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Opticians

Superhudd

Superhudd

Simon Davies
Do we have any Optician's posting on here, I need some advice.

I went and got my eyes tested a couple of weeks back, last time prior was in 2005!

So my eyes have changed quite a bit it seems, basically from around 2 in each eye to

----------------Sph--------Cyl------Axis

Distance Left---+5.00------1.50-----13.0

Distance Right--+4.50------0.50-----10.0


Now my left eye is pretty much fudged, has been since I was young, its a lazy eye, squint, failed corrective surgery when 9 etc, etc therefore my strong eye is my right.

Now when having the test I noticed that when she was doing it and reading the letters for my right eye only, left covered, the lens put in to correct made me see really well.

When it was reversed, testing the left eye with the right eye covered, I never ever got good seeing ability, often struggerling mighterly with what was on the sight test, but was able to get down to the third maybe 4th line, basically from concentrating really hard.

I asked at the time why she didn't test it so the vision in that left eye was like it was in the right, which is basically clearly being able to read the bottom line on the sight test.

She said that it wouldn't matter what was put in as a lens you wouldn't get any better because the left eye isn't as strong as the right eye.

Today I picked up the new glasses and it seems that I need to take some time to adjust to the change.

But all I can think about is when wearing the glasses I cover the right eye, computer screen is blurry, cover the left eye, perfect vision.

So question, is this normal practice, and why the hell can I not have a lens for the left eye that works like the right lens I currently have, should I not be able to have perfect vision whatever eye I look out of. Is this why I have problems with watching 3D as blue is one eye and red is the other eye.

I dunno.. feel like something isn't right, just told it will take 10-14 days to adjust.
 
Your best bet is to go in and get a second opinion from a different optician, it sounds wrong to me too.
 
I have nearly the exact same perscription as you, 'glasses fweennnddd'

I hate opticians. Especially the mainstream ones. I had two eye tests over the past couple of months just to try and get a PD distance so that I can buy my glasses online. Both times they came up with flimflam reasons as to why they wouldn't give it to me ("oh your sight is complicated so we can't give it to you" "oh we will need to make these for you as they will need a lot of adjustment") Both times I said to them utter rubbish as a PD distance is a simple measurment between your pupils. Of course they do not want to give it to you to keep the business inhouse.

Anyways, like you, my left eye is weaker than my right. I also have a squint, lazy eye, except mine is +6.75, -3.25 -180. When I have my eyes tested both eyes are tested to the best of their ability (i.e. if I can see the bottom line with my left eye and with the aid of lenses then that would be my perscription). The only reason I can see them saying to you 'it wouldn't matter' would be that your eyes do not work well together (i.e. I presume, like me, you had an operation when younger to correct the muscle behind the weaker eye). May have somthing to do with that.
 
I get a boner from visiting my optician. The way she breathes at me all up close and personal.
 
DHSF said:
I get a boner from visiting my optician. The way she breathes at me all up close and personal.
Click to expand...

This.
Got my specs at the local Vision Express, and the women working in there are stunning. Short skirts, legs to heaven etc.
 
Lazy eye can refer to amblyopia, which is a problem with the neural pathway to or in the brain, not with the eye itself. There is a problem that stops the proper perception of the image at the visual cortex. I think that could be why you struggled with the eye test with that eye only. As its not a physical problem with the eye (although it can be caused by one), a lens can't correct it.

However, I'm not an optician. Lazy eye can also refer to various kinds of squinting. I think you need a better explanation from your optician as to what the problem is and why a lens can't correct it. I'd expect my optician to explain this to me properly, not just say one eye is stronger than the other.
 
Superhudd said:
Do we have any Optician's posting on here, I need some advice.

I went and got my eyes tested a couple of weeks back, last time prior was in 2005!

So my eyes have changed quite a bit it seems, basically from around 2 in each eye to

----------------Sph--------Cyl------Axis

Distance Left---+5.00------1.50-----13.0

Distance Right--+4.50------0.50-----10.0


Now my left eye is pretty much fudged, has been since I was young, its a lazy eye, squint, failed corrective surgery when 9 etc, etc therefore my strong eye is my right.

Now when having the test I noticed that when she was doing it and reading the letters for my right eye only, left covered, the lens put in to correct made me see really well.

When it was reversed, testing the left eye with the right eye covered, I never ever got good seeing ability, often struggerling mighterly with what was on the sight test, but was able to get down to the third maybe 4th line, basically from concentrating really hard.

