Over time I've received many questions and comments about my glasses and vision issues. I've been asked things such as:
"Why don't you get thinner lenses for your glasses?"
"Why don't you get laser (LASIK) surgery ?"
"Why don't you just wear contact lenses?"
"Why don't you try healing your myopia?"
I know some people don't understand why anyone would go through the stress of being highly myopic and wearing chunky glasses when there are so many options out there that can fix the problem but it's not always as simple as some may think.
Why Don't You Get Thinner Lenses?
This question is kind of funny because the first time I was asked the question I was actually wearing glasses with high-index lenses that were about 20% thinner. I guess some people, especially those who don't wear glasses, don't understand how high-index lenses work for higher prescriptions.
I've worn high-index glasses for many years though the lenses in my glasses are still noticeably thick even at 30% thinner. My glasses are much lighter than regular plastic lenses but because my prescription is so high, my glasses can only be thinned to a certain point. Another thing to understand about high-index lenses for higher prescriptions is that the thinnest part of the lens is the center while the sides of the lens will still have some thickness.
Why Don't You Get LASIK Surgery?
Lasik is not an option for me. LASIK surgery is a procedure where the cornea is reshaped to correct the refractive error. In cases of myopia this procedure works best for people with simple myopia or those who have a stable prescription. Lens replacement surgery would be a better option for a person with high myopia but I've been told that in my case it's not recommended due to the serious risk of retinal detachment.
Why Don't You Just Wear Contact Lenses?
This is the question I receive the most along with the comment, "With vision like yours, you should really be in contact lenses."
I think that people who say this are just trying to be helpful as they assume that contacts lenses are the solution to my glasses but again, it's not that simple and to be honest, though it might be surprising... I'm not a big fan of contact lenses.
I wear them sometimes but they are not a huge priority for me. I know that's weird when there are people with simple myopia who NEVER leave the house without their contact lenses but when it comes to wearing contact lenses I have some comfort issues. I have yet to find contacts that I can wear longer than a few hours before my eyes start to become irritated. I guess this is due to having issues with dry eyes and allergies in which eye drops and re-wetting drops don't seem to help.
Another issue is I find contact lenses to be too much of a hassle with the cleaning and disinfecting, along with the time it takes to put them in. Some days it's easy and some days it's not. Overall I simply prefer my glasses over contact lenses because I can get up, put them on and just go. But it has been suggested by a couple of eye doctors that I wear contact lenses for better vision.
Why Don't You Try Healing Your Myopia?
There's a lot of information on the internet and in books about healing
myopia by using exercises but it's important to understand that there's a
big difference between simple myopia and pathological myopia that many
people don't realize. They are very different, so currently, there is no
cure for pathological myopia. The only option available as I mentioned above is lens
replacement surgery. Issues such as elongated eyes and degenerative changes to the eye that can develop due to pathological myopia can not
be reversed.
I would love a cure or quick fix for my vision issues but I have to work with the options I have and the most convenient option for me lately is wearing my glasses which include high index lenses with expensive really nice frames.
0 comments:
Post a Comment