Should I see Optometrist?

[Jonny Two Shoes]

Ye so I have never been to one before (Hardly go to any doctors or dentists either ). Only time I can recall having my eyes checked was for my drivers and that hardly counts

So lately I have been really struggling with computers. After about 30 mins to and hour of looking at my screen I have to walk away with my eyes half shut and I can feel they are taking strain lately for some reason, never used to be a problem. Also eyes have been really red on and off for no apparent reason and I don't think I have any allergies. Eye drops ain't really working.

My eyesight still seems ok though, don't struggle to read things at all. But is getting blurry from time to time when I am at work. Considering I am PC Support there is no avoiding it. EDIT: My office is well lit and all with no glare to speak of so it's not that either.

Is this something to bother an Optometrist about? I'm on momentum and from what I can tell they do cover Optometrists on day-to-day savings expense of which I have a lot accumulated

 

[MickZA]

Yes, go and see an optometrist and explain what's happening. You will probably be prescribed glasses for computer work which needn't cost a fortune.

 

[Jonny Two Shoes]

Schweet. I hope they look stylish otherwise I will rather be half blind lol

 

[Pitbull]

Ye so I have never been to one before (Hardly go to any doctors or dentists either ). Only time I can recall having my eyes checked was for my drivers and that hardly counts

So lately I have been really struggling with computers. After about 30 mins to and hour of looking at my screen I have to walk away with my eyes half shut and I can feel they are taking strain lately for some reason, never used to be a problem. Also eyes have been really red on and off for no apparent reason and I don't think I have any allergies. Eye drops ain't really working.

My eyesight still seems ok though, don't struggle to read things at all. But is getting blurry from time to time when I am at work. Considering I am PC Support there is no avoiding it. EDIT: My office is well lit and all with no glare to speak of so it's not that either.

Is this something to bother an Optometrist about? I'm on momentum and from what I can tell they do cover Optometrists on day-to-day savings expense of which I have a lot accumulated

I have 20/20 vision and what you describe happens to me too.

When I sit infront of my PC for prolonged periods of time my eyes become adjusted to the distance viewed. When I move away from my PC I can't read shyt on the TV or a book unless it's the same distance. I went to see an Optometrist and when he tested my eyes they where fine. I explained it to him and he had me bring in my Laptop, play WoW at his practice for an hour or so then did the tests again. He says my eyes become lazy since the distance is fixed for prolonged periods of time. He then gave me a perscription after the second test and it works wonders. Now when I leave the PC I put my specs on for a while and then as my eyes adjust I remove them.

Wish there was a way to vary one's viewing distance from a PC screen or have the screen adjust itself to variable distances even if it's just slightly that would save me allot of hassle

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

One common urban legend is that Computer screen damage your eyesight, this is crap. All they do is make you aware of existing problems quicker.

I myself eventually got prescription lenses after a job involving quality control on printed voucher cards. I now wear my prescription lenses 24/7 as my eyes are and have always been shot. Never realised until I got my lenses.

Anyway, rather avoid the chain store guys as they seem little bothered with giving you a proper check up. A descent optom will spend about an hour with your (my last test was R270 3 mths back).

A rough guide to costs is R1K for lenses (including UV coating, and R450 without the coating) and then R1-3K for your frames. Frames are so personal and do try out a full range. I personally like light ones.

I also got separate prescription sunglasses (R1200) as I mountain bike and do not want to trash my normal pair (R3500).

 

[Archer]

Wish there was a way to vary one's viewing distance from a PC screen or have the screen adjust itself to variable distances even if it's just slightly that would save me allot of hassle

Just look at something further than 1m every once in a while (once every 30min works for me). Works wonders.

 

[Vox Populi Vox Dei]

You people who have 20/20 vision are really lucky.

A couple of years back, when I was still in school, I survived an entire year (no jokes!) without really seeing anything. I just copied from people around me I only realised my eyes were bad when I was forced to have my eyes checked before applying for my driver's license test. Moved onto contacts, which haven't been the greatest of friends with my eyes (get an allergy!) although it seems I can see more with them despite my glasses and contacts being both -3.5. I honestly can't see 10cm in front of me. If I took my glasses off now, I wouldn't be able to read what I was typing.

The weird thing is my younger brother spends at least the same amount, if not more time on the PC yet he has perfect vision. Life is so unfair...

/goes and cuts himself

 

[bin3]

Long story short -- when in doubt see a professional. You are in doubt; see a professional.

Don't mess around with your eyes -- the main problem is that your brain compensates a huge amount for any vision impairment, so you don't really know that your eyes are getting worse without seeing a professional. It can make a huge difference, and can do no harm.

 

[bin3]

@Chris: I had a similar problem though my eyes were about -10.x and -13.x

Had an eye op 12 years ago and have never had any problems again. Two other family members and a lot of our friends went to the same Doc, and I can really and honestly recommend it. The impact on your general life is absolutely amazing.

 

[Vox Populi Vox Dei]

@Chris: I had a similar problem though my eyes were about -10.x and -13.x

Had an eye op 12 years ago and have never had any problems again. Two other family members and a lot of our friends went to the same Doc, and I can really and honestly recommend it. The impact on your general life is absolutely amazing.

Laser treatment?

My optometrist is reluctant for me to do that and says I should rather wait until I am 24 or 25 when my eyes have properly stabilised. That's still around 2-3 years for me! This is despite the fact that my eyes have been stable for 1.5 years at -3.5.

