The Vent and Rant Thread

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I asked about bifocals a couple years ago and the eye doctor said I was too young to be considering them. I thought it was about how we see, not what age we are. But I'm not the specialist.

I'm 40 so I didn't expect to need bifocals so soon either. I admit I am just learning about eyeglass prescriptions. I never needed to know before. Now I need more than just distance glasses. It's so weird...I'm wearing my glasses less and less before I wore them all the time but until the new ones come in I only need distance for very far away things. Everything is blurry most of the time I find myself doing nothing. I can only read for so long without glasses. It takes too much focus that my old pair of glasses use to do the work for me.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Glad to hear you got something worked out. If you are on the computer a lot like I am, having a separate pair of glasses for intermediate/computer is really helpful.

I usually take my glasses off for any dedicated reading. I hold reading material about 11-12 inches from my face to read clearly. My eyes don't track together well unless I am looking straight ahead, so trying to read while looking down through the reading portion at the bottom of the trifocals is not comfortable for extended periods of reading.

I can't see clearly that far away. I have to hold it about 5 to 6 inches to see clearly. Any further and it's blurry. I am on my laptop alot or was when I had glasses that worked for it.

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I recommend ZenniOptical.com I get their $7 frames, and can get a single distance pair of glasses for $25. Plus $5 for shipping, so I usually order another pair to make it worth while. I have distance+computer in bifocals (~$100), also single length computer length, and single length reading. The distance+computer is my every day wear - works for driving, etc.

Once my preferred local kind of graduated tri-focals got to $500, I said heck with buying local, and I gave up on the graduated and the tri-focal too. I haven't missed it.

It looks like I can get progressives from them for about $60 with a $7 frame (Bifocals are more expensive) or single lenses pair for $9 plus shipping. The problem is my prescription is for bifocals (Intermediate/Near) so I wouldn't know how to order just prescription reading glasses.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I can't see clearly that far away. I have to hold it about 5 to 6 inches to see clearly. Any further and it's blurry. I am on my laptop alot or was when I had glasses that worked for it.



It looks like I can get progressives from them for about $60 with a $7 frame (Bifocals are more expensive) or single lenses pair for $9 plus shipping. The problem is my prescription is for bifocals (Intermediate/Near) so I wouldn't know how to order just prescription reading glasses.

I asked my doctor how to read / use the numbers. I may have also googled it. They give you one number (+4.5 for ex, or -2.25 ex2), then tell you +1.50 (for ex) for the near part. To order glasses as just the near part, you take the first number and add the offset for the near vision. So, for ex, +4.5 + +1.50 = +6.0 For ex2, -2.25 + +1.50 = -.75

You also need to ask for your pupil distance (or ask a friend to measure it) and get the width of the frame (temple corner to temple corner) from a current well-fitting pair (and a ruler).

I could have gotten progressives from ZenniOptical, but had learned that I only like the most expensive type of blank material, Varilux, which they don't carry. So I opted back to with-line bifocals.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I asked about bifocals a couple years ago and the eye doctor said I was too young to be considering them. I thought it was about how we see, not what age we are. But I'm not the specialist.

I wore bi-focals 30-40 years ago, when I was in my mid 30's.

I can't recall why, but I ceased wearing them after few years. Back then they were rather primitive, so it might have been the weight and/or appearance. I went back to a single 'general purpose' prescription.

Over the past decade or so I've needed two pairs of glasses, one for reading/computer and another for distance - basically indoor and outdoor.

I had to see my eye doctor earlier this year when I lost my reading glasses. We discussed bifocals, she told me how much they had improved since I last wore them. But then she asked: "Do you have any balance related issues". When I said, "Yes." She said, emphatically, "Well you can't have bifocals." Apparently the shifts of focus between different parts of the lens can exacerbate existing balance issues and lead to falls and stumbles.

My balance problems are a co-symptom of Peripheral Neuropathy for which there's no cure, and in my case for which there is no obvious cause Diabetes and excessive booze are the most common causes, I've been checked for diabetes nine-ways to Sunday, and I stopped drinking alcohol 20+ years ago. Walking, gym sessions, 'healthy diet', podiatrist, and 'sensible' shoes help me manage it.

Aside : How come you guys know the precise characteristics of your glasses, I've never even had 'possession' of mine, and even if did I'd never be able to remember them. They might be on the "MyHealth" records that the gov't keeps, apparently I can look at those online, but I never have.

BR

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Aside : How come you guys know the precise characteristics of your glasses, I've never even had 'possession' of mine, and even if did I'd never be able to remember them. They might be on the "MyHealth" records that the gov't keeps, apparently I can look at those online, but I never have.

I go to an opthamalogist and don't necessarily use their in-house opticians so they give me a prescription so I can go elsewhere. I'm not sure if most eyewear places with their own optomitrist will do that without asking. They kinda want you to buy from them.

[CRussel]

It's the law in Canada. Or at least B.C. They have to give you your prescription even if they are filling it.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I asked my doctor how to read / use the numbers. I may have also googled it. They give you one number (+4.5 for ex, or -2.25 ex2), then tell you +1.50 (for ex) for the near part. To order glasses as just the near part, you take the first number and add the offset for the near vision. So, for ex, +4.5 + +1.50 = +6.0 For ex2, -2.25 + +1.50 = -.75

You also need to ask for your pupil distance (or ask a friend to measure it) and get the width of the frame (temple corner to temple corner) from a current well-fitting pair (and a ruler).

