sometimes goes along with developing presbyopia because the stiffening crystaline lenses are slow to relax for distance vision and tend to retain a little plus from reading a lot. The excess plus has the same effect as being a little more myopic. Ultimately, bifocals or progressives will solve the problem after vanity gets out of the way.
C.
Holden 26 Oct 2008, 18:06
I apologize as well for the reference to hair on my face in the last post.
Holden 26 Oct 2008, 17:58
My wife is scheduled for an eye appointment in January (about 15 months since her last appointment). I am wondering about some of the recent developments of our her glasses wearing pattern.
She has an Rx of:
-.50 -.75 x87
-.50 -.50 x120
She wears her glasses for all the time for the following activities - driving, reading, computer work, movies, watching TV, walking around at night, and grading kids papers at school.
She will also tend to wear her glasses when doing some close up tasks - removing in-grown hairs on my face, for instance, and last night, putting her glasses back on to read the menu.
In fact, last night she wore her glasses as usual for driving to the restaurant. Then, she took them off when she got out of the car, only to have to put them back on when she wasn't sure which block the restaurant was on. Then she took them off again, only to put them on two minutes later when it came time to read the menu. She did keep them on at that point for the rest of the night.
This behavior was somewhat unusual, and I think it has something to do with the fact that we were in a trendy place and she must have felt this was one time when she would wear them on an as-needed basis. Normally when we go out, her glasses stay on for the duration, with none of this on and off business.
In any case, I was fascinated with her continual trying to keep them off only to put them on twice before finally relenting to wear them for the evening.
Finally, she appears to be slightly more myopic than her current Rx - she cannot see some things I can from a distance - like some text when sitting in the back of a classroom.
She is 39.
My questions:
(1) Is it likely to develop further myopia when you are wearing glasses like she has for reading (she does a LOT of reading)?
(2) Understanding that everyone eventually develops presbyopia, is she at the onset of this condition?
(3) Should I expect her to need progressive lenses soon?
(4) Is this level of usage in line with her current Rx?
Thank you in advance for your help, and my apologies for the lengthy post.
Holden
Smudgeur 10 Sep 2008, 14:22
How bizarre to get 4 coca-cola league 1 fans on an international message board for the optically obsessed!
Good luck to the Franchise FC and Carlisle fans too (except when you play the mighty shrimpers of course!)
eyescene 10 Sep 2008, 14:21
How bizarre to get 4 coca-cola league 1 fans on an international message board for the optically obsessed!
Good luck to the Franchise FC and Carlisle fans too (except when you play the mighty shrimpers of course!)
nickweymouth 10 Sep 2008, 10:04
best of luck for the season to hanseland smudger
after all the MK Dons are going to need it if we keep playing like we did against swindon LOL
Like Lenses 09 Sep 2008, 20:20
Clare
Since you are OO, and a closet wearer, you should order a pair of glasses with CR 39 lens material. If you go with a larger lens size frame, the lenses will definately be chunky. Could be kind of fun to wear in the privacy of your home.
Hansel 08 Sep 2008, 23:19
Indeed, Smudgeur.
A true (CUFC) Blue.
Good luck for the season.
Hansel
nickweymouth 08 Sep 2008, 13:34
you wnat refs with bad eyesight look in hte cocacola div 1 was at mk dons v swindon lkast week least said the better
Smudgeur 08 Sep 2008, 13:28
Were you there Hansel?
Hansel 07 Sep 2008, 14:48
...although you were playing in red!
Horrible conditions, tight game, draw probably a fairer reflection.
So as not to get too far away from this site's purpose, very poor ref, for both sides, and clearly needed a trip to the optician as can be heard regularly at many a ground!
Best wishes
Hansel
Andrew 07 Sep 2008, 12:35
Many years ago, Smudgeur and I discovered we supported the same football team - the only one in the country that can boast a better record against Sir Alex Ferguson's crowd than he can against them - yes, the mighty Southend United FC. However, in spite of being in the same football ground at the same time, we have never met (yet). Maybe one day. However, for the moment...
Come on you Blues!
Hansel 06 Sep 2008, 13:26
A bit slow there...I assume therefore, Andrew, that you are from beyond London.
Hansel 06 Sep 2008, 11:34
But Carlisle won 2-1 today!
???
Andrew 06 Sep 2008, 09:54
I'd find it hard to drive past the Lake District - and the 2-1 defeat is probably about as good as it gets for us at Carlisle!
