My eyes ! My eyes !! My beautiful eyes....what’s happening?

[Guest chaz2b]

So, as some of you may know, that when we get to around 47 years on this wonderful planet, our eyes, if not already affected, change, and may require glasses to get through our day. Mine changed.

Now when I look through a pair of glasses, or a telescope, it hurts!    After just a few minutes I cannot continue without taking my glasses off or moving away from the telescope . I’ve considered myself lucky to be blessed with very good eyesight, but after 47? It’s all gone down hill, for want of a better phrase.

 I get my eyes tested and was informed I only need size 2 / 2.5 reading glasses, I don’t need them for viewing. However, when I was bird watching with a pair of Orion Resolux 15x70 , it was very painful after only a few seconds! They are individually focused dioptrics and come to focus with exceptional clarity, so why the pain? Are my eyes now not suited to these binos ? Or is there something else I need to consider?

 

chaz

[Unklewhale]

Do you still get the same discomfort if you view monocularly ?

If NO, then did the Optometrist say anything about your binocular eye stability ?

[happy-kat]

Are you wearing those glasses when either looking through binoculars or the telescope?

I don't wear my glasses to observe.

[Craney]

I have trouble balancing hat, headtorch and glasses !!   on my head simultaneiously.

Then comes the Telemark lunge to sight through the red-dot finder.... ooohh... it usually all goes wrong.     I trod a pair of my glasses last week..... doh !!... and then one of the USB cables !! double-DOH !!

 

 

[Unklewhale]

Near distance glasses would not be right for a telescope focussed at infinity, so I assume you are trying to view without them.

Maybe try some 'half eyes' down your nose - and with 'off the peg' readers for occasional close work, so damage isn't costly. As long as the specs make one eye clear it should be okay for the tasks around the scope.

[PeterW]

Poundshop reading glasses are helping read small stuff close up... not too far off your “dreaded age”! Long sight is still spot on, though left eye doesn’t quite feel as good (too much use of right eye with scopes).

will definitely be asking the optician a lot of questions when the time for a “proper patio comes up. Not that it will have any effect on the floaters!

PEter

[JamesF]

When you get to "middle age" (whatever that is) you can kid yourself that you're still as young as you'd like to think you are, but nothing rams the reality of advancing years home like your eyesight starting to get a bit iffy.  I gave in and hit the opticians in my late 40s, never having needed glasses before.  Now I have a pair of varifocals for working (mostly reading or using a computer monitor) and a pair of bifocals for everyday which I can live without if I need to, other than for reading and anything close up.  I also have a pair of +1 reading glasses that I use in bed if I forget my normal ones (swapping between pairs at my desk often means I forget to put the normal ones back on).  I'm thinking I might need to get a +1.5 pair to replace them soon.

I don't tend to wear any glasses whilst observing and don't suffer any discomfort whilst doing so.  Unless you have astigmatism I'd not expect that it would be necessary.

Where did you get your eye test done, Chaz?  If you're struggling with your glasses then I think a return visit might be a good plan.  I recall that you knew the Mcgraths, so if you're near Wellington then I've always found Watson and Smith to be excellent, especially their aftercare.  I don't know if they'd be able to help with telescope viewing, but it's always worth asking.  I need to visit them myself next week, as one of the arms fell off my "normal" glasses only this morning

James

[Guest chaz2b]

Hi James, certainly I need to visit the opticians again, I also want to visit one with a great deal of experience as I have visited quite a few store opticians, I think personally, they’re  there just to sell glasses.

As I have mentioned, I don’t need to wear glasses for viewing, I get a perfectly good view without them.  My thoughts are, I may be straining my eyes with particular optics as with the Resolux 15x70, using their 7x50 doesn’t bother me.

 I have recently moved up from 1.5 to 2.5 for reading.  Another thing,reading and having the telly on don’t mix, again it hurts to refocus, but only mildly so.

I’ve also heard about “blue” light being beneficial, how? And how is it implemented?

BTW, I’m not kidding myself when it comes to age, I’m a 19 year old in a mature body.

 

chaz

[Gina]

I read that blue light is bad...

[barkis]

Our eyesight is such a precious  sense to have, and we have to take such good care of them as much as we are able. Of course most  our senses suffer with, age some of us worse than others. I've recently had one Cataract procedure, and it has made such a huge difference to my sight.  My other eye is scheduled to be done at the end of March, and I'm looking forward to that date. My distance vision is vastly improved, so it will surely improve more after eye 2 is done.   I will still need specs. to read, as no improvement In the focusing comes from this procedure,. It takes laser corrections for that, but far too expensive for me I'm afraid.

However, I'm very grateful to the NHS people for what they have done for me.

Ron.

