I’m nearsighted and presbyopic, and ever couple of years I need my glasses strengthened a couple of notches. However this time the results reversed and went the other direction
New Prescription:
DIstance Glasses: -3.75 and -5.00
Distance Contacts -4.25 and -6.00
Computer Glasses -2.75 abd -5.00
Old Prescription:
Distance Glasses: -5.00 and -7.00
Distance Contacts -5.00 and -6.50
Computer Glasses. -3.25 and -5.25
Was wondering if eyes can start “correcting themselves” and moving back to zero, of if there might be an error on one or borth prescriptions, or if it’s possible it’s just the way different doctors do things or if refractions are imprecise enough it might be within the bounds of normal?
A few years ago my near vision started improving after a long slow decline. It wasn’t until several months later that I started to notice some other vision changes and found out I was developing cataracts. My ophthalmologist explained that cataracts can change the focal length of your eyeball and sometimes improve things for a while.
I assume your doctor is checking for that, but it’s worth it to confirm.
I’m confused.
Nearsighted is “myopia”. Which is the opposite of “presbyopia” which is farsighted. No one can be both simultaneously. So what are you really trying to say?
Also how old are you?
Here’s more on age-related presbyopia = farsightedness
Sure you can. Myopia is caused by the shape of your eyeball and the lens such that the eye focuses light in front of the retina.
Presbyopia might present as farsightedness, but it’s not the same thing as what people usually mean when they say they are farsighted. That kind of farsightedness (hyperopia) is caused by eyeball and lens shape as well, where the eye focuses light behind the retina. As you note, presbyopia is age-related degeneration of the muscles that focus the eye.
You can’t have hyperopia and myopia in the same eye, but you can (and lots of people do) have presbyopia and myopia together. That’s one of the most common needs for bifocals or progressive lenses. The wiki article you linked includes a section specifically on myopia and presbyopia together.
I don’t recall the details, but my eyeglass script went from steadily (and slowly) getting worse, to being stable, to getting better. I think that was a few years before I had to switch to progressive lenses.
The obvious question is, were the tests and prescription done by the same optician in both cases?
Apparently some opticians believe, or used to believe, that undercorrection is beneficial for slowing progress of myopia. Largely discredited nowadays, I think.
I’ve know a couple of people who have been nearsighted since adolescence and had prescriptions that held steady for many years. As they got older and their eyes began having problems reading text (farsighted), their nearsighted prescriptions became milder. They both ended with graduated bifocals, so the improvement wasn’t really anything to celebrate.
Agreed, it’s possible for the two opposite effects to ‘cancel out’ to an extent. But I’d echo the advice to have regular eye checks to establish there’s no other causes, like cataracts.
I was -9.25 at the peak at age 44. It started “improving” and I asked the optometrist if my eyesight was getting better. He said you are one, maybe two years away from the misery of bifocals.
My distance correction is now -6.75 and I’ve been wearing progressives for 12 years.
Right eye is absolutely perfect, Left is a bit off in both of them.
I think what happened is that I had my exam early in the morning, I have chronic dry eye issues in my left eye so I’m thinking that could have affected the refraction. It’s close enough I don’t notice it unless I close my right eye, and as a happy side effect I can read the letters on my nav system while driving again. Since it’s probably my fault I can’t really complain about it so I’ll live with it and maybe come back in a year as opposed to every other year like I’ve been.
Yes, your near sightedness can improve with age. At my worst my contact prescriptions were -9.00, about 15-20 years ago. Today I’m -7.25, I’m 59.
Starting about 7 years ago I also started having problems seeing up close (reading, on the computer, etc.), so I use over the counter reading glasses +1.5. So I am near sighted and need magnifiers.
I am not a candidate for Lasik, as my cornea’s are too thin. I have no problem wearing contacts, have been for about 45 years. But I do plan on getting intraocular lens implants in my mid 60’s, primarily to rid myself of the need for corrective lenses before I encounter demensia, alzheimers, etc.