Clare 06 Sep 2008, 06:34
Like Lenses - just re-read your post - I prefer the vision with contacts. I read somewhere that it's common to reduce the prescription by -0.25 with aspheric contacts like mine, but my optician hasn't done that so maybe I'm a little over-prescribed.
Clare 06 Sep 2008, 06:31
Like Lenses - I wouldn't say my lenses are chunky yet as they're the thinner type. Surprised though at the comments about -0.50 cyl being strongish although that eye is definately bad, the other seems less so.
Smudgeur 06 Sep 2008, 03:46
Hi Andrew
Your wife's glasses sound really interesting - would love to see a picture.
Smudgeur
PS I presume you're not off to Carlisle today?
Andrew 05 Sep 2008, 09:58
Yes, it is. My wife is a case in point as she is +1.50 -4.50 in one eye, and slightly better in the other. Because of the axis of the cyl (about 180), the lenses look like typical plus lenses from head-on, although you can see power rings at the top and bottom of the lenses. She is able to function around the house without them, but cannot read anything except the largest print without them. Needless to say, I cannot see clearly through them at any distance.
Highmyope 04 Sep 2008, 20:20
--I guess she had astigmatism with a net plus in one axis and minus in the other one, something like, say +2.00 -4.00 x XXX, is it possible?
Yep. Although the difference between cyl and sphere is usually not so extreme as this (cyl above -3 is pretty uncommon).
Tom 04 Sep 2008, 01:09
Interesting sighing few days ago, related (I think) to astigmatism. I was riding on my scooter when I stopped at a light at the side of a car driven by a young GWG. Her glasses gave a sort of combination of plus and minus effect. I mean, at first they looked as minus with the usual circles, but getting closer they gave the image through them a sort of distortion and the defocus effect usually given by plus lenses. Its not the first time I spot glasses like this, although not so common. I guess she had astigmatism with a net plus in one axis and minus in the other one, something like, say +2.00 -4.00 x XXX, is it possible? Although I was not able to guess the strength of such a prescription they looked quite heavy. Is there anyone here around with a prescription like this? How is his/her uncorrected vision?
Finally, most strange thing is that before leaving she lift her glasses over her hair and went on driving bareeyed for about half a km, then I lost her because she took a different direction than me. Had she really a good enough uncorrected far vision to drive safely without glasses?
Billy E 01 Sep 2008, 13:20
The sentence should read:
The tester pair had the cyl correction but NO sphere
Puffin 01 Sep 2008, 07:45
I suppose it's a toss up whether being out of focus is worse or better than being distorted and a little less out of focus. I think the -4/-2 option would bring things into focus somewhat further away, but to an extent that would be counteracted by being distorted (and still a bit blurred on one axis) complicated isn't it?
Julian 01 Sep 2008, 02:03
Billy E: I'm interested that you reckon your astigmatism is more debilitating than your myopia, and I agree with you. I've had arguments about this from time to time, when someone with an Rx like -4-2 claims that that is not as strong as, say, -5-1...I reckon they're equal (though different). But 4D of astigmatism! No wonder you need correction at all distances.
Billy E 31 Aug 2008, 22:22
I've got astigmatism of about -4 (also -4 myopia). I am unable to function at any distance without glasses, really. Anyway, a couple of years ago, the optician decided to try some different toric lenses. (I was fed up with the amount I was paying considering how little I wear them). The tester pair had the cyl correction but sphere. After I'd put the lenses in I was sent to walk around for an hour to see how the sat. Although they were a bit unstable, I could (just about) cope. I went to Starbucks for a coffee and read the newspaper. Reading is absolutely impossible without correction for me. So, I would say that the astigmatism, rather than the myopia, is the more dibilitating part of my rx.
Like Lenses 31 Aug 2008, 15:52
OPPS, Sorry I meant Holden, AND I am even wearing my astigmatism glasses.
Like Lenses 31 Aug 2008, 15:50
Harold, .75 astigmatism is blurred at all distances, so if combined with other errors, or by itself it is enough to require full time wear. Also depending on the axis people often get headaches from uncorrected astigmatism.
Astigmatism is quite different than myopia, or hyperopia, in that 1.50 or above is considered quite a bit.
What I meant by chunky lenses, is that with Clares regular minus , combined with her cyl.they could be a bit thick depending on what lens material , and size of the lens.If they are CR 39 material they would be thicker. .
