IAmAn Optician, AMA about your contacts, glasses, Lasik, or whatever.

I have 20/20 vision in my right eye, however I am nearly legally blind in my left. Would any respectable optician give me a monocle?

Every optician is required to do this. We take an oath.

How soon until I can simply buy new eyes?

Three, four weeks, tops.

Seriously, doctors have been working on ocular implants for years, and strides are made very often, but as the eyes are an incredibly sophisticated and fragile instrument, simply replacing them is quite difficult. It will happen, I'm convinced, and probably within our lifetime.

Is it true that wearing glasses/contacts weakens your eyesight? If so, why?

Are there any activities you suggest that will improve vision?

No, it doesn't weaken your eyesight. It makes your eyes somewhat dependent on the correction, in that they don't have to strain so hard to see clearly. So they tend to relax more, and when a person who has been wearing glasses their whole life takes them off, they're totally blind as far as they're concerned. A person with the same prescription who had never worn glasses will be more accustomed to getting around in the haze, and will thus seem to see more clearly.

...I hope that made sense.

As far as activities, not really. There is vision therapy you can do, but that is administered individually by a medical doctor and specialist.

In this instance, I have a very minor prescription. My contacts are at -1 in both eyes. Would it be a wise idea to not wear glasses or contacts once in a while, so that my eyes don't become dependent on the corrected vision?

Not really, it doesn't impact your prescription, just your comfort level without your prescription.

I have contacts that my eye doctor told me I could sleep in, but "not to make a habit out of it". I have made a habit out of it. What damage could I do to my eyes?

In short: a lot of damage.

Slightly longer answer: Corneal problems, ulcers, infections, infiltrates, general inflammation, pain, discomfort, etc. I've had patients who can't wear contacts anymore due to the pain and irritation they get immediately because they abused their eyes when they were younger.

Also: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=danger+of+sleeping+in+contacts

I have contacts that were designed to be slept with and then taken out during the day and I'll have 20/20 vision. I think they are called Dreamlenses. They have worked great for the past 4 years. Anyway, my doctor told me that they should prevent my eyesight from getting worse. Can they really do that? Also, do computer monitors severely damage your eyes? My mom has always told me I'm ruining my eyes when I play video games for hours

Yeah, those are called CRT lenses, or Corneal Refractive Therapy. They absolutely work that way, and they do this by reshaping your cornea. It takes about a day for your cornea to set itself back to normal, so wearing them nightly is absolutely key. They keep your cornea from shifting, so that can have long term prescription benefits as well.

Lastly, using your computer won't change your prescription.

What do you think about Lasik? I wear contacts right now, but I was thinking about getting Laser surgery when I turn 18.

I think you should wait a few years. Your prescription will change year to year until you're about 22, in most cases, getting surgery at 18 will mean that 4 years later, you may need glasses or contacts or an enhancement. Patience would serve you better.

i'm 29. my prescription has slow degraded over the last 5 or so years. i remember being -1.25 and -1.5. last year i was -2.5 and -2.75 with a tiny bit of astigmatism.

how worried should i be about continued degradation, and would you recommend lasik?

Lasik is an excellent procedure, think of it as a reset button. It'll take you back down to zero, then your eyes will change the way they would always have changed, but with a better place to start from.

Do carrots really improve your eyesight?

No, but carrots and the vitamins and minerals therein are quite healthy for your eyes. Eye Health and clear vision aren't necessarily the same thing.

Thanks for scaring me about my improper contact use. Can't wait to go blind in 5 years.

You're welcome!

I was recently declined for Lasik due to a combination of thin corneas, astigmatism and near-sightedness.

How long do you think it'll take for technology to advance in order for someone in my position to get Lasik or something similar?

.edit Thanks for all the ideas everyone!! :P

Something similar exists now. It's called Lens Replacement Surgery. It's the same as cataract surgery, in that the Ophthalmologist removes your existing lens, and replaces it with an implant.

How expensive is the procedure?

It varies depending on the surgeon and the hospital or clinic they're affiliated with. It's purely elective, like Lasik, so insurance won't help with it.

Would you mind ballparking it for me?

In Northern Illinois, where I am, it's about $6-8k.

