Reducing RX for farsightedness

[plantsower]

I've seen a lot of posts on reducing the Rx. There are way too many to read all of them, but I got the gist of it. Here is my question.

I want to reduce my Rx by .50 diopters to start, and remove the cylinders, etc. I was just going to subtract .50 diopters from my strongest RX (OS) but then I found out that the cylinder number has to be taken into account when calculating the sphere.

OD: +3.75 Cyl -1.25 Ax 105 Add +2.50
OS: +3.25 Cyl - .75 Ax 085 Add +2.50

1. I believe I am to take my Sphere number and add 1/2 the cylinder and that becomes my RX. Then I would subtract .50 diopter from the total to reduce the RX by that much, correct?

2. I would also like to make each lens the same Rx instead of one stronger for my weak eye as I hope to strengthen that eye using Bates and also covering my good eye from time to time and reading, etc. with my weaker eye. Does that make sense?

3. Can I round up or down on the cylinder numbers or the final total numbers? Otherwise I come up with weird numbers when I half the cylinders and do the math.

2. When I "add" half the cylinder to the sphere, do I actually add it or subtract it since it's a negative number? (Math isn't my cup of tea.)

Thanks for your help.

Rita

[Nancy]

I've seen a lot of posts on reducing the Rx. There are way too many to read all of them, but I got the gist of it. Here is my question.

I want to reduce my Rx by .50 diopters to start, and remove the cylinders, etc. I was just going to subtract .50 diopters from my strongest RX (OS) but then I found out that the cylinder number has to be taken into account when calculating the sphere.

OD: +3.75 Cyl -1.25 Ax 105 Add +2.50
OS: +3.25 Cyl - .75 Ax 085 Add +2.50

1. I believe I am to take my Sphere number and add 1/2 the cylinder and that becomes my RX. Then I would subtract .50 diopter from the total to reduce the RX by that much, correct?

2. I would also like to make each lens the same Rx instead of one stronger for my weak eye as I hope to strengthen that eye using Bates and also covering my good eye from time to time and reading, etc. with my weaker eye. Does that make sense?

3. Can I round up or down on the cylinder numbers or the final total numbers? Otherwise I come up with weird numbers when I half the cylinders and do the math.

2. When I "add" half the cylinder to the sphere, do I actually add it or subtract it since it's a negative number? (Math isn't my cup of tea.)

Thanks for your help.

Rita

This is a bifocal prescription, with astigmatism, 3 different types of correction to think about. The SPH is your main prescription, and the plus sign says you're farsighted, +3.75 right eye +3.25 left.
Next is the astigmatism prescription, shown by the CYL (strength) and AXIS (angle where this additional correction will be placed in the lens).
The reading correction is the 3rd piece, the ADD +2.50 -- this the strength of "readers" you'd get at the drugstore if you needed no other correction. This goes in the lower part of the bifocal.
This is a pretty complex prescription, and I'd love you to work with a behavioral optometrist to reduce it rather than try to tackle it on your own.

If I had this prescription and wanted to reduce it, first I'd keep the 3 types of correction separate in my mind: farsighted, astigmatism, reading.
Ideally I want to reduce or eventually eliminate each of these, but they can't be combined -- they need to be treated separately.
I guess I'd start by getting a pure farsighted prescription, ignoring the CYL and ADD for now, of something like +3 or +3.25. I'd use this except for reading, when I might use use a separate pair of maybe +2.25. I could see you eventually using the "readers" as your main glasses, and reducing them over time.

Unlike nearsighted folks, your SPH (main correction) and ADD (reading) are both plus lenses. I don't have as much experience with this as I do with myopia, but I'm guessing you don't need bifocals, just a single plus correction which you gradually reduce. I think sometimes doctors like to make things more complicated than they need to be.

OK, Rita, I hope that helped add clarity and didn't confuse you more. Again, I am not an eye doctor and can't prescribe lenses, and I'd love to see you working with a holistic professional to do this. Please keep us informed, and keep paying attenton to how your eyes feel, that you're not straining. The more you can do safely without any glasses at all, the healthier it is for your eyes.

