I will be turning 16 in two days, and I would like to post this short transcript of what happened when I went to the optometrist.
I made my last pair of glasses at the end of 2006, and I constantly felt insecure with them. I found it was all right when I took them off usually, perhaps to play soccer, and a lot more convenient in any case. In that manner, I used them only when I needed to see the board in school.
It was the frame, probably. A brown colour reminiscent of things on the coarser side of life, they presented a different side to me - one i'd rather not have.
Even though I've known about Bates methods for about 8 months now, I've yet to see much improvement, although I do remember two distinct clear flashes - both when I was outdoors.
So, even though many forum members would be in almost uproar at this, I considered contact lenses at one point. Eventually, though, I decided that glasses, contrary to popular expectation, would be more suitable for me, as I was already used to a relaxing walk home from the train station where I live. and besides, there was no real need to see everything sharply there.
Previously, my eyes stood at 225 degrees L to 300 degrees R. I have myopia, as you can see, without any complications such as astigmatism. My previous glasses measured at 200 L to 300 R.
So when the tests came out, I wouldn't deny that I had been nervous during the test, which involved me looking into this strange instrument with each eye separately which was a small house in a field. Not sure what that instrument is called.
The optometrist also tested me in a dark room with the Snellen eye chart, and the end result was that my left eye had increased to 275 degrees (that's -2.75 diopters for those using this system).
I think, even though I should not need to be saying this, that I know the reason - that is that I don't wear glasses out and when I need to see things, such as during meal times, some places put their menus up on this board behind the cashier (like in fast food areas). And then I touch my eye and try to squint it artificially. Most definitely, this has been a partial factor.
The climax came when I asked her (the optometrist: O) these questions:
I: Is it true that when the eye glasses are perfectly calibrated to the eye, you can see in the dark at 20 feet?
O: 20 feet is how long.. 6.66 metres.. Yes?
I: Then won't it be overpowered when I'm doing near work?
O: If you''re below 40 you don't need to worry because your eye muscles can adjust to this.
(Then she began engaging in a banter with my mother about patients she sees above 40 who are so vain they have to take off their glasses to see the menus at restaurants, but don't want to make it seem like they are getting "presyobia (is that the term?) ).
Eventually, she decided to give me 250 for the L and 300 for the R, and a new frame.
I: So the Left side is 25 degrees lesser.
O: Correct. In fact previously you've been using your better eye to see things, your left eye, so you may be overusing it.
I: (Thinks silentlya bout the complications of imbalanced eyes) Then why don't you balance both eyes and make it 250 - 275?
O: Then if you're going to walk around with things all blurry, you may as wel not wear glasses (and started laughing with my mother about some other joke).
I: (What I wanted to say: The point is that Bates said that perfect glasses are overpowered, and anyway it won't be as blurry as when I don't wear glasses.)
The sad thing is, even though I'm seeing 16 in two days, I don't have the courage to back up my arguments against (adults). At least here I am being perfectly honest.
Any comments on this issue? Particularly, the optometrist's assertion that our eyes can adjust to near work on perfect glasses before 40?
Please do reply, I need some opinions on this. For the record, I bought Bates' official book, complete with eyechart, about two weeks ago, and I'm up to the chapter on Shifting and Swinging. Palming doesn''t seem to work for me even when I do it for 5- 10 minutes. For example on the computer, after looking at the screen for an extended period of time, I put one of my palms horizontally over my eyes so both are covered, and close my eyes. But I only do this for a few seconds, which may explain its inffectiveness.
Do reply!
Thanks.
I heard that looking at things up close with distance glasses is a lot of strain to the eyes. Well, wearing glasses at all is a strain, but looking at things close with distance glasses is worse because your eye muscles have to work really hard to accommodate close through distance glasses.
Quote:The sad thing is, even though I'm seeing 16 in two days, I don't have the courage to back up my arguments against (adults).
Otis> I was 15 when I raised these questions. I was told that when "..I became a DOCTOR .. then I would understand".
Yes, I decided that becomming a "doctor" only created intellectual blindness.
Otis> So I changed the subject, I asked, "what would happen if I placed a -3 diopter on the
NORMAL eye. Would it change its refraction -- or not???