Holden 31 Aug 2008, 13:29
I also meant to ask, why would the astigmatism at -.50 make lenses look chunky?
Holden 31 Aug 2008, 13:28
Like Lenses,
Does the idea that a person with a -.75 astigmatism correction should have full time wear apply to a specific amount of myopia? Or does it simply mean that even without any myopia or hyperopia, astigmatism at that level would prompt full-time wear?
Like Lenses 30 Aug 2008, 22:59
Hi Clare,
Thanks for the reply.
.50 Cyl. is actually a fair ammount. Most books on optometry advise optometrists to have the patient wear full time if the better eye is .75Cyl. or more.
.50 would be about two,or three lines on the snellen chart.
My question regarding your vision was, is it better with glasses or contacts.
The lenses in your glasses should be a bit chunky now.I bet you look great in them.
Clare 26 Aug 2008, 11:19
Like lenses - yes my glasses have the cyl in them. I've had -0.25 of it for a few years now, and on and off since my first prescription, but now I have -0.50 which isn't a huge amount of course.
Did you mean how much better is my vision with glasses than without glasses, or glasses v contacts? The aspheric contacts that I wear are, coincidentally, good I hear for small amounts of astigmatism. Otherwise I understand that it's common to add another -0.25 of sphere to compensate.
Wendy 26 Aug 2008, 09:15
I never realised i was having much trouble with my eyesight but these glasses have proved i was. I can see fine without them but I can feel my eyes really working to stay focussed, especially if I'm concentrating on a single object (near or far) such as text in a book or the tv screen. I tried going without glasses on Saturday and I was alright for 2 or 3 hours but then I started getting a headache which went away soon after i put my glasses on. So it seems I am dependant on them already! One friend commented that my glasses didn't look very strong but when she tried them on she had to sit down as they made her feel dizzy!
Tom 26 Aug 2008, 05:52
Wendy: how's going after a few weeks since you got your new glasses? Are you still able to see without them? I can hardly imagine what is your eyesight with the prescription you have, but it seems your major issue is your eyes being tired at the evening more than not being able to see properly at any distance. Could you please explain better which symptoms you had and how is going now with/without glasses?
Bye.
Like lenses 26 Aug 2008, 00:00
Clare
I have been lurking for some time, and have noted your slight increases. And now astigmatism has set in. Do you have glasses with the cyl. in them ? If so how much better is your vision with glasses?
BillyE 25 Aug 2008, 06:22
Toric lenses don't really work for me. I've had several different brands, but none of them will sit correctly, as I've got a lot of astigmatism that's a real problem. I've got a pair that I wear if I'm doing sport, but I take them out straight afterwards. I can't read with them in and wouldn't dream of driving wearing them instead of glasses.
Cactus Jack 20 Aug 2008, 13:08
Andd64,
You will have to ask your ECP how much they would charge for a pair of RGPs with exam and fitting. A SWAG would be US$150 to 200.
C.
Cactus Jack 20 Aug 2008, 13:05
Clare,
Some people would notice 0.25 D of astigmatism, particularly if they read fine print a lot. Others would barely notice 0.75 D. It depends to some extent on the how critical you are and how good your vision is from the other eye. Remember, vision occurs in the brain, and what you "see" is a construct in the visual cortex from images in both eyes. The brain will combine the images using the best image as the primary and fill in information from the other image where appropriate.
Andd64,
RGP stands for Rigid Gas Permeable. They are hard lenses and NOT inexpensive compared to soft contacts. They are also not as comfortable when you first get them and take some getting used to. However, They can reshape the cornea to eliminate the astigmatism. Because they reshape the cornea, then you take them out, it takes a while for the cornea to go back to its natural state (with astigmatism) and you get what is called "spectacle blur" when you put on glasses with cylinder until it does.
C.
andd64 20 Aug 2008, 10:27
Well the ECP said to go back this friday if it still wasn't good, so maybe I'll try out the torics.
What are RGP contacts? Just how "inexpensive" are they? I'm willing to try them out if they will make my vision clear using contacts.
Jennifer 20 Aug 2008, 09:00
Yes, getting contact lenses when you have astigmatism is tricky. For years, the doctors did the trick CJ mentioned, but I never got good vision out of my left eye. Doctors told me that it wouldn't matter because my right eye is dominant. I still noticed it and complained every year about the lack of sharpness in my vision. Finally, I saw a doctor who had me try on a toric lens for my left eye. My cyl was at -.75 in that eye. The vision was great, but I have to say the actual toric lens was like having a piece of paper in my eye. In a few years the toric lenses have gotten so comfortable and they're very easy to wear. My first pair of toric lenses moved in my eye. Then it's blurry vision until I adjusted it. My current lenses are much much better. They stay in place the majority of the time and they don't seem as thick as the first ones I had. Techonology is definately getting much better!
