I’ll leave it to any opticians here to you give you an expert view, but personally speaking I wouldn’t bother - I put off wearing glasses for as long as possible (apart from when driving). Glasses are a faff.
I went for an eye test yesterday, largely everything is spot on but sometimes I find myself reading text on the TV and noticing it's a little fuzzy. Just a little, still readable, and causes me no issues other than being a little annoying that my once-perfect eyes are no longer quite so perfect.
The prescription is:
Sphere Cyl Axis Right 0 -0.5 130 Left 0 -0.5 70
I know that the -0.5 values are tiny, it's very borderline whether specs are needed or not and to be fair to the optician, she didn't try the hard sell at all.
Do you wear specs with such a low cylinder value? Should I?
I’ll leave it to any opticians here to you give you an expert view, but personally speaking I wouldn’t bother - I put off wearing glasses for as long as possible (apart from when driving). Glasses are a faff.
My wife's an optician.
She says "If you're noticing a problem you should get glasses. Everyone has a different tolerance to things"
Apparently, my future Son-In-Law has a similar prescription and he's found glasses useful (He's said as much to me).
Personally, when I started wearing glasses I felt my eyesight depreciated quickly, but that could have just been coincidental.
I cant read or use my computer, really, without glasses, but it's been about 10 years since I started wearing them (now 58).
Final point, she says is "No optician is going to say you MUST wear glasses" with a prescription like that, so ultimately it's up to you.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Cheers, that's useful. Maybe I'll go bargain-bucket to see if there is a noticeable difference over a few days then either bin them or get a decent pair.
I had surgery with a slightly worse prescription, and then had a second correction surgery one one eye settled at -0.5.
After surgery I had perfect vision for maybe 10-15 years, until I experienced a neurological issue some years back and I’ve been using contacts or glasses since.
As I liked to ride motorbikes reasonably quickly, I found having improved vision hugely helpful in looking further up the road etc. But I didn’t need glasses etc. at the time to read number plates or much else - O only noticed with things like the tv channel guide could look a little blurry if I was tired, and my long distance wasn’t as clear as some friends out and about and they were pointing out a sign or similar in the distance.
It's just a matter of time...
I've been short-sighted for about 15 years (started at -1.0 and now surely at c-2.0). I started with glasses for cinema and driving, but then gradually fell out of the habit as I could manage quite OK without them. Plus, I am of the opinion that wearing glasses and not making your eyes work so hard will make your eyesight deteriorate faster. So, I have not worn glasses/contacts for 10+ years - I've not hit anyone / anything yet, and TV is fine, although Freeview text is definitely quite blurry (I just lean forwards). I work at a PC / monitor all day long.
So, I'd say avoid glasses unless you have to. But, I'm no optician - and I'm a tight-fisted Scot.
First of all I will caveat my comment with the fact that I’m not an optician or know anything more about eyes and the average Joe.
15 years ago I went to the optician and returned with a similar prescription like you have noted, up to that point I had never needed glasses or thought I needed them. I was initially shocked and because of this I went to another optician for a second check. Prior to having the second opinion, I thought I would make sure I was fully slept, watered and fed i.e. doing what I could to help my body be fully charged. On the second check, the prescription was 0.25 better in one eye but still not the 20/20.
At the time I felt my eyes had deteriorated because of the significant amount of reading/studying I was doing.
Fast forward to today, I’m still not wearing glasses although I do feel that my eyes have slightly deteriorated from where they were but I’m putting this down to age. I also believe that the muscles in the eyes start to relax and that these need to be retrained to perform optimally.
I was impressed with the test I had 15 years ago, and I’d like to think that since then they have moved even further forward. I am due another eye test and plan to get round to this sometime....
100% disagree! Many years ago I tried to delude myself in a similar manner, it’s merely an act of denial. Your brain gets ysed to being able to see properly so you notice the disparity more when you take them off. I started needing glasses in my 20s and had to get contact lenses for running after I almost got hit by a car whilst crossing a road in fading daylight, totally misjudged the speed/ distance because I couldn’t see. Also ran into a tree one evening whilst runing briskly through a wood in fading light.....lesson learned.
No-one enjoys wearing glasses but its better to accept it than try to deny it. At 63 I’ve got myopia, plus ‘old sight’ ( presbyopia) to deal with, together with a problem in my right eye dating back to a childhood accident. Far better to face up to it and get the optimum solution, for me that’s top quality varifocal glasses plus custom- made occupational glasses for my watch bench. Fortunately I can read OK with no glasses but I’ll end up with reading glasses soon, my eyes are getting worse. I’m thankful for the fact that they still work OK, albeit with a little help!
