Frustrating visit to the opticians this morning. I have been puzzled by not being able to find an off the peg pair of reading glasses that give clear vision in my left eye (to be worn over contact lenses worn for distance - I am very myopic). My right eye can usually read all lines of print on a close reading chart but in recent months, my left has been much worse at this, in fact non of the lines are clear though I can usually make out the first couple of lines. Clearly I am not going to get satisfactory ‘off the shelf’ glasses if each eye is different, but I cannot seem to find any strength of reading glasses by experiment that accomodates my left eye at all well (whilst keeping the right one shut) and I want to establish the reason for the problem if it is not a problem of focus. Optician seems to have brushed me off; he already knew I had a previous appointment in August but I explained it did not pick up my issue. Even after explaining the problem today, he wouldnt check me out with contact lenses in (because they can charge a fee for a contact lens appointment which I dont need as my contacts are fine for distance). Seems to me he did tests that focussed on distance acuity and colour contrasts, since I was always looking at letters reflected in a mirror at some distance on the wall and I assume he either inferred from this a correction factor for near vision or used some kind of automated instrument to find the focal characteristics. Only right at the end with a prescription setting determined in the lens apparatus on my nose did he put some text close and ask me to read it. Of course I could read it because I was using both eyes for a start and I dont really have this difficulty with the right . He didnt do this for each eye seperately. I find my close vision is better if I shut my left eye as it only seems to add blur. He conceded there was some difference between both eyes but seemed to think I was over stating the problem. Have had two trabulectomies in early summer but eye specialist not making a link to this problem. Left eye also has a stigmatic correction factor but I think it is relativeley insignificant. Anyone throw any light on this? Undiagnosed by the way.
I don’t think that opticians’ eye tests can test for everything. Seems to me that you might need a referral back to the eye hospital that specifies this is the problem.
I don’t know if it’s relevant or not, but it is normal for people’s vision to begin to deteriorate quite significantly when they hit their 40s (roughly). The deterioration doesn’t necessarily happen equally in both eyes and it continues into old age.
Karen x