Clare 19 Aug 2008, 23:59
Cactus - how much astigmatism does someone need to have to notice it? Torics I know start at 0.75 so is it pretty much negligble up to that point?
Cactus Jack 19 Aug 2008, 09:22
andd64,
The technique of using 1/2 the cylinder in the sphere of sphere only contacts is, of course, a compromise. The ideal situation is that your cylinder error (astigmatism) is exactly neutralized by the correct power and that the cylinder axis be exactly aligned with your cylinder error axis. It is easy with glasses because the axis is fixed. Torics can work for some people if the contacts will stay in the proper orientation, but that doesn't work for everyone, particularly people with low cylinder powers. I can't remember where I read it, but one reference stated that 1 diopter of cylinder was caused by a 0.4 mm increase in the radius of curvature along one axis of the corneal surface.
If your heart is set on contacts, RGP contacts will easily correct small amounts of astigmatism, but they are not inexpensive and take some getting used to.
C.
andd64 19 Aug 2008, 06:25
Hey C
So I got a -2.00 for my left and left the -1.50 on my right. There was a bit of a difference on my left but its still not as clear as my glasses. I asked the lady if I could try -2.25 on my left but she said I'd need to go back to my optician to get a prescription for that.
She said to give it a week with -2.00 and -1.50 and if I still don't like it she'll try to give me torics.
I'm thinking right now contacts just aren't working for me!! =(... oh well c'est la vie.
Cactus Jack 18 Aug 2008, 15:52
May,
There is no known way to affect astigmatism. However, until the astigmatism gets up to about 0.75, it is generally corrected by adding 1/2 of the cylinder to the sphere and wearing sphere contact lenses. Above that, there is the possibility of toric lenses, if you can wear them.
May 18 Aug 2008, 12:08
I am farsighted and the last time I went for a test the optician said I have a small bit of astigmatism. If the astigmatism worsens will I not be able to wear soft contact lenses anymore? How can you stop it from worsening?
Tod 15 Aug 2008, 16:47
Strike that. 360˚ and 180˚ is vertical and 90˚ and 270˚ is horizontal.
Tod 15 Aug 2008, 16:37
But because its a full radius across the lens, the minimum is 0˚or˚180 and maxium 90˚ or 360˚.
Cactus Jack 15 Aug 2008, 15:55
larry,
It is the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cylinder as it rotates about the optical center of the spherical component of the lens. By convention, the horizontal axis is Zero. Facing the patient, the numbers increase counter clockwise to 179 degrees. 90 degrees is vertical.
C.
larry 15 Aug 2008, 15:23
Hi everyone,
Is the axis on an astigmatism correction an inner or outer angle? thanks
dave 14 Aug 2008, 14:26
You're right about that. I didn't realize he was doing it without an ECP.
Fitting is tough for sure. A set of lenses will sits properly on one of my eyes and rotates on the other. Uuuugh! I hate torics.
Cactus Jack 13 Aug 2008, 15:22
Dave,
Torics can be very hard to fit even for experienced professionals because there are many factors that affect their ability to remain properly oriented on the cornea including eyelid tension. My suggestions were purposely limited to possible sphere solutions.
If andd64 has his heart set on contacts with cylinder correction, he needs to work with his ECP to find a workable solution such as torics or RGPs.
C.
dave 13 Aug 2008, 12:50
Cactus
What about Torics for the left?
-1.75 -0.75 X 175 (overcorrect one axis by -0.25) or
-1.50 -0.75 X 175 (undercorrect the other axis by 0.25)
andd64 13 Aug 2008, 07:51
Thanks C. I'll try doing that and let you know the results.
Much Appreciated
Cactus Jack 13 Aug 2008, 07:26
add64,
Typically, for low cylinder where torics are not appropriate, the sphere is increased by one-half the cylinder. With your Rx, the left eye would be -2.00 instead of -1.75. You might ask your ECP for a trial -2.00 or -2.25 to see if you like it better or just order some on-line and see if that helps. You have the Base Curve and Diameter. You also might try the -1.75 on the right eye to see how you like that, even though you only have -0.25 cylinder in that eye.