I asked at the time why she didn't test it so the vision in that left eye was like it was in the right, which is basically clearly being able to read the bottom line on the sight test.

She said that it wouldn't matter what was put in as a lens you wouldn't get any better because the left eye isn't as strong as the right eye.

Today I picked up the new glasses and it seems that I need to take some time to adjust to the change.

But all I can think about is when wearing the glasses I cover the right eye, computer screen is blurry, cover the left eye, perfect vision.

So question, is this normal practice, and why the hell can I not have a lens for the left eye that works like the right lens I currently have, should I not be able to have perfect vision whatever eye I look out of. Is this why I have problems with watching 3D as blue is one eye and red is the other eye.

I dunno.. feel like something isn't right, just told it will take 10-14 days to adjust.
Click to expand...

It's a big shift in only 7 years and would certainly take a lot of getting used to, especially if you have been wearing your previous specs up until now. Sounds to me that these are for reading purposes only, so your new prescription is only for close work and so is much more powerful than previously worn. I'd definitely go back and get them to explain what this prescription was for and also what the optician has recommended. Did they see your previous spectacles at this appointment?

As for seeing clearly through both eyes, that is certainly something you need to discuss with the optician, and without knowing the visual acuity of your eyes then I cannot even guess. It may be though, as has been suggested previously, that if one of your eyes has been weakened earlier in your life then your brain has suppressed the image from that eye so it does not interfere with your binocular imaging and your optician is unable to improve it further. I am sure you would have been aware of this way before now however, so a recheck could be requested.

As for opticians supplying measurements for free so people can buy their spectacles cheaper online? Why should we? Why are the people who supply spectacles online able to do it on the cheap? Because they base themselves in some warehouse in Wrexham, buy a couple of glazing machines, buy in cheap lenses, discontinued frames and hire cheap labour to make spectacles. High Street opticians have to position themselves in high cost premises, employ professional staff, purchase high quality equipment to carry out your eye examination, and seek to offer you personal 1-2-1 frame and lens selection to ensure you are wearing the best and most suitable spectacles for your prescription. Why should we offer that for free? It's not about a free market, it's about the internet market piggy backing on our expertise and training to make a cheap sale. Do you really think that the £10-£20 you pay for the sight test is the true reflection of the business cost of an eye exam? Does your dentist do a £10 dental check?

Most certainly with your prescription it is essential all of your measurements, both horizontally and vertically are aligned accurately within a 1mm. Your optician has every right to be concerned to see you buying your specs online. If your prescription is made up incorrectly, who will you go to try and get them fitted correctly? Who do you think the online company will recommend you go to try and get them rectified? Who is paying for that?

At the end of the day if you have had spectacles made up anywhere previously then under the Data Protection laws then they have to release that measurement to you. But as it is part of the dispense and not a requirement of the eye examination then your current optician has every right to decline giving it to you if you have not purchased spectacles from him previously.

Rant over
 
Buying cheap pairs of glasses online is not just short sighted but potentially dangerous, consumer watchdogs have revealed.

Nearly half of spectacles bought from leading internet optical firms failed basic standards tests carried out by independent experts, the report said.

Some were 'woeful', a spokesman said.

It was similar for contact lenses as 13 out of 15 firms broke the law by not checking the buyer's prescription.

Millions of short and long sighted Britons are going online to find alternatives to high street opticians hoping they will pay less for their spectacles and contact lenses.

Substandard products that could damage eyesight or lead to headaches and other problems, it was warned.

Customers may still need to be measured up for glasses or lenses as well as needing a prescription.

Which? undercover researchers bought 36 pairs of glasses from 13 different online retailers and 15 pairs failed tests including 10 that did not come up to the British standard for the industry.

Of the other 21, ten pairs passed the tests but were rated as 'borderline', the report said.

Four pairs were described as 'woeful' by the panel.

Five companies sent varifocals that were deemed 'potentially dangerous' in the investigation.

In a separate investigation Which? researchers also ordered contact lenses from 15 different online retailers.

It found 13 of the sellers did not ask to see the prescription, which is illegal.

Contact lenses must not be sold unless the retailer has verified the prescription, either from the buyer or from their own optician.

A Which? spokesman said: "New glasses can set you back hundreds of pounds so buying cheap specs online is tempting.

