Eye test help

[Pickles79543]

Had an eye test at specsavers today, told I need glasses for both close work (reading etc) and distance (driving). However, I know that they like to try and sell glasses to everyone so just wondered if someone with a bit of knowledge could possibly look at my prescription and see if I might actually need glasses! Thank you 😊

Is it - or + at the numbers in the first 2 columns as its a bit blurry? Haven't picked up my new specs yet 😆.

The Near Add figures are the additions for reading/close work

😆 they’re all minus figures in those first two columns. I did have a Google and the figures seem to indicate that my eyesight is not too bad at all but 🤷‍♀️

SPH is the sphere which indicates the overall amount of nearsightedness (-) or farsightedness (+) you have in each eye. The CYL is the cylinder, this indicates how much astigmatism you have in each eye. The AXIS is the point at which the first two values (SPH and CYL) intersect, and this number can be anywhere between 1 degrees and 180 degrees in people who have astigmatism.

The Near-ADD is of course your reading prescription.

Your prescription isn't too bad at all. But if they've recommended new glasses, then I'd personally just get the new glasses. Your sight is one of the most precious things you have.

So you're slightly short sighted given the '-' figures in the SPH column.

I think the SPH and the Near ADD figures are combined to give the reading prescription so it'd end up +0.75 for the right eye and +1 for the left eye.

Do you wear glasses already?

No, I don’t wear prescription glasses- I have a pair of cheapo reading glasses for when I’m on the computer/phone screen a lot. I seem to struggle with longer distances (or not so long, as it would appear 😬)- I can’t read the car number plate of the car in front of me unless it’s quite close for example.

You're asking if you actually need glasses, but then in another post admitting that you can't see things unless they're quite close?

Surely you know the answer?

Opticians aren't in some weird cult circle; they just test your eyes (which seem to be a bit dodgy by your own admission).

Short sight means you can see close up things better and can struggle with distance vision.

If you already think your sight could be better while driving then maybe you should try the glasses.

This is the minimum eye sight requirement for driving:
Standards of vision for drivingYou must be able to read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate made after 1 September 2001 from 20 metres.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules

Are you taking the piss? Do you really think the opticians are lying to you?

Get some bloody proper glasses. Please. And don't drive until you have them.

If you can’t read a car number plate until it’s “quite close” to you, please check what that distance is. Look at the parked cars on your street. Measure the distance — I believe a standard kerbstone is about a metre in length, so count 20 back from a parked car… can you read the number plate?

If you can’t you must not drive. Get the glasses your optician recommends.

(If I am wrong with the number of kerbstones someone please correct me.)

Opticians aren't there to fleece you, you can easily go to another opticians and get a second opinion. However, as you've admitted to not being able to read number plates unless they are quite close to you, you should not be driving. Please get glasses. There is no shame in it, you just don't have 20/20 vision anymore. It's sad, but safety is top priority.

I've worn glasses since time immemorial.

DD (12) has just started wearing glasses for school, with a similar prescription. Just get the glasses if you drive! They needn't be expensive at that prescription.

Piling on with the "if you can't read a number plate you shouldn't be driving" crowd. Get the glasses. Cheapo ones are fine for reading though ime.

Oh and I’ll add — unless you go for expensive frames your glasses really won’t cost that much.

I’ve just been told that, provided my prescription stays the same, my next glasses will cost £300 for the lenses alone. I’m looking at needing custom glass as my prescription is so high. They’re not out to fleece me, they’re actually warning me in advance, and potentially if I’m only .25 or .5 over the limit I could ask the optometrist to knock my prescription down a little so I can get standard lenses still.

OP - I'm an optometrist. You definitely need to wear glasses for driving, I suspect you're not within driving standards any more and it can invalidate your insurance.
They'll also help for cinema and theatre.

However, the glasses will make your close vision blurred, you'll need to take them off to read.
You can get glasses which allow you to see both distance and close to at the same time which are varifocals, but I'd honestly just get some distance glasses, get used to wearing those and then consider varifocals at the next test.

With regards to getting some proper reading glasses, it depends on what you do. If you spend large amounts of time looking at a screen or doing intense close work, prescription ones would be much better, as you have a significant astigmatism in the left eye. That is the number under CYL. Uncorrected astigmatism is contributes towards eyestrain.

BTW astigmatism is completely normal, most people have it.