Here's a description of the prescription terms I found on-line which may help in understanding too:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/eyeglasses/eyeglass-prescription.htm

[plantsower]

Thanks again, Nancy. I appreciate your help.

Actually, this is a progressive Rx from my original trifocal Rx back years ago. I've worn progressives for about 20 years or so now.

I live in the boonies and am not close to any behavioral optometrists.

I thought about dropping it to +3.25 before I read where half the cylinder is part of the sphere Rx. I've read that in several places. So, I thought I should add it and then subtract a half of a diopter to start.

I have 2.25 readers from the drug store and they seem too weak. I can see distance fine with them but reading is difficult. I know it should be a tad blurry until my eyes improve, but I think this might be a little too blurry. So, if I can find 2.50's somewhere that might be better for now.

Anyway, I thought I'd bounce this off of the iBlindness forum and see if I was headed in the right direction. I guess also I will have to round up or down as I make my calculations. I'm kinda on my own here because of logistics. Plus, I don't want to pay another optometrist so soon after visiting my regular one.
Maybe I can get my optometrist to re-write it as a single plus lens Rx and go from there.

Thanks so much for your input. I do appreciate it.

Rita

I've seen a lot of posts on reducing the Rx. There are way too many to read all of them, but I got the gist of it. Here is my question.

I want to reduce my Rx by .50 diopters to start, and remove the cylinders, etc. I was just going to subtract .50 diopters from my strongest RX (OS) but then I found out that the cylinder number has to be taken into account when calculating the sphere.

OD: +3.75 Cyl -1.25 Ax 105 Add +2.50
OS: +3.25 Cyl - .75 Ax 085 Add +2.50

1. I believe I am to take my Sphere number and add 1/2 the cylinder and that becomes my RX. Then I would subtract .50 diopter from the total to reduce the RX by that much, correct?

2. I would also like to make each lens the same Rx instead of one stronger for my weak eye as I hope to strengthen that eye using Bates and also covering my good eye from time to time and reading, etc. with my weaker eye. Does that make sense?

3. Can I round up or down on the cylinder numbers or the final total numbers? Otherwise I come up with weird numbers when I half the cylinders and do the math.

2. When I "add" half the cylinder to the sphere, do I actually add it or subtract it since it's a negative number? (Math isn't my cup of tea.)

Thanks for your help.

Rita

This is a bifocal prescription, with astigmatism, 3 different types of correction to think about. The SPH is your main prescription, and the plus sign says you're farsighted, +3.75 right eye +3.25 left.
Next is the astigmatism prescription, shown by the CYL (strength) and AXIS (angle where this additional correction will be placed in the lens).
The reading correction is the 3rd piece, the ADD +2.50 -- this the strength of "readers" you'd get at the drugstore if you needed no other correction. This goes in the lower part of the bifocal.
This is a pretty complex prescription, and I'd love you to work with a behavioral optometrist to reduce it rather than try to tackle it on your own.

If I had this prescription and wanted to reduce it, first I'd keep the 3 types of correction separate in my mind: farsighted, astigmatism, reading.
Ideally I want to reduce or eventually eliminate each of these, but they can't be combined -- they need to be treated separately.
I guess I'd start by getting a pure farsighted prescription, ignoring the CYL and ADD for now, of something like +3 or +3.25. I'd use this except for reading, when I might use use a separate pair of maybe +2.25. I could see you eventually using the "readers" as your main glasses, and reducing them over time.

Unlike nearsighted folks, your SPH (main correction) and ADD (reading) are both plus lenses. I don't have as much experience with this as I do with myopia, but I'm guessing you don't need bifocals, just a single plus correction which you gradually reduce. I think sometimes doctors like to make things more complicated than they need to be.