"But some online 'bargains' should come with a serious health warning

"If lenses like these are not positioned accurately, the glasses could be unsafe when driving and using stairs."

One pair of varifocals from Goggles4U, costing £69, were 'extremely dangerous' with the wrong prescription and different heights between the centre of the lenses.

Which? said: "These would have been likely to cause headaches and eye strain as well as making the glasses unsafe, when driving for example."

In response to the investigation, the firms claimed they had either provided the form, online, for buyers' to fill in such details or given warnings about it on their sites.

Goggles4U said it recommended, online, that customers ask their 'eye doctor' for measurements before ordering.

A spokesman for Which? said: "Our experts' verdict was that anyone with a simple prescription might be fine buying online but they would have reservations about those with higher or more complex prescriptions."

Four firms were praised for offering a service where they send frames to try at home before buying – these four were Direct Sight, Glasses123, Glasses Direct and Glasses Frames and Lenses.

Among the selling contact lenses, the only two retailers who, rightly, refused to sell to the investigators were Asda Opticians and The Contact Lens Shop.

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/warning-over-cheap-reading-glasses-bought-online.html
 
Thanks Dometop.

You got me worried regarding the move from 2 to 5 on the eyes, say you got 1000 customers, how many does that happen too. Is the Optician able to spot diabeties through an eye test. The lady that did the test said she was pleased with the health of my eyes. If not, I'll make an appointment to the lcoal GP first thing monday.

So is my situation common then with someone that has a lazy eye or squint. Is it not possible for me to retrain the eye in order to make the brain take in the image better.

I see more and more people of my age wearing teeth metalwork, would it be the same for me and my left eye where I simply spend more time as I did as a kid with an eye patch, or is the problem to engrained in my brain to make any difference now. I can wear a patch when Arsenal are on the tele, I would only keep one eye on the game anyway... boom boom.


Another question, why does the lazy eye/squint correct itself when I wear glasses or contacts.

Is it practice to not even try to get a presciption on such an eye even if say a -20 lens is used. (is that lens even possible)

Is this why I struggle with 3D, my brain is basically finding it difficult to scramble with the blue red result.


I totally agree about what you say about using the highstreet over internet, for me this past couple of months its like a light switch coming on. I now find myself wanting to reward those that pay back to society. I bet these online places are taking the orders in luxemnbourg, being built here and paying no tax as well.
 
I have a question for Dometop. I had a look to find more on lazyeye and found this site: http://www.lazyeye.org/#whatis.

I don't know if this is a legitimate professional site or not. They argue that you can do training exercises to try and help the image formation process in the brain and that this is still possible in adults. Is this accurate information? They sound genuine but you can never be sure with medical advice on the internet.
 
Superhudd said:
Thanks Dometop.

You got me worried regarding the move from 2 to 5 on the eyes, say you got 1000 customers, how many does that happen too. Is the Optician able to spot diabeties through an eye test. The lady that did the test said she was pleased with the health of my eyes. If not, I'll make an appointment to the lcoal GP first thing monday.

So is my situation common then with someone that has a lazy eye or squint. Is it not possible for me to retrain the eye in order to make the brain take in the image better.

I see more and more people of my age wearing teeth metalwork, would it be the same for me and my left eye where I simply spend more time as I did as a kid with an eye patch, or is the problem to engrained in my brain to make any difference now. I can wear a patch when Arsenal are on the tele, I would only keep one eye on the game anyway... boom boom.


Another question, why does the lazy eye/squint correct itself when I wear glasses or contacts.

Is it practice to not even try to get a presciption on such an eye even if say a -20 lens is used. (is that lens even possible)

Is this why I struggle with 3D, my brain is basically finding it difficult to scramble with the blue red result.


I totally agree about what you say about using the highstreet over internet, for me this past couple of months its like a light switch coming on. I now find myself wanting to reward those that pay back to society. I bet these online places are taking the orders in luxemnbourg, being built here and paying no tax as well.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay in replying. I would not worry too much about the prescription with regards to your own health. Opticians can see signs of illness such as diabetes and high blood pressure as the blood vessels around the retina are so visible. I would be more interested in the shift with regards to the reasons for it with regards to your age, the requirement for such a large shift, or if there has been miscommunication of what your previous prescription was compared to this one. Most opticicans would certainly warn you of a large shift and if you will be expecting a period of adaptation.

