My new +1.75 reading glasses arrived today

[johnlink]

My new +1.75 reading glasses that I bought from www.zennioptical.com arrived today. I plan to use them over my contacts when working on my computer whose monitor is about 22.5 inches away from my eyes. I chose +1.75 because (1/1.75) meters = 22.5 inches, so I'll be reading at my far point.

The new glasses give me a little blur when I sit upright. It will be interesting to see how they compare to the +1.25 glasses (with a focal length of 31.5 inches) I had been using over my contacts, and to what extent I will be able to resist leaning in to remove the blur. It will be even more interesting to see what effect using them has on my naked vision.

I do wish that zenni made aviator glasses with black wire rims that would fit me. When I look down at my keyboard with the new glasses I need to tilt my head much more than with my +1.25 glasses, which are aviator style, so the new frames inhibit the movement of my eyes relative to my head. Here's a link to the +1.25 glasses: http://www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunglasses/rb3025/l2823 They're sold as sunglasses so I had the tinted lenses replaced by clear +1.25 lenses.

[OtisBrown]

Hi John,

Thanks for your up-date.  I think that "pushing print" or pushing the "work" away until the "just blur" point and then "pulling in slightly" is how you get the maximum preventive effect from wearing a plus lens.

I know how difficult it is for all of us to maintain that discipline.  As always - have that bright Snellen up on the wall, and check with no lens on your eyes. 

Otis

My new +1.75 reading glasses that I bought from www.zennioptical.com arrived today. I plan to use them over my contacts when working on my computer whose monitor is about 22.5 inches away from my eyes. I chose +1.75 because (1/1.75) meters = 22.5 inches, so I'll be reading at my far point.

The new glasses give me a little blur when I sit upright. It will be interesting to see how they compare to the +1.25 glasses (with a focal length of 31.5 inches) I had been using over my contacts, and to what extent I will be able to resist leaning in to remove the blur. It will be even more interesting to see what effect using them has on my naked vision.

I do wish that zenni made aviator glasses with black wire rims that would fit me. When I look down at my keyboard with the new glasses I need to tilt my head much more than with my +1.25 glasses, which are aviator style, so the new frames inhibit the movement of my eyes relative to my head. Here's a link to the +1.25 glasses: http://www.ray-ban.com/usa/sunglasses/rb3025/l2823 They're sold as sunglasses so I had the tinted lenses replaced by clear +1.25 lenses.

[johnlink]

Thanks for your up-date.  I think that "pushing print" or pushing the "work" away until the "just blur" point and then "pulling in slightly" is how you get the maximum preventive effect from wearing a plus lens.

My +1.75 glasses will allow me to do just that!

[saksham]

hi john
will you please tell me whar was your prescription when you started and the what was the rate of success

skashan

[johnlink]

will you please tell me whar was your prescription when you started and the what was the rate of success

For distance I have worn only contact lenses since the early 80s. My prescription has been the same as it is now at least as far back as August of 2009. I don't have any records before that. Here's what it is:

R: -3.00 cyl=-2.25 axis=.010

L: -3.25

In August of 2010 I started using +1.25 glasses over my contact lenses for close work but used them only occasionally. In January of this year, 2013, I started reading everything I could about vision improvement and learned that my +1.25 glasses had a focal length of 31.5 inches, quite a bit more than the 22.5 inches to my computer monitor. I therefore ordered a pair of +1.75 glasses (with a focal length of 22.5 inches) so that I could read at my far point. While waiting for the new glasses I've used the +1.25 glasses over my contacts pretty regularly when working at the computer. I've also continued to sometimes work at the computer with my naked eyes, but that requires me to lean in so that I'm only 12 inches away from the monitor. For the last few weeks I've been doing some print pushing with my naked eyes, and when I'm on my bike, which I ride several times each week, I've been making a point of looking further into the distance, especially when riding along the Hudson River (I live in Manhattan). Of course on my bike I always wear the contact lenses. I've really just begun to improve my vision and do not yet have any progress to report. Except that when I went out tonight, after having used my +1.75 glasses over my contacts while working on my computer, everything seemed a little sharper to me. I also notice that as I view my monitor now (through my +1.75 glasses over my contacts) I have less of a tendency to lean in to reduce the blur than I did before I went out (perhaps the blur is not as much as before). So maybe the +1.75 glasses have already had some positive effect.

