ask me about eyes

[Ryanski]

Hi Slim:

I got glasses about 10 years ago, and am currently 19. 2 years ago, December 2004, I went to the optometrist, and received a L -2.5, R -2.75 prescription. I just went about one week ago to the same optometrist(2 years later!), and received a prescription of L -2.0, R -2.25.

The only thing I've done in the last two years differently than in years previous is I never weak glasses for close work(I'm on the computer a lot, etc.), and I wear weaker lenses(currently L -1.5, R -1.75) for any distance stuff.

I really have no idea if this has helped improve my vision....I feel like there has not been any change at all in my visual acuity, but I felt the same basically when I had to get glasses for the first time, in that I felt my vision hadn't gotten worse when it had, so it's hard to tell..

Do you think wearing weaker lenses has helped improve my visual acuity at all? If not, then what possibly did? Is there any way that, say, if I go to the optometrist two years from now, my prescription could again lower by 0.5 diopters in each eye? If not, why?
Is there a chance that my vision did not actually improve at all, but the optometrist made a small mistake either in our appointment two years ago or one week ago, and my vision has remained the same? If so, how likely or unlikely is this?

Hope you can help me with some of these, thanks Slim.

[slim]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Slim:

I got glasses about 10 years ago, and am currently 19. 2 years ago, December 2004, I went to the optometrist, and received a L -2.5, R -2.75 prescription. I just went about one week ago to the same optometrist(2 years later!), and received a prescription of L -2.0, R -2.25.

The only thing I've done in the last two years differently than in years previous is I never weak glasses for close work(I'm on the computer a lot, etc.), and I wear weaker lenses(currently L -1.5, R -1.75) for any distance stuff.

I really have no idea if this has helped improve my vision....I feel like there has not been any change at all in my visual acuity, but I felt the same basically when I had to get glasses for the first time, in that I felt my vision hadn't gotten worse when it had, so it's hard to tell..

Do you think wearing weaker lenses has helped improve my visual acuity at all? If not, then what possibly did? Is there any way that, say, if I go to the optometrist two years from now, my prescription could again lower by 0.5 diopters in each eye? If not, why?
Is there a chance that my vision did not actually improve at all, but the optometrist made a small mistake either in our appointment two years ago or one week ago, and my vision has remained the same? If so, how likely or unlikely is this?

Hope you can help me with some of these, thanks Slim.

[/ QUOTE ]

The most likely scenario is that your optometrist over prescribed 2 years ago. Young people like yourself have a very active focussing ability which means when you are behind that machine where he flips the lenses and asks you "which is better 1 or 2" you are likely to choose the lens that makes the letters bolder but not necesaarily sharper. This is a very common error but don't worry because wearing the wrong glasses for 2 years does not harm the eyes.