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Vision not right with glasses....any opticians about?

12 replies

Ambridge · 07/04/2013 18:06

This is probably a ridiculous thing to ask, but it's really bugging me, so I'd appreciate any advice.

I've always had lopsided eyes - slightly long-sighted in one and moderately short-sighted in the other. My vision isn't that terrible, in that I'm perfectly fine not wearing glasses all the time, but I got varifocals to save swapping between pairs when I do wear them.

I found them surprisingly easy to adapt to...but with the new glasses, the vision in my short-sighted eye is still not clear when I look into the distance. It's better, but definitely not sharp and perfect. Can this really be right? I went back to the optician; he re-tested me and said no, the prescription was correct, and that as long as my binocular vision was fine, it 'didn't matter' that one eye was not in focus.

He's right in that that I can see OK with both eyes together, but it still feels as though there's a bit of 'strain' there - as though the other eye (which is fine with the glasses) is doing all the work when I look into the distance. Which of course is exactly what it does when I don't wear the specs! Put it this way, with glasses on, one eye could easily read a car numberplate at driving-test distance while with the other one I'd be squinting and not quite sure.

So is the optician right? Have I got it all wrong in thinking that the vision in each eye should be corrected? Should I just accept it's as good as it can be?

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stomp · 07/04/2013 18:42

Did he check the glasses? he may have re-tested you but it only takes a slight 'mistake' in the glasses or the way they fit you to make a difference to how well you 'see'.

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Ambridge · 07/04/2013 19:06

I didn't get the glasses from the optician who did the test; I went elsewhere (cheaper. Much cheaper!). I'm certainly going to go back to the place I got the glasses from, but they did fit them carefully and made lots of tiny adjustments to get the angle of the lenses right, etc etc. However much I move my head and look through different parts of the lens, the vision in the problematic eye is never completely in sharp focus.

It just seems wrong to me that both eyes aren't properly corrected, but I'm prepared to be told that's normal by anyone who knows!

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digerd · 07/04/2013 21:41

I don't have your particular problem, but I too had a new prescription with varyfocals, and in one eye it was making me feel dizzy, the other eye was fine.

I found out a year later that it was the Xs they mark on the lenses that were not correct on that lens. The prescription was apparently correct.

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magimedi · 08/04/2013 09:41

Go back to the place you got your specs from & ask them to fit them to your face better.

I have varifocals & had a new pair a couple of weeks ago & had to go back 3 times to get the fit exactly right. I was took my old ones with me the last time & they were able to make the new ones fit the same & they are fine now. It was Specsavers & they were more than willing to get it right.

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allmycats · 08/04/2013 09:53

When you bought the glasses did they mark the lenses up on your face
using little crosses and then put the glasses in a flat frame with various markings on to mark up and check. They should have done so.
However much they tweek the fitting of the glasses if the lenses are not marked up correctly in the first place it will not help.
It is certainly not normal as you describe.
You may also want to ask if the person who measured and fitted you is a qualified dispensing opticians (they should be able to give you their ABDO number).
Unfortunately it is not a requirement that 'dispensers' have this qualification and subsequntly many dispensers only have 'in house' training.

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Ambridge · 08/04/2013 11:43

Thanks, all. Yes, they did mark up with crosses on the lenses when I chose the glasses - although I dont recall seeing a flat frame. The specs arrived with dots on, which they then checked to make sure everything was in the right place. They also re-tweaked to adjust the angle of the lenses and so forth.

I'll be going back to get them to look at it again. Still concerned that the prescription in that eye is wrong, though - despite what the optician said. It just doesn't seem right that I should still be relying on the stronger eye to see properly with glasses.....to me the whole point of specs is to correct the defect in your vision.

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digerd · 08/04/2013 13:53

Not all defects in the eye can be corrected with lenses. Macular Degeneration is one of them.

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snailsontour · 08/04/2013 17:42

I recently had a similar issue with my new glasses - they were my first varifocals.
I had trouble focusing with my right eye, so I took them back to my optician - who had also dispensed the glasses.
My eye was retested, and the prescription was correct. It was decided that the lens was distorted and wasn't correctly centred on my pupil. They have been sent back to the lens manufacturer for adjustment.
I guess with varifocals they don't have to be out by much to make a huge impact!
I was lucky because I also bought a pair of varifocal sunglasses and they were perfect! That gave me something to compare them with - doubly important as being new to varifocals I wasn't sure what to expect.
Just need to get them back now!!

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stomp · 08/04/2013 19:34

I had the same problem as snailsontour, except mine weren't varifocals they were 'office' glasses for reading and computer work (not for all the time use). They made me feel nauseous within minutes, family thought it was just 'me' Hmm but I knew there was a problem so took them back. It turns out there were two faults with the glasses in just one lens- a 'manufacturing fault'. When they were fitted in the shop they seemed fine, it wasn't until i got home and tried to do some computer work that it became apparent. The optician sent them back and the second pair were fine.
When we have a new prescription our eyes can take a while to get used them, but if you can not use them at all then don't waste time trying to get your eyes to adjust....glasses are supposed to help not hinder.

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WakeyCakey · 09/04/2013 21:48

Your optician is correct. The prescriptions depends on the visual acuity that your eye can achieve.
For instance when you here the phrase 20/20 vision that is referring to the visual acuity.
In the UK we use 6/6.
You may, for instance, only be able to physically achieve 6/11 in your bad eye but 6/5 in your better one. If your binocular vision is 6/5 then that shows that no matter if you are wearing glasses or not, one eye is better than the other and will always be dominant.
They will have ensured that your binocular vision is good enough to see a number plate (standard is 6/12 for driving)

We spend a long time trying to explain to people that it is the binocular vision that matters.
I am amblyopic (lazy eye) and have 6/38 in my right eye but 6/7.5 in my left and my binocular vision is 6/7.5 meaning it is good for driving however if I shut my left eye my vision is very poor, it cannot be altered my a new prescription, that is the best my vision can physically get.

HTH

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Ambridge · 10/04/2013 12:38

Again, thanks everyone, and Wakey, that's exactly the explanation I was hoping for! Puts my mind at rest, though I'll probably still go back and make sure the varifocals are correctly adjusted.

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WakeyCakey · 10/04/2013 15:28

Absolutely you should still go back. Having them adjusted is really important and can make them last longer in the correct place!

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