 

[Flanders]

Do you have a CRT? Sure you didn't bump your screen's refresh rate down to 60Hz?

That's pure murder on the eyes!

 

[Pitbull]

Laser treatment?

My optometrist is reluctant for me to do that and says I should rather wait until I am 24 or 25 when my eyes have properly stabilised. That's still around 2-3 years for me! This is despite the fact that my eyes have been stable for 1.5 years at -3.5.

Fark me and I can feel my eyes taking strain when I'm off the PC while they adjust and my perscription is only 0.25 and 0.25 how does one see with with 3+ or even 10+

 

[bin3]

Laser treatment?

My optometrist is reluctant for me to do that and says I should rather wait until I am 24 or 25 when my eyes have properly stabilised..

Yip; Laser treatment. Your opto is not incorrect though there are different theories on that. My brother had about your eye strength, and he went as well -- smiling all the way. The advantage of waiting is that it does get better every year -- the tech et al.

The problem is 1. It is expensive, medical aid usually doesn't cover all of it, if any at all -- It's seen as cosmetic surgery if I'm not mistaken. 2. Your eyes might change and you might have to redo it.

But that is also the amazing aspect of it -- you can redo it ...

I went at 21;

 

[grok]

Take regular breaks from the screen. I find slipping outside with the smokers on their breaks works great. When outside I try & vary the distance my eyes focus, I look at something a few feet away, then focus on something middle distance like a car in the carpark, then on the treeline on the horizon & back. Still, I'm 45 and find that my eyes have deteriorated a lot this last year, can't read the bloody labels in the shops in low-light conditions anymore :|

 

[ChilliGirl]

it could be that you need glasses for working on a pc.

Do you get head aches often?

Remember those spotty pics kids carried around at school? Could you see the 3D pic or not?

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Laser treatment?

My optometrist is reluctant for me to do that and says I should rather wait until I am 24 or 25 when my eyes have properly stabilised. That's still around 2-3 years for me! This is despite the fact that my eyes have been stable for 1.5 years at -3.5.

Let me clear this up for you as I asked my optom about the op. The op can only be done on people if there eyes are not stable - in other words that need to be getting better or worse.

Doing it know will not reap the most benefits from the op and on some prescriptions (like mine) it will end up being a waste of money. You anyway have till your 40 to get the most value from the op. The procedure is improving two fold each year.

Already the latest op can be done on twice as many people as the previous op (from last year).

My wife had it done and she is so happy, but I still need to wait for the op to cater for my prescription.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Yip; Laser treatment. Your opto is not incorrect though there are different theories on that. My brother had about your eye strength, and he went as well -- smiling all the way. The advantage of waiting is that it does get better every year -- the tech et al.

The problem is 1. It is expensive, medical aid usually doesn't cover all of it, if any at all -- It's seen as cosmetic surgery if I'm not mistaken.

Well at 12-15K its the same amount you will spend on prescription lenses/glasses over a decade. So not that expensive.

2. Your eyes might change and you might have to redo it.

This only applies to candidates who should not do the op (like my case). The op will last about 20yrs and then you will most likely only get slight correction lenses to use for reading and not all the time.


Trust me, I've followed this procedure for the last 10yrs and cannot wait for it to improve to the point where I can benefit from it. Also always get three opinions when seeing a doc on this. There are sadly too many docs that will do the op for everybody without telling them that they will see no difference (excuse the pun).

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Take regular breaks from the screen. I find slipping outside with the smokers on their breaks works great. When outside I try & vary the distance my eyes focus, I look at something a few feet away, then focus on something middle distance like a car in the carpark, then on the treeline on the horizon & back. Still, I'm 45 and find that my eyes have deteriorated a lot this last year, can't read the bloody labels in the shops in low-light conditions anymore :|

I also had similar problems and funny that since I started mountain biking its helped a lot. Before then I had a big problem with depth perception, very dangerous when driving a car.

Also I found that after I got prescription sunglasses my headaches went away. Worth it to get a test on your sensitivity to bright light - this was my biggest problem as I have blue eyes. The test took a an hour.

 

[Vox Populi Vox Dei]

Let me clear this up for you as I asked my optom about the op. The op can only be done on people if there eyes are not stable - in other words that need to be getting better or worse.

Doing it know will not reap the most benefits from the op and on some prescriptions (like mine) it will end up being a waste of money. You anyway have till your 40 to get the most value from the op. The procedure is improving two fold each year.

Already the latest op can be done on twice as many people as the previous op (from last year).

My wife had it done and she is so happy, but I still need to wait for the op to cater for my prescription.

But that doesn't make much sense? I know you responded to Bin3's point about them having to re-do it if your eye strength changes, but I don't quite understand why that is the case. Surely you want stability in your eyes? Why will it be a waste if you did the treatment now?

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

This is what got me on the op. Not saying the rule is true to everyone, but if your eyesite remains the same over a period of years (even 2 yrs is long enough to measure the rate of change), the op will in no way help you yet.

The current op only caters for 40% of people that want to do it. The newest procedure to come out next year claims to push the amount to 60%. So currently only 2 out of 5 people can do the op.

In my wifes family, 5 people wanted to do the op. 1 was told not to waste his cash, my wife did hers and was 100% successful and the same with her one brother. Her sister will need to wear glasses again in 3yrs time even though she had hers done last year, and the 5th (the other brother) had minor improvement to his eyes and still wears his glasses.