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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Can Progressive Glasses Be Used For Problem With Short Sightedness?

Hello,
I was just given my first prescription for glasses at the age of 43. I went to the doctor explaining I realized I was not able to see as well as my friends in the distance; street signs, signs in the grocery store isle, board in the room in seminars, skiing down the mountain, etc had all become a blur (compared to my friends).



My doctor wrote a prescription of L -1.50 sphere, R -1.25 sphere and add of 1.50 for both eyes.



I didn’t expect a Rx for bifocals when everything up close is clear! I am an accountant and do lots of close up work without any trouble. He suggested progressive glasses and to wear them all the time or single vision distance and take them off for any close task. I thought when you get older you shouldn’t be able to see close up so easily, not have issues with the far way – what happened? Would it even make sense to get them made up? How much of a difference is it really going to make in the distance? Up close I seem to be fine. I am wondering if this sounds like a reasonable prescription for someone who had noticed minimal distance issues but nothing about near? Thank you.

Fri, 25 Jul 2014
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Ophthalmologist 's  Response
Hello,

You are experiencing a natural pheomenon called presbyopia wich occurs in every individual around the age of 40 years. In this condition the near vision begins to recede gradually. A person with normal distance vision of 20/20 would need an addition of +1.25D for near work. Since this correction is always over and above the distance correction, an individual with distance correction of -1.25D , needing +1.25D for near( at te age of 43 years) would end up with zero for near ( -1.25 plus +1.25 is 0). Thus the near vision is clear for such an individual even at 43 years. However the same individual on wearing a distance correction would either have to remove the distance glasses for reading up close or opt for bifocal/progressive ( which give good distance and near correction in the same glass) so that he need not remove glasses every time he wants to read. The ophthalmologist has given the correct suggestion and you can choose one of the above options. It is more to do with optics of the eye .

Regards
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Can Progressive Glasses Be Used For Problem With Short Sightedness?

Hello, You are experiencing a natural pheomenon called presbyopia wich occurs in every individual around the age of 40 years. In this condition the near vision begins to recede gradually. A person with normal distance vision of 20/20 would need an addition of +1.25D for near work. Since this correction is always over and above the distance correction, an individual with distance correction of -1.25D , needing +1.25D for near( at te age of 43 years) would end up with zero for near ( -1.25 plus +1.25 is 0). Thus the near vision is clear for such an individual even at 43 years. However the same individual on wearing a distance correction would either have to remove the distance glasses for reading up close or opt for bifocal/progressive ( which give good distance and near correction in the same glass) so that he need not remove glasses every time he wants to read. The ophthalmologist has given the correct suggestion and you can choose one of the above options. It is more to do with optics of the eye . Regards