Vision - Question on eye sight check up v contact lens check up

Author

Question on eye sight check up v contact lens check up

mark S

2004-10-23, 7:07 am

Hi,

Hopefully someone can answer these questions for me as I don't really
trust my local optician, specsavers (England).

I recently had an eye sight test (with an optometrist) and a contact
lens check (with someone I don't think is an Optometrist). The
optometrist changed my prescription from:
left right
-3.50 -5.75

to
-4.00 -6.50

I decided I wouldn't bother getting my spectacles refitted (which
would have cost £200), and expected my contact lens strength to change
in relation to the sight test.

However when my contact lenses arrived (through post every 3 months)
the lenses prescription remained the same at:
-3.00 -5.50

When I spoken to specsavers they said the Optometrist only recommended
changing my spectacles not contact lenses. To me this seems a little
odd. Surely if your eye sight changes it affects both lenses and
spectacles. Furthermore they recommended I re-visit them to have a
contact lens check again, but i don't think the person who does this
is even a optometrist...

Is this sort of thing common practice or am I worrying for nothing?

Dr Judy

2004-10-24, 7:12 pm

"mark S" <slinkyelephant@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:574e7e94.0410230140.1b57d682@posting.google.com...
> Hi,
>
> Hopefully someone can answer these questions for me as I don't really
> trust my local optician, specsavers (England).
>
>
> I recently had an eye sight test (with an optometrist) and a contact
> lens check (with someone I don't think is an Optometrist). The
> optometrist changed my prescription from:
> left right
> -3.50 -5.75
>
> to
> -4.00 -6.50
>
>
> I decided I wouldn't bother getting my spectacles refitted (which
> would have cost £200), and expected my contact lens strength to change
> in relation to the sight test.
>
> However when my contact lenses arrived (through post every 3 months)
> the lenses prescription remained the same at:
> -3.00 -5.50
>
>
> When I spoken to specsavers they said the Optometrist only recommended
> changing my spectacles not contact lenses. To me this seems a little
> odd. Surely if your eye sight changes it affects both lenses and
> spectacles. Furthermore they recommended I re-visit them to have a
> contact lens check again, but i don't think the person who does this
> is even a optometrist...
>
> Is this sort of thing common practice or am I worrying for nothing?

If your optometrist did not check your contacts, he/she could not write a
prescription for them. The power of contact lenses is determined by
refracting the eye with the contacts in place. Did you tell the person
checking your contact lens that your glasses prescription had changed?

You should be asking the contact lens checker why they didn't check the
power of the lens by over refraction during the original check up.

Dr Judy

S Akky

2004-10-24, 10:08 pm

mark S put fingers to keyboard and typed...

> Hi,
>
> Hopefully someone can answer these questions for me as I don't really
> trust my local optician, specsavers (England).
> I recently had an eye sight test (with an optometrist) and a contact
> lens check (with someone I don't think is an Optometrist). The
> optometrist changed my prescription from:
> left right
> -3.50 -5.75
>
> to
> -4.00 -6.50
>
>
> I decided I wouldn't bother getting my spectacles refitted (which
> would have cost £200), and expected my contact lens strength to change
> in relation to the sight test.

Only if you had a 'contact lens aftercare' as well - normally they
wouldn't change your contact lens specification unless you had one of
these with an optometrist or contact lens practitioner.

> However when my contact lenses arrived (through post every 3 months)
> the lenses prescription remained the same at:
> -3.00 -5.50

See above.

> When I spoken to specsavers they said the Optometrist only recommended
> changing my spectacles not contact lenses. To me this seems a little
> odd. Surely if your eye sight changes it affects both lenses and
> spectacles.

Yes, such a change usually results in a modified contact lens
prescription as well.

> Furthermore they recommended I re-visit them to have a
> contact lens check again, but i don't think the person who does this
> is even a optometrist...
>
> Is this sort of thing common practice or am I worrying for nothing?