C.
andd64 13 Aug 2008, 05:58
Also I'm 22.
andd64 13 Aug 2008, 05:57
Sorry not 8.16, i meant 8.6.
andd64 13 Aug 2008, 05:57
Hey Cactus Jack,
Sorry for the delay, but I checked up on the Rx: they're both spherical, 8.16, and 14.2. My right is -1.50, and my left -1.75.
Again my actual prescription is -1.50, -0.25x175, and -1.75, -0.50x175, for my right and left eyes respectively.
Anything I can do? I can't use these contacts, especially with my left contact.
Wendy 09 Aug 2008, 08:53
It's been a week since I got glasses and I'm definately getting more used to them (if that makes sense!) It still feels a bit odd wearing them all the time. See myself in the mirror wearing glasses is also still a bit odd. My eyes really do feel much better and I don't feel so tireed in the evenings. Also I'm still trying to get into the habit of putting my glasses on when I get up - a couple of times this week I've got as far as half way out of the front door before remembering to find my glasses and put them on. After a few more weeks it should become sort of automatic I presume and I'll put them on without even thinking about it.
So far I have worn my glasses all day every day without fail and I will continue to do so for a couple more weeks so I am totally used to them. Then I might try going without glasses for a day just to reassure myself that I really do need them all day.
andd64 08 Aug 2008, 05:51
Oh okay, well I'm at work now, I'll check as soon as I get home (as I don't have the contacts on me).
Thanks
Cactus Jack 07 Aug 2008, 15:07
andd64,
You said that you couldn't see very well with your left eye using your contacts, I'm trying to figure out why. I would like to have the information off the contact lens box and the contact lens prescription if you have it.
Contact lenses with low cylinder correction (torics) for astigmatism are not made because it is very hard to keep the lenses in the correct angular alignment on the eye. Typically, at your Rx, there is no difference between the sphere for your glasses and for the contacts because of vertex distance, but generally, one half of the cylinder is added to the sphere correction.
May I also ask your age?
C.
andd64 07 Aug 2008, 12:30
My Rx?? Do you mean my prescription? Or the current contacts I'm using now?
Cactus Jack 07 Aug 2008, 10:35
andd64,
What is your contact lens Rx?
C.
andd64 07 Aug 2008, 10:30
Hello, my prescription is -1.75, -0.50x175 for my left eye, and -1.50, -0.25x175 for my right eye. I got contacts but they said that no contacts exists for my astigmatism so they round up (or down im not sure). Anyways, my right eye is ok, but I can't see clearly at all with my left. I really like contacts, and the ones I researched goes to a minimum of -0.75 for the cylinder. (So I care more about finding a contact for my left eye).
Any suggestions? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance =)
Phil 06 Aug 2008, 05:15
Hi Wendy. How are you getting on? Do you enjoy wearing your specs? Have you had a positive reaction from friends and family? Don't forget to let us see the frames you chose.
Aubrac 06 Aug 2008, 00:45
Wendy
My wife has a little less astigmatic cylinder correction, and a little more plus correction than you.
I think she wears glasses for distance more for the astigmatism correction as you do.
Objects are clearer but especially signs letters etc. Astigmatism does tend to confuse letters like v and w, and capital O, P and B.
Let us know how you are getting on after a few weeks.
Wendy 05 Aug 2008, 09:58
I got my first glasses on Saturday. I thought I needed reading glasses as my eyes get tired in the evening and when I'm reading. The optician said I am slightly long sighted and have some astigmatism in both eyes. What surpised me was that he recommended that I wore them all the time. If he was just correcting my longsightedness he said he would recommend wearing them for reading and any other times I felt I needed to wear glasses. As he was correcting astigmatism too he felt I would benefit from fulltime correction as it was affecting my vision at all distances. I can't find the copy of my prescription at the moment but I think it was something like : Left +1.00, -1.25 and Right +1.25, -1.50. It took a few hours to get used to the glasses but now it's fine and very clear! I didn't really think I had any problems with my distance sight but these glasses really do make a difference. It still feels a bit odd suddenly going from not wearing glasses at all to being told I should wear them all the time! I'll try to find a picture of my glasses later.
I'm 22 by the way - someone always seems to ask new posters their age, so I've saved them the trouble.
eyespy 29 Jul 2008, 14:18
Holden
The optometrist likely didn't prescribe bifocals because she can compensate with her myopia. That presumes that the astigmatism doesn't complicate things - if she appears to notice the astigmatism, even though it's not huge, then it's possible that even without glasses she would sense some distortion.