I could have gotten progressives from ZenniOptical, but had learned that I only like the most expensive type of blank material, Varilux, which they don't carry. So I opted back to with-line bifocals.

My Prescription is
OD: SPH: -4.75 CYL: -1.50 AXIS: 011 ADD: +1.50 PD: 32
OS: SPH: -5.00 CYL: -1.50 AXIS: 115 ADD: +1.50 PD: 32.5

Now on the Axis I'm not sure the numbers are correct. The lady's hand writing is as bad as my own. I will confirm once I go pick up my remade pair. The first prescription they gave the Axis numbers were 009/005 so the big change on the left eye actually looks like 175 but I think it's actually 115 but the ink smeared to make it look like a 7.

I was told for computer/immediate pair it would be put as half the strength which is close to my old pair's strength. For near? I have no clue. I tried what google said to do but came up with a negative number. Math is not my strong suit. So no clue what my reading glasses would be.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Aside : How come you guys know the precise characteristics of your glasses, I've never even had 'possession' of mine, and even if did I'd never be able to remember them. They might be on the "MyHealth" records that the gov't keeps, apparently I can look at those online, but I never have.

BR

It's the law here in the U.S. but you have to ask for a copy of the prescription to get it. I just told them it's for online ordering and they gave me a copy. It's good for a year. You have to ask for the Pupil Distance as well they forget to put that on there twice with mine. Once you have it you can order online which is really cheaper it seems.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

I go to an opthamalogist and don't necessarily use their in-house opticians so they give me a prescription so I can go elsewhere. I'm not sure if most eyewear places with their own optomitrist will do that without asking. They kinda want you to buy from them.

Originally Posted by CRussel

It's the law in Canada. Or at least B.C. They have to give you your prescription even if they are filling it.

Originally Posted by Blossom

It's the law here in the U.S. but you have to ask for a copy of the prescription to get it. I just told them it's for online ordering and they gave me a copy. It's good for a year. You have to ask for the Pupil Distance as well they forget to put that on there twice with mine. Once you have it you can order online which is really cheaper it seems.

Here I would suspect regulation, or professional conduct guidelines would stipulate they must be available to patients. Might be mandatory by blackletter law in the nannier states.

When I was travelling o/s a lot (last century) I carried my 'old' glasses and a 'just in case' photocopy of the 'scrip. I had to ask for it, they were handwritten back then. Given my eye specialist doesn't use a desktop computer during consultations, and that my file is a manilla folder, I wouldn't be surprised if they're still unreadable scrawls on a flimsy A5 scrap of paper. So even if I had a copy I doubt I'd be able to tell you what was on it.

My GP is the same, he handwrites... atrociously... pharma 'scrips and referrals; pharmacists, cardiologists, physiotherapists, et al have all commented on it :lol: Neither are very old, at a guess 40ish. I quite like the fact that they're not tethered to computers - unlike my vascular guy Ψ²

BR

[Blossom]

Same, mine is handwritten. I'm going to have to confirm when I go back that the Axis numbers are correct as they are poorly written and hard to make out. They use both a computer and manilla folder system. A printed copy would be so much easier I'd think.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[CRussel]

Computers and printers have vastly improved pharmacy (and optical) accuracy here. The only prescriptions that are hand written are for opiates -- they get written on a triplicate pad because they're tracked.

When I paid my bill at the optometrist, the prescription was right there on my copy. All neatly printed.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Blossom

My Prescription is
OD: SPH: -4.75 CYL: -1.50 AXIS: 011 ADD: +1.50 PD: 32
OS: SPH: -5.00 CYL: -1.50 AXIS: 115 ADD: +1.50 PD: 32.5

Now on the Axis I'm not sure the numbers are correct. The lady's hand writing is as bad as my own. I will confirm once I go pick up my remade pair. The first prescription they gave the Axis numbers were 009/005 so the big change on the left eye actually looks like 175 but I think it's actually 115 but the ink smeared to make it look like a 7.

I was told for computer/immediate pair it would be put as half the strength which is close to my old pair's strength. For near? I have no clue. I tried what google said to do but came up with a negative number. Math is not my strong suit. So no clue what my reading glasses would be.

175 is a lot closer to 005 than 115. This is because 175 could also be written as -005 (but never is - the cylinder axis is always between 0 and 179).

For near, you'd probably want +2 or +3 to the main number (e.g. -2.75 and -3.00) . +2 would give sharp vision out to 0.5m (about 19 inches). +3 would give sharp vision out to 0.33m (about 13 inches). The numbers for cylinder and axis shouldn't be changed.

It is very important to get the cylinder numbers right. if you got glasses made up with 115 when it should be 175, it would be worse than useless - instead of decreasing your astigmatism, it would increase it.

[John F]

Maybe we need an eyesight vent and rant thread?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by John F

Maybe we need an eyesight vent and rant thread?

Yes, these people wittering on about prescriptions and dioptres should take it to a more appropriate thread! I couldn't agree more!


(Sorry.)

[John F]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Yes, these people wittering on about prescriptions and dioptres should take it to a more appropriate thread! I couldn't agree more!


(Sorry.)

And while we're at it, how about a thread for those people who insist on posting in green and telling other people what to do?