 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / General / Vision / March 2005Is it ok to take my glasses on and off or best to leave them on?
I've noticed in the past few weeks that things have started getting just slightly blurry. It started with computer screens and then menus (at a distance), etc. So today I saw the eye doctor and got some glasses. The prescription is for: (+0.25) 50 (-0.25) 50 Two years ago I saw a different eye doctor but I didn't have insurance at the time so I didn't get the glasses. The prescription from two years ago was: +0.25 (+0.25 10 degrees) +0.25 (+0.25 170 degrees) Can anyone tell me if these are similar? I have tried the transposing algorithms but can't figure it out. I definitely see better with my glasses so I'm quite happy. Well text is clearer and not blurry, but it will take some getting used to. My next question is about taking them on and off during the day. The doctor told me not to do this, that if I put them on that I should leave them on. Unless I am going to be away from the computer for an hour or more I should leave them on. The doctor I saw two years ago told me the prescription she gave me was for glasses for reading and using the computer. I'm hoping I can use my glasses while using the computer and reading at my desk (the majority of the day, probably 6-7 hours) and take them off the rest of the time (meetings, lunch, etc.). Would this be OK? Any general rules here? Thanks, Michael I just saw on the paperwork for my glasses that the company that made the glasses converted the prescription to the following: +0.00 (+0.25) 50 -0.25 (+0.25) 140 So now I'm really curious. The axis are similar to my old prescription from two years ago (50 compared to 10 and 140 compared to 170), but the first number is completely different. Could my eyes have changed in two years? I hate the thought of the possibility of having glasses that might not be the right correction. Thanks, Michael I don't know about prescriptions and I think you need a professional to answer your questions about the correction. But I can give my opinion on your other questions. First, yes, it's possible that your eyes have changed in the last two years. Eyes are constantly changing as we age. This will happen whether or not you wear glasses. I don't believe that wearing glasses makes the eyes worse. As for wearing the glasses constantly, I think you should wear them when you need them. If you are comfortable taking them off at certain times, such as when you are not in front of the PC, then take them off. This will not hurt your eyes. The only thing that could happen is that you may forget where you left them and you could lose them. If you put them into a sturdy case, and keep the case with you or in a particular spot, then you won't have a problem. If you are not feeling that the prescription you were given is correct for you, then ask the doctor. They should be willing to answer your questions. If not, find someone else. > I just saw on the paperwork for my glasses that the company that made > the glasses converted the prescription to the following: [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Thanks, > Michael You're talking about a very mild spectacle rx and it's not that much different than the original- to be honest I rarely even give an rx for that mild a refractive error. It's very common to have changes in two yrs. I'd just wear them part-time if it helps on the computer. frank Thank you for your reply. I know my glasses are very mild, and two years ago I didn't even get the prescription filled because I felt I saw well. But then when you try the glasses at the dr's office and can see perfectly it's strange to then go back to seeing things fuzzy. A follow-up question: If, in your opinion, I may not really need glasses, then will it hurt my eyes or make my vision worse to wear them? I've heard that if one wears glasses that the eyes stop working to compensate and become lazy. I'm not sure if that's true. If it's not bad for my eyes to take them on and off, I would like to leave them by my computer and wear them while using the computer and take them off when leaving my office (meetings, lunch, etc.). This way they'll always be by my computer and I won't lose them. I was just worried that might not be good for my eyes after the doctor said not to do that. Thanks again, it's great to get opinions from this group. Michael Dear Michael, Subject: Wearing glasses. You will get two "opinions" about wearing a minus lens. (As you said -- to make your distant vision sharper.) Some MDs and ODs will attempt to avoid using a strong minus on a young child. If the child's vision passes the 20/40 line, they simply will not give the child a minus lens. Other ODs have called the minus lens "poision glasses for children". Other ODs will post "blasts" against the "second opinion" on this subject. For the record, one OD in posts a statement to that effect. Read, www.chinamyopia.org Medicine is the business of opinions. I would suggest use of that mild lens --- only when necessary. Dr. Dave Guyton (Johns Hopkins) says the same thing. Just be careful. I am an engineer -- to make your judgment accordingly. Best, Otis > Dear Michael, > Subject: Wearing glasses. > You will get two "opinions" about wearing a minus lens. > (As you said -- to make your distant vision sharper.) Ahem, Otis This patient was prescribed plus lenses, not minus lenses Dr Judy > Medicine is the business of opinions. No Otis, Medicine is a field where scientific reasoning is applied to the treatment of the human body. Medical therapies are proven in scientific studies, and then used to treat illness. If they are unsuccessful they are abandoned. If better therapies are demonstrated through scientific evaluation, they are adopted. You keep trying to twist definitions and quotes around to support your arguments. Is this what "engineering science" is all about? Your unproven approaches would be at best be termed "alternative medicine". Some might term them quackery. >Medicine is the business of opinions. I would suggest use of >that mild lens --- only when necessary. Dr. Dave Guyton >(Johns Hopkins) says the same thing. Just be careful. Gosh, I find Dave Guyton weighing in on this topic *only* on that ChinaMyopia site (1995), and *even there*, he's not agreeing with you, Otis. (http://www.chinamyopia.org/healthnewsguyton.htm) The closest he comes is to suggest that myopes should remove their minus glasses for reading or near work, or to slightly undercorrect the high myope. He only recommends plus (reading glasses) for myopes wearing *contact lenses* because the use of readers is easier than removing contacts to read. He also suggests that this may help reduce potential axial lengthening. But . . . in this case, you've neutralized the myopia via the contact lenses. You're just giving a plus lens to a virtual emmetrope at this point--not to a myope the way you advocate. David Guyton is a near-legend in strabismus ophthalmologist--and one whom I've met on several occasions. Where is it that you think he agrees with you??? I don't see it in what you're citing. > Thank you for your reply. I know my glasses are very mild, and two > years ago I didn't even get the prescription filled because I felt I [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > worried that might not be good for my eyes after the doctor said not to > do that. There is no harm in taking glasses on and off, you will adapt faster if you wear them alot for the first week, after that it doesn't matter There is no truth to the idea that wearing glasses will make your eyes worse. The few people that think it does are referring to minus lenses for distance, not plus lenses for near which you have. Dr Judy > Thanks again, it's great to get opinions from this group. > Michael Dear Michael, Subject: Slight prescription. As some ODs say -- they would not even bother giving you a "prescription", when you have variously a -0.25 and a +0.25. 1/4 diopter is the smallest "prescription" that and be given. People with 20/20 vision, can use a mild -1/4 to -1/2 diopter lens to "clear" to 20/15, and even 20/10. Most ODs will not do this because of the "risks" (i.e., eyes "adapt" to the minus lens). Again, you should be aware of these "contradictory" opinions, and decide these issues for yourself. If you complain of "eye strain" there are some ODs who will give you a "plus lens" for working at the computer. So, indeed, it is good to be aware of these opinions -- in the final anlysis, you decide this issue for yourself. Best, Otis Engineer Hi Otis, When you say "a plus lens for working at the computer" are you referring to the first number or the second? When I look at my prescription, as transposed by the glasses company: +0.00 (+0.25) 50 -0.25 (+0.25) 140 I wonder if these are plus or negative? I used my glasses an entire day today and kept taking them off for a few seconds to compare. For text up close, there is barely a difference, it's just barely sharper with the glasses. But for objects farther away (for today I was in a training class and was reading text on a computer screen projected on the wall) I can definitely tell the difference, it is much sharper. And it also seems there is better depth perception but that could just be me. I think the glasses are more to correct the astigmatism than for near or farsightedness. Am I correct? I'm very intrigued by this and I'm trying to learn as much as I can. I'm very grateful for the help I've received in this group. Regards, Michael > Hi Otis, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > I wonder if these are plus or negative? It doesn't matter for the first one, since a minus zero and a plus zero are exactly the same. For your second, that is a minus. There is mainly only one person on this group who thinks that a minus lens is bad. Most everybody else says you should wear what you need (which is whatever makes your vision sharpest). Is a size 10 shoe good? It is if you have a size 10 foot. If you don't, then you shouldn't wear it. If the shoe fits, wear it. :-)  SignatureDan Abel Sonoma State University AIS dabel@sonic.net Dear Michael, Subject: Very weak prescription If it were me -- I would not wear this "prescription". It is so weak that it is not worth it -- even though it SLIGHTLY sharpens your vision. Your prescription: +0.00 (+0.25) 50 The 0.0 indicates "plano", or "plate glass. The second number is "astigmatism" -- which is very slight, not worth "correcting" in my opinion. -0.25 (+0.25) 140 This is a minus lens of -1/4 diopters -- the smallest "prescription" possible. The second is 1/4 diopter astigmatism at 140 degrees (cylender). If you had another measurement -- this could change -- or "go away". Some ODs simply would not bother "prescribing" for this "astigmatism". The "standard practice" is to provide a lens that makes your vision as "sharp" as possible. This is what you have been offered, and what you paid for -- of course. If you wish to check some of this you might "download" and eye chart from www.i-see.org and determine if you can read the 20/20 line. I suspect that you could read at least the 20/25 line. An alternative approach is to use a "reading" lens -- which you will find on a rack in a drug store. Some pilots have found that by using this plus lens to "relax" their "near vision", they can clear their "far" vision. But that issue does depend on your age and motivation. But again, if I were reading 20/25 or 20/20 -- I simply would not wear the "slight" prescription. Just my opinion. Best, Otis Engineer BEST IS DESTROY THEM ALTOGETHER AND FAST AND LEARN THE CURE WITHOUT GLASSES. http://TheCentralFixation.com > I've noticed in the past few weeks that things have started getting > just slightly blurry. It started with computer screens and then menus [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > Thanks, > Michael Ok I've done a lot of Googling and I've read a lot. I'm learning a lot about optics and glasses. There is still a major point I do not understand. When I look at my original prescription, the spherical is zero: (+0.25) 50 (-0.25) 50 I got it filled and on the paperwork is printed: +0.00 (+0.25) 50 -0.25 (+0.25) 140 I'm concerned about having the negative 0.25 as I've read negative lens can be bad. Also I'm not really concerned about seeing far away, it's more reading and computer work. When I read the way the prescription was written, the spherical is 0 and it's the cylinders that are +0.25 and -0.25. But after transposing it looks like I have a minus lens. This is really confusing. Can you explain this? I don't really want the minus 0.25, I just want the astigmatism corrected. From the tranposing algorithms I understand that these two prescriptions are equal. So is it safe to have a "minus lens"? -Michael > Ok I've done a lot of Googling and I've read a lot. I'm learning a lot > about optics and glasses. There is still a major point I do not [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > -Michael Michael, Basically, your srx is very, very mild. Transposed to minus cylinder, the right eye is +25-25x 140 (a smidgeon amount of hyperopia and astig) and the left eye is pl-25x050 (means a smidgeon amt of astigmatism only). Don't waste any time being concerned or about the remarks of a couple of dim witted posters who have only their own agendas. You don't have ANY myopia or have a "minus lens", and, even if you did, it would do no harm . frank |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.