 

[DAVE AMENDALL]

Hello Ron, You will find that after eye two is done. Pigeons will look like  a nice powder blue  instead of a murky grey. You will have noticed that telescope focusing on infinity will also become easier....Dave

[barkis]

38 minutes ago, DAVE AMENDALL said:

Hello Ron, You will find that after eye two is done. Pigeons will look like  a nice powder blue  instead of a murky grey. You will have noticed that telescope focusing on infinity will also become easier....Dave

You've no Idea how good that is going to feel Dave.
Cheers Matey.

Ron.

[JamesF]

3 hours ago, chaz2b said:

Hi James, certainly I need to visit the opticians again, I also want to visit one with a great deal of experience as I have visited quite a few store opticians, I think personally, they’re  there just to sell glasses.

As I said, I've always found Watson & Smith on Wellington High Street to be very good.  My wife and son (who have both worn glasses pretty much since they were old enough to do so) are also very happy with them.  Though obviously if you're not in the Wellington area after all, that's no help to you whatsoever

James

[Chris]

I'm 43 and gave into glasses in my 30's. I guess I'm lucky in that I never need glasses to observe. I honestly thought you only needed glasses to observe if you have astigmatism. I have very mild astigmatism so can get away with it.

Do you have astigmatism yourself? If so and it's causing you issues, maybe look into this

http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=54 

[Gina]

They look very interesting as I have considerable astigmatism in both eyes but I couldn't find prices.

EDIT - Went to a UK retailer and found prices HERE

[RobertI]

I sympathise, my distance vision has deteriorated over the last couple of years (I am 53) when I look at the night sky the stars are blurred but apparently my vision (in my right eye at least) is 20-20 according to the optician and I don’t need distance glasses yet. I think as an astronomer I am much more conscious of sharpness of vision, the optician didn’t buy that though!

Regarding your problem, the only time I have experienced the kind of discomfort you are describing is when looking through poorly collimated binoculars and trying to correct the double vision. Obviously not relevant to your situation though.

Sounds like there is some effect occurring, you just need the right optician to find out. 

[Carbon Brush]

If something does not feel right, go back and ask. If they start to fob you with stories, pester nag, stamp your foot or do whatever it takes to make them listen.

Having been visiting opticians for over half a century, I feel I have something to contribute.
These are experiences of small businesses to the big names like 'should have gone to', naval telescope and footwear.

When you are sitting in the chair reading a chart, generally the optician knows what he/she is on about.
But not always. Here are a few cautionary tales.

I once had an optician recommend prism in my specs - a tilt on the lens.
I had been wearing frames that needed adjusting and my eyes had compensated.
All I needed was to go back to a properly fitted frame.
I was on holiday, having been struggling for a week with my new 'prism' specs.
Swapping between the old and new one evening I noticed there were two moons that night, that slowly merged as the eye muscles pulled.
That was before the 2nd bottle of local wine!

Another time I was asked 'which is better' when the optician pops another minor change in front of your eye.
My honest answer was that I could not discern a significant difference. But his reply was that I must make a choice!

Another optician (correcting my short sight) did not consider the difference between absolute sharpest image, and comfortable.
What is better a small black image or slightly larger slightly fuzzy image.
Fellow myopia sufferers will know what I mean.

Then when you reach the age of newsprint shrinking, is the optician over enthusiatic about near correction?

Assuming you survive the darkened room, the front of house staff help you to choose lenses and frames.
Some are good, some are useless.

You walk into the shop with a prescription that differs minimally from last time.
But they still try to sell you a spare pair because your old ones are the wrong prescription!

I once had a big argument about lens thickness. The shop front staff tried to tell me that a -4 dioptre lens is thicker in the middle than at the edges.
If I had got some spare specs with me I would have probably smashed them to demonstrate.
Luckily the optician overhearing the 'discussion' stepped in, agreeing with me and correcting his staff member.

Then if you are interested in lens thickness, they empty your wallet for high refractive index lenses.
But if you ask about chromatic aberration they explain the colours are fine.
Having (in past years) seen stripes on door frames and spectrograph views of mercury lights........

Going to varifocals, ask for the lens contour maps.
Some lenses have big distance areas and tiny reading areas. So tiny you have to move your head to read an A4 piece of paper.
Some have significantly wider reading areas so are much more relaxing for reading.

Assuming you have escaped the shop, the next peril comes with the specs manufacture.

When you go to the shop to collect, you have incorrectly made lenses that are blurred and obviously wrong.
Then the anti reflective coating is forgotten and you think there are hundreds of light fittings in the shop...

But all being well, you leave the shop thinking you have decent specs. Maybe, maybe not...

One pair were 'not quite right' in the lower part of the field. Then I got it figured out.
Walking over some lawns, there was a small bump in the grass a couple of feet ahead of me.
As I walked, the bump moved with me. A magnified region of lens.
Obviously a machine defect as both pairs purchased at the sqame time had the same defect.