I have -.75 in one eye and can tell the difference between that and the one with none even though the spherical is similar.
If the astigmatism is bothering your wife I think that even warning her of the consequences, ie bifocals, might not change anything if the glasses make it more comfortable for her.
Holden 29 Jul 2008, 13:54
I should also add that she says it is the astigmatism that is prompting her need to wear the glasses for the close up work like reading.
Is this going to accelerate her need for bifocals? I am sure she wouldn't want to do that, but I would like to prepare her in case this continued pattern is going to prompt that.
I noticed on the last eye exam the optometrist showed +.50 on the reading section of the exam (the one where you have to read the tiny lines right in front of your face). Yet she wasn't perscribed bifocals. The office said that she wouldn't need them because she has the -.50 myopia correction in both eyes which offsets it.
At what point would she need to get before the doctor would tell her she needs plus lenses as well?
Thanks!
Holden 29 Jul 2008, 13:50
What do you folks make of this development?
My 39YO wife who has an Rx as follows:
R -.50 -.75 x125
L -.50 -.50 x87
has been wearing her glasses religiously for reading, computer work, movies, driving, doing puzzles, and things like that.
Though her optometrist cautioned her against wearing her glasses for reading (said she would become dependent on them), she still does because it is easier for her to read.
Recently I have noticed that she is squinting more for items like reading the clock on the micorwave oven or on the cable box, that she didn't have issues with before. She will have the habit of squinting to see the clock, then slip her glasses on to get the accurate time. I think that she is having more difficulty seeing in the distance than at least last trip to the doctor in October 2007.
My question is, even though she is 39, can she be developing additional myopia based on what I am witnessing? Does this have something to do with wearing her glasses when reading?
Tod 14 Jul 2008, 09:13
improved contact lenses for astigmatism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoYmHhN0WLY&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCyXnVwclaw&feature=related
Cactus Jack 29 Jun 2008, 21:32
MP,
At that low level of cylinder, it won't do any harm and since they are comfortable, wear them. Low levels of astigmatism are very hard to refract accurately and the examiner could easily have made a 0.25 error.
C.
MP 29 Jun 2008, 16:45
I ordered glasses online awhile back and made a slight astigmatism notation error. I didn't realize this until now--a month after getting them--only after looking over/throwing out old receipts/papers.
My Rx:
R: +1.25 -0.25 150
L: +1.50 -1.25 020
However for the R eye I entered -0.50 rather than -0.25 for the astigmatism. Yet, I have adjusted to them quite well. I don't notice anything odd about my vision. I see very well and my eyes feel great. Is it safe to keep these, or should I bother to get them remade, or get a new pair? Does it make much difference either way?
high astigmatism 21 Jun 2008, 14:58
My astigmatism is -4.50 in one eye and -1.75 in the other, so things are noticably blurry at all distances. I used to be able to rely on the better eye and squint a lot to see things, but no longer. No doctor ever told me to wear my glasses full time so I only wore them when I felt I really needed them, like to drive or to see the board at school. I always had a mild prescription for reading glasses, but could do without unless doing a lot or reading or close up work. But presbyopia was come on with a force so I am trying to get used to wearing my glasses all the time, but I am having a time with it. Too old to be shy about it, but I am for some odd reason. Plus it feels funny to be in glasses all the time, though every day it becomes more difficult to do most things. Woe is me. Not really, but you know what I mean.
ROD 21 Jun 2008, 14:51
I had started wearing glasses when I was 4, so I don't know which my first prescription was but it was very high since then.
My glasses are quite odd and makes my eyes appear bigger, the lenses in this pair, aren't extremely thick because are done in a lenticular form, otrherwise my glasses would be extremely thick and my eyes would appear a lot more distorted.
Mark 21 Jun 2008, 09:11
I have worn glasses and or contacts for 30 years. I started off -1.00 left and -2.00 right. After several atttempts to get my right eye working well with soft torics I was diagnosed with KC. My problem now is while wearing rgp lenses after I remove them my right eye is useless with glasses until the next morning. If I wear glasses only I start out good in the morning but my vision degrades over the day. With contacts it is somewhat stable.
Guest 21 Jun 2008, 07:06
Thats a strong old prescription. Do your lenses look like regular plus or does the cyl make for a lot of distortion?
How long have you worn glasses and what was the strength of your first?
