can glasses help me?
January 28, 2015 12:46 AM Subscribe
Can glasses help me?
I have great eyesight each time I've been tested, much better than 20:20. But when I try to read a lot of small text or numbers I get terrible headaches and blurred vision.
I have an accounting job where keeping eye focus is critical. I can focus my eyes fine for a short time but through a whole day I constantly have to lean over my desk and peer into a monitor to tell whether it's a 6 or an 8. This would be an easy fix (by adjusting the monitor) except that I also have problems when spreadsheets are printed out. Unless they come in giant font I have to hold them unnaturally close to my face.
If it matters at all I also have terrible night vision, as in, if I'm driving at night I just follow the car in front of me because I can't see anything else (which is why I never drive at night).
Like I said, I can see all of these things, if I focus my eyes as hard as possible, but if I do that all day I feel my face may melt off. All I want to know is if this is something glasses can fix, or maybe I just need to accept that I will have to plant my face on every spreadsheet I meet from now on.
I have an accounting job where keeping eye focus is critical. I can focus my eyes fine for a short time but through a whole day I constantly have to lean over my desk and peer into a monitor to tell whether it's a 6 or an 8. This would be an easy fix (by adjusting the monitor) except that I also have problems when spreadsheets are printed out. Unless they come in giant font I have to hold them unnaturally close to my face.
If it matters at all I also have terrible night vision, as in, if I'm driving at night I just follow the car in front of me because I can't see anything else (which is why I never drive at night).
Like I said, I can see all of these things, if I focus my eyes as hard as possible, but if I do that all day I feel my face may melt off. All I want to know is if this is something glasses can fix, or maybe I just need to accept that I will have to plant my face on every spreadsheet I meet from now on.
If you are nearing your 40's, it's likely you are experiencing the inevitable change in vision called presbyopia. Reading glasses or bi-focals can fix the problem.
I'm like you in that my distance vision (from about 4 feet to infinity) is stellar. Close up I'm tromboning small text to be able to read.
posted by qwip at 1:18 AM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm like you in that my distance vision (from about 4 feet to infinity) is stellar. Close up I'm tromboning small text to be able to read.
posted by qwip at 1:18 AM on January 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Sorry, to clarify I am in my 20s. My parents both have reading glasses and are in their 60s. So I knew this was coming but I've tried on my mom's very weak glasses and it was like rubbing Vaseline on my eyes, she can see text without them at arms length, I can most comfortably see it about 10 inches from my face.
posted by boobjob at 1:26 AM on January 28, 2015
posted by boobjob at 1:26 AM on January 28, 2015
When was the last time you actually got your eyes checked, and did you tell the optometrist all this stuff? Did you also get checked for strabismus while you were there? If this effect doesn't kick in until you've been looking at things for awhile, my first thought is that you're slightly cross-eyed or wall-eyed, and that as the muscles wear out throughout the day it's getting harder for you to keep both focusing on the same point. But I'm a little surprised if you've been going for regular eye exams and they've never caught anything.
I'm not sure if everybody does it the same, but at mine, the strabismus test is like--there's two lights and the doctor adjusts something and you tell them when the two lights merge into a single point. First horizontally, then vertically. Does that sound familiar?
posted by Sequence at 1:52 AM on January 28, 2015
I'm not sure if everybody does it the same, but at mine, the strabismus test is like--there's two lights and the doctor adjusts something and you tell them when the two lights merge into a single point. First horizontally, then vertically. Does that sound familiar?
posted by Sequence at 1:52 AM on January 28, 2015
Response by poster: I do remember having the the strabismus test (never knew what it was called) in my teens but not since then.
I've had quite a few eye tests, the last actual eye doctor to review me was 2 years ago (I have seen a GP since then) and I always turn out really well but have a headache so bad I can't even say afterwards. Kind of like when you go to the dentist for just a cleaning and your mouth feels all swollen and terrible afterwards.
posted by boobjob at 2:24 AM on January 28, 2015
I've had quite a few eye tests, the last actual eye doctor to review me was 2 years ago (I have seen a GP since then) and I always turn out really well but have a headache so bad I can't even say afterwards. Kind of like when you go to the dentist for just a cleaning and your mouth feels all swollen and terrible afterwards.
posted by boobjob at 2:24 AM on January 28, 2015
I would suggest going to an Ophthalmologist and telling them all this and having your eyes checked. A lot can change in 2 years, and the headache thing is not my usual experience getting my eyes checked, so you should tell them about that as well.
posted by gudrun at 3:59 AM on January 28, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by gudrun at 3:59 AM on January 28, 2015 [5 favorites]
Have you ever told the eye doctor about your problems? None of this is normal. You don't need to "ace" a vision test by straining, in fact you shouldn't have to strain at all.
