I just got a prescription for glasses because I was squinting a lot to see cards and stuff on tv etc. The prescription appears to be fairly weak (I've never worn glasses, I'm 31). Would it even be worth it to buy glasses? The prescription is:
Sphere 0 cylinder -0.50 axis 100 (Right)
Sphere 0 cylinder -0.50 axis 80 (left)
I'm afraid of opening a can of worms here, but what is the German health system like? As an American I hear all sorts of things about European health care that would lead me to assume if you needed a prescription for glasses that your medical care would cover the expense. If the glasses are inexpensive, then why not get them if you are tired of squinting?
I'm afraid of opening a can of worms here, but what is the German health system like? As an American I hear all sorts of things about European health care that would lead me to assume if you needed a prescription for glasses that your medical care would cover the expense. If the glasses are inexpensive, then why not get them if you are tired of squinting?
Unfortunately glasses are one of the very few things not covered by my healthcare so I'd end up paying for them out of pocket.
Ah, I suppose you would look at your budget and then decide if the glasses can fit into your budget comfortably when weighed against how much you believe the glasses would improve your quality of life.
I need my glasses to see anything more than fifteen feet in front of me clearly, so it would be a no-brainer for me, especially considering I don't have much of a problem scraping together the eighty dollars it costs me to replace my glasses every couple of years. I'd say do it, if it isn't a fiscal burden, because improving your quality of life is an investment that is often times worth it.
I have the same prescription (numerically at least, I can't remember the details) and I wear glasses more or less constantly. Even though I can definitely manage fine without them, it's a significant quality of life improvement. Aside from being able to read signs, watch TV and so forth from further away, a lot of things that you never even realised you couldn't see perfectly become a lot easier to look at (for example, I'd been leaning towards my computer monitor in order to remove the slight blur and never noticed it). I recommend getting them.
Dutch, do you have a slight astigmatism? I'm 28, I ended up getting glasses last year for similar reasons: screens started getting blurry and small print was more of a challenge than it used to be. I'd never worn glasses before that.
I can most definitely say it's worth it. Once you get used to using them (which took me a couple weeks to be completely comfortable) they're a huge help. You don't realize how much until you wear them, it's like switching from a Standard TV to High Definition.
I have worn glasses my whole life and really enjoy them. I just had a swank pair of Beatles glasses that had actual print from The Yellow Submarine printed on the inside, like a secret!
I have a very bad astigmatism (the worst the doc had seen. One eyeball basically shaped like and egg) and am nearsighted. Some people feel you can strengthen your eyes to strengthen them by not wearing glasses, but that is not the case for astigmatism, your eye won't reshape itself, so I suggest glasses. Here, if you don't have insurance, glasses are pretty expensive, starting upwards of 150.00.
Dutch, do you have a slight astigmatism? I'm 28, I ended up getting glasses last year for similar reasons: screens started getting blurry and small print was more of a challenge than it used to be. I'd never worn glasses before that.
I can most definitely say it's worth it. Once you get used to using them (which took me a couple weeks to be completely comfortable) they're a huge help. You don't realize how much until you wear them, it's like switching from a Standard TV to High Definition.
Yep, you nailed it, I've got astigmatism! I think I'll go ahead and get them. Thanks everyone!
I just got a prescription for glasses because I was squinting a lot to see cards and stuff on tv etc. The prescription appears to be fairly weak (I've never worn glasses, I'm 31). Would it even be worth it to buy glasses? The prescription is:
Sphere 0 cylinder -0.50 axis 100 (Right)
Sphere 0 cylinder -0.50 axis 80 (left)
Thanks!
Man oh man am I ever jealous! My prescription is -9.5 in both eyes (legally blind without glasses or contacts).
It seems you've already decided to get them, which is good, another plus is that you can avoid potential headaches that are common for people like you with slightly less than perfect vision. You might also want to consider contact lenses. I know a lot of people are squeamish when it comes to touching eyes but it's really not as bad as it may seem. They have the added benefit of clearing up your peripheral vision, which glasses don't do, and they can actually help reshape your eyes to fix the astigmatism. I've been wearing contacts for 18 years and I see much better in general with them when compared to glasses and they've corrected the astigmatism quite a bit (I don't know the exact numbers but my eye doc says it's a significant amount).
Yep, you nailed it, I've got astigmatism! I think I'll go ahead and get them. Thanks everyone!
Good call. I recently broke down and got a pair. While seeing better is nice, the primary benefit has been less eye strain and an ability to read for longer.
I have worn glasses my whole life and really enjoy them. I just had a swank pair of Beatles glasses that had actual print from The Yellow Submarine printed on the inside, like a secret!
I have a very bad astigmatism (the worst the doc had seen. One eyeball basically shaped like and egg) and am nearsighted. Some people feel you can strengthen your eyes to strengthen them by not wearing glasses, but that is not the case for astigmatism, your eye won't reshape itself, so I suggest glasses. Here, if you don't have insurance, glasses are pretty expensive, starting upwards of 150.00.
Yep, you nailed it, I've got astigmatism! I think I'll go ahead and get them. Thanks everyone!
