Changes in my prescription

Hey everyone,
I need some advice, comments, or... whatever regarding what I'm about to tell you.

Basically, I’ve been wearing glasses since 6th grade, and now I'm 27.
I haven't worn them for about two years because they were scratched up and annoying, and when you're working a grueling job, finding time for precious health stuff is hard. 👎 The last time I had an eye exam was back in 2006; they told me my prescription was +0.75 with 1.0 cylinder in both eyes and -0.25 in the left.

Since I stopped wearing glasses—and obviously, I stare at a computer screen all day—I've been getting dizzy and suffering from massive headaches. So, I went to my doctor, and she told me I needed to see an ophthalmologist because it's definitely a vision issue.
I booked an appointment and waited three months for a slot at Mayo Clinic.
I finally get there.
First, the nurse sits me down at the computer and says, "Look at the target, click, click." I couldn't see the target, just a white blur. I almost handed her a note to give the doctor.
While waiting for the actual exam, I stared at the eye chart. I already knew the numbers by heart—I think it was 1740—so I'm basically blind but I know what's there.
He tells me to read, and I read, because even though I can't see clearly, I know what's written.
He puts a patch over my left eye, and I tell him, "Look, I can't see this well, but I know what's up there, so I can read it even with my eyes squinting."
He says, "Fine, then read it," and I do. He patches my left eye—which I can't see out of at all—and I repeat the same thing: "Look, I can't see the letters, but I know them by heart."
He takes the patch off.
Then he tells me to just buy some eye drops because apparently, my vision is perfect and I don't need glasses.
I ask him, "Wait a second, are you saying my vision totally fixed itself?" He says, "That's what the computer shows!"
I'm like, "Okay, hold on..." When I watch TV, I can't even read the subtitles, and he's telling me I see fine? He says, "But look, it's right there!"
Me again: "Okay, so when I'm driving and can't read a road sign, am I seeing fine too?" He just pokes at my eyelids and goes, "Yeah, you don't need glasses.
Just buy some drops! Artificial tears!"
He actually thinks I'm having vision issues because of work stress. Are you kidding me?!

OK.
Who's the crazy one here?
Is it me, who can't read a stop sign while driving because of the astigmatism I've had for years? Is it me, sitting here like an idiot waiting for an appointment? Is it the doctors who have told me to wear glasses for years? Or is it him, claiming I see perfectly despite everything I'm telling him? 🤷

Anyway, I'm furious.
I want to settle this once and for all.
Either I file a complaint against the guy saying I don't need glasses,
or against everyone else who says I do.
Can my vision really just fix itself out of nowhere?

Please, someone enlighten me. 🙏

You've really got no choice but to go out and get a second opinion.

Lawrence Wells said:You've really got no choice but to go out and get a second opinion.

Fine, I will. But I was just wondering if anyone actually knows if my vision could have improved on its own? I’m trying to give this doctor at least a little credit. :-)

Well, you know your own mind better than anyone else does. If you can't even catch the subtitles on the TV or make sense of basic road signs, then yeah—it’s pretty obvious the guy is a total moron!
Honestly, just go somewhere else! Or find a private practice; at least you won't be stuck sitting in a waiting room for half the day. Go somewhere where you actually know the quality is there! Don't let the cost stop you—after all, you can't put a price tag on your eyesight, right?

neonridge55 said:Well, you know your own mind better than anyone else does. If you can't even catch the subtitles on the TV or make sense of basic road signs, then yeah—it’s pretty obvious the guy is a total moron!
Honestly, just go somewhere else! Or find a private practice; at least you won't be stuck sitting in a waiting room for half the day. Go somewhere where you actually know the quality is there! Don't let the cost stop you—after all, you can't put a price tag on your eyesight, right?

I get it, but it’s just pathetic. I’m out here paying extra for premium insurance just to end up shelling out more cash for private doctors because these idiots
🙂

Sad.

wearybison14 said:Fine, I will. But I was just wondering if anyone actually knows if my vision could have improved on its own? I’m trying to give this doctor at least a little credit. :-)

It's possible, though unlikely.
Especially since you mentioned your vision feels worse lately.

Dealing with astigmatism and shifting prescriptions can be a headache.
I actually had an eye exam recently because I noticed my vision slipping.
Everything looked crystal clear during the tests, and the ophthalmologist gave me a prescription that seemed perfect in the office.
But once I actually got my contacts and started wearing them, I realized I needed a stronger prescription after all.
It makes no sense, considering I passed every test he gave me.

Even now, my vision fluctuates between being sharp and being blurry.
I'm blaming it on astigmatism. It isn't severe—they don't even make lenses for my specific cylinder measurement—but clearly, even a small amount is causing issues.

You need to get a second opinion.
I get why you're frustrated, but what else can you do?
Keep struggling with an incompetent doctor?

I know it's a hassle and it's infuriating, but go see a specialist who knows what they're doing so you can actually fix this.