Go back to the eye doctor ASAP. Tell him/her everything. If you need a prescription you'll get one and if there's some underlying problem or condition you can start dealing with it.
posted by lydhre at 4:22 AM on January 28, 2015 [7 favorites]
Go back to the eye doctor ASAP. Tell him/her everything. If you need a prescription you'll get one and if there's some underlying problem or condition you can start dealing with it.
posted by lydhre at 4:22 AM on January 28, 2015 [7 favorites]
I've been having issues with this, myself. One thing I know about my own vision (which isn't 20:20 but is not terrible, either) is that I'm somewhat farsighted. As such, I find it frustrating when my entire eye test consists of reading things that are far away. I'm great at reading things that are far away! However, my job involves staring at computer screens, spreadsheets, and printouts all day, generally at close range. Meanwhile I almost never need to read things that are far away and aside from driving it's not a factor for me at all.
Right now I have glasses for what my optometrist describes as "close up work". They are helping somewhat with eyestrain and headaches, and in the few weeks that I've had them, I find that they are perfect for reading fine print and the inevitable "is that an r and an n, or an m" type of stuff that I was having problems with pre-glasses.
So I'd say to tell your optometrist/doctor that you have trouble with close-up work, possibly mention eyestrain/headaches/blurring vision, and then go ahead and opt for the glasses even if your prescription turns out to not be huge.
posted by Sara C. at 7:34 AM on January 28, 2015
Right now I have glasses for what my optometrist describes as "close up work". They are helping somewhat with eyestrain and headaches, and in the few weeks that I've had them, I find that they are perfect for reading fine print and the inevitable "is that an r and an n, or an m" type of stuff that I was having problems with pre-glasses.
So I'd say to tell your optometrist/doctor that you have trouble with close-up work, possibly mention eyestrain/headaches/blurring vision, and then go ahead and opt for the glasses even if your prescription turns out to not be huge.
posted by Sara C. at 7:34 AM on January 28, 2015
+1 for gudrun and lydhre's suggestions.
You might be suffering from eyestrain too as demonstrated by the night vision troubles. Activities that promote eyestrain:
going outside and/or driving without your shades
wearing shades without polarized lenses
a lot of computer work
a lot of reading stuff with small fonts
a lot of screen time with your tablet and smart phone
a lot of ambient light in your office from windows and overhead lights
a bright or a maladjusted computer monitor (brightness too much or contrast isn't high enough for its brightness)
a bright tablet or smart phone
a lot of using the tablet or phone in the dark or limly lit room
small font on your computer, tablet and smart phone/dumb phone. Increase the fonts to granny size. No one will judge, I promise.
posted by dlwr300 at 7:49 AM on January 28, 2015
You might be suffering from eyestrain too as demonstrated by the night vision troubles. Activities that promote eyestrain:
going outside and/or driving without your shades
wearing shades without polarized lenses
a lot of computer work
a lot of reading stuff with small fonts
a lot of screen time with your tablet and smart phone
a lot of ambient light in your office from windows and overhead lights
a bright or a maladjusted computer monitor (brightness too much or contrast isn't high enough for its brightness)
a bright tablet or smart phone
a lot of using the tablet or phone in the dark or limly lit room
small font on your computer, tablet and smart phone/dumb phone. Increase the fonts to granny size. No one will judge, I promise.
posted by dlwr300 at 7:49 AM on January 28, 2015
Definitely get another exam and try not to strain to see the letters and such, or at least tell your optometrist that you can only see one if you strain, if applicable. "Yes, but..." or "maybe?" are acceptable answers in eye exams!