I always work on the basis of at least one post-fit visit to resolve problems. If it is just adjustment I consider myself fortunate.

Then how do the specs hold up to use?

Did you know that there is no specification for temperature extremes? I have asked and nobody knows.
If you overheat a lens, the coating takes on a cracked ice effect.
I have done this leaving specs in their case on a car dashboard.
Fortunately the specs were in warranty so they did not argue too much.
I have tried old lenses rinsed under very hot water and you can obtain similar results.
The sort of cleaning you might be tempted to do if you got fat or grease on a lens.

OK. On to chemical cleaning. Repeated exposure to isopropanol causes the anti reflection coating to flake off.

As you can see, opticians are not my favourite place to visit.

David.

 

 

[Gina]

I am lucky.  My optician is very good and the staff are good too.  It is a small concern not one of the high street megastores. 

[DaveS]

Just a quick point, have your eyes been checked for muscular imbalance? I have quite a severe case, but it didn't strike until my late 40s / early 50s.

[Guest chaz2b]

David, that was very indepth and  I thank you for it, I'll read it all again when I get to the opticians.

When I look up at the stars, I see almost double and i know my right eye is weaker than the left.

A few years back I suffered a silent migraine that came with a strange Aura, i went blind in my right eye. At first I thought it may be permanent, but my sight returned after around 20 minutes, and how it returned. Like a clock sweeping 15 minutes off at a time! I saw two specialists at Musgrove hospital, they said my eyes were perfect so I must of suffered a silent migraine, hence the Aura.

But ever since, my right eye seems weaker than the left, so I mainly view through my left eye, but what with me acquiring a set of binoviewers, that's what I now mainly use.

 

Chaz

[Gina]

17 minutes ago, DaveS said:

Just a quick point, have your eyes been checked for muscular imbalance? I have quite a severe case, but it didn't strike until my late 40s / early 50s.

I have that problem too - it has got worse over time and now I have no binocular vision - it is beyond optical correction.

Chaz, it sounds as if you have minor muscle imbalance which has just started.  I too get silent migraines with coloured sort of frilly patterns which affect both eyes the same so it's a brain anomaly rather than eyes themselves.  The visual disturbance starts near the centre of view and moves slowly outwards.  I tend to get it if I'm stressed.  I have mentioned it to my optician and he says it's nothing to worry about.

[Carbon Brush]

Chaz2b & Gina. Have you considered Ocular migraine? Also known as retinal migraine?

Dr. Google brings up some very good illustrations of the condition.

It is impossible for you (the sufferer) to determine which eye is causing the problem as the visual disturbance remains when you close an eye.

If you happen to be in the opticians when it happens, there is the opportunity to the person with the bright torch to see constricted blood vessels.
The chance of being in the right place when this happens for 15 to 30 minutes is though miniscule.

Fortunately the effect is not permanent and generally is nothing to worry about.

David.

[Thalestris24]

On ‎03‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 20:56, Gina said:

I have that problem too - it has got worse over time and now I have no binocular vision - it is beyond optical correction.

Chaz, it sounds as if you have minor muscle imbalance which has just started.  I too get silent migraines with coloured sort of frilly patterns which affect both eyes the same so it's a brain anomaly rather than eyes themselves.  The visual disturbance starts near the centre of view and moves slowly outwards.  I tend to get it if I'm stressed.  I have mentioned it to my optician and he says it's nothing to worry about.

I get those - so called 'visual migraines' (aura) - quite often. Messes up my vision for some 10's of minutes. I believe it's something that happens in the brain but I think it can be triggered by glare or just happens spontaneously. I've been suffering with it for something like 10 years now.  Recently, though, I've been getting bad headaches - waking up with them  Don't know if it's linked to my eyesight...

Louise

[JamesF]

Interesting that "visual migraines" have been mentioned.  I'd never heard of them.  According a highly reliable internet source (Wikipedia there are "visual migraines" and "retinal migraines", the former being an effect in the brain and the latter in the eyeball.

For a few years I've noticed that very occasionally (barely a handful of times a year) most often when I've been out in bright light and come back to sit at my desk I get weird visual artefacts similar to those described, particularly if I'm hungry.  Usually the effect disappears after ten minutes or so, particularly if I eat.  I shall pay more attention next time it happens.

James

[Peter Drew]

Anyone suffering from optical migraine should have their blood pressure checked. I started experiencing them and eventually ended up having a brain scan as my blood pressure was found to be high. Fortunately the scan revealed that I had a brain and that it had suffered no physical damage, there was an indication of a few hotspots. I have since been on suitable blood pressure medication and have had no further optical migraines.   ?