To be disillusioned with the optical industry

[theeyeshaveitnow]

Haven't had my eyes tested in years because I suspected each time I was just been prescribed stronger glasses as a matter of routine. Experimented initially with just wearing old glasses and then my prescription got very slightly better. The next time, after the lesser prescription, when I went I spoke to the optician about eye exercises and he argued with me and prescribed a much stronger prescription and even said I had astigmatism then prescribed the strongest cylinder lens I have ever had.

Until recently that was my last visit. I cannot even see out of those glasses now. Went again recently because there were free eye tests available and I was curious. My prescription is 2 diopters weaker than my last visit. This is from years of wearing my older weaker prescriptions. I still think my slightly weaker prescription is better. Thankfully I don't drive but I want to be able to trust standard eye tests but how can I reliably?

Then when you read things like this from within the industry you really start to question it.

www.huntervision.com/blog/changing-prescription

My independent optician seems to be honest - at my last test my prescription had only changed slightly so he said I could stick to my current glasses until I wanted a new pair rather than insisting I needed a new pair straight away.

I have been many a time and been told that there isn’t enough change to warrant a new prescription.

Ds has a certain type of astigmatism whereby he is prescibed a weaker prescription that he really needs vision wise to try to prevent it making the astigmatism worse

But how can you tell which optician is good? It's not always about even been honest. There are so many decisions opticians make based on assumptions about a customer's preferences and lifestyle. Here:

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2100778/So-thats-new-specs-giving-headache.html

I end up seeing a different optician each time even though I go to the same opticians as they are a chain. The last optician I saw decided that my prescription of 5 years ago was right as it was stronger. As I was pregnant at the time but not 3 months I just kept saying I felt sick and refused to co-operate with her. She just looked pissed off. If she had taken it any further I would have laid into her as I laid into someone else at the shop who was hassling me over appointments when I had a family issue. All the other opticians who I have seen have gone on their own testing and not what old prescriptions say. In short some opticians are idiots.

In your case I suggest you go to different optician shops to get your eyes tested each time, and forget to bring your glasses with you. I use to do this until I found it made no difference.

Bluebug, In your case I suggest you go to different optician shops to get your eyes tested each time, and forget to bring your glasses with you

Yes, but it is crazy. By rights you should not feel you have to hide your optical history. You should be able to trust your optician to review it without prejudice and monitor your eye health correctly.

Ds has a certain type of astigmatism whereby he is prescibed a weaker prescription that he really needs vision wise to try to prevent it making the astigmatism worse

So why would I be prescribed a stronger cylinder lens than strictly necessary, do you think, sirzy. It doesn't make sense. Not even with regards to this slide show from a lecture within the field.

slideplayer.com/slide/3736230/

From the above slideshow:

"18 Guide lines for prescribing the glass
For myopia:
Never over correct the myopia.
Choose under correction for indoor profession
Full correction for out door profession
Complete correction of cylinder in low myopia.
Under correction of cylinder in high myopia
If more cylinder and less sphere, then give spherical equivalent in low myopia, and in high myopia under correct the cylinder.
Above 3D cylinder check the keratometer"

Can I suggest you take it up with the optician. I am always a fan of the idea of if you don’t understand a medical decision politely asking them to explain!

Unfortunately optometry is like any other profession - there are truly excellent optometrists out there and truly dreadful ones too. A good optometrist will never make assumptions or rely on old prescriptions. Have you tried asking friends, family, work colleagues etc for optometrists they would recommend?

Sirzy, Can I suggest you take it up with the optician.

Why? I doubt the optician who bumped my prescription up would have been very conducive to a discussion. Having any discussion which could received antagonistically appears to increase bias in the test and resulting prescription.

Sorry, but my intended solution is to go under the radar as much as possible and just observe the results...

However having a discussion on here will not affect my own eye test or prescription. And if there are any opticians about who respond they might be able to enlighten me.

Have you tried asking friends, family, work colleagues etc for optometrists they would recommend?

No one I have spoken to has been entirely pleased.

But a discussion doesn’t need to be antagonistic, you simply ask for them to explain the changes.

The only person who can explain their decision is the person making that decision!

Opticians are like any other profession. Some of them are better at it than others. They are using their judgement, based on what you are telling them (is this sharper or less sharp? Brighter or weaker etc) and if they are not good at interpreting what you are telling them then you're going to end up with a prescription that doesn't work for you. Of course, they should all be equally good at it. But they're not. And chain firms of opticians are notorious for rushing tests to get more customers through the door.