Best way to get accustomed to new glasses?........go out and have a few alcoholic drinks. Trust me, it relaxes you and lets your brain get used to the slightly different info it’s getting. Also works when getting used to contact lenses for the first time, its one of the tips the opticians don’t tell you. I tried this strategy with varifocal contact lenses and despite my enthusiastic trial they were no good, wearing them reminded me of having concussion years ago, they’re a good idea that doesn't work for everyone.
For years I used to swim in optical goggles, buy what’s closest to your prescription ( slightly weaker, not stronger), not too expensive and definitely worthwhile.
If I was you I'd get my PD (Pupil Distance) and buy a £15 pair online. You have everything you need above except the PD.
I get mine off 'glassescomplete' now but there's a pile of websites doing similar.
I find the online cheap and cheerful optician companys to be as good as the high street places and the smaller opticians.
Definitely a lot of truth in that.
A lot of people refuse to wear glasses, because 'they can see OK', but actually have eyesight (for example) that legally makes them unsafe to drive without glasses.
My wife comes home with some horror stories at times!
As a matter of interest, how do they test your eyes online?
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
OPs prescription is weak and both eyes are the same, I’m sure he’ll be OK without glasses in most situations, but there’ll be an advantage when driving in poor light conditions or at night- time. Could kill two birds with one stone and get reactolight glasses made, wear them as sunglasses and for driving etc.
Haven’t had a test in donkeys years even though I often have difficulty reading heating instructions or ingredients on food packaging.
My sister has her annual check up through her work then pops into Poundland for her reading glasses.
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https://www.rac.co.uk/business/news-...side-eye-tests
Get glasses if eye test shows you need them
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
Life long glasses wearer here from age 17.
Not an optician and all I can say is that I did notice that your eyes get used to the glasses and being corrected. I do think that at such a minor correction you may speed up deterioration. No evidence for this apart form
My own experience as I noticed quite a rapid deterioration in my short sight from -1 to settling around -3 in my 20s.
As others have said if it is really bugging you go for the glasses but realise once you start down that road you are on it for life. If you can live without then you may be able to put off wearing glasses for another year or two.
All up to what makes it comfortable for you.
One benefit is that being a speccy four eyes adds at least 20 points to your IQ!
I’ve gone from near perfect vision to needing glasses in the space of lockdown. I’ve never sat in front of a computer for extended periods like this before, despite working in IT, and it has taken its toll.
I found I was struggling occasionally to focus on on-screen text while working. On bad days it led to a headache and my eyes feeling a bit tired. These things tend not to fix themselves so I thought a test was wise, and I now wear a fairy mild prescription just while working at the computer. It really helps, it just feels easier and less pressure, no more ‘hunting’ for vision. On the first wear I surprised - ‘oh, that’s what it should look like’. And by restricting them to just computer use I’ve not experienced any negative effects elsewhere.
So my advice is do it. But cheap glasses to start with and see how you get on. You don’t have to wear them permanently, but by getting glasses you can judge the benefit (or lack of) for yourself.
They don't test online, you get your eyes tested in a bricks and mortar shop and walk away with your prescription.
If trying this road;
Make sure the optician gives your your PD (Pupil Distance) like I was saying above. For some reason they wont give you your PD on the prescription unless you ask for it and don't try and measure it yourself. Trust me, its very difficult with parallax.
The last time I had my eyes tested and requested the scrip & PD number without actually buying glasses the optician gave me a 'chat' about not buying glasses online due to risk etc.
I asked did he make his lenses onsite and of course he dosent.
I get glasses online for £15 a pair.
There's a reason for that, it's a dispensing requirement so ask the professional practice who is assisting you with your new spectacles to measure it and adjust it as necessary depending on what type of lens is most appropriate for you...
see above..you are paying them to provide a professional product so they need to do some work and ensure it is correct. They can't do that accurately unless you are sitting in front of them.
Of course there are always cheaper ways, it depends on your priorities.
Crossed this bridge five years ago. Arms grew too short - couldn't read the text on the back of CD cases or solder small electrical components satisfactorily; odd what you notice first. +0.5 readers did the trick. Now passing +1.5 and noticing some divergence of quality between both eyes, so suspect I'll be moving to prescription once a trip to the High Street isn't a death risk...
Each decision has been need-driven, never really optional, so if you're not sure now (and provided there are no underlying health considerations), I suspect you will know well-enough when the time does arrive.
Sorry to disagree but if the OP has copied it out right his eyes are far from being both the same.
There is no prescription for spherical correction, ie short or long sight. However both eyes need a spherical correction for astigmatism (distortion causing circles to appear squashed) and the axes are almost at right angles. So the images from each eye are differently distorted.
Distortion in both eyes. Would that explain difficulty in seeing shapes correctly...reading text...on the TV? I believe it would and astigmatism isn't something the eye can correct for by itself (ie trying to refocus) causing eye strain, nor will it be corrected by 'readers'.
