...to order emergency glasses w/o prescription?

[SlinkyBat]

I wouldn't usually even think of this. I KNOW, it's my eyes etc.

But I've got to be away at short notice, my contact lenses are making my eyes very sore by the end of the day due to a couple of factors and I need an alternative as I'll need to carry on working.

I've tried to get an optician's appt but can't get one until after I get back, but I HAVE found an online place that can send out some glasses if I give them my prescription.

So, MN. Can I use my contact lens prescription to cobble together a pair of emergency glasses? Please reply bearing in mind:

I won't be driving or operating anything more complex than a garlic press

I'll only be wearing them for the duration of my work trip, for a couple of hours per day to give my eyes a break

I'm too short sighted to go without entirely - I've tried and I get a really bad headache pretty quickly.

I want to try it - it's a VERY short term fix that will make this important trip that bit less stressful. Any advice on how to convert the prescription?

@Ozanj

There are legit Taiwanese opticians who will figure out your eye glass prescription from your contact lens one (and give you multiple variations to try), but they all have a delivery window of at least 8-12 weeks. What you are going for is probably not legitimate in any way shape or form.

I find it hard to believe that this gives good results. My specs prescription reflects my ‘true’ short sight, but my lenses are a compromise to allow me good middle and long distance vision, and I wear reading specs over them for close work because they can’t get me good vision at all distances with lenses - so each time we work out what distance is most important to get right in my lenses. I’d be very worried about trying to unpick that lot to arrive at a glasses prescription.

most specsavers have (ready made) surfaced lenses in stock, or will be able to advise the nearest store that does, so you might be lucky and get a quick turnaround

otherwise, vision express used to do same day service and they (used to) actually surfaced their own lenses, but really not sure if that is still the case.

tbh if you can manage without specs/lenses usually I doubt your prescription is that complicated, so you ought to fall within a usual stock range.

No one should make glasses to an out of date prescription or be cobbling something up from your contact lens specifications so really I wouldn't waste time looking for your prescription if it is out of date....usually 2 years validity unless the optometrist wanted an earlier recall. Also please don't tell them you won't be driving or doing anything complex with them sosurely they can simply make something near enough....patients lie...and they don't want to hear it.

I would say your best option is to phone as many places as you can and find out how quickly you can get a new exam and then follow up to find out who would get your specs made fastest.

Like Magnolia, I'm pretty sure my glasses prescription isn't vastly different from my lens one. I also haven't got new glasses in several years (and my lens prescription has changed a little bit), and my glasses are fine for a few hours a day and even for driving. So I would go for it (assuming you can afford to lose the money if it doesn't work out). Keeping wearing lenses when your eyes are sore has got to be worse!

Try warm compresses to soothe your eyes as well lovely idea, thank you.

I just ran with a pp suggestion and dived into the unsorted admin boxes, found DH's prescription, and THEN FOUND MY OWN . It's an old one though, but my lens prescription hasn't changed for years, sooo...

I see that the sphere is the same as my lenses now, and I don't know what cyl and axis mean, but I'm back to considering using this.

I'm going to order sunglasses from
That glasses direct. I emailed my optician and got my prescription emailed back to me the next day.

When was the last time you had an eye test? Because you can get a copy of your prescription from your optician if it was less than two years ago.
My lens and glasses prescription are massively different, -10 glasses but -8 lenses

My contact lenses are -4.00 and my glasses are -5.00. (Coukd be + I always get mixed up but I knows it's definitely one less than my glasses)

If they will, they are by definition not “legit.”

Yes, looking at it again, it isn’t a disclaimer. You have to lie about when you had the rest done.

I've never had to show the prescription, just type it in and I've ordered online for years. I may have made a mistake once during early lock down when I needed a replacement and couldn't get a test and mistyped the year of the exam (this was rectified at the earliest opportunity)