A +0.75 change isn't massive, but it's enough to be annoying.

As for the subtitles, that's likely the astigmatism talking.
If you truly have a farsightedness issue (+ prescription)—which is a bit odd given how young you are, since that usually hits later in life—you'd struggle with reading up close, but distance vision should be fine.

wearybison14 said:Fine, I will. But I was just wondering if anyone actually knows if my vision could have improved on its own? I’m trying to give this doctor at least a little credit. :-)

Astigmatism isn't something that just goes away on its own. Now, farsightedness (that plus diopter stuff)—well, that can shift a bit as you get older, sometimes even flipping over to nearsightedness—but regardless, a tiny plus prescription like yours wouldn't be the culprit behind headaches or blurry vision. At your age, your eyes usually compensate for that kind of small change pretty easily through accommodation.
Looking back at your previous measurements, the cylinder reading in your left eye was way too low to cause any real trouble. Usually, when you look with both eyes open, your brain just leans on whichever eye sees better—though it doesn't always work perfectly for every distance. A +0.75 correction in younger people doesn't really impact sharpness or cause headaches, and a -0.25 cylinder is almost negligible. If your vision feels the same whether you use just your left eye or both together, it’s a telltale sign that your right eye is the one throwing things off—basically, the cylinder measurement there is likely too high for smooth vision. Could that trigger headaches or dizziness? Honestly, yeah, it’s possible. When there’s too much of a mismatch in cylinder readings between the two eyes, they struggle to stay in accommodative balance. Some people's brains are great at filtering out the "bad" image from one eye, but for others, it's a real struggle.
My best advice? Head over to a different eye clinic and bring your old prescription with you. It's highly unlikely that your right eye's cylinder just vanished into thin air! Plus, those screen-related issues don't *always* have to be about your prescription, though they certainly can be.
If you show them the old results, they can cut lenses that match those specific numbers so you can test whether life is actually better with or without them. Some places, like a big chain like LensCrafters, often have free digital eye exams, so you shouldn't have to shell out extra just for the measurement.

Douglas Green31 said:It's possible, though unlikely.
Especially since you mentioned your vision feels worse lately.

Dealing with astigmatism and shifting prescriptions can be a headache.
I actually had an eye exam recently because I noticed my vision slipping.
Everything looked crystal clear during the tests, and the ophthalmologist gave me a prescription that seemed perfect in the office.
But once I actually got my contacts and started wearing them, I realized I needed a stronger prescription after all.
It makes no sense, considering I passed every test he gave me.

Even now, my vision fluctuates between being sharp and being blurry.
I'm blaming it on astigmatism. It isn't severe—they don't even make lenses for my specific cylinder measurement—but clearly, even a small amount is causing issues.

You need to get a second opinion.
I get why you're frustrated, but what else can you do?
Keep struggling with an incompetent doctor?

I know it's a hassle and it's infuriating, but go see a specialist who knows what they're doing so you can actually fix this.

A +0.75 change isn't massive, but it's enough to be annoying.

As for the subtitles, that's likely the astigmatism talking.
If you truly have a farsightedness issue (+ prescription)—which is a bit odd given how young you are, since that usually hits later in life—you'd struggle with reading up close, but distance vision should be fine.

Most people with decent vision actually have some kind of plus prescription. A "zero" prescription is basically a myth—it would mean the length of your eyeball perfectly matches the focal point. Mathematically, that's almost impossible because there's always going to be some deviation. Just a single millimeter difference in eyeball length creates a 3-diopter shift! Almost every young person who claims they have perfect vision without glasses actually has a tiny bit of "plus" in their eyes, but it's not enough to require reading glasses or anything. Since young people have great accommodation (that ability of the eye to focus), they easily compensate for it. However, accommodation won't help you with a "minus" prescription, which is why even a -0.5 can noticeably blur your distance vision.
So, how does someone so young end up needing a small plus prescription?
Usually, it's because that plus prescription comes along with a significant cylinder or a difference in power between the two eyes. You rarely find a healthy 20-year-old who needs +0.75 in both eyes without any cylinder; if a computer scan shows +0.75, their vision would feel the same with or without glasses. The only real difference is that the glasses might let them see something sharply at 5 inches from their face instead of 5.5 inches. Basically, the glasses let them see fine details closer up, but thanks to strong accommodation, they can still see great up close without them. Near-vision issues usually don't kick in until much later when the eye's focusing power starts to fade.

