Confusion over Eye test results.

[Yeoubifoxrain]

Hi. I've just had my eyes tested at Specsavers and while I have slight myopia, I just don't think it's justified in purchasing glasses for such a negligible deficiency so I thought I'd ask about others experience.

My results were:

Right eye: Sph -0.75
Cyl -1.0
Axis 15.0
Left eye: Sph -0.75
Cyl -0.50
Axis 170.0

I'm a bit confused whether I should get glasses or just live with it? I doesn't impact my daily life at all!

That's very similar to what my first prescription was like, unfortunately they're worse now but when I finally got some glasses they really did make a difference. I thought I could see fine but things were so much clearer with them and I got less headaches and tired eyes.

Do you drive?
Did you ask whether you were OK to carry on driving without glasses?

What did the optician say? It's a very small short sighted prescription.

She was very unsympathetic really about my confusion. She didn't elaborate on what anything meant and she seems adamant that I needed glasses but once I stated I wanted to think it over and perhaps seek a second opinion, she basically marched me to the till to pay and dismissed me. Her demeanour was quite hostile too when I didn't immediately say I'd be purchasing glasses.

It just seemed suspicious.

I do drive and she said I'd be alright but she strongly advised getting glasses immediately. When I asked why if I'm going to be okay driving, she said it's better to be safe than sorry.

Did she give you a copy of the prescription? Maybe go to a different optician with it and ask their opinion

I am fine day to day, as I have a slight prescription, probably not dissimilar to yours, I always wear my specs for driving, it definitely improves my vision and makes it sharper, I don’t wear them for anything else.

You could see another optometrist, but generally Specsavers are trustworthy imho, and have a good customer satisfaction policy.

That’s a tiny prescription. If it’s not bothering you I wouldn’t bother. It’s similar to my dds - aged 17- and she doesn’t wear her glasses as she says they barely make a difference.

If you want perfect vision but don’t like the idea of glasses you could always go for contact lenses.

I am -9.50 in both eyes (started when I was 4!) and I am blind as a bat without my glasses or contacts!

Myopia is short sighted isn't it? So long distances are a problem?

I can't see close up so I'm long sighted? I'll dig out my prescription if it helps. Glasses make a huge difference

Did you have the new OCT thing? I declined and was then really bored as she was talking about layers and stuff. Realised they had done it anyway.

This is a significant prescription- do you really not have any visual difficulties. I would imagine you must screw your eyes up to see things in the distance?
What prompted you to get your eyes tested? Was it routine or did you go feeling your eyesight had got worse.
I would imagine you might 'just' meet the legal requirements for driving but would be so much better with them.
You would not need them all the time and if you were a non driver there wouldn't be an issue

It's not a significant prescription, it's a very small one.

If you add half the cyl part to the sph part to give an approx total you are -1.25 R and -1.00 L.

This would generally put you half way down the letter chart without glasses (below driving standard) with each eye individually and just possibly meeting with both eyes. The true standard is obviously with both eyes and is for reading a number plate at 20 metres.
If you were sitting your test again do you think you could you read the number plate easily at this distance?

You really need a second opinion if you are not happy and there was a breakdown in communication.
It's really important as you are a driver.

Either ring Specsavers and explain it wasn't clear how much benefit glasses would be and could you be rechecked by a senior optometrist first to demonstrate this or go for another eye test elsewhere.

It is small, but will make a difference to you and is worth wearing for driving, tv etc. If someone had a -4.00 but was only wearing -3.25 (si the equivalent of you without any glasses on) they would be talking about not seeing number plates confidently while driving and would be very pleased to have the new prescription. You also have a bit of astigmatism, more so in the right, so potentially near vision could also be a bit sharper as astigmatism impacts distance vision and near vision.
Because your prescription is lower though, if you were to go out to the pub for the night etc you would get away without them then, but you would have less chance at waving at the wrong person from the other side of the bar if you did wear them.
But also think about contact lenses if you dont fancy glasses (although you should always have some as a back up). I fit contact lenses for my job and the amount of people with only a -0.25 change, let alone -0.75, who comment it's like watching tv in HD rather than SD is unreal. It's so nice being in focus!

It is a significant prescription if you aren't legal to drive or only just legal to drive without it!

Yeah, I'm going back for a retest. I can see further than my partner who tested 2 months ago with 20/20 vision. I'll see what they recommend.

@dementedpixie - the OP is unlikely to be within driving standard with that prescription - so it is significant. Her best sphere is around -1D. It would be like someone who was -3.00DS wearing glasses that were -2.00DS

OP - are you absolutely sure that the first numbers have a minus sign next to them? It would make more sense if it was a plus. Having said that, supersavers what started using a new type of auto refractor, which I'm not convinced works very well.

Let us know how you get on. It's unlikely (but not impossible) that as a young woman you haven't noticed that level of blur in your sight. Children and older people often don't notice as much.