legally blind?

What prescription is considered legally blind? My contact prescription is over -5.00. I am wondering if I am legally blind WITHOUT contacts or glasses.

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

Although a lot of people use this term "I'm legally blind without glasses" that is totally inaccurate. First legally blind is defined in terms of BEST CORRECTED VISION. Meaning it cannot be applied to conditions corrected with glasses or contacts. Second while myopic individuals like you have poor distance vision without glasses you have 20/20 vision when holding something about 6-8 inches away.

JCH III MD

[karileigh2005]

My son's Rx is  sphere +5.0   Cylinder +2.50 with 95 axis. What is the severity of this Rx? Can he see at all without correction? Thanks!

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

1. That is a very strong RX. Your child has a lot of farsightedness and astigmatism.
2. There is no way to tell what his vision is.
3. He should be under the care of an Eye MD ophthalmologist.

JCH MD

[sjames37]

I wear my contacts for months at a time, somtimes over 6 months without taking them out, So when I do finally take them out I have a terrible pain when my eye lid closes on my eye, when I wake up the next morining the pain is gone, my contacts have soaked , and diinfected and they go back in with no pain or irritation. I have been doing this for over 10 years, and have worn contacts since I was 18(now37). Can this cause blindness in the future, I have had a ulcer twice in the 10 years from doing this which had to immidiatly be treated with an eye drop antibiotic.  Thanks.

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

Yes, you are headed for serious eye problems in the future, the worse of which is loss of the eye due to a infected corneal ulcer. Wise up.

JCH MD