ROD 20 Jun 2008, 21:41
I'm a 29 years old guy with high hyperopia with astigmatism.
My cureent prescription is:
OD +8.50: -5.75 x 175 add +2.00
OS +9.25: -4.50 x 0 add +2.00
I wear my glasses most of the time but I also have RGP contact lenses for doing outdoor activities.
Mark 20 Jun 2008, 14:48
Right -2.00 +4.25 X 178
Left -1.25 +2.50 X 30
I must use Komfort Cone rgp contacts due to Keraticonus.
Aubrac 20 Jun 2008, 05:12
My wife has a mild plus prescrption with R -0.50 40, L -0.75 130 astigmatism correction.
One very bright sunny day, I went out wearing her prescription sunglasses. After a short while I had this strange sensation that my knees were bending, and I was was getting closer to the ground, much like the sinking into the pavement feeling.
Anyonr any idea what causes this?
Tod 19 Jun 2008, 21:19
astig. = -1.00 x 110
Guest 19 Jun 2008, 13:50
Ya, that's alot Stingray
Stingray 19 Jun 2008, 11:54
-1.75 cylinder in each eye
Guest 18 Jun 2008, 13:54
Todd
How strong is your astigmatism
Stingray 18 Jun 2008, 08:10
Tod: Yes, I had this the very first glasses I got to correct astigmatism. I felt like a dwarf sinking into the pavement. I also felt like I was tilted to the side. Very weird experience. I also had difficulty decending stairs as well. It all goes away eventually as your brain adjusts to the changes.
Tod 17 Jun 2008, 18:12
I have astigmatism only in one eye. I had worn glasses for several years before my optom decided to correct me for it. I never knew I even had astigmatism befroe this. The optom told me to wear the glasses constantly until I adapted to them which would take two weeks. He also said to be careful walking down stairs and stepping off curbs. It was a really weird experience getting use to the correction. It was like looking through someone else's glasses for days. I did step off the curb and it seemed I was stepping off a steep clift. I was even afraid to drive home wearing the new Rx. Anyone else have this experience?
periwinkle 17 Jun 2008, 15:43
Having long been a lurker at ES it's really nice to see a board for Astigmatism. Thank you!
My prescription currently is:
OD -.25 cyl -2.25 axis 038, OS -.50 cyl -.25 axis 040
This is my first prescription to stick out past my frames; very exciting!
...though I've noticed that things are still smeared-looking if I close my "good" left eye and only look through my right.
I'm 26 and just saw the optometrist in February. Is it that my eyes have changed already or was I maybe not given my full prescription? If it's the latter, can I ask for the full?
Also, is this considered "strong" astigmatism by you experts out there? Thanks!
OttO 08 Jun 2008, 19:26
Much of my life I've alternated between an Rx for a bit of astigmatism (.25 D) and no Rx for astigmatism. I never noticed a difference. My last Rx, however, I now have R 1.00 D and L .75 D for astigmatism, and it is very noticeable to me. For the first time I find it is uncomfortable to read without glasses. (Myopia was never a problem for reading.) My eyes hurt and so I just wear my glasses - trifocals - for reading.
dan 07 Jun 2008, 20:05
puffin,
my prescription is the following
OD -0.50
OS -0.50 +0.50 x180
As you can see, I have no astigmatism in my right eye a mild amount in my left. I wear my glasses only occasionally...i do need to make an appointment soon however. I definitely wear them to see the board in class (I'm a college student) and sometimes the TV at home and to drive. Overall, my vision is good, but I notice that my eyes hurt when they get tired and I'm not wearing my glasses. So, the blur is not a problem except for long distance...it's more the tired eyes that give me trouble late at night (like now haha).
Puffin 07 Jun 2008, 18:25
If you have myopia and some astigmatism, how much astigmatism is needed before it becomes a noticable problem. Or is it all just adding to the blur?
Galileo 03 Jun 2008, 08:46
Holden - no she has less myopia than me (I'm -0.5)
Holden 03 Jun 2008, 06:40
Galileo,
Does your sister have any myopia to go along with the astigmatism? I guess people have a wide range of tolerance levels when it comes to dealing with the eyestrain.
Holden 03 Jun 2008, 06:38
Dan,
It was apparent she needed glasses primarily with her night time driving habits. She was squinting and struggling to see basic road signs.
