How good or bad is my eyesight?

HappySaver1968

Hi,

I've just had my eyes tested and the optician said she was a little concerned at how drastic the change in my eyes had been over the last two years. I have a lot of phsyical/mental problems anyway but now she has me really worried about my eyes too. She said my presciption was -6.75 in my left eye and -6.00 in my right eye... is this good or bad? Thanks for your help.

John.

Prinzessilein

The best person to ask would be your optician! She will have done a number of tests and be able to tell you more about your eye-health and vision than those 2 figures you quoted can.

From what I recall, the negative figures mean that you are short/near-sighted. (A positive + sign would indicate far-sighted.)

When you get your new glasses you should find your eyesight improves to 'normal'. And that is the only thing you need to worry about!

[Deleted User]

did she say if she thought there was any reason for it getting worse over 2 years?
btw mrs w has -9,i think -10 is considered to be blind but i might be wrong

HappySaver1968

woodbine wrote: »

did she say if she thought there was any reason for it getting worse over 2 years?
btw mrs w has -9,i think -10 is considered to be blind but i might be wrong

She didn't unfortunately, no. I wish I knew what these figures of mine meant so I could gauge how good/bad my eyesight really is. I've noticed a vast deterioration over the last year especially and now have black spots and things floating about my eyes all the time. It can also be very blurry with my glasses, can see absolutely nothing without them and it's a horrible sensation for someone who has never experienced it. Would you say I'm partially sighted? I know I should have asked my optician more questions but she seemed very interested in my records and I didn't want to disturb her, just said to please come back again anytime if I feel my eyesight has got worse, and that I don't have to wait for them to write to me in another two years or so.

John.

Prinzessilein

The black dots are nothing to worry about! They are 'floaters' and quite harmless....just a little distracting.

My vision is blurred (=I can't see!) without my glasses but I'm not partially sighted. Your optician would have told you if you were.

GlasweJen

There's no formula to say people who see minus 6 can read to line x without their specs. You'd need to ask your optician what your visual acuity is. My uncorrected VA is 6/120 (pretty poor) so is my colleague, we're the same age, I wear -3 and he wears -6. His vision is better than mine with his glasses on but I won't tolerate more prescription being added.

John -10 isn't blind as long as wearing the -10 lenses help. Blind/partially sighted refers to people who's vision is poor even when wearing a prescription.

Oldernotwiser

My figures are only a bit worse than yours and I would describe myself as being very short sighted. I certainly need to spend extra on thinner lenses otherwise I'm looking through bottle tops!

HappySaver1968

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

My figures are only a bit worse than yours and I would describe myself as being very short sighted. I certainly need to spend extra on thinner lenses otherwise I'm looking through bottle tops!

Haha! yes, I know what you mean. Thanks for the laughs, remind me of a guy I used to know called "half-pint" from when I was at school... small, with bottle top glasses.

John.

kazzah60

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

My figures are only a bit worse than yours and I would describe myself as being very short sighted. I certainly need to spend extra on thinner lenses otherwise I'm looking through bottle tops!

I gave up wearing specs 13 years ago as I was paying £600 for my then -7 and -6 specs to have thinner lenses ( they were still pretty thick!)

I now wear monthly contacts ( great for me) and my prescription is -9.75 and -10 but I'm afraid I can't drive at night as my night vision is very poor due to the shortsightedned - winter months for me are a bind as I am on a 3.30pm curfew to get home safely !!
no-one has ever told me I am partially sighted though

but without my lenses - blind as the proverbial bat!

GlasweJen

Kazzah, have you considered a pair of driving glasses for night time? Sometimes you have small cyls that aren't available in contact lens prescriptions but make all the difference for tasks like night driving.

kazzah60

I have thought about it Jen
but I really need a lot of light to see kerbs and things - even during the daytime I have my houshold lights on - but I have to say I have seen those yellow glasses advertised in magazines and wondered about them.
I may give them a try and see how I cope
thanks for the suggestion