Woah, I'm in Northern Illinois and have had vision correction all my life. Maybe you've puffed that eye puffer in my eyes. Fuck that thing. Seriously, the main reason I opened this AMA was to tell you that fuck that eye puffer.

Also - I have a legitimate question. For some reason, on the letter chart, the first row is always E (from what I've seen.) Now, I can't see it clearly and if it were any other letter, I wouldn't be able to tell what it was. But because it's an E, I can still tell you what it is. Is there a specific reason behind the choice of the letter E and why it's never a different letter?

Thanks for doing this AMA!

The letter E is used for a specific reason, because at that distance it requires a certain amount of clarity to distinguish. Don't worry though, even if you can't see the E, you'll still qualify as 20/20 if you can see all the other letters.

From probably 5-7 year old, I was one of those kids who wore an eye patch over my strong eye in order to make my weak eye better. I don't think it worked very well. Do they still do this? Thanks!

They do still do this, and it usually works. It depends on how they set it up for you, and how consistent your parents were with the execution, but it usually works.

Many of us have those god forsaken floaters in our eyes, myself included. Is there really anything one can do to lower or diminish their quantity? Also is it true that some do clear up over time?

There are laser procedures, but generally speaking you'd be advised not to do it. I'd consult an ophthalmologist if I were you.

I recently had lasik (~7 months ago), and it's been amazing. I wouldn't take it back for anything, but...

I have noticed my eyes can seem to dry out more often now. It was a lot worse right after the procedure, especially since I stare at a computer screen all day (work then play). My guess was that without the glasses in front of my eyes there was a lot more air movement and it was drying them out.

Is that nonsense or can it happen? I've been wearing glasses or contacts constantly since I was in 3rd grade, so I feel like no glasses/contacts was a big change.

Does it often take time for your eyes to adjust to lasik and not dry themselves out?

Lasik does have a tendency to lead to dry eye, but it also has to do with what some people call computer vision syndrome. It's a bullshit name for something that boils down to you not blinking enough while on the computer. Use some simple rewetting drops and you'll be fine.

Lasik or PRK?

Lasik if you can get it, PRK if you can't.

I got IntraLASIK (blade-free LASIK) back when it first came out. It was a pretty big deal at the time since LASIK had been using blades for the first stage of the surgery for such a long time. It made me glad I waited. What other advances in LASIK do you see on the horizon?

According to the seminars I've been to and the articles I've read, they're always working to increase the mapping technology involved in Lasik to make ever more precise adjustments to the procedure. So you don't get laser where you don't need it. Also, they're always working on expanding the parameters of who can get the procedure. Better technology will lead to ubiquity. Then again, I'd go out of business, but we'll see what happens.

• I went to a doctor about 3 years ago to inquiry about Lasik surgery and he said my eyesight was too poor for the surgery. My contact lenses are a -10.5 in my right eye and -10 in my left eye. has the technology gotten any better or will a doctor tell me the same thing if I inquire again?
  • Which contact lens solution do you recommend I use?

Thanks!

Holy shit your eyes are bad! Mine are -7.5 and I rarely come across someone whose are worse.

The worst I've ever seen was -27.00

I recently started researching Lasik and have found that all the places are offering something called "custom Lasik" for more money. Do you know what makes it different? Is it better than traditional Lasik and worth the extra cost, or is it just marketing?

Custom means they do an in-depth topographical map of your eye to pinpoint what needs to be changed. This type of thing leads to a more successful procedure with less of the horror stories you hear about Lasik.

How safe is LASIK?

Very safe, as long as you go all Laser.

What are some eye conditions that will always get turned down for Lasik?

Any condition that affects the cornea, Fuchs' Cornea, Keratoconus, etc.

so astigmatism and severe nearsightedness are ok? Also, I was told I have fragile retinas because my eyeballs are so elongated. I guess I just don't really know what part of the eye is affected by Lasik

There are certainly limits, but I know some Lasik machines can go up to a -8.00 in nearsightedness and up to 4.00 diopters of astigmatism.

Lasik only deals with the front of your eye, retinal issues are generally not a concern.