[Todd Becker]

The initial sharpening of your vision seems promising.  Have you had a chance to check your Snellen rating?  It's a good objective measure for tracking your improvement.

[johnlink]

The initial sharpening of your vision seems promising.  Have you had a chance to check your Snellen rating?  It's a good objective measure for tracking your improvement.

I haven't checked my Snellen since wearing the +1.75 glasses but I will start to do so regularly, both with my contacts and without.

[trw]

My understanding is wearing contacts makes eyesight progress worse faster than glasses, due to it changing the corneal shape since it sits on it. Over time the eye adapts to it, further changing its shape. The eye may not be able to flatten to the spherical shape required for proper refraction. Does anyone else know about the risks of contact lenses and if there is some truth to that? Thanks. Congrats john on having the patience to endure to plus.

[OtisBrown]

Hi TRW,

Subject: The effect of an over-prescribed minus (worn all the time) on the eye's refractive STATE.

If you are "deep" into nearsightedness, it is very difficult to avoid wearing the minus.  If not so deep, say 20/60, then you can avoid wearing it most of the time.  In that case you should wear a "regular" minus, and take it off most of the time.

In one critical study I know of, the minus PREVENTED recovery.  Those who could wear only the plus (at 20/60) had the best chance of measuring a change from 20/60 to 20/30 or better (change of about +1/2 diopter).   The problem with a minus-contact is that you can't take it out.  But it still is a good idea to wear a +2.0 over contacts to get the idea and the practice of doing so.  But if you can read the 20/60 line - the best idea is no minus lens at all - in my opinion.

My understanding is wearing contacts makes eyesight progress worse faster than glasses, due to it changing the corneal shape since it sits on it. Over time the eye adapts to it, further changing its shape. The eye may not be able to flatten to the spherical shape required for proper refraction. Does anyone else know about the risks of contact lenses and if there is some truth to that? Thanks. Congrats john on having the patience to endure to plus.

[johnlink]

My understanding is wearing contacts makes eyesight progress worse faster than glasses, due to it changing the corneal shape since it sits on it. Over time the eye adapts to it, further changing its shape. The eye may not be able to flatten to the spherical shape required for proper refraction. Does anyone else know about the risks of contact lenses and if there is some truth to that? Thanks. Congrats john on having the patience to endure to plus.

I don't know anything about the possible risk you describe, but for whatever it's worth I've had the same prescription since at least as far back as August of 2009.

What do you mean by "the patience to endure to plus"? Was there a typo?

[johnlink]

Today is my third day using the +1.75 glasses over my contacts while working on the computer. When I first got these glasses they gave me a little bit of blur when I would sit upright, but now there seems to be no blur unless I lean backward. That suggests that my far point is starting to move out a little bit. Wow!

[OtisBrown]

Hi John,

I think it is great that you conducted this experiment.  In fact, what you have done with the +1.75 diopter lens - is what people who "work" on plus-prevention begin to notice.  Thanks for doing this confirmation of the effect of a properly-worn plus on the natural eye.

Today is my third day using the +1.75 glasses over my contacts while working on the computer. When I first got these glasses they gave me a little bit of blur when I would sit upright, but now there seems to be no blur unless I lean backward. That suggests that my far point is starting to move out a little bit. Wow!

[johnlink]

For the last week I've been doing a few minutes of print pushing with my naked eyes, each eye by itself and then both of them together. Because of the astigmatism in my right eye the print looks moderately blurry even at the best distance, but yesterday and again this morning I noticed that the astigmatic blur was substantially less.

I'm amazed, and very encouraged, at how quickly I'm experiencing results.

[Todd Becker]

John, your progress is great. I'm very impressed with your diligence.  And it is interesting to hear that the astigmatism seems to be decreasing.

[johnlink]

Again no blur when using the +1.75 glasses over my contacts while working on the computer. I like this!