It's not as though your astigmatism will necessarily worsen (or improve) without (or with) glasses, but the blurriness would definitely persist without correction. So, going with glasses is a good and obvious decision.
I'm afraid of opening a can of worms here, but what is the German health system like?
Even if it were awful and you were to pay out of pocket, it's your eyes, your vision, and your life for heaven's sake.
The prescription isn't that bad and it should be largely asymptomatic (low-grade blurring), but what an improvement in QoL the OP would have with glasses that rectify the poor refraction and focussing of light! (There is, after all, an actual issue here and it's not as though the OP can simply get over it or something.)
Man oh man am I ever jealous! My prescription is -9.5 in both eyes (legally blind without glasses or contacts).
That is Sph.
The issue here is the Cyl. and Ax.
You might also want to consider contact lenses. I know a lot of people are squeamish when it comes to touching eyes but it's really not as bad as it may seem. They have the added benefit of clearing up your peripheral vision, which glasses don't do, and they can actually help reshape your eyes to fix the astigmatism.
Certain contact lenses do that.
Granted, not everyone has studied anatomy (and I haven't read as much anatomy as an optometrist or opthalmol. has), the issue here is the cornea and lens. Now, contact lenses for astigmatism do not even correct for the OP's degree of astigmatism. Moreover, they aren't like normal contacts in structure, function, or cost (therefore, glasses is not only a more prudent-for-your-pocket choice, but it is the only recommended and available one for the prescription in the OP).
I've been wearing contacts for 18 years and I see much better in general with them when compared to glasses and they've corrected the astigmatism quite a bit (I don't know the exact numbers but my eye doc says it's a significant amount).
Without the precise values, there is no indication of what 'significant' means.
But you probably also require a brief study of geometric optics...
Sphere 0 cylinder -0.50 axis 100 (Right)
Sphere 0 cylinder -0.50 axis 80 (left)
Thanks!
Unfortunately glasses are one of the very few things not covered by my healthcare so I'd end up paying for them out of pocket.
I need my glasses to see anything more than fifteen feet in front of me clearly, so it would be a no-brainer for me, especially considering I don't have much of a problem scraping together the eighty dollars it costs me to replace my glasses every couple of years. I'd say do it, if it isn't a fiscal burden, because improving your quality of life is an investment that is often times worth it.
I can most definitely say it's worth it. Once you get used to using them (which took me a couple weeks to be completely comfortable) they're a huge help. You don't realize how much until you wear them, it's like switching from a Standard TV to High Definition.
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I have a very bad astigmatism (the worst the doc had seen. One eyeball basically shaped like and egg) and am nearsighted. Some people feel you can strengthen your eyes to strengthen them by not wearing glasses, but that is not the case for astigmatism, your eye won't reshape itself, so I suggest glasses. Here, if you don't have insurance, glasses are pretty expensive, starting upwards of 150.00.
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Yep, you nailed it, I've got astigmatism! I think I'll go ahead and get them. Thanks everyone!
Man oh man am I ever jealous! My prescription is -9.5 in both eyes (legally blind without glasses or contacts).
It seems you've already decided to get them, which is good, another plus is that you can avoid potential headaches that are common for people like you with slightly less than perfect vision. You might also want to consider contact lenses. I know a lot of people are squeamish when it comes to touching eyes but it's really not as bad as it may seem. They have the added benefit of clearing up your peripheral vision, which glasses don't do, and they can actually help reshape your eyes to fix the astigmatism. I've been wearing contacts for 18 years and I see much better in general with them when compared to glasses and they've corrected the astigmatism quite a bit (I don't know the exact numbers but my eye doc says it's a significant amount).
???
It's not as though your astigmatism will necessarily worsen (or improve) without (or with) glasses, but the blurriness would definitely persist without correction. So, going with glasses is a good and obvious decision.
Even if it were awful and you were to pay out of pocket, it's your eyes, your vision, and your life for heaven's sake.
The prescription isn't that bad and it should be largely asymptomatic (low-grade blurring), but what an improvement in QoL the OP would have with glasses that rectify the poor refraction and focussing of light! (There is, after all, an actual issue here and it's not as though the OP can simply get over it or something.)
That is Sph.
The issue here is the Cyl. and Ax.
Certain contact lenses do that.
Granted, not everyone has studied anatomy (and I haven't read as much anatomy as an optometrist or opthalmol. has), the issue here is the cornea and lens. Now, contact lenses for astigmatism do not even correct for the OP's degree of astigmatism. Moreover, they aren't like normal contacts in structure, function, or cost (therefore, glasses is not only a more prudent-for-your-pocket choice, but it is the only recommended and available one for the prescription in the OP).
Without the precise values, there is no indication of what 'significant' means.
But you probably also require a brief study of geometric optics...
It means a lot, precise values are not needed. The doc said it was once really bad and now, not so much. So there you go.
Glad to hear that, and good for you! I suppose the optician/optom knows best anyway.
The doc? (GPs, ophthalmologists, and other medicos don't do this type of work. :confused:)