Eye test in an optician's salon

In what cases are glasses prescribed?

When diagnosing certain refractive errors - incorrect refraction of light rays on the retina of the eye, oculists recommend wearing corrective glasses.

In this article

• In what cases are glasses prescribed?
• Do I need to wear glasses all the time?
• How to choose the right glasses?
• What you need to know about frames?
• What types of glasses lenses are there?

There are several pathologies for which these ophthalmic products are most often used:

• myopia;
• farsightedness;
• astigmatism;
• presbyopia.

With myopia, the image is focused not on the retina, but in front of it. With farsightedness, the opposite happens - light rays are collected into a single fragment behind the retina of the eye. These ophthalmological disorders are the main reason for wearing glasses in childhood. While studying at school, visual loads are quite high, which is why the child’s vision begins to decline. At the age of 8-12 years, active growth of the eyeball occurs. If you do not follow certain rules - watch TV for a long time, tilt your head too much while reading or writing, or do homework in poor lighting - the development of myopia cannot be avoided. Often this defect is congenital and is passed on to the child from the parents or occurs as a result of disorders during pregnancy. Farsightedness is less common. Almost all newborns are born farsighted. The reason for this is the peculiarities of the formation of the visual apparatus. By 3-4 years, vision becomes more stable. Farsightedness also occurs due to heredity. Both refractive errors occur in children and adults, but usually develop during childhood. Often myopia and farsightedness are accompanied by astigmatism - a violation of the refractive power of the eye, which occurs due to changes in the shape of the lens and cornea. Presbyopia usually develops after age 40. Its second name is “age-related farsightedness.” For these vision defects, doctors often prescribe glasses.

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All medications for pupil dilation should be used only as prescribed by a doctor.

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Do I need to wear glasses all the time?

If an ophthalmologist prescribes glasses, this does not mean that you will have to use them all the time. With weak degrees of refractive error, they can only be worn at certain times: while watching TV, reading books, etc.

If a vision defect develops quickly, and the person himself feels that it has become more difficult for him to look at objects, then it would be correct to use glasses all the time. Your doctor should decide whether to wear glasses regularly. He must be informed of any changes in vision. The correct selection of glasses will not eliminate visual defects, but will help slow down the decline in vision. Ophthalmic products help normalize the visual functions of the eyes. Wearing glasses helps refract light rays correctly. Thanks to this, vision becomes clear. Due to refractive errors, headaches and lacrimation often occur, the eyes quickly become tired, and people complain of burning and itching of the visual organs. Wearing glasses will also help to cope with this problem. With myopia from -1 to -3 D, a person can do without optical products. Sometimes ophthalmologists suggest choosing corrective glasses for the initial degree of myopia. This advice is usually heard by people who spend a lot of time at the computer or driving a car. If the specifics of the profession require high clarity of vision, then it is undesirable to refuse to wear glasses. That is, in situations where you need to focus on a distant object, it is better to use optical products. Correcting farsightedness with glasses also does not always have to be permanent. With a weak degree of this refractive error, you can do without them. If vision has deteriorated by more than 3 D, then visibility decreases not only near, but also at a distance. In such cases, doctors recommend wearing glasses without removing them. With farsightedness less than 3D, long-distance visualization usually remains clear. Difficulties arise when viewing objects up close. Patients with astigmatism do not have to choose whether to wear glasses all the time or not. For this pathology, doctors prescribe ophthalmic products for regular use. Astigmatism often occurs against the background of myopia or farsightedness, so it is important to choose glasses that can correct both vision defects. With astigmatism, a person sees a cloudy image. Glasses will help get rid of this effect. Presbyopia is “age-related farsightedness.” This disorder occurs due to the loss of elasticity of the lens and is typical for people over 40 years of age. If presbyopia has developed against the background of myopia, then multifocal glasses are selected. There is no need to wear them all the time if the pathology is not combined with other visual impairments and is a sign of a natural loss of elasticity of the lens. In other cases, a person needs glasses constantly.

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10-15% of people have ophthalmological problems, and in 80% of the disease the disease can be cured or its progression can be slowed down, and vision can be improved. The level of development of medicine and ophthalmology makes it possible to see clearly even in old age. To do this, they carry out annual preventive checks, use innovative, accurate diagnostic techniques, and carry out professional selection of glasses for vision.

How to choose the right glasses?

Before choosing glasses in an optician or online store, you need to get a prescription from your doctor. It will indicate the parameters that are necessary for ophthalmic products to effectively correct vision.