Otis> The answer was silence. ???
Otis> That remains the "answer" you will get from these ODs.
At least here I am being perfectly honest.
Any comments on this issue? Particularly, the optometrist's assertion that our eyes can adjust to near work on perfect glasses before 40?
Quote:Please do reply, I need some opinions on this.
Otis> I finally relized that to answer my question -- I would have to actuallyl put a -3 diopter lens
on the eye and find out for certain -- what will always happen. See:
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.myopiafree.com">http://www.myopiafree.com</a><!-- w -->
For the results of this type of review.
Quote:For the record, I bought Bates' official book, complete with eyechart, about two weeks ago, and I'm up to the chapter on Shifting and Swinging. Palming doesn''t seem to work for me even when I do it for 5- 10 minutes.
Otis> Good on the Snellen. I would strongly suggest that you record exactly what line you read. Because that
is the only way you will confirm improvement. For certain your OD does not care at all.
Quote:For example on the computer, after looking at the screen for an extended period of time, I put one of my palms horizontally over my eyes so both are covered, and close my eyes. But I only do this for a few seconds, which may explain its inffectiveness.
Do reply!
Thanks.
Otis> Good. You will get a great deal of helpful advice here. But it is my belief that if
you wish to clear your Snellen -- you must start looking at it.
Oh yes, people's eyes can adjust to close work at a young age. This is myopia.
Really, I wouldn't bother trying to argue or reason or educate an optometrist about your intentions unless you're a very good speaker. I highly doubt that you'll change their opinion on their science, so you'll probably be at a standstill unless you have the good luck of meeting up with a behavioral optometrist.
You'll never lead them into an intellectual deal end because you and they are on a COMPLETELY different page than you. As an example when you're talking about "evening up your eyes" you mean lessen the prescription on my right eye so it will improve, but she thinks prescribe the right eye at full so that it sees with equal clarity as the left. It appears that you're trying to lead her into a trap about over prescriptions, but you've wasted your breath because she doesn't believe that her strong minus will hurt your eye, or that a weaker minus will allow you to recover.
If you want to get your way, just tell a little white lie. Tell them that you do a lot of very close work and the full prescription causes you a great deal of strain and headaches or you could also ask them to prescribe you a pair of computer glasses.
Don't touch your eye or squint, thats simply AWFUL. You'd be 100x better off to carry around a pair of full prescription glasses, or even over prescribed and just wear them for a second to read at a distance.
As a final point. You're not really any different from anyone else in your inability to stand up to adults. The parent is the natural authority figure and the optometrist is even more authoritative. You just have to go in there and say to yourself, my family is paying damn good money for these glasses and I'm going to get the glasses that *I NEED*, *NOT* what someone thinks I need! That is if you use the glasses at all, you're really seem borderline functional without them, so give it a shot.
I've only dealt with one optometrist on this issue, and she was very friendly. But still, I have the following advice:
First ask the optometrist if their visual accuity is the same every minute of every day. If they say yes they haven't thought about it enough. The eye doesn't see the same all of the time, sometimes better, sometimes worse. This is an easy way to explain that you would like to have a slightly weaker prescription so that when your eye is seeing better, it doesn't have to accommodate against the glasses (and thereby strain). When your eye is seeing worse, then you just take a deep breath, don't squint, and go on with life as usual.
Next, I would point out that glasses are for seeing perfectly at 20 feet and beyond. For work closer than 20 feet, the glasses are forcing your eyes to accommodate. Whether your eyes can accomplish this or not is no question. Of course it can. But is it healthy? Clearly not, as we all know the huge and unmistakeable number of people's eyes that get worse from wearing glasses, never better. It is quite easy to make the link that wearing the glasses, especially when unneeded in the close range, is in fact harming the eye. Therefore, it follows that a weaker pair of glasses for seeing things at a closer range makes sense.
These two points should be made first to your parents in a non-confrontational manner so that they are on your side. Then, when you go back to the optometrist (consider going to someone else?), it will help matters if your mother is taking your side seriously.
By only making two easy points that everyone can grasp, you will more easily get what you want. you don't have to go into Bates's theory, which people will just argue against for the point of arguing.
