I have been wearing glasses or contacts since I was in 4th grade and I always was excited to go to the eye doctor so that I get "new eyes" and see crisper and clearer. That's not true anymore. What used to be fun is now very frustrating. The people I have gone to, and I've tried several different offices over the past several years, don't seem to listen. The most frustrating part is the "1 or 2" vision test with the big hoopty-hoo in front of your face. The dialog usually goes something like this: Dr. / Technician (Usually a technician): "1 or 2" Fox: ... Dr. / T: [clicks machine again] "1 or 2" Fox: ... "well" Dr. / T: [more clicking] "3 or 4" (like changing the number is going to make it easier) Fox: "they are both blurry... in 3 the text is clear but the white box is blurry. On 4 the text is not as sharp but the edges of the box are sharper." Dr. /T: (sigh) At this point they just pick one and move on to the next eye. I just went and they dilated my eyes and then did the vision test for my glasses? I was like "isn't this going to throw the prescription off?" The Dr., an Ophthalmologist no less, said "nah". Now I have glasses that are worse than the old pair and I have to take another day off to go see him! Now, they said "we have an optician and they will check the glasses, so you don't need o see the doctor..." Fox: "and if they are wrong?" Office: "Then you have to make an appt..." Fox: "Then why don't I just make an appt. NOW" Isn't there anyone out there that doesn't rely on 19th century technology for this "1 or 2" sh*t to make sure I can see correctly?
Careful, sometimes it takes a week or so to get acclimated to your new glasses -- especially if you have astigmatism. That was the case with my new pair about a year ago. I was sure that they screwed up my prescription, but over time, my vision got better and better using the glasses. There is an adjustment period.
Had a similar experince to T_J. It took a while to get adjusted to my new glasses (from about a year ago), but when I went to the optometrist a few months ago, my eyesight had improved... (of course, it could have something to do with the fact that I've stopped reading 80 year-old Chinese newspapers in lousy library lighting every day...)
They dialate your eyes to keep your pupils from trying to compensate for the poor vision. Chances are, your glasses are more correct than your old ones, but your eyes are used to trying to compensate for the old ones. Ask your doctor about that, but that's what mine told me. (actually I've gotten Lasik so I don't use glasses anymore, but still...) DH
Yeah, what T_J said is so right. I recently got a new prescription for my glasses, and the first day I put them on, I couldn't walk - AT ALL. The ground was so distorted, it looked like I had the feet of a 6 year old, and the ground was elevated about a foot and a half from where I knew it to be. I almost busted my ass about 100 times trying to go up and down the curbs and stairs and navigating other hazards associated with going to school. I was so freaking pissed because I thought she overdiagnosed my eyes, and I was ready to march back in there and raise some hell, but by the time I had a chance to do so, I had gotten used to the glasses. Oh yeah, and she did the 1 - 2 thing with me, only everything looked the same to me - And I told her so. And then she said, 1 or 2, 2 or 3, 1 or 3.... Like introducing a third one would make everything better. It still looked the same.
"You must have really screwed up that 'number one - number two' test." "Did I ever! Hence the corrective spectacles..."
I go to Dr. Berkeley at Berkeley Eye Center. I've been going there ever since I moved back to Houston. Each and every time I go in for a checkup, he tells me that I am a prime candidate for Lasik and asks me when I am going to have the surgery. "As soon as you decide to foot the bill" is my standard reply. Actually I have the money to get Lasik from him. I just know that I would be a basket case and would have to have a morphine IV in me just to get strapped into the chair for the surgery.
I was leaving work yesterday and I noticed that the huge sign at the end of our hallway. Giant black letters on a white background with an arrow underneath it. I then noticed that on an image this size that is isn't so much blurry as it is DOUBLED. There is a second, grey arrow above and to the left of the real one and as I get closer they come together resulting in a single, clear image. I went back to the optical shop to have my glasses checked against the prescription the doctor submitted and they are correct to that prescription. Going back to the eye doctor next week. Wearing my contacts until then. If I can see better with my contacts that DON"T correct for the astigmatism, I think there's a problem.
When you have 20/20 vision, your eye is perfectly rounded such that all entering parallel rays of light go through your cornea and converge to a single point in the back of your eye. The point at which these rays converge is the image that you see. When you have astigmatism, the shape of the eye is slightly off -- football shaped instead of spherical. This results in an imperfect convergence of light rays to the back of your eye. As a result, you see two images instead of one image. You can get contacts that correct for astigmatism, but the contacts have to be positioned correctly on your eye for the rays of light to bend in the proper way. If the contact moves a little bit, then your vision is thrown off because the light no longer converges to a single point. This happened to me a while back. I would get protein deposits built up on my contact, which would cause it to grip to my eyelid when I blinked. As a result, the contact would move slightly and my vision was thrown off. It also happened when I got glasses. If the glasses aren't adjusted properly, then you'll be having the same problem of double images.