OK, Rita, I hope that helped add clarity and didn't confuse you more. Again, I am not an eye doctor and can't prescribe lenses, and I'd love to see you working with a holistic professional to do this. Please keep us informed, and keep paying attenton to how your eyes feel, that you're not straining. The more you can do safely without any glasses at all, the healthier it is for your eyes.

Here's a description of the prescription terms I found on-line which may help in understanding too:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/eyeglasses/eyeglass-prescription.htm

---

Also, my apologies. I just looked up my Rx for my progressives and bifocal is checked. That really surprised me as I was went from trifocals to progressives and I just assumed it would be trifocals. Sorry about that. You know way more about Rx's than I do.

I did call my optometrist, though, and she is going to show me what going down to just plus glasses will look like so I can decide if I really want her to write it for that. As long as I can see out of them, I will have her write it and then reduce it on my own when I get glasses online. I told her I didn't want my astigmatism corrected. This way I will have the correct plus numbers so I can reduce them.

Thanks again for your time and help.

Rita

I've seen a lot of posts on reducing the Rx. There are way too many to read all of them, but I got the gist of it. Here is my question.

I want to reduce my Rx by .50 diopters to start, and remove the cylinders, etc. I was just going to subtract .50 diopters from my strongest RX (OS) but then I found out that the cylinder number has to be taken into account when calculating the sphere.

OD: +3.75 Cyl -1.25 Ax 105 Add +2.50
OS: +3.25 Cyl - .75 Ax 085 Add +2.50

1. I believe I am to take my Sphere number and add 1/2 the cylinder and that becomes my RX. Then I would subtract .50 diopter from the total to reduce the RX by that much, correct?

2. I would also like to make each lens the same Rx instead of one stronger for my weak eye as I hope to strengthen that eye using Bates and also covering my good eye from time to time and reading, etc. with my weaker eye. Does that make sense?

3. Can I round up or down on the cylinder numbers or the final total numbers? Otherwise I come up with weird numbers when I half the cylinders and do the math.

2. When I "add" half the cylinder to the sphere, do I actually add it or subtract it since it's a negative number? (Math isn't my cup of tea.)

Thanks for your help.

Rita

This is a bifocal prescription, with astigmatism, 3 different types of correction to think about. The SPH is your main prescription, and the plus sign says you're farsighted, +3.75 right eye +3.25 left.
Next is the astigmatism prescription, shown by the CYL (strength) and AXIS (angle where this additional correction will be placed in the lens).
The reading correction is the 3rd piece, the ADD +2.50 -- this the strength of "readers" you'd get at the drugstore if you needed no other correction. This goes in the lower part of the bifocal.
This is a pretty complex prescription, and I'd love you to work with a behavioral optometrist to reduce it rather than try to tackle it on your own.

If I had this prescription and wanted to reduce it, first I'd keep the 3 types of correction separate in my mind: farsighted, astigmatism, reading.
Ideally I want to reduce or eventually eliminate each of these, but they can't be combined -- they need to be treated separately.
I guess I'd start by getting a pure farsighted prescription, ignoring the CYL and ADD for now, of something like +3 or +3.25. I'd use this except for reading, when I might use use a separate pair of maybe +2.25. I could see you eventually using the "readers" as your main glasses, and reducing them over time.

Unlike nearsighted folks, your SPH (main correction) and ADD (reading) are both plus lenses. I don't have as much experience with this as I do with myopia, but I'm guessing you don't need bifocals, just a single plus correction which you gradually reduce. I think sometimes doctors like to make things more complicated than they need to be.

OK, Rita, I hope that helped add clarity and didn't confuse you more. Again, I am not an eye doctor and can't prescribe lenses, and I'd love to see you working with a holistic professional to do this. Please keep us informed, and keep paying attenton to how your eyes feel, that you're not straining. The more you can do safely without any glasses at all, the healthier it is for your eyes.

Here's a description of the prescription terms I found on-line which may help in understanding too:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/eyeglasses/eyeglass-prescription.htm

[Nancy]

Rita, this halving of the CYL value makes no sense to me. The astigmatism CYL is extra correction in just one angle of your visual field (and it's notoriously variable which is another reason for removing it). So it's not clear to me at all why you'd add it or subtract it from the SPH value which is for your entire visual field. I have to do some research on this myself.