I should also mention that she had LASIK done in late 1999, which corrected a fair amount of both myopia and astigmatism. Over the years, apparently the shape of her eye has changed to the point where she needs the correction she needs today.
Brian-16 03 Jun 2008, 04:45
Dan- I have a lot of astigmatism and very nearsighted and have prism correction as my eyes turn in (tunnel vision).I do not have 20/20 as my doctor explained my eyes did not fully develop when I was very young.
I am 21 and in college
Galileo 03 Jun 2008, 03:25
Hi Holden I have a similar Rx to your wife and I rarely wear my glasses, usually at the cinema. I'm 54 now and I do notice my eyes getting tired at the end of a long day (I don't use readers either). My younger sister (46) has a similar level of astigmatism and says she can't see without her glasses and is a full time wearer. I only notice the astigmatism at night when I get halos around street lights etc
ES-Visitor 03 Jun 2008, 01:25
Holden, my wife has the same prescription but in + not -, but she simply never wears her glasses. I can see she experiences eye strain mainly on the computer and sometimes in lighting conditions like in malls with bright neon lights.
dan 02 Jun 2008, 19:25
holden,
i have a similar prescription with myopia and astigmatism in the left eye and just myopia in the right eye...i don't wear them as much as your wife (i probably should) but know what you mean about keeping them on...usually if i put them on, they'll stay on for a while but i do go through the times of whipping them on and off too. guess it just depends on my mood...how did she realize needed glasses? 39 seems rather late for myopia.
I'm 19 and in college by the way
Holden 02 Jun 2008, 16:25
My wife, 39, started wearing glasses again about 2 years ago. She has some astigmatism and nearsightedness, with an Rx of:
R -.50 -.75 x 120
L -.50 -.50 x 87
She wears her glasses for all computer work, reading, driving, classroom board work, doing closeup work like puzzles, and going to the movies. A wide variety of tasks.
She doesn't wear them FT, but does make a habit of once she has them on she has a tendency to keep them on for extended periods, like walking around the house.
I have also noticed though that she has phases where she'll whip 'em on and off constantly throughout the day.
Has anyone here experienced the feeling that wearing glasses with a light astigmatism Rx for awhile can prompt you to leave them on for an extended period? Kind of like, once they're on, they're on?
Does not wearing them in the evening after having worn them throughout the day prompt people to tire quicker at night when doing routine tasks (the idea would be that the eyes are working harder).
benn 02 Jun 2008, 09:39
While we are asking questions...I have been told that I have two types oh astigmatism, residual and surface. Ever heard of them?
I am -2.50 each eye.
R Ed 01 Jun 2008, 11:41
What cylinder (astigmatism)Rx numbers are considered low, moderate and high?
Trent 01 Jun 2008, 09:13
My astigmatism has gone as high as -3.00 diopters. This made contact lenses very expensive to purchase and extremely difficult to fit. I could not wear the real soft lenses so lens comfort was sacrificed. Often the lenses would rotate creating blurry vision. I sometime tried 5 pairs of lenses before I found a pair that would work.
With glasses, astigmatism correction contributes to lens distortion and addition lens cost. If the frames are not adjusted perfectly two images may occur resulting in painful headaches. Astigmatism correction in lenses adds power and thickness to the lens in that axis.
Guesty 01 Jun 2008, 09:06
Hi all, I can post at last (had problems before). How irritating would a -0.50 x 140 be for someone with a -2.50 prescription. Does it make much difference or is it insignificant compared with the -2.50? Thanks
Melyssa 01 Jun 2008, 07:33
This subject has caused me enough trouble for four and a half decades, at a current level of +3.00, to go with my -9.00 prescription. I was told by two different ophthalmologists that I couldn't wear contact lenses because my astigmatism was so much.
Puffin 01 Jun 2008, 06:42
what would people's opinion be if I asked whether astigmatism caused more problems for a myope or hyperope?
31 May 2008, 22:14
Madison Avenue's approach to the subject:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g7W-DTGPx0w&feature=related
Tod 31 May 2008, 22:13
And thank you Wurm for creating this thread and site.
I hope everyone will contribute some really good posts here.
Tod 31 May 2008, 22:10
Madisom Avenue's approach to astigmatism:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g7W-DTGPx0w&feature=related
Tod 31 May 2008, 22:07
This girl frets over which correction for her eye condition called astigmatism.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KpibZnKkNak&feature=related
Wurm 31 May 2008, 21:08
A new thread, for the topic of Astigmatism. Thanks to Tod for the suggestion.