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

[Gfamily]

On 17/03/2019 at 20:07, Alien 13 said:

I have not visited an optician for years having relied on pound shop reading glasses but recently (last few months) that my eyesight has changed quite dramatically. I had to use +1.5 glasses when using my laptop but since the change I can see clearly without them however my long distance which never used to be a problem has gone completely, cant see street signs/stars or the TV for that matter.

I am never one to go to the doc so am a bit apprehensive about seeing an optician, would a general high street one be OK for an initial check?

Alan

Mrs G has a friend who hadn't been to the opticians for a long time, and only went because one of the hinges broke on her spectacles. 

While there, they gave her an eye test which disclosed that she had been suffering from macular degeneration for a while. Because it was progressive, she had simply adapted and hadn't noticed that her field of view was reducing over time, and although the progress could be slowed, she had suffered a lot of damage that could have been delayed.

For myself, a standard eye test a few years ago showed that the pressure in my eyes was higher than it should have been, and this would have led to glaucoma and sight loss if it hadn't been picked up.  As it it, with eyedrops my pressure is back to normal.

Everyone should have regular eye tests - they are effective at picking up conditions that if untreated can lead to sight loss.

[JamesF]

10 minutes ago, Gfamily said:

For myself, a standard eye test a few years ago showed that the pressure in my eyes was higher than it should have been

I was referred to the local hospital for getting a high result on this test a few years back.  After the additional tests they decided that actually there wasn't a problem and I just had unusually thick corneas that affected the readings.  Most unexpected!

James

[Gfamily]

45 minutes ago, JamesF said:

I was referred to the local hospital for getting a high result on this test a few years back.  After the additional tests they decided that actually there wasn't a problem and I just had unusually thick corneas that affected the readings.  Most unexpected!

James

For me, the fact that my mum had glaucoma meant that I was eligible for free eye tests once I passed age 40 - as is anyone with a parent or sibling who has glaucoma.

[Captain Scarlet]

Funnily enough I'm having an Ocular / Aural Migraine at this very moment. For me, it manifests as a multi-coloured zigzag roughly circular patch that spreads out into an ever-larger circle from the centre of my view. It's extremely colourful and rather beautiful, much more colourful than the Wiki depictions. It fades after about 20 minutes. I only started getting them 3-4 years ago, I'm mid-50s.

[Gina]

46 minutes ago, Captain Magenta said:

Funnily enough I'm having an Ocular / Aural Migraine at this very moment. For me, it manifests as a multi-coloured zigzag roughly circular patch that spreads out into an ever-larger circle from the centre of my view. It's extremely colourful and rather beautiful, much more colourful than the Wiki depictions. It fades after about 20 minutes. I only started getting them 3-4 years ago, I'm mid-50s.

I get that sometimes too and I'm in my mid 70s.  I mentioned it to my optician and he said it was nothing to worry about.  I've also had regular annual eye tests for glaucoma as my mother had it.  So far no problem.

[DaveS]

Went for an eye check at a local high st optician (Not a chain) as I was a little concerned about slightly fuzzy stars.

After an extensive examination the upshot was a deterioration in my dominant left eye, a change in the astigmatism in both, but no change in the prism. He added a bit to the near vision as well. Also had tests for glaucoma, good, visual field, good, and a thoughough microscope examination of my retinas, also good. He found the pinpoint cataracts, but nothing needing to be done for a long time.

So: two new glasses coming up (Normal and distance). Bit of a scary bill coming up too.

[Paul M]

I've found that some eye tests are better than others....

My first ever prescription in my late teens was for mild shortsightedness that I'd lived with since early teens. It corrected my distance vision but when I told the optometrist that I couldn't see clearly close up with the glasses he just said they'd take some getting used to. I went back some weeks later and got the same outcome. So those glasses only got used for stargazing and later, driving.

My next eye test was in the neighbouring town where marriage took me. I told the optometrist about my near vision with glasses problem so he investigated that and my second ever pair of glasses were bi-focal. Then after those it was varifocal.

And over the years I've had further trouble. My current prescription is excellent. The one prior was never right even after 2 re-tests. My left eye was never sharp. The optometrist for my current prescription (different high street opticians) looked at my previous one as a starting point and was surprised how much it had "changed". We both knew it hadn't changed that much but he was too professional to imply there was a problem with the last prescription, just that it had "changed"

It's always my left eye with its very poor accommodation and significant astigmatism that causes me problems. It's like a naughty child, refusing to play nicely and gets tired easily. Looking at a square grid of lines a couple of feet away with my left eye without my glasses, the vertical lines are sharp, the horizontal ones are entirely blurred. 

[Stub Mandrel]

On 27/03/2019 at 09:53, JamesF said:

On 27/03/2019 at 09:38, Gfamily said:

For myself, a standard eye test a few years ago showed that the pressure in my eyes was higher than it should have been

I was referred to the local hospital for getting a high result on this test a few years back.  After the additional tests they decided that actually there wasn't a problem and I just had unusually thick corneas that affected the readings.  Most unexpected!

Picked up my high blood pressure and spurred me to go and get it tested properly.

[DaveS]

Went into Bridport and ordered the glasses. The girl had a tablet gizmo that did the measurements using the camera and a target that sat on my nose where the glasses should sit.

One pair of high end varifocals with high end frames in the highest index "glass", and one pair of distance glasses in not quite so high index and cheapo frames.

Could buy a small triplet for the same money.