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kgirl - 21 Aug 2007 22:51 GMT

I posted this as a follow up to a previous question of mine, but don't
know if it might just get lost in the shuffle! I am posting again
here (and apologize for being repetitious) but since I have another
question I thought I should start something new! Thank you.

Thank you for your responses to my previous question about
autorefractor vs. phoropter. I will post my current prescription as
soon as I can get to a copy of it. I am leaning needing lots of help
up close these days (as in full time!!) but didn't realize that
distance would be changing as well. I looked through old
prescriptions, as I've kept most of them, and found that I was a -1.25
for distance in my teens, with the high astigmatism; the sphere has
come down regularly since then, and the add has increased since my
teens as well! That being said, would it serve me to go with the
autorefractor readings, get more plus rather than negative for
distance, and just leave them on until I relax into it?

One more question; my husband just got his very first rx for glasses,
as follows:

OD -.50, +.25, x155 add 1.25
OS -.25 add 1.25

I'm not familiar with a plus astigmatism correction; how does that
read when written with a - sign in front of it? Also, he was not
given any instructions as to when/how to wear. He has been having a
lot of problems with distance- reading road signs, exit signs, etc.
and some near issues as well. Would you advise this as a full time
wear prescription? He's a dentist and would use them for work; would
a near-only pair of glasses be beneficial, and does that change the
near prescription if there's no distance in it? He also wants
sunglasses; should they be made up with the bifocal add in them? He
seems fine with full time wear if that's needed; my gut is that he'll
start wearing them and find them to be comfortable and just keep them
on all time anyway!! Thank you again for all of your help. He went to
the appointment alone, and didn't even know he came out of it with
bifocals until I looked at the rx last night. Unlike me, he doesn't
ask twelve million questions!!!

Reply to this Message

otisbrown@pa.net - 23 Aug 2007 03:02 GMT

Dear KGirl,

Subject: An easy solution.

It does not look like anyone is going to answer your question.

I would talk to your husband, and ask him what his
interest is here.

Given the very weak "prescription", he probably
will have good vision with out that prescription.

(But that is a judgment he will have to make.)

Has he complained of being unable to do close
work?

If so, he can just get some +1.25 diopter
readers off-the-shelf -- and that will probably
meet his "near work" needs.

That will also help him avoid that wretched
bi-focal -- if that is his desire.

Just one man's opinion.

Now that I have posted, I am certain you
will get a zillion responses to your questions.

Otis

> I posted this as a follow up to a previous question of mine, but don't
> know if it might just get lost in the shuffle! I am posting again
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
> bifocals until I looked at the rx last night. Unlike me, he doesn't
> ask twelve million questions!!!

Reply to this Message

otisbrown@pa.net - 23 Aug 2007 03:23 GMT

Dear KGirl,

Also, it is possible that your husband was over-prescribed.

If he is interested -- to determine his actual
visual acuity -- you might ask him to
read this Snellen.

Just click here:

http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/oph/ped/IVAC/IVAC.html

Then press on "Display" to get letters. Pressing
display again will give you new random letters.

He might find he has 20/20 -- or is very close to it.

It is worth the check.

Just a suggestion.

Otis

On Aug 22, 10:02 pm, "otisbr...@pa.net" <otisbr...@pa.net> wrote:

> Dear KGirl,
>
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kgirl - 24 Aug 2007 23:36 GMT

On Aug 22, 10:23?pm, "otisbr...@pa.net" <otisbr...@pa.net> wrote:

> Dear KGirl,
>
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>
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Thank you Otis for your response. I am no expert in the vision
profession, but as lonnnnng time wearer of some sort of correction I
wondered about that -.25 sphere. It seems negligible in a sense, but
my worry is that his major complaint was that he was having trouble
with his distant vision and really cannot make out signs or much of
anything else in the not-so-far-off-distance. . He had to make an
emergency visit to the Opthmalogist when he burst a blood vessel in
his eye a few weeks ago; I had been bugging him to go prior to that to
address his other issues and it was at that emergency appt that he
said he scheduled a regular visit 'because I was there already, and
otherwise I'd have waited until I couldn't see to drive any more
before I got glasses'. That's why I wonder about such a small distant
correction when that was his chief complaint. He had talked about
problems with near vision as well of late, presbyopia I presumed, so
that's the add I guess. We looked at some frames the other night and
the gentleman we worked with didn't bring up the small sphere but
rather guided us toward progressives as opposed to lined bifocals. He
didn't recommend single vision lenses- I asked- but stressed that he
would be most comfortable in full time wear of the bifocal. As I
noted, he didn't seem to mind, but he also doesn't understand any of
that vision correction stuff so he doesn't know if there are
alternatives. Are there? Do you have more suggestions? I tried
suggesting that he what you suggested but he thinks that he has a
prescription and therefore needs and must wear it, AND that it's going
to change his vision markedly. HELP!!

Reply to this Message

otisbrown@pa.net - 25 Aug 2007 02:22 GMT

Dear KGirl,

Subject: Your husband has a choice.

What the OD attempts to do is to make your husband's
vision as sharp as possible. We all understand it that
way.

But you husband does have a choice.

You will find a lot of (second-opinion) discussion here
to "avoid the minus". Thus it would be the suggestion
of these second-opinion people that:

1. Get a "single-vision" prescription made exclusively
for driving a car. Then keep them on the dash
of the car an use them when required.

2. Have him read the Snellen I posted -- just for
a sense of what is distant vision is actually like.
I NEVER hurts to know exactly what it is.

3. Get some "readers" in the drug store (USA),
and try them on. You will find plus-power of
+1.25 diopters, and your husband can use
them when needed.

4. Thus his option or choice is to avoid the bifocal,
with the above items meeting all his vision
requirements satisfactorily.

5. A prescription on this order means that he
probably reads the Snellen at 20/25 to 20/30.
The DMV requirement is 20/40 (3/4 inch at 20 feet).

OD -.50, +.25, x155 add 1.25

OS -.25 add 1.25

6. The "add" is simply a "plus" for reading.

It becomes a matter of HIS convenience and choice.

Best,

Otis

> On Aug 22, 10:23?pm, "otisbr...@pa.net" <otisbr...@pa.net> wrote:
>
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