Yes, I'd get some clarification about your prescription from your eye doctor, and go from there. You can experiment with readers in the drugstore to see what seems to work for you for reading, and for distance, to get an idea without having to buy anyhing. I've always resented that people who needed a minus correction like I used to didn't have this option.

It sounds to me like you're on your way to something healthier for your eyes. Oh, my behavioral optometrist does not prescribe progressives unless the client begs him to -- he thinks they're not good for the vision, as they keep the eye from moving even more than normal single-prescription lenses do.

Please let us know what you decide to do, and how it goes. We all learn from each other here.

[plantsower]

OK, here's what happened. I called my optometrist and she was able to see me today at 1 p.m. PST so I took her up on it and made the trip.

I told her why I wanted single vision glasses. She said she said she didn't want me to have the wrong Rx because it could make my vision worse. She then referred me to a behavioral optometrist. So, she knows about this after all! I told her if she was uncomfortable changing my Rx I completely understood but could she just write down the numbers for me for single vision. (Sneaky me.) She checked my eyes with single vision lenses at +3.00 and wrote an Rx for that power for both eyes! I was so surprised.

When she checked my vision without the +3.00 lenses, my left eye was 20/100 and my right eye was 20/200. With the +3.00 single vision lenses my left eye was 20/30+2 whatever that means, and my right eye was 20/40. Seeing how well I saw with them, I guess she didn't hesitate to prescribe what I asked for. What a great experience!

I never thought about people with myopia not having the drugstore choice of negative lenses. That is sad and frustrating. Good thing there are online cheap lenses now.

I so appreciate you and others giving your time here so that the newbies can make intelligent decisions about their eyes. This is the only way we can learn about the ins and outs of lowering our Rx's as we strengthen our eyes.

[clarknight]

Aha, speaking up to the eye doctor forced her to tell the truth! And now she's working with you!
Great plantsowner!

Please try find out what the +2 is. I talked on chat to zennioptical. http://www.zennioptical.com/eyeglasses?N...id=1927133#

The chat I had with Zenni;

Topic: What is 20/30+2 prescription for eye

A representative will be connected, please be patient.


Leo enters the chatroom.


Leo ‎7‎:‎57‎:‎23‎ ‎AM

Hello mary

mary ‎7‎:‎57‎:‎32‎ ‎AM

hi

I am natural vision teacher. cleareyesight.info


Leo ‎7‎:‎58‎:‎11‎ ‎AM

It sounds like your SPH is +2.00.

mary ‎7‎:‎58‎:‎13‎ ‎AM

A student wants to know what is that prescription so she can order on line weaker eyeglasses.

She says doctor say this; When she checked my vision without the +3.00 lenses, my left eye was 20/100 and my right eye was 20/200. With the +3.00 single vision lenses my left eye was 20/30+2 whatever that means, and my right eye was 20/40.


Leo ‎7‎:‎59‎:‎15‎ ‎AM

20/30 is not needed when ordering glasses.

mary ‎7‎:‎59‎:‎37‎ ‎AM

She wants no astigmatism in the lenses. Just plain.

So what is this 20/30+2?


Leo ‎8‎:‎00‎:‎15‎ ‎AM

If she has no CYL or Axis, then she has no astigmatism.

mary ‎8‎:‎00‎:‎36‎ ‎AM

Whats the +2?

Leo ‎8‎:‎00‎:‎47‎ ‎AM

20/30 is to what accuracy one prescription will adjust the vision.

+2.00 is SPH value.


mary ‎8‎:‎01‎:‎05‎ ‎AM

But what is the +2?

Leo ‎8‎:‎01‎:‎51‎ ‎AM

+2 equals +2.00

mary ‎8‎:‎02‎:‎03‎ ‎AM



Cylinder and axis is the astigmatism. So Sphere is size of the lens?