I've been going to the same optician for years and I fully trust her judgement. Often I don't need a change of prescription and she tells me that. Once my glasses didn't feel right so I went back to her, she tested again and agreed that she had misjudged and overcorrected. I got new lenses, she apologised, all was good.

If you don't trust your optician, find one who you do trust.

If you don't trust your optician, find one who you do trust.

How did you find your's, treacle?

She was recommended to me by someone else. And I in turn have recommended her to other people.

She explains absolutely everything to me, explains how and why my prescription has changed. Sometimes she says 'it has changed a tiny bit. This is what your glasses are like now. If you like, you can have new lenses and your vision will be like this. The difference is minimal, it's up to you and what you find more comfortable'.

My strength increases every year to where I can't see a thing if I take my glasses off this has taken about 5 years to get to this point. I was a DD app yesterday he increased her strength but said this is normal until you grow up, we don't have the same optician I asked him why he thought mine would change every year and he suggested I visit the doctors as it may be a health issue. Now I'm wondering why my own hasn't said this! My friend swears by the eye training online I haven't tried it yet

But a discussion doesn’t need to be antagonistic, you simply ask for them to explain the changes.

The discussion in which I had made a very innocent and innocuous comment about eye exercises resulted in pretty much a telling off! Then the strongest prescription I have ever had! All the exercises involved was relaxation techniques and looking at objects at different differences. A 'that's interesting...' would have sufficed if he didn't particularly agree they helped. I don't think that particular optician would have given me a very constructive explanation.

Well, Sam mine improved when I started wearing my old prescriptions. Can't drive in them, though. Thing is for things where you have to see to a particular standard you need to be able to trust an optician.

if eye exercises changed eyeball shape no one would need glasses.

my prescription wanders and I need new specs every two years if I want to see clearly. My short sight wasnt immediately spotted as a child and I remember the stunning experience of that first moment of clear vision.

if you want to walk round in a voluntary blur because you.dont trust opticians, fine, but do not drive. you may also want to trust them enough for an eye health check.

btw buy specs from the bloke side - better made, cheaper and a chance to avoid fussy trims and stupid logos. anything designed for women is shit - just look at this website...

if eye exercises changed eyeball shape no one would need glasses.

The science is incomplete. No one fully knows how the filaments, muscle like structures within the vitreous humour, work, from what I have read. Also blur adaptation indicates understanding eyesight is more elusive than one might initially think. What did you think about the article from the person performing Lasek, specialsubject?

if you want to walk round in a voluntary blur because you.dont trust opticians, fine, but do not drive. you may also want to trust them enough for an eye health check.

I don't. My eyes have improved 2 diopeters. Not insignificant. I have a Snellen chart at home. But yes, i can't do the eye health check.i don't drive. But if I did I would be extremely unhappy regarding getting a prescription I could trust.

Diopters.

YABU. It sounds like you had optical illusions.

Hello, Optometrist here. Please can we address some of the myths in this thread.
Firstly - please don’t ‘forget’ your glasses when having an eye test. One key thing we consider is how our findings relate to what you are currently wearing and your symptoms. It is a combination of these factors that our recommendations are based on. You wouldn’t go to the garage and ask if your tyres are ok and leave the car at home so why do it with your eye care?
Secondly - there is no level one evidence that exercises have any impact on your refraction result. Yes there are many companies that claim they can help but there is no critically reviewed double blind study to support this.
Thirdly wearing weaker glasses than needed will not improve your vision.Sometimes we purposefully do not prescribe our exact findings either to allow you to adapt to a big change in prescription or due to issues with the movement of the eye muscles.
Finally I agree that as with any profession there will be a range of practitioners however most are more than happy to explain their findings and rationale in more detail if you ask.

Thank you for your contribution, Hoppybunny.

Thirdly wearing weaker glasses than needed will not improve your vision.Sometimes we purposefully do not prescribe our exact findings either to allow you to adapt to a big change in prescription or due to issues with the movement of the eye muscles.

So what would make my short sight improve by two diopters?

One key thing we consider is how our findings relate to what you are currently wearing and your symptoms. It is a combination of these factors that our recommendations are based on.

What would you say if old weaker prescription glasses gave better visual acuity than newer stronger prescription glasses?

Yes there are many companies that claim they can help but there is no critically reviewed double blind study to support this.

Information on eye exercises is freely available. No money need change hands.

.Sometimes we purposefully do not prescribe our exact findings either to allow you to adapt to a big change in prescription or due to issues with the movement of the eye muscles.

Do you ever prescribe stronger glasses than are needed for 20/20 vision? Would you explain this and why to your customer?