Wearing glasses while adjusting to monovision
Posted , 6 users are following.
So I've recently had surgery in both eyes (end Jan and mid Feb) and now have monovision with the left eye at 0 and the right eye at -2.25. So that's a fairly big difference between both eyes.
Distance is great - no real problems except in low light situations when I notice the blurring from the right eye a bit more. No night halos or anything.
Intermediate - not good but that was a compromise I was willing to make.
Near - finding this more challenging than expected and more difficult than the trial I did with contact lenses. It's worse in low light. Keeping my close up vision was really important to me and so I'm finding it frustrating not being able to see properly close up given that my right eye is at -2.25 (prior to the surgery I could just take off my glasses to see close up).
I know that fully adjusting to the monovision will take time (and I'm prepared to persevere) so I'm not complaining about it although I won't deny that it is a bit frustrating!
What I want to know is whether wearing glasses during the adjustment period will negatively affect my ability to adjust.
I got some computer glasses this week to help me with the intermediate as I have to work need to be able to see what's on my computer. I'm finding that the computer glasses also help me with the close up vision and it's tempting to use them instead of trying to see close up without them. Is this a bad thing to do for adjusting to monovision?
I'm considering getting a pair of progressive glasses mainly for computer use but I want to be able to see clearly out the top of them (currently the top is blurred and I have to take them off to see clearly in the distance) and also so that I can read close up with them on. I would basically wear them all the time whilst on the computer (about 7 hours a day!). If I do this will it also negatively affect my ability to adjust properly to the monovision?
Your thoughts and comments are much appreciated!
0 likes, 7 replies
at201 CaroZim
Posted
It is possible that since you had a surgery in February in one of the eyes (was that the one with the -2.25 target), your eye is still changing and has not reached that target yet. Once the eyes stabilize in another 2-3 weeks, you should know your except prescription (spherical and cylindrical) for both eyes to better understand why you have not achieved the results you were looking for.
In the mean time, please use the glasses which provide you the desired vision. It will be better to use glasses with blended vision between the 2 eyes which will make the monovision easier to adjust to, when you don't want to use those glasses.
CaroZim at201
Posted
Thanks for the reply. The -2.25 was done in Jan and the 0 one was done in mid Feb. So I've only had about 10 days with both done so I know it's early days yet! I was on holiday for the first week after having the second one done and it's only since going back to work this week that I've started to have difficulties. Possibly exacerbated by the fact that I'm on the computer most of the day in a brightly lit room with the air con blasting away all day - bad combination!
Not sure what you mean by "glasses with blended vision"? My computer glasses were done for my post surgery prescription (as at my one week post surgery check up for the left eye). The prescription was only for computer glasses so that I can see the computer (+1.5 in the left eye and -0.5 in the right). I know that my eyes may still change but I needed to be able to see the computer in the interim so I got a cheap single vision pair to tide me over.
The plan is to get a pair of progressives (when my eyes are more settled) that will enable me to see far, intermediate and close just for whilst I'm at work. I'm concerned that if I use them for 7/8 hours a day when I'm at work its going to make it more difficult for me to adjust to the monovision when I'm not wearing glasses.
The point of doing the monovision is to be as glasses free as possible (with the exception of intermediate which I knew I was going to need glasses for). But in order to be mostly glasses free I need to allow my eyes time to adjust to the monovision which may not happen if I wear progressive glasses (for 7/8 hours a day) that correct the monovision by giving me the same vision in both eyes!
Does this make sense???
at201 CaroZim
Posted
Having said that, you may find that you can see comfortably at the intermediate distance even if you used the prescription glasses (+1.5 in the left eye and 0 in the right),. (+1.0 in the left eye and -0.5 in the right) or (+0.5 in the left eye and -0.5 in the right), Each of those will be considered blended vision (the term typically used for glasses, but is the same as mini-monovision). The optometrists or the opthamologists tend not to offer prescription of blended vision, but will be more than happy to prescribe, if requested.
The use of the blended glasses will also help you transition easier into the monovision. It will also reduce the need of the progressive glasses.
CaroZim at201
Posted
So you're suggesting I should actually be using computer glasses that are NOT fully correcting my prescription (+1.50 left and -0.50 right) and I should go for something along the lines of +1 and -0.5 or +0.50 and -0.50 instead?
So looking at the computer will be a bit blurred (but better than without anything) and will help me to adjust more quickly to the full monovision?
at201 CaroZim
Posted
You will be pleasantly surprised by how small a difference the "not fully correcting your prescription" will make. Actually, you may even like it better than full prescription in both eyes since you will have a better depth of view.
lakaka21 CaroZim
Posted
CaroZim, I think until your eyes are adjusted with the new implanted IOL's, you should use pinhole glasses while working on computer since this bypasses natural eye adjustment phenomenon. However, this is a layman's (me) suggestion so you take second opinion from you opthalmologist before applying. For a brief introduction about pinhole phenomenon and glasses, you could checkout this link
http://altered-states.net/barry/update303/
CaroZim lakaka21
Posted
Thanks I'll see if I can find a pair. They definitely work as every time I had my eyes tested by my surgeon's office they put something with pinholes in front of my eyes and my vision was amazing!
Thanks for the tip.