Tell me about prism lenses for eyes that just keep focusing close up
July 5, 2024 11:06 AM
My son has severe myopia...We thought? Now the optometrist is just a little stumped. But he thinks that maybe the issues is that he's actually not that myopic and instead has a condition where he tends to focus his eye close up and then doesn't relax it back into far focus when he focuses far. He wants to try prism lenses and see if that helps. I want to google this but Google denies all knowledge of this condition. What is this called. Please help me find info.
So my son was diagnosed at 3 with extreme myopia by an opthalmologist. He was -7 in both eyes. The next year he was -8. The next year he was back to -7. in one eye and -8 in the other. The year after that he was -7 in one eye and-5 in the other.
So after multiple tests and different readings today and with the confusion of the fact that his vision really shouldn't be improving over time and it's weird that it seems like it is, the doctor wanted to do the test with the prisms but A) It seemed like my son had had enough and B) we'd been there a long time and he had another appointment so we're going back in two weeks. So we're going back in two weeks to do that. In the meantime I'd like to read up on it, but I can't find anything about this. He said the prism lenses would help his eyes relax and then he would need a less strong prescription. Nothing I find about prism lenses says anything like that.
He said testing with the prisms would take about 20 minutes, if that helps you figure out what he might have been talking about.
So my son was diagnosed at 3 with extreme myopia by an opthalmologist. He was -7 in both eyes. The next year he was -8. The next year he was back to -7. in one eye and -8 in the other. The year after that he was -7 in one eye and-5 in the other.
So after multiple tests and different readings today and with the confusion of the fact that his vision really shouldn't be improving over time and it's weird that it seems like it is, the doctor wanted to do the test with the prisms but A) It seemed like my son had had enough and B) we'd been there a long time and he had another appointment so we're going back in two weeks. So we're going back in two weeks to do that. In the meantime I'd like to read up on it, but I can't find anything about this. He said the prism lenses would help his eyes relax and then he would need a less strong prescription. Nothing I find about prism lenses says anything like that.
He said testing with the prisms would take about 20 minutes, if that helps you figure out what he might have been talking about.
Terms you may want to be aware of are 'phoria' and 'tropia'. There's a bit of a gap between 'super basic' and 'oh no it's written only for ophthalmologists' information, but this article is the best I can find for non-specialists.
In my experience using prisms on folks, it's really obvious when it works, it's non-invasive, and it's absolutely worth a shot, particularly with that degree of presumed myopia at that age.
posted by cobaltnine at 1:43 PM on July 5
In my experience using prisms on folks, it's really obvious when it works, it's non-invasive, and it's absolutely worth a shot, particularly with that degree of presumed myopia at that age.
posted by cobaltnine at 1:43 PM on July 5
I don't know anything about prisms, but I think if you're unsure then getting a second opinion is not a bad practice in general, and might help you feel more confident about whatever direction you go in.
posted by trig at 1:47 PM on July 5
posted by trig at 1:47 PM on July 5
Also this depends on this doctor and practice but maybe you could write them and ask if they could recommend some reading material about this for you, since you're unfamiliar with the treatment in question.
posted by trig at 1:49 PM on July 5
posted by trig at 1:49 PM on July 5
I ended up with some weird vision changes two years ago and now have a prescription that includes prisms and OH MY GOD it is a life-changer. I hadn't realized how much of my "concentration " issues were coming from the fact that the world in one eye looked skewed, and I couldn't move things closer or farther away to make them clearer, so I just stopped... looking at things for very long (especially books and anything with lettering on them). I can't say it gave me headaches, but it made me super, super irritable most of the day. With the prisms, that's gone.
colbaltnine is correct: it's non invasive, and if it works, you know almost immediately.
posted by Silvery Fish at 2:29 PM on July 5
colbaltnine is correct: it's non invasive, and if it works, you know almost immediately.
posted by Silvery Fish at 2:29 PM on July 5
Oh hi! I have prisms. They are game changers for helping your eyes work together if necessary.
I had regular prisms for years and they worked pretty well. Your eye doc should have some on site so they can be tested with the prescription and determine the prism ....strength I guess. It is pretty easy to see the difference if you look through them and need them.
I can't tell how old he is now but if he can do the eye exam (aka which is better test) then he should be able to tell with prisms too.
Fwiw I actually have neurolens which is a super expensive type of prism that is more customized to the eye. I have to drive an hr to a new eye dr but it was worth it to me as they are much better. They made the lens after scanning my eyeballs thru a machine. This machine looked like a very blurry video game to me. The glasses were about 1500$ tho so if regular prisms work go for it.
Now my eye doc did say that you can train your eyes to work better together by doing eye exercises. This is apparently sort of like eye exercises you do if you had a concussion. I am thinking about that for the future because having a prism does mean being locked into eye glasses over contacts. Contacts don't have prism abilities.
posted by aetg at 8:40 PM on July 5
I had regular prisms for years and they worked pretty well. Your eye doc should have some on site so they can be tested with the prescription and determine the prism ....strength I guess. It is pretty easy to see the difference if you look through them and need them.
I can't tell how old he is now but if he can do the eye exam (aka which is better test) then he should be able to tell with prisms too.
Fwiw I actually have neurolens which is a super expensive type of prism that is more customized to the eye. I have to drive an hr to a new eye dr but it was worth it to me as they are much better. They made the lens after scanning my eyeballs thru a machine. This machine looked like a very blurry video game to me. The glasses were about 1500$ tho so if regular prisms work go for it.
Now my eye doc did say that you can train your eyes to work better together by doing eye exercises. This is apparently sort of like eye exercises you do if you had a concussion. I am thinking about that for the future because having a prism does mean being locked into eye glasses over contacts. Contacts don't have prism abilities.
posted by aetg at 8:40 PM on July 5
I have a relatively subtle prism on one lens, and agree that it makes SUCH a difference. I was prescribed eye exercises as a kid and simply...did not do them, which my ophthalmologist said is probably why I need the prism now. Without them, I was still finding that my vision would double if I was tired.
posted by In Your Shell Like at 11:11 AM on July 6
posted by In Your Shell Like at 11:11 AM on July 6
Your son’s doctor’s office is the place to ask rather than guessing what terms to search. Call them and get a copy of his exam notes and if they’re hard to read insist someone spell anything that’s unreadable. Good luck to him—good vision is a wonderful thing if you can get it.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 12:47 PM on July 6
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 12:47 PM on July 6
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posted by Shark Hat at 11:21 AM on July 5