Farsighted Glasses Question

[fsck!]

Hi -

I visited an optometrist a week or so ago because I have been experiencing eye strain, tired eyes, redness (in part also due to a blepharytis condition), etc.  I always wondered if I needed reading glasses/was farsighted or if the nature of my eye strain was in a way related to the fact I work with computers all day.  

Turns out I was told I was farsighted (which I later learned it is known as hyperopia) and was prescribed the following:

+0.75 -050 070 +075  Poly AR

I got my glasses already and the optometrist told me to wear them for computer work/reading etc but that it would be best if I wore them all the time.  

1 - My questions are, why would I have to wear these glasses all the time?

2 - Don't I need a prescription for computer glasses in addition to reading glasses or are they the same.  I ask because a friend at work tells me the glasses are prescribed based on a set distance (focal point) and that reading glasses and computer glasses are not the same unless you were to read your monitor as you read a book.

3 - Finally, what do the above values on the prescription actually mean and what do they say about how chronic or mild my hyperopia is at this point?



Thanks advance for your insight you can provide.

[mary521]

A related discussion, Vision clearity was started.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

To any interested reader    Vision Therapy, eye exercises, visual training are not effective in evidence based medicine objective studies. I have seen people waste over $10,000 US for worthless efforts to get out of glasses.

JCH III MD Eye Physician & Surgeon

[db00qp]

You optometrist told you to were glasses all the time because hi would like to have new customer,  My friend with initial prescription like you was told the same,
Than he will prescribe you progressive lenses (which is expensive-dream of producers!) because you will not see not close not far you Will develop  presbyopia + farsightedness like my friend (he weares +2.5 and reads in +4)  I can not say that he is happy. You optometrist did not t mention another option for you
Vision therapy! Search web.  Glasses and contacts it is 50 billion dollar machine that wants to produce new customers and sell them the more expensive products
Best site for vision : www.i-see.org
Lena, MS Physics, MS Computer Science

[fsck!]

Fair enough, thank you.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Sorry Robert, I can't take it any further than this. To give your optom the benefit of a doubt there are some circumstances in which wearing the glasses might be helpful. If they did a "cycoplegic refraction" and determined that you had a relatively large amount of farsighteness (say 3 or more diopters) and if you have constant eye strain and trouble driving at night and they did a "fogging refraction pushing plus" and your accepted +0.75 diopters of hyperopia as 'clear and very comfortable" in those circumstances what you were told and given could be appropriate.

JCH III MD

[fsck!]

Thank you so much for your insight.  The glasses do seem to make a difference when I am reading and/or computer use.  However, after reading your comments about how I could have probably done without them for 8 more years or so, I am starting to feel like I got ripped off.  I even purchased a second pair and I ended up paying $450 in total (granted, mainly because I got picky with the frames)  Your comment about them being unnecessary at my age makes me wonder if perhaps my optometrist took me for a ride...  She even told me that it would be best I started wearing them all the time.  

What are your thoughts?  I value your insight.

Best Regards,

Robert

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Your right eye has a small amount of farsightedness and a very small amount of astigmatism (lopsided cornea),  your left eye has a small amount of farsightedness.  Poly is a type of plastic lens, AR stands for anti-reflective

This is a really weak lens. You might find them helpful for reading or computer work.  Because you're relatively young your eye muscle can correct for farsightness and most people your age don't need glasses for read, computer and certainly not for distance.

This is the type of lens that generally most people don't have to wear until age 40-45 and then just for reading.  At your age if you need glasses at all, which is doubtful, they would work for both reading and computer.  Focal length is only important when the eye starts to be affected by presbyopia.

Hope they weren't too expensive. Hold on to them. Someday you'll need them for sure probably in 8-9 years.

JCH III MD Ophthalmologist

[fsck!]

Hi -

I am 32 years old.  I wrote the prescription exactly how it was given to me. It was all on one line. Is it incorrect?  I do not have stigmatism, I was just told that I was farsighted and these are single vision glasses.

thanks

[fsck!]

Here is how it was written exactly:

+0.75 -050 070
+075                      Poly AR

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Hello fsck!    To answer your question I need your age. Plus I need a clarification of your prescription. There should be two lines the one on top usually says OD (right eye) the one below OS (left eye).   Each eye will need three numbers  first number is sphere,  second number is cylinder third number is axis. The numbers will have a + or - sign in front of them.  If you don't have astigmatism the second and third numbers may be blank.     Then at the end there may be a number if you were prescribed glasses that can be made into a multifocal lens. It's called the "Add" and is always a plus number.

Please send this information and I can answer your questions.

JCH III MD Eye MD