Leo ‎8‎:‎02‎:‎51‎ ‎AM

CYL and Axis is astigmatism.

Yes, Sphere is size of the lens.


mary ‎8‎:‎03‎:‎27‎ ‎AM

Like a width, height or thickness?




Leo ‎8‎:‎03‎:‎54‎ ‎AM

No, SPH is the vision correction value.

mary ‎8‎:‎04‎:‎54‎ ‎AM

I still don't get it. You mean its +2 correction? But the doctor prescribed +3.

So maybe her lenses are too strong?


Leo ‎8‎:‎05‎:‎59‎ ‎AM

Then you need to confirm with your doctor what +2 is.

It sounds like SPH value.


mary ‎8‎:‎06‎:‎39‎ ‎AM

Thank you very much for your time. I will copy/paste this and give to the student.

Leo ‎8‎:‎06‎:‎55‎ ‎AM

You're welcome!

List the prescript she wrote for both eyes. +3.00 both right?
If one eye needs only +2 then a +3 will be too strong for that eye.
Unless she's still talking a 2nd extra prescript for reading? And is that now lower? But why only one eye. Maybe only one eye needs different for reading?
So 2 pair glasses; one +3 both eyes for farsight.
And separate pair glasses +? lower for reading?

Testing at the doctors office, in those machines can lower the vision during the exam. Test yourself with no glasses and then with the glasses at home when relaxed, spontaneously. I bet it will be clearer.

[Nancy]

Rita, I believe "the +2" on an eye chart measurement means you missed reading 2 letters correctly. I am thrilled for you that you have one single set of lenses to work from now, much better for your eyes than the bifocals with the astigmatism correction. Now you have a stable platform to work from, and can depend on the glasses less and less, reducing their strength when you're ready. I am so excited for you! Good work!

[plantsower]

Thanks for trying to get that answered for me. That funny +2. Sounds like Leo didn’t get what you were trying to say. Both lenses are prescribed +3.00. The 20/30+2 is how I see with them. I don’t know what the +2 means but it’s not my prescription, just a number she added to how I see. Weird.

Yesterday I could see so well with my drugstore +2.25 that I thought I would go down to that or in between that and +3.00. Today I am not seeing as well as yesterday so I may not do that. My vision is fluctuating. I haven’t changed anything except to try to wear my glasses less and less and continue my sunning, swinging, nose feather sketching and palming and shifting plus lazy eights. Once in awhile looking at my eye chart and also reading a few pages of a book without glasses, mostly outside because it’s so much easier in the sunlight.

Aha, speaking up to the eye doctor forced her to tell the truth! And now she's working with you!
Great plantsowner!

Please try find out what the +2 is. I talked on chat to zennioptical. http://www.zennioptical.com/eyeglasses?N...id=1927133#

The chat I had with Zenni;

Topic: What is 20/30+2 prescription for eye

A representative will be connected, please be patient.


Leo enters the chatroom.


Leo ‎7‎:‎57‎:‎23‎ ‎AM

Hello mary

mary ‎7‎:‎57‎:‎32‎ ‎AM

hi

I am natural vision teacher. cleareyesight.info


Leo ‎7‎:‎58‎:‎11‎ ‎AM

It sounds like your SPH is +2.00.

mary ‎7‎:‎58‎:‎13‎ ‎AM

A student wants to know what is that prescription so she can order on line weaker eyeglasses.

She says doctor say this; When she checked my vision without the +3.00 lenses, my left eye was 20/100 and my right eye was 20/200. With the +3.00 single vision lenses my left eye was 20/30+2 whatever that means, and my right eye was 20/40.


Leo ‎7‎:‎59‎:‎15‎ ‎AM

20/30 is not needed when ordering glasses.

mary ‎7‎:‎59‎:‎37‎ ‎AM

She wants no astigmatism in the lenses. Just plain.

So what is this 20/30+2?


Leo ‎8‎:‎00‎:‎15‎ ‎AM

If she has no CYL or Axis, then she has no astigmatism.

mary ‎8‎:‎00‎:‎36‎ ‎AM

Whats the +2?