Perfectly reasonable request, they have to perform an aftercare check,
including an 'overefraction' (i.e. checking your prescription with
contacts in place) if it wasn't done with the eye examination.
Again, a contact lens examination can also be performed by a qualified
contact lens practitioner.
--
Shabs.

Dan Leung

2004-10-25, 7:11 pm

>
>
> Perfectly reasonable request, they have to perform an aftercare check,
> including an 'overefraction' (i.e. checking your prescription with
> contacts in place) if it wasn't done with the eye examination.
> Again, a contact lens examination can also be performed by a qualified
> contact lens practitioner.

I'm new to contact lens, I'm having my contact lens fitting right now.
I'm sure this might happen to me down the road. The problem here is on
one hand they recommend a re-visit to have the contact lens check.
But, they keep sending him contacts with the old prescription which
might be physical fit but not provide good vision. Is this a
contradiction.
For glass/contact wearer, should we specify both glass and contact
update on every check up or is it automatically done to both. Can we
just have the contact update without the glass update. Maybe this is
doctor/shop depentent.
Also, do we have any input on what brand of contact to try during the
fitting. Do most doctor can prescribe most common brand? I'm trying
out Aspheric contact from Cooper Vision right now.

S Akky

2004-10-25, 7:11 pm

Dan Leung put fingers to keyboard and typed...

> I'm new to contact lens, I'm having my contact lens fitting right now.
> I'm sure this might happen to me down the road. The problem here is on
> one hand they recommend a re-visit to have the contact lens check.
> But, they keep sending him contacts with the old prescription which
> might be physical fit but not provide good vision. Is this a
> contradiction.

It is in a way, but we're talking real world logistics here. The OP has a
scheme set up whereby the lenses are sent automatically mailed to him. As
with most things in the modern world, the whole process is controlled by
computers. In this instance (as it is in a lot of cases), only a
spectacle refraction was performed at the time of the patient's visit.

In order change the specification of the lenses sent through the mail,
the (probably separate) contact lens computer record would have to be
amended. This wouldn't normally be done unless authorised following a
contact lens aftercare appointment.

> For glass/contact wearer, should we specify both glass and contact
> update on every check up or is it automatically done to both. Can we
> just have the contact update without the glass update. Maybe this is
> doctor/shop depentent.

Most places wouldn't perform a contact lens check unless an eye test had
been perfomed recently (normally within 1 or 2 years). If there has been
a recent eye exam, than a contact lens check can be performed without
another full refraction.

> Also, do we have any input on what brand of contact to try during the
> fitting. Do most doctor can prescribe most common brand? I'm trying
> out Aspheric contact from Cooper Vision right now.

I'm sure your contact lens practitioner would be happy to hear your
input, unfortunately a lot of the big chains only supply a limited range
of lenses.

--
Shabs.

S Akky

2004-10-28, 11:09 am

Dan Leung

2004-10-29, 7:16 pm

mark S

2004-11-02, 7:12 pm

S Akky <nospamforme@themoment.com> wrote in message news:<Xns958DDCB92E6B7nospamformethemoment@130.133.1.4>...
> Dan Leung put fingers to keyboard and typed...
>
>
> It is in a way, but we're talking real world logistics here. The OP has a
> scheme set up whereby the lenses are sent automatically mailed to him. As
> with most things in the modern world, the whole process is controlled by
> computers. In this instance (as it is in a lot of cases), only a
> spectacle refraction was performed at the time of the patient's visit.
>
> In order change the specification of the lenses sent through the mail,
> the (probably separate) contact lens computer record would have to be
> amended. This wouldn't normally be done unless authorised following a
> contact lens aftercare appointment.
>
>
>
> Most places wouldn't perform a contact lens check unless an eye test had
> been perfomed recently (normally within 1 or 2 years). If there has been
> a recent eye exam, than a contact lens check can be performed without
> another full refraction.
>
>
> I'm sure your contact lens practitioner would be happy to hear your
> input, unfortunately a lot of the big chains only supply a limited range
> of lenses.

Thanks for the replies, my vision seems ok with my lenses so I'm sure
it's fine. I'll make sure I mention this on my next visist though.