If you do have a squint, or amblyopia, there will be little chance of improving the vision in that eye. This is why we always look to correct in children as there is a level of elasticity in the visual system up until ages of 8-9. After that the visual system is pretty much set, although some convergence exercises may help it will be unlikey if the visual system is suppressing the image in that eye.

That moves onto your question about 3D. Most probably this is the reason you do not see 3D movies so well. 3D tends to use polarisation these days rather than just red and green filters. As your eyes need to work binocularly to give depth perception, if that is a weakness then it will effect your viewing pleasure. Plus 3D movies are pretty brick anyway!

a -20 lens would do little for you as the image would be completely out of focus so you would still suppress it. The highest prescription lens i have dispensed has been a -24 by the way.
 
Dometop said:
It's a big shift in only 7 years and would certainly take a lot of getting used to, especially if you have been wearing your previous specs up until now. Sounds to me that these are for reading purposes only, so your new prescription is only for close work and so is much more powerful than previously worn. I'd definitely go back and get them to explain what this prescription was for and also what the optician has recommended. Did they see your previous spectacles at this appointment?

As for seeing clearly through both eyes, that is certainly something you need to discuss with the optician, and without knowing the visual acuity of your eyes then I cannot even guess. It may be though, as has been suggested previously, that if one of your eyes has been weakened earlier in your life then your brain has suppressed the image from that eye so it does not interfere with your binocular imaging and your optician is unable to improve it further. I am sure you would have been aware of this way before now however, so a recheck could be requested.

As for opticians supplying measurements for free so people can buy their spectacles cheaper online? Why should we? Why are the people who supply spectacles online able to do it on the cheap? Because they base themselves in some warehouse in Wrexham, buy a couple of glazing machines, buy in cheap lenses, discontinued frames and hire cheap labour to make spectacles. High Street opticians have to position themselves in high cost premises, employ professional staff, purchase high quality equipment to carry out your eye examination, and seek to offer you personal 1-2-1 frame and lens selection to ensure you are wearing the best and most suitable spectacles for your prescription. Why should we offer that for free? It's not about a free market, it's about the internet market piggy backing on our expertise and training to make a cheap sale. Do you really think that the £10-£20 you pay for the sight test is the true reflection of the business cost of an eye exam? Does your dentist do a £10 dental check?

Most certainly with your prescription it is essential all of your measurements, both horizontally and vertically are aligned accurately within a 1mm. Your optician has every right to be concerned to see you buying your specs online. If your prescription is made up incorrectly, who will you go to try and get them fitted correctly? Who do you think the online company will recommend you go to try and get them rectified? Who is paying for that?

At the end of the day if you have had spectacles made up anywhere previously then under the Data Protection laws then they have to release that measurement to you. But as it is part of the dispense and not a requirement of the eye examination then your current optician has every right to decline giving it to you if you have not purchased spectacles from him previously.

Rant over
Click to expand...

Sorry Dome but I disagree with your later part of your argument and believe it's only natural for you to take a bias view because of your profession.

When I pay for an eye test I pay for a health check on the eyes and expect to be given measurements if I request this. If a PD distance is not included then I'm more than willing to pay a little extra for them to provide this and you and I both know this measurement takes less than 5 minutes to provide.

Opticians are being hit by internet sales but unfortunately that's business and the profession is not the first to lose sales from it. The internet has opened the market to competitiveness. Why should I buy lenses only without the frames for £200 when I can get the exact same for £70?

Opticians are there to provide a service and this is paid for by the customer. I pay money in exchange for the services I require and it’s my decision to take advice recommended to me. I however think the business sense of extorting customers that resembles blackmail in order to withhold information to secure sales is wrong in every sense.

Customers are now most likely guessing their PD measurements and purchasing glasses that are not completely accurate for their sight, something that can be avoided if all measurements were provided by the optician as requested by the customer.

You and I both know the measurements taken for glasses are transferable to the customer and can provide accurate glasses/lenses in doing so in order for them to shop around and purchase the required spectacles needed. The only difference is that they might miss out on the adjustment on the frame, something that can be done for less than a tenner at a participating opticians.

In my case, my glasses arrived last week and the sight is perfect. I now have designer frames and the thinnest lenses for £130, a price that would just about buy the frames at my high street optician. The company I used online had helpful opticians who answered any questions or queries I had without hesitation.

