My missus had it done a year or so after me and wears glasses again now. Although, she was a worse prescription than me to start with and is now only about -0.5 so she doesn't have to have milk bottle glasses and has a lot more flexibility in frame styles.
Eye tests
- Thread starter Bassmansam
- Start date
My missus had it done a year or so after me and wears glasses again now. Although, she was a worse prescription than me to start with and is now only about -0.5 so she doesn't have to have milk bottle glasses and has a lot more flexibility in frame styles.
swimming with prescription goggles is not too bad - but agree any multi-day outdoor stuff, for safety, you need to think of having a spare pair..
I though plastics with high refractive index had resolved thick glasses issue - maybe you get aberration.
hadn't really thought before but pupil distance doesn't change - it's not frame specific either . so, either existing prescriptions
or, you can more easily take good photos with mobile phones yourself too, to help.
Soldato
I have a condition called Keratoconus- corneas are coned shaped so affects vision. Most of the the KC wear contacts which I can’t get on at it all. Tried and failed. Also having one ear lower than the other means the poor optical assistant has to spend ages adjusting the arms.
This why I don’t want to use online opticians.
This why I don’t want to use online opticians.
Soldato
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You don't "need" to purchase new specs but its highly recommended and if you're driving its essential - but you ought to have a regular eye test as they also test for medical conditions like glaucoma etc
Caporegime
That’s a good point, by having my eye test every 2 years I am also getting a health check on my eyes, which itself can pick up early signs diabetes and other illnesses. If my vision is fine I will likely not bother, which may not be a problem but it’s a piece of mind nevertheless.
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Absolutely, retinal detachment is my biggest fear so i always go for my routine check ups..
Soldato
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Do your independents offer the OCT tomography scan for eye health inc glaucoma? I had this last time at Specsavers and it's well worth it.
They seem pretty advanced / current in tech.
If having laser eye surgery then there is only one sensible option being the London Vision Clinic. There is a reason it costs more.
I had a work colleague go elsewhere due to a cheap offer, had issues and ended up at the LVC for remedial and corrective treatment.
This is very good advice. And the Oculus Quest is the reason I now use to get my PD because they don't like giving it out. They will say it is normally at the dispensing stage they do it so will try not to provide it until you purchase a pair but every person doing the eye test can measure you. With a bit of bravado, some sweet talking and a story of Oculus Quest lenses (which obviously the optician can't provide and don't have a competing product for) I've convinced 80% of my eye testers to measure my PD. You only really need one to do it because it doesn't change as radically as your prescription does. Mine hasn't at all in the last 12 years.
I'm even cheaper than most. I've tried lots of online opticians and found one whose products I'm comfortable with quality wise that never cost me more than £50 a pair even after lens coatings and things - and they often have BOGOF type offers. I've got dozens of pairs and kind of like mixing up different colour frames and styles from time to time for fun. The lenses are OK, nowhere near as anti reflective as some more expensive options I've had in the past from independent high street opticians even when specced as anti-reflective, but for me it's OK. Price goes up an awful lot if you need vari-focals.
edit: Also to add to the good practice as a regular check up, it was the high street optician who picked up signs of my retinopathy that led to my eventual diabetes diagnosis. I was presenting no other symptoms. As a result went for an hb1ac blood test at the GP and it was caught nice and early and thus more manageable. Now I'm entitled to a proper full on eye hospital examination once a year for free!
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Happy enough in glasses, but yes I have heard good things about LVC.
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Caporegime
Just give Specsavers a try lol at worst you will be £25 down.
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Na all booked in for Saturday now. I haven’t been to spec savers but i changed to these from boots as i felt everything was too rushed there.
I've worn glasses since I was young (I blame being too close to the tv in the days gamers mostly used their tv).
I think my eyes only got worse once. On my last check, which was about 15 years after the previous one, my eyes hadn't changed.
I think my eyes only got worse once. On my last check, which was about 15 years after the previous one, my eyes hadn't changed.
Soldato
Was up at the hospital last week for the latest round of tests. Thankfully my eyesight isn't getting any worse but the keratokonus in my right eye has become a bit more pronounced, so they have recommended a crosslinking procedure. Apparently they drop in some anaesthetic drops, strip the outer layer away with an alcohol swab and then apply in some B12 drops before hitting it with 13 minutes of UV light. The UV causes the B12 to react and harden which should stop any more progression.
Caporegime
£500 place?
The last time I had an eye test, I was advised to try varifocal glasses, although they did say it was up to my own personal preference. I thought I'd get away with regular glasses and I do for close-up work. But not too good for computer use, which is what I really wanted. But the cost of varifocal glasses put me off, being in excess of around £250. 
I think it's rubbish that we have to put such prices for our health. It's almost verging on profiteering, just as vets practically pray on an owner's love for their pet.
I think it's rubbish that we have to put such prices for our health. It's almost verging on profiteering, just as vets practically pray on an owner's love for their pet.
Man of Honour
It depends. I went for varifocals last time and they were useless. I found out afterwards that in some people a combination of a high refractive index lens and enough astigmatism in the eyes blurs peripheral vision enough to be a major drawback...and I'm one of those people. So I went back to two pairs and with a lower refractive index.
Also, some people just don't get used to varifocals. They're not necessarily better than multiple pairs. Different, but not necessarily better. Not for everyone, anyway. They're great for some people. I might give them another go (with lower refractive index lenses) next time.
The last time I had an eye test, I was advised to try varifocal glasses, although they did say it was up to my own personal preference. I thought I'd get away with regular glasses and I do for close-up work. But not too good for computer use, which is what I really wanted. But the cost of varifocal glasses put me off, being in excess of around £250.
I think it's rubbish that we have to put such prices for our health. It's almost verging on profiteering, just as vets practically pray on an owner's love for their pet.
I'd love to pay as little as £250 for my glasses. They can charge me as much as they like and I'll pay it. My natural eyesight is bad enough to be classed as functionally blind, so I'll pay graphics card money for glasses if necessary. IIRC my current ones were £430, with the cheapest frame in the shop. But they replaced the lenses with lower refractive index ones for free, they fitted and refitted them until they were just right and they did a slew of health checks and referred me to an eye specialist at a hospital because they weren't entirely happy with the health check results. So probably worth the money.
You might find three lenses are the best fit - one for close up, one for short distance (e.g. computer use) and one for longer distance. Varifocals can provide that in one pair of glasses, but you need to be looking through the right part of the lens. They're not a perfect solution. There isn't a perfect solution.
Deleted member 236143
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Deleted member 236143
I have just been to specsavers for my 2 year test fortunately not much change despite being in front of a screen for like hmm 38 years ish So yay for me.
I do want different frames as reading cooking cooking instructions and the detail on motherboards is a bit hmm.
I paid 99 queens english bucks ??
I found specsavers really cool I have never used glasses much is just really for small print or long term coding things.
The girl was great and spent a lot of time with me choosing frames. - To be fair I would have picked the first one I looked at!
But she told me no is not too good on your nose, is not on your cheeks, is too wide too thin, etc
I do want different frames as reading cooking cooking instructions and the detail on motherboards is a bit hmm.
I paid 99 queens english bucks ??
I found specsavers really cool I have never used glasses much is just really for small print or long term coding things.
The girl was great and spent a lot of time with me choosing frames. - To be fair I would have picked the first one I looked at!
But she told me no is not too good on your nose, is not on your cheeks, is too wide too thin, etc
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yep just for a test though. I would only buy a new pair if my eyes have changed by 1 diopter anyway and probably not at this place knowing i can get them cheaper elsewhere.
@Angilion whats your prescription?