If the OP has got it right I'd suggest the cheapest pair of presctiption glasses that he's happy to wear for watching TV and otherwise when needed (maybe reading at a distance). If the OP has got the numbers in the wrong column (and I don't think he has) then please ignore all of the above.
I kind of knew that
While you're doing that, you might like to consider that the 'bricks and mortar shop' loses money on testing (if you believe you and the NHS cover the cost, you're wrong), so in time you won't be able to get your eyes tested anywhere.
Just a thought.
For £15, though, you must have a simple prescription and be getting a cheap frame - If the frame doesn't fit your face properly (something a decent high street optician should do if you buy there), then the lenses won't be working, no matter how good they are.
Also, it seems that lens manufacturers sometimes get the grind wrong, something you won't know, but a professional will. You could easily be wearing totally the wrong glasses.
I get this hammered into me all the time, but as with most things, there are reasons opticians are trained for a number of years and buying online is just another poor result of political dogma (although we're best to leave that aspect of it).
I'm sure most people get on fine with cheap glasses (when I first started needing them, I bought some from a poundshop and they worked fine for a while), but buying cheap online isn't always the guaranteed success it seems.
M
Last edited by snowman; 10th January 2021 at 10:44.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I'd say that's the best idea. Ignoring it will cause eye strain and all that comes with it. If you're only noticing it at times and for certain tasks then you may get away with not wearing them all the time. If you find them helpful then you might commit to them fully or consider contacts. I'd get some glasses in the first place and find out how you get on. There are plenty of explanations of astigmatism online and you can always ask your optician for their professional opinion.
Funny enough, I have a somewhat complex prescription. One eye vastly different from the other.
I believe the bricks and mortar opticians are vastly overpriced. I understand the margins on frames are huge.
My prescrition marginally changes, say, every 4 years.
I have 5 pairs of glasses. Safety specs for work, I leave a pair in the car, a pair in my desk at work and I have 2 pairs here in the house.
I'm happy enough with glasses that dont cost that much money. I'm wearing them now for nearly 38 years.
I reckon the test in the shop and the purchase online is the way to go.
I just glanced at the prescription without thinking, the astigmatism explanation sounds correct. The OP needs to have a discussion with the optician to clarify what exactly is going on, it’s worth getting these things clear in your mind from the experts.
Our local Specsavers is very good, I had a lengthy discussion with the optician last time my eyes were tested, turns out he’s a watch enthusiast who works on them a bit too.
I tried off the peg cheap reading glasses as was +.75, took no account of anything else & my eyesight was better for reading without them!
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A bloke down the pub told me "if you want free eye tests say your mother or father had Glaucoma"
I never bothered with glasses until about 10year ago and then bought poundland specials for reading. I would buy 2 pairs with different strength and swap the lenses round to account for left and right difference.
As my eyes deteriorated with age I went to Specsavers and got properly prescribed. Both Wife and daughter have worn glasses/contacts since young and have no problems but I find that I can't get used to movement using glasses, so driving or walking down stairs is disconcerting with specs on so I only use them while reading or watching telly.
I don't think they do, you need a prescription from an optician.
I tend to buy my glasses from the optician but understand why a lot of people don't. You are under no obligation to do so and the Optician is required to issue you with your prescription.
A couple of years ago I got my Dad new glasses as he hadn't been tested for ages (He was 88 at the time) He needed two pairs and it cost about £450.00
He had dementia and destroyed one pair, then he started losing/breaking them and I was buying a pair of glasses a month, It wasn't long before he was on £20.00 a time glasses from an online supplier!
Update: I went along to an empty specs shop today to look at some options and make a purchase only to be told "I don't have time right now."
Stick 'em up your arse then, other shops are available.
If opticians are relying on large margins on frames and lenses to keep the business running its not really sustainable.
I had RayBan frames and prescription lenses online for about 30% of the price quoted from a high street optician where I had my test completed. I had a similar deal on the Oakley frames I'm wearing now.
Im pretty sure the online company haven't given me anything for free so the margin must be huge in the shop.
In normal times they are easily selling that many.
The last time I was in my local Specsavers there were people waiting for tests, people being assisted in their choices, (they were cleaning every frame that someone tried on) people getting fitted and a small queue to pick up their specs and another small queue of people making appointments.
Every department was busy.
That was at a weekend but I was surprised how busy it was.
That is without the people who have contact lenses.
Specsavers is a franchise business and there are plenty of them in every town so it must be profitable.
Well I know no-one is on the edge of their seat wondering, but I think it's always nice when this sort of thread gets closure...
I bought some specs. They make a difference. It's like that day I was watching the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on BBC1, which wasn't broadcast in HD at the time. I switched to BBC HD and it was beautiful.