Leo ‎8‎:‎00‎:‎47‎ ‎AM

20/30 is to what accuracy one prescription will adjust the vision.

+2.00 is SPH value.


mary ‎8‎:‎01‎:‎05‎ ‎AM

But what is the +2?

Leo ‎8‎:‎01‎:‎51‎ ‎AM

+2 equals +2.00

mary ‎8‎:‎02‎:‎03‎ ‎AM



Cylinder and axis is the astigmatism. So Sphere is size of the lens?


Leo ‎8‎:‎02‎:‎51‎ ‎AM

CYL and Axis is astigmatism.

Yes, Sphere is size of the lens.


mary ‎8‎:‎03‎:‎27‎ ‎AM

Like a width, height or thickness?




Leo ‎8‎:‎03‎:‎54‎ ‎AM

No, SPH is the vision correction value.

mary ‎8‎:‎04‎:‎54‎ ‎AM

I still don't get it. You mean its +2 correction? But the doctor prescribed +3.

So maybe her lenses are too strong?


Leo ‎8‎:‎05‎:‎59‎ ‎AM

Then you need to confirm with your doctor what +2 is.

It sounds like SPH value.


mary ‎8‎:‎06‎:‎39‎ ‎AM

Thank you very much for your time. I will copy/paste this and give to the student.

Leo ‎8‎:‎06‎:‎55‎ ‎AM

You're welcome!

List the prescript she wrote for both eyes. +3.00 both right?
If one eye needs only +2 then a +3 will be too strong for that eye.
Unless she's still talking a 2nd extra prescript for reading? And is that now lower? But why only one eye. Maybe only one eye needs different for reading?
So 2 pair glasses; one +3 both eyes for farsight.
And separate pair glasses +? lower for reading?

Testing at the doctors office, in those machines can lower the vision during the exam. Test yourself with no glasses and then with the glasses at home when relaxed, spontaneously. I bet it will be clearer.

---

Thanks, I'm excited, too!!

Also, thanks for explaining that +2. Though that's my good eye and I don't remember having trouble seeing the letters. She also wrote for my right eye (weaker eye) 20/40 slow (I think). I can't read her writing but it looks like "slow." Maybe because I hesitated when I read it? Who knows? I'm just happy I got the single vision Rx so I don't have to guess and mess things up.

Rita

Rita, I believe "the +2" on an eye chart measurement means you missed reading 2 letters correctly. I am thrilled for you that you have one single set of lenses to work from now, much better for your eyes than the bifocals with the astigmatism correction. Now you have a stable platform to work from, and can depend on the glasses less and less, reducing their strength when you're ready. I am so excited for you! Good work!

[Nancy]

Rita, again, great! I'm really not sure about the "+2" but it's something like what I wrote earlier. Maybe it means you read 2 letters correctly on the next lower line, and if you had missed 2 letters it would have been written as "-2". That actually feels more right to me. In any case, I look forward to hearing about your future visual adventures. Take care.

[clarknight]

This is one of the most interesting prescription posts on iblindness.

That for posting on here Rita!
Keep us updated.

Found this but no complete answer; https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index...851AAOGPJc

---

Found another;
http://www.healthboards.com/boards/eye-v...-mean.html

[plantsower]

Thanks, Nancy. I will definitely keep you posted.

Rita

Rita, again, great! I'm really not sure about the "+2" but it's something like what I wrote earlier. Maybe it means you read 2 letters correctly on the next lower line, and if you had missed 2 letters it would have been written as "-2". That actually feels more right to me. In any case, I look forward to hearing about your future visual adventures. Take care.

---

Thanks, Mary. I will check those links!!

Rita

This is one of the most interesting prescription posts on iblindness.

That for posting on here Rita!
Keep us updated.

Found this but no complete answer; https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index...851AAOGPJc

---

Found another;
http://www.healthboards.com/boards/eye-v...-mean.html