Glasses for high myopia

[lijah403]

I have quite a high glasses prescription of -6.5 spherical and -0.5 cylindrical. My glasses are quite thick even with 1.6 high index lenses. I know there are 1.74 high index lenses now and even 1.9 glass lenses to reduce thickness. My fear is that if my prescription continues to worsen even high index and glass lenses will not be able to improve the appearance of my glasses. Im 29 now and I am really hoping that my prescription doesn't get any worse. It has increased -0.25 diopters in last 3 years. My questions are as follows: 1) Are high index lenses better than glass lenses for reducing eye minification (my current glasses already make my eyes look slightly smaller) 2) Are high index lenses better than bi aspheric high index lenses for reducing thickness and eye minification or are these two lense types the same thing? 3) I currently wear contact lenses but was recently told by my optician that i have dry eyes and should reduce my contact lense wear. I only seem to have problems if i wear contact lenses for prolonged periods such as above 10 or 12 hours. How can i increase my long term tolerance of contact lenses? I love my lenses and hate the thought of being restricted to thick glasses for the rest of my life. Id like to still be able to tolerate them in my 60s! 4) Do you think there will be any further advancements in terms of inventing high index lenses with even higher refractive errors to produce even thinner and lighter lenses for high myopes like myself? Finally, if there are any other high myopes out there who have had similar glasses or lense stories please feel free to share your stories. Thank you

[lijah403]

Thank you for the information. I have recently been considering lasik or icl but I am a little worried about my prescription worsening after surgery and want to ensure it is as stable as possible before surgery.

If I had lasik and my eye sight worsened would I be able to wear contact lenses afterwards or would this risk infection as my cornea will have been operated on? Im also worried about having lasik with such a high prescription.

Ive considered ICL too but have heard it can elevate the risk of cataracts and retinal detachments as well as pressure (is this glaucoma?) Do you know which would be safer given my age (29)? I heard ICL can be risky in patients under 40 but Im not sure why. Is this because patients under 40 may not have had a pvd and may be at risk of one which can lead to a retinal detachment? Finally, would lasik or ICL be better for dry eyes? Mine aren't that bad at the minute but Im worried about them getting worse and surgery making them worse.

Sorry for all the questions. Im just despairing right now because Im worried about my contact lense tolerance, glasses may look ugly if my prescription worsens and surgery may not give full correction or may lead to dry eyes or retinal detachment or glaucoma and all sorts of nasty things :-(

[Timothy D McGarity, M.D.]

I'm an ophthalmologist and so are the other experts on this panel, but I really only speak for myself: most ophthalmologist don't know the answer to your questions about the high index and magnification stuff. Opticians and optometrists usually are the best to answer those questions. Sorry :-(

Typically, the more minus powered the lens, the more minified your eye will appear to others.

One way to improve contact lens tolerance is by using preservative free solutions which utilize hydrogen peroxide for cleaning. Limit your daily wear for as long as possible.

Have you considered LASIK or ICL surgery? These may be options, too.
Good luck!

[lijah403]

Sorry, I typed it up on my phone

[LeeSS]

Please break your postings into small paragraphs.

It is easier on the eyes.