Whatever results you get from that, eyestrain is a potential problem for anyone using computers or focusing on close-up objects on the job. Be sure to take appropriate breaks to focus on more distant objects.
posted by asperity at 8:56 AM on January 28, 2015
Whatever results you get from that, eyestrain is a potential problem for anyone using computers or focusing on close-up objects on the job. Be sure to take appropriate breaks to focus on more distant objects.
posted by asperity at 8:56 AM on January 28, 2015
Try more frequent breaks, like looking out the window or across the room for a few minutes a few times an hour. You shouldn't have to work to bring things into focus, there is no 'acing' an eye exam. Occupational glasses are an ageless thing and very specific; things like accommodation will be something an eye doctor looks for but beyond the scope of a GP. 2 years is the perfect time to go back to your optometrist or ophthalmologist and be specific about your vision needs/issues.
posted by lawliet at 9:22 AM on January 28, 2015
posted by lawliet at 9:22 AM on January 28, 2015
Agree with others who have said you should see an ophthalmologist, and tell him or her all of the things you have said here -- especially about the headaches caused by eye exams.
Cataracts can cause night vision problems that are very noticeable when driving at night. Have you been tested for that?
You might also want to be tested for convergence insufficiency. You can google it, but here is the intro page from the Mayo Clinic's website. But be sure to read the symptoms on this page.
posted by merejane at 10:12 AM on January 28, 2015
Cataracts can cause night vision problems that are very noticeable when driving at night. Have you been tested for that?
You might also want to be tested for convergence insufficiency. You can google it, but here is the intro page from the Mayo Clinic's website. But be sure to read the symptoms on this page.
posted by merejane at 10:12 AM on January 28, 2015
My mother has always been farsighted (she used to be able to identify the airline name on planes flying overhead (?!) and accurately read road signs far before any of us could, but reading was terrible for her. Now she's older and her far vision is deteriorating, but for near vision she's needed correction for as long as I can remember. At first it was reading glasses and eventually she had "bifocal" contacts.
Here's the thing--you can't just grab your mom's reading glasses and expect things to improve. My vision is significantly worse than my father's and my brother's, and if either one were to put on my glasses it would be like looking through Vaseline, just as you describe. Similarly, their eyeglasses do *nothing* for me. Not even a slight improvement.
No one expects very young people to require reading glasses, so you'll have to speak up when you get your eyes checked. Tell your doctor that seeing far is fine, but anything closer than x number of feet is a nightmare. And mention your night blindness, too.
posted by xyzzy at 10:14 AM on January 28, 2015
Here's the thing--you can't just grab your mom's reading glasses and expect things to improve. My vision is significantly worse than my father's and my brother's, and if either one were to put on my glasses it would be like looking through Vaseline, just as you describe. Similarly, their eyeglasses do *nothing* for me. Not even a slight improvement.
No one expects very young people to require reading glasses, so you'll have to speak up when you get your eyes checked. Tell your doctor that seeing far is fine, but anything closer than x number of feet is a nightmare. And mention your night blindness, too.
posted by xyzzy at 10:14 AM on January 28, 2015
Nthing the suggestion that you get checked out, that you see an ophthalmologist, not an optometrist, and that you share all of this information with her from the get-go. Rather than confirming that you still have normal vision, the goal should be to identify possible causes of the symptoms you're having. Be completely honest about what you're seeing (and not seeing) when you're looking at an eye chart. Tell her if you're guessing, or if you have to squint to make out the letters.
posted by Flipping_Hades_Terwilliger at 11:10 AM on January 28, 2015
posted by Flipping_Hades_Terwilliger at 11:10 AM on January 28, 2015
My friend used to complain frequently about headaches while reading, even though tests at different ophthalmologists were showing she had 20/20 vision. After finally deciding to get a proper diagnosis, she discovered she had strabismus (colloquially known as cross-eyed) but at such a slight degree that it wasn't noticeable to others, and yet had an impact on her eyesight.
posted by alon at 11:24 AM on January 28, 2015
posted by alon at 11:24 AM on January 28, 2015
I had something similar, and it turns out one of my eyes is far-sighted, and the other is near-sighted. So I can see fine, because my eyes can compensate for the weaker eye at near or far distances, but when I had to do a lot of computer work the good eye would get strained and I'd get headaches. Glasses have helped me so much, literally no more eye strain headaches, my productivity is so much better too. You can test this by closing each of your eyes when you're reading text up close. I'm now a huge proponent of regular eye exams.
posted by lafemma at 1:40 PM on January 28, 2015
posted by lafemma at 1:40 PM on January 28, 2015
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posted by TWinbrook8 at 1:03 AM on January 28, 2015 [5 favorites]