The ophthalmologist conducts a standard and hardware examination. The first stage is a vision test using a special table. Usually they use those developed by Sivtsev and Golovin. The doctor must determine the degree of pathology and assess the capabilities of binocular vision. Sometimes drops may be prescribed to relieve eye strain. Many opticians also offer vision tests. The procedure takes just a few minutes. You can trust the results of such examinations if they were carried out by a professional using special equipment. One of the devices is called an autorefractometer. It determines the refractive power of the eye and provides the data needed for the prescription. You cannot select glasses yourself. Consultation with an ophthalmologist in this matter is mandatory. For myopia, the doctor writes a prescription for glasses with minus lenses. For farsightedness - with plus ones. If the degree of both refractive errors is low, then the selection of optical products does not cause difficulties. For high degrees, the optometrist may recommend using two pairs of glasses. It will be convenient for a person to wear one of them during visual work, the other - in other cases. This will help reduce eye fatigue and prevent headaches. It takes longer to issue a prescription to a patient with astigmatism. This refractive error requires a more thorough examination. Before a person goes for glasses, the doctor determines the size and degree of curvature of the cornea, the diameter of the pupils and the distance between them. Ophthalmologists often advise buying your first glasses with smaller diopters than required. This is necessary so that getting used to ophthalmic products goes faster and does not cause discomfort. Once you receive your prescription, you should pick up glasses at an optician or online store. The assortment usually includes many different frames and lenses with coatings that have different properties. The prescription written by the ophthalmologist must be passed on to the opticians, after which they will offer a suitable model. Making glasses usually takes a couple of days. In some cases, the period may be extended, but it rarely exceeds two weeks.

Fundus examination procedure

Dilatation of the eye pupil can be achieved using special eye drops. When they get on the surface of the eye, they penetrate the tissue and do not allow signals to pass through to the muscle that constricts the pupil. Essentially, drops to dilate the pupils affect the receptors and they stop receiving the signal passing along the oculomotor nerve.

Special medications are dropped before the eye examination. Then the patient is asked to wait 20 to 30 minutes, this is necessary so that the medicine has time to act and dilate the pupil of the eye as much as possible. In some cases, the medicine is dripped three times in a row with a break of several minutes. During instillation before checking the eyes and vision, a burning sensation may occur, but the sensation passes fairly quickly.

Previously, Atropine was instilled into the eyes; currently, tropicamide is mainly used - a safe medicine with rare side effects. Atropine is recommended for use if there is a suspicion of a spasm of accommodation (false myopia). Such procedures, which essentially improve vision, help to correctly determine whether the patient needs glasses and how strong.

What you need to know about frames?

The frame is an important element of any glasses, and not just a device for fixing the lenses. Many people prefer to choose it in such a way that it harmonizes with their face shape. But corrective glasses are, first of all, a medical product, and not a fashion accessory, such as sunglasses.

Therefore, taste preferences should not play a significant role. Optometrists recommend frames taking into account the following rules:

• wearing glasses with large frames often leads to distortion at the edges of the lenses;
• too narrow frames negatively affect the transmission of the location of refractive rays;
• the middle line of the light openings should pass through the center of the pupils or a few mm below;
• the back side of the lenses should be at least 12 mm from the cornea;
• the lower edge of the frame should be located above the line of the upper edge of the nostrils;
• The edges of the frame should reach the temporal line.

The maximum weight of glasses falls on the bridge of the nose, so it is very important that the frame fits snugly in this part. This way its weight will be distributed evenly. Sometimes glasses “slip” off the bridge of the nose. This cannot be allowed, as vision correction will not be carried out properly. Many manufacturers make frames with adjustable nose pads, which are usually made of rubber and silicone. This allows you to solve the problem with fixing glasses. When making frames, manufacturers use a hinge joint, which allows the temples and frames to be secured together. Sometimes spring-loaded or flex hinges are used. They are considered the highest quality and perfectly fix glasses. Metal temples are often covered with special silicone tips. This way it is possible to prevent the pressure of glasses on the temples and, as a result, headaches.

Checking your horizons

Visual impairment is most often a secondary manifestation of diseases such as:

• glaucoma;
• retinal detachment;
• cataract.

Narrowing your horizons below 20 degrees leads to a ban on driving a vehicle.

Improvement in vision may occur after surgery. After the treatment, at least 3 months must pass before the medical commission gives permission to obtain a driver’s license. If the attending physician has prescribed constant wearing of glasses, they come to the examination with an ophthalmological device.

What types of glasses lenses are there?

The most important component of corrective glasses is the lenses. There are two main types: glass and polycarbonate. The latter are often called plastic.

Many people believe that “proper glasses” should have glass lenses, since they:

• more durable;
• do not become cloudy over time;
• have a high refractive index;
• may have additional coverage;
• block ultraviolet rays.

Lenses made of glass also have disadvantages. They are quite fragile and the glasses can break if dropped. In the worst case, the fragments injure a person. Glass lenses are heavier than polycarbonate lenses. After wearing them for a long time, many people complain that they leave marks on their nose. People with astigmatism may find it difficult to choose glasses with glass lenses, since the production of double-curved glasses is a complex process. Polycarbonate lenses are denser and more impact resistant. They can also suffer from a blow, but are unlikely to injure a person’s eyes. Ophthalmologists advise choosing glasses with polycarbonate lenses for children. They are lightweight, making them comfortable to wear. Glass lenses block ultraviolet radiation and may have special coatings:

• protective;
• anti-glare;
• toning.

People with astigmatism also prefer to choose such glasses, since there are usually no difficulties in production. The disadvantages of glass lenses include the fact that scratches and other mechanical damage often remain on their surface.