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Medical Forum / General / Vision / March 2006Understanding prescriptions
Hi I know this is an idiotic question, but I've ordered some glasses on the internet and don't know whether to ignore the CYL and AXIS columns on my prescription. As far as I know I'm short-sighted only (no optician has ever told me I'm astigmatic), so presumably these boxes should be empty? It sounds as though you're trying to make up your own prescription. Is that correct? If so, then that really /isn't/ the best idea I've heard today.... Have you gone to an optometrist for an eye exam in the last year? If not, you should. The doctor will write you a current and correct prescription for glasses that you can /then/ fill via the Internet or anywhere else you'd like. Reputable online glasses/contacts places /won't/ fill your prescription without a doctor's Rx anyway.... Dear Lucyann, If you wish a honest answer, I would sugget joining: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/i-see/ Post your prescription, and you can get some help. I am tired of dealing with Neil Books. Best, Otis > Dear Lucyann, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > I am tired of dealing with Neil Books. What IS your problem, Otis. The original poster was not clear whether or not she was working from a current prescription. If she was, it wasn't clear that she had a sphere-only prescription in her hand. If she IS working from a current prescription--dispensed by an optometrist (or ophthalmologist)--and the CYL and AXIS boxes are simply blank, then somebody, including me, can explain to her that she, apparently, doesn't /have/ any material astigmatism and should order the glasses just as written. In the alternative, if she is working from a current prescription, she can simply call the doctor's office and address any concerns to the writing doc. Otis, go away. For a guy who claims to be tired of "dealing with me," you never stop. Similarly, you NEVER add anything of value on this forum. > Hi I know this is an idiotic question, but I've ordered some glasses on > the internet and don't know whether to ignore the CYL and AXIS columns > on my prescription. As far as I know I'm short-sighted only (no > optician has ever told me I'm astigmatic), so presumably these boxes > should be empty? If you don't have an astigmatism, then ignore the CYL and AXIS. However, it would be unusual (although not impossible) for you "measure" zero astigmatism if you had an eye exam. If you have had an exam within the last year, your OD is legally obligated to give you a copy upon request (although you may have to ask more than once if your OD has an optical shop in his/her office). go refer to your pescription papers. If you want an update, see your optometrist. Sometimes two or more pescriptions are dispensed. full power for distance and reduced power "computer glasses" as in my case I'm very sorry to cause confusion! I do have a recent prescription, which has a (low) CYL value. It's just that I've been short-sighted for most of my life and have never been told I'm astigmatic so wondered whether it was a mistake. I guess that's unlikely. If I understand Mark A correctly, however, most people with poor vision have a small amount of astigmatism. (Which is why the optician doesn't need to mention it.) To clear things up, the only reason I was asking is that I was ordering a pair of cheap glasses from a website that gets you to fill in your own prescription, and I didn't know whether to leave the CYL and AXIS boxes blank. I won't! Thanks for helping. > I'm very sorry to cause confusion! I do have a recent prescription, > which has a (low) CYL value. It's just that I've been short-sighted for [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > own prescription, and I didn't know whether to leave the CYL and AXIS > boxes blank. I won't! Thanks for helping. What is confusing in your post is that you say the OD did not mention the astigmatism to you. It doesn't matter whether your OD mentioned it verbally, it only matters what is written on your Rx. > most people with poor vision have a small amount > of astigmatism. (Which is why the optician doesn't need to mention it.) Most people with good vision have a small amount, too. -MT I sthat so? At what point does an OD prescribe correction for it? Is it usual for it to fluctuate between prescriptions? In the past I've been -0.25 and zero, clearly not siginificant, but when does it become so - and if people with good vision have it too, doesn't it compromise their 'good' vision? >> most people with poor vision have a small amount >> of astigmatism. (Which is why the optician doesn't need to mention it.) > >Most people with good vision have a small amount, too. > >-MT >I sthat so? At what point does an OD prescribe correction for it? Is it > usual for it to fluctuate between prescriptions? Astigmatism alone doesn't call for correction unless there are symptoms. And some tolerate astimatism better than others. Most near- or farsighted prescriptions include some amount of astigmatism. If you're wearing glasses for those, we operate on the assumption that you want to see as well as you can, so it's included as a matter of accuracy. > In the past I've been -0.25 > and zero, clearly not siginificant, but when does it become so - and if > people with good vision have it too, doesn't it compromise their 'good' > vision? Sure. But it isn't as "compromising" as you might think. I have a fair amount of astigmatism, and it enables me to read a computer screen at my age when presbyopia would otherwise have wiped me out. Therefore it makes my vision "better than it should be" up close. Although astigmatism does produce some blur, it can be adaptive. -MT |
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