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Unfortunately, I can't help you out as much on cost, because as a benefit, my company paid for me to have it. But I think it's definitely important to beware of the types of places that will do each eye for $299 or thereabouts. Places like that use old, first generation lasers, so the quality of the work is considerably more suspect, and the chances for something going wrong are much higher. Newer lasers have things that can track eye movement, have a larger laser for better correction, and some can even cut the flaps with a laser. As far as the surgery is concerned, I would ABSOLUTELY recommend it to anyone, without reservations. It was very, very quick and painless. I was only on the operating table for less than 15 minutes, and part of that was just sitting waiting for the doctor to arrive. It takes about 2 minutes per eye, and you really don't feel a thing. The scariest part is when they cut the flaps out of your eye. They do it with a razor with a device that kind of operates like a can opener. But honestly, you don't feel a thing. More than anything it's just psychologically uncomfortable to know that they're cutting into your eye. I had mine done on a Thursday, so I didn't go back to work until Monday, but you could probably work the day after you got it done. As far as cost though, if you go to a good place, I would expect to pay at least $2500-3000 for it. I think they place I went to charges up to $5000, but then, I live in Utah so that's not much help.
My father is an optometrist.. I started working for him when i was 13 and I've been an optician myself off and on for 4 years now(when im not in school). Your dialogue is freakin hilarious, but thats just how they are taught in school. The autorefractors (the machines that clear up the letters automatically) do a good job but can't fine tune an Rx like a Dr can. Also, for people that have presbyopia (need bifocals) it can't measure an add power. I just asked my father about dialating before you have your eyes refracted. He said it can throw off the Rx because your eyes aren't that dialated in normal conditions. Even a quarter or a half diopter (the units that your Rx is in) off can make all the diff in the world. I usually recommend going to an optometrist to have your eye exam because thats all they do. Opthamologists on the other hand, worry about surgery and other things and can overkill your exam. Where did you have your glasses made? I work at the eyemasters near the galleria and I'd be more than willing to help if I can.
Missed this post. What type of contacts do you have? Aspheric contact lenses can correct a certain amount of astigmatism to where people with a light astigmatism don't need expensive toric lenses. As far as the glasses causing double vision, it can be a number of different things. Is there a big difference between the vision in both eyes? There could be a poor frame adjustment. Also, the focal points on the lenses could be waaaaay off which would enduce a prism and could cause a multitude of problems. A focal point is where your eyes should be sitting relative to the frame adjustment. That means that your pupilary distance should have been measured and also the optician should measure the optical height (how high up your pupils sit in the frame) of the lenses The lenses could have piss poor optics (lenses with anti-reflective coatings can end up with bad optics). I'm not an expert, but I can answer pretty basic questions. I feel bad for people that get jerked around between the optical and the doctors office. Having worked next to my dad's offices (I dont now) I always tried to fix the problem in the store, with a 2nd doctors visit being the last choice. However, going back to the doctor is not out of the ordinary. Make sure he writes down specific instructions to the ptical or you might get some idiot optician that screws it up again.
I get my exams in China, where they don't use the major technologies but have the experience of seen several hundreds of thousands of eyes. The exams are a little over a dollar (they want you to buy the glasses), and the people rely on years of experience instead of technology. The glasses I got were great and my eyes never felt better or clearer. If anyone's ever in Shanghai, visit the hongxing eyes store, with the branch on nanking street, they rock.
The contacts are just regular acuvue contacts, no toric or anything other adjustment for the astigmatism. My glasses usually have a crisper, cleaner image, especially at night with lights. That's why I got concerned when the glasses were worse.
Update: After going back to the optical shop and them telling me that the new glasses (regular and sunglasses) both match the prescription perfectly. I called the eye doctor. They said that they won't schedule an appointment until they check the glasses. I explained that they can check the glasses if they'd like but I would like to schedule an appointment "just in case" they are correct. I don't have time to take off work twice. They relented. I went to the eye doctor and they checked the glasses. A perfect match against the prescription. They then take me back into an exam room and start the process all over again, even AFTER I explained to the girl who is doing the tests that the reason I am back is because I am seeing double with the glasses. T C V O 3 Which is better 1 or 2? The problem is NOT with the letters, the problem is the light box around it! I see TWO of those and they overlap making the letters blurry. It's like I'm speaking Chinese. "Can you read this line?" NO. After repeating this for 15 minutes, she leaves. I pick my old glasses up and look at the letter box on the wall. The box is PERFECT, the letters are a tiny bit out of focus. This is what you would expect from a prescription that is just a little old. The doctor then comes in and I explain what's going on, seeing double or "ghosting" as he calls it. He starts the stupid 1 or 2 stuff again. Now I'm mad. "As I tried to explain to your staff the last time I was here and now this time, the problem is NOT WITH THE LETTERS. The problem is with the box. It is doubled." Dr: "So you normally see double?" Fox: No. Only with these new glasses. Dr: "Do you wear contacts?" Fox: Yes... Dr: "If you sleep with them on, you probably have deposits that have built up and when you have your contacts on the double image goes away..." The doctor then proceeds to put a dye in my eye and look at the corneas. Then he takes me to this ancient looking machine and asks me to watch the light (that keeps going out by the way). Dr: Ya, I think the deposits are causing this. The contacts form perfectly to the cornea and then double image goes away. When the contacts aren't in the deposits change the shape of your cornea and that causes the double vision. Fox: Really... then why would I be able to see fine with my old glasses then? DRUM ROLL PLEASE.... Dr: "I don't know. That's weird." Dr: "Just stop wearing your contacts for a couple of weeks and come see me then." Fox: "Not likely." At that point I walked out. Called my brother in law's optician (that he told me to go to in the first place) and scheduled an appointment.