I'm pretty nearsighted, but I find it much more comfortable to take off my glasses when I read. This means keeping books, etc., pretty close to my face so I can focus properly.

So, two questions:

• Is it alright for me to be reading that way?
• Why is it more comfortable in general to have my glasses off? (Even if I can't see well at all, the physical sensation is pleasant when I'm not wearing my glasses.)

Thank you for doing this AMA - I'm fascinated by your answers.

It makes perfect sense, especially if you're approaching 40. You may have the beginnings of presbyopia, or you may just find it more comfortable to not have to strain through your glasses.

I need to wear glasses for distance (20/80 vision) but I need to remove them while surfing (obviously). My Doctor did not recommend contacts on the grounds that I shouldn't wear them for reading. Can I wear contacts while in the surf or will it have a negative effect on my sight?

You should probably wear them while surfing as a matter of fact. Ask your doctor (or switch doctors, this guy sounds like a nut) about Daily disposable lenses, ones you can throw away immediately after getting out of the water.

I had a vision problem identified when I was around five. The vision in my left eye is around 20/20 whereas my right eye is around 20/80 or 20/100. I was given lenses as a kid to correct this but that never worked out. I stopped wearing glasses around the third grade and haven't since.

There is no contact strong enough for my right eye, so I require glasses with one noticeably thicker right lens, and it still doesn't completely right it. I've seen articles where people have patched their dominant eye and done activities for a couple hours to re-strengthen the weak eye. Do you know if this has any efficacy or sounds applicable in my case?

It really depends on your age and the condition your eye is in. You can see a pediatric ophthalmologist, generally they specialize in adult strabismus too, and can help you out. Generally, I'm not certain here though.

A couple of years ago, the vision in my left eye started to become a bit blurry and vignetted when I wore my glasses, but it was fine with contacts. After going to an opthamologist who couldn't find anything wrong, my optometrist diagnosed my eye as being inflamed and prescribed me an eye drop (I don't remember the name of it, but I think it was a kind of steroid). It went away after a month or so.

The problem has come back now and I haven't had a chance to go back to my optometrist. I just wanted to ask if you've ever seen something similar, and if there is an actual name for the condition. Internet research hasn't come up with too much, but I'm sure there are other people out there who could also use some info.

I think the original problem was caused by me wearing my contacts for longer than the two weeks they were meant for. Since then, I've been extra careful to not wear them past their listed wear period. Any advice on what I can do to get rid of or mitigate the problem?

That's something that I certainly could diagnose here, but I've seen it before for a number of different reasons, actually. Inflammation and elevated pressures can cause this, and the drop you were given was likely Zylet or something similar.

You don't have elevated blood pressure by chance, do you?

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Most doctors who see patients with only one good eye will tell them not even to wear contacts. That you should wear polycarbonate glasses all the time as a means of protection from whatever the world can throw at you. I'd advise not going through with the Lasik, while the risk is low, it's still a risk.

Question: I have an astigmatism and pretty good eyesight (-1.75, -2.25). Contacts have NEVER worked for me. They always seem to "fuzz out" or migrate on the eye such that I can never see as well as as i can out my glasses, especially for distance. I use contacts marketed for astigmatism.

Is there a better contact out there, or is this a common problem? Thanks for doing this!

EDIT: Thanks guys! This is great information and I will be following these leads!

Ask for Oasys for astigmatism. They use a relatively new weighting system that keeps them from moving so much.

I'm a contacts wearer and finally decided to try colored lenses. Unfortunately, it seems like none of the colored lenses on the market fit my eyes too well. The Freshlook Colorblends slide around ridiculously (I have a fairly steep curvature) and the Acuvue 2 Colors are not centered on my irises properly so it slightly obstructs my vision. Does this mean I'm destined to not be able to wear colored lenses?

Unfortunately, colored contacts are extremely niche and haven't been developed to be all that comfortable for most people. Some people find it easy, I can't wear them because they shift a lot, like you said. There used to be other lenses you could have custom made for you, but the mainstream companies that used to do that have discontinued the lenses. So, sadly, you may not be able to wear them.

There is another company though, Coopervision, that makes colored lenses. I hated them, personally, but I know some people who like them. You can request them next time you're in to see your Eye Doctor.