As for my PD distance, I took my own measurement using a PD ruler I bought online and read up how to take accurate measurements online and had the measurements confirmed by other members of the family. This is an approach you will find many others doing whether opticians are willing to give this information or not. As I said I was willing to pay extra for my PD distance but in refusing to provide one unless I bought from them resulted in a loss of a sale for them and any future dealings on my behalf.

I'm also a gas permeable lense wearer and purchase these on a yearly basis from my optician due to the complexity of these. I will however not consider using his service in the future and would be going to someone who is honest, provides recommendations and who does not attempt to force a sale by closing my options in shopping elsewhere.

Now sorry if you refuse with this view and your high street profession is in decline but end of the day money talks and customer like me are refusing to get ripped off splashing £350 on glasses and lenses (in my last case when I bought from a high street) when I can save over 60% and purchase a higher quality frame with same quality lenses.

You may offer a better service than online but it's not hard to purchase these yourself (cutting out the middleman, i.e. you) when the customer has the measurements to hand and pays or is willing to pay for something that in right is actually his/hers whether you agree to this or not. I exchange money for either a service or product. If I come to you and pay for an eye test then by law you have to provide my prescription and If I want a further measurement that I'm willing to pay extra for but you refuse to provide to secure a sale then unfortunately that is a failure on your behalf and will lose my custom in the future.
 
Dometop said:
Buying cheap pairs of glasses online is not just short sighted but potentially dangerous, consumer watchdogs have revealed.

Nearly half of spectacles bought from leading internet optical firms failed basic standards tests carried out by independent experts, the report said.

Some were 'woeful', a spokesman said.

It was similar for contact lenses as 13 out of 15 firms broke the law by not checking the buyer's prescription.

Millions of short and long sighted Britons are going online to find alternatives to high street opticians hoping they will pay less for their spectacles and contact lenses.

Substandard products that could damage eyesight or lead to headaches and other problems, it was warned.

Customers may still need to be measured up for glasses or lenses as well as needing a prescription.

Which? undercover researchers bought 36 pairs of glasses from 13 different online retailers and 15 pairs failed tests including 10 that did not come up to the British standard for the industry.

Of the other 21, ten pairs passed the tests but were rated as 'borderline', the report said.

Four pairs were described as 'woeful' by the panel.

Five companies sent varifocals that were deemed 'potentially dangerous' in the investigation.

In a separate investigation Which? researchers also ordered contact lenses from 15 different online retailers.

It found 13 of the sellers did not ask to see the prescription, which is illegal.

Contact lenses must not be sold unless the retailer has verified the prescription, either from the buyer or from their own optician.

A Which? spokesman said: "New glasses can set you back hundreds of pounds so buying cheap specs online is tempting.

"But some online 'bargains' should come with a serious health warning

"If lenses like these are not positioned accurately, the glasses could be unsafe when driving and using stairs."

One pair of varifocals from Goggles4U, costing £69, were 'extremely dangerous' with the wrong prescription and different heights between the centre of the lenses.

Which? said: "These would have been likely to cause headaches and eye strain as well as making the glasses unsafe, when driving for example."

In response to the investigation, the firms claimed they had either provided the form, online, for buyers' to fill in such details or given warnings about it on their sites.

Goggles4U said it recommended, online, that customers ask their 'eye doctor' for measurements before ordering.

A spokesman for Which? said: "Our experts' verdict was that anyone with a simple prescription might be fine buying online but they would have reservations about those with higher or more complex prescriptions."

Four firms were praised for offering a service where they send frames to try at home before buying – these four were Direct Sight, Glasses123, Glasses Direct and Glasses Frames and Lenses.

Among the selling contact lenses, the only two retailers who, rightly, refused to sell to the investigators were Asda Opticians and The Contact Lens Shop.

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/warning-over-cheap-reading-glasses-bought-online.html
Click to expand...

Like anything the buyer needs to take some responsibility in ordering his/her lenses and should choose a respectable retailer online by using ones that are clearly reviewed and marked as recommended.

Of course there are going to be opticians out there who provide a poor service online and skips checks but these sort of people are most likely little stores desperate for sales who lurk around the 10th page on google.

Like any retailer online read reviews and investiagte before purchase. As a customer make sure you go to the opticians for an up to date eyetest and input the correct measruments online.

The people I used asked me 4 times whether my perscription was to date and even asked for my opticians details to confirm this.

Again, just another 'scare attempt' with a bias view to protect to profession in a time of decline.

Sorry but you and I both know that's the truth.
 
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