Kenneth Fisher3 said:Most people with decent vision actually have some kind of plus prescription. A "zero" prescription is basically a myth—it would mean the length of your eyeball perfectly matches the focal point. Mathematically, that's almost impossible because there's always going to be some deviation. Just a single millimeter difference in eyeball length creates a 3-diopter shift! Almost every young person who claims they have perfect vision without glasses actually has a tiny bit of "plus" in their eyes, but it's not enough to require reading glasses or anything. Since young people have great accommodation (that ability of the eye to focus), they easily compensate for it. However, accommodation won't help you with a "minus" prescription, which is why even a -0.5 can noticeably blur your distance vision.
So, how does someone so young end up needing a small plus prescription?
Usually, it's because that plus prescription comes along with a significant cylinder or a difference in power between the two eyes. You rarely find a healthy 20-year-old who needs +0.75 in both eyes without any cylinder; if a computer scan shows +0.75, their vision would feel the same with or without glasses. The only real difference is that the glasses might let them see something sharply at 5 inches from their face instead of 5.5 inches. Basically, the glasses let them see fine details closer up, but thanks to strong accommodation, they can still see great up close without them. Near-vision issues usually don't kick in until much later when the eye's focusing power starts to fade.

I get it. Most people have minor astigmatism that doesn't really bother them.
But if she claims her vision isn't optimal, then clearly one of those factors is affecting her.

With my contacts, I see fine without cylinder (though it could be better), but when I put on my glasses which include cylinder, nothing looks sharper than the contacts—it just feels "weird," and I can't get used to it.

Kenneth Fisher3 said:Most people with decent vision actually have some kind of plus prescription. A "zero" prescription is basically a myth—it would mean the length of your eyeball perfectly matches the focal point. Mathematically, that's almost impossible because there's always going to be some deviation. Just a single millimeter difference in eyeball length creates a 3-diopter shift! Almost every young person who claims they have perfect vision without glasses actually has a tiny bit of "plus" in their eyes, but it's not enough to require reading glasses or anything. Since young people have great accommodation (that ability of the eye to focus), they easily compensate for it. However, accommodation won't help you with a "minus" prescription, which is why even a -0.5 can noticeably blur your distance vision.
So, how does someone so young end up needing a small plus prescription?
Usually, it's because that plus prescription comes along with a significant cylinder or a difference in power between the two eyes. You rarely find a healthy 20-year-old who needs +0.75 in both eyes without any cylinder; if a computer scan shows +0.75, their vision would feel the same with or without glasses. The only real difference is that the glasses might let them see something sharply at 5 inches from their face instead of 5.5 inches. Basically, the glasses let them see fine details closer up, but thanks to strong accommodation, they can still see great up close without them. Near-vision issues usually don't kick in until much later when the eye's focusing power starts to fade.

Thanks for the info.
I need to dig deeper then. My vision has been giving me real trouble lately, but apparently, everyone ignored my astigmatism during the last exam.
Everything gets blurry and it's making me nauseous.
Plus I get headaches and dizziness. I have no idea what's causing it.

The biggest issue is driving. I can't tell the difference between the shoulder and the road. Once, I thought they had widened the lane, but it was just the shoulder and I hit it because I couldn't see the height difference.

Same thing on three-lane highways. When I'm in the middle lane, it's hard to focus on the lines without drifting into another lane. That's why I went to the eye doctor, but they told me I don't need anything.🤷

So should I only be wearing glasses for the astigmatism? Without the actual prescription?

wearybison14 said:Thanks for the info.
I need to dig deeper then. My vision has been giving me real trouble lately, but apparently, everyone ignored my astigmatism during the last exam.
Everything gets blurry and it's making me nauseous.
Plus I get headaches and dizziness. I have no idea what's causing it.

The biggest issue is driving. I can't tell the difference between the shoulder and the road. Once, I thought they had widened the lane, but it was just the shoulder and I hit it because I couldn't see the height difference.

Same thing on three-lane highways. When I'm in the middle lane, it's hard to focus on the lines without drifting into another lane. That's why I went to the eye doctor, but they told me I don't need anything.🤷

So should I only be wearing glasses for the astigmatism? Without the actual prescription?

Ugh, if you're struggling that much behind the wheel, you can't just ignore it.
It might be astigmatism, but a -0.25 shouldn't cause this much trouble.
That's actually my prescription, and since I don't even wear cylinder correction in my lenses, my vision is fine.
The only thing that gets blurry for me is tiny text in the distance.
Does this happen mostly at night, or is it constant?

wearybison14 said:Thanks for the info.
I need to dig deeper then. My vision has been giving me real trouble lately, but apparently, everyone ignored my astigmatism during the last exam.
Everything gets blurry and it's making me nauseous.
Plus I get headaches and dizziness. I have no idea what's causing it.

The biggest issue is driving. I can't tell the difference between the shoulder and the road. Once, I thought they had widened the lane, but it was just the shoulder and I hit it because I couldn't see the height difference.

Same thing on three-lane highways. When I'm in the middle lane, it's hard to focus on the lines without drifting into another lane. That's why I went to the eye doctor, but they told me I don't need anything.🤷

So should I only be wearing glasses for the astigmatism? Without the actual prescription?

By the way, how does your vision hold up with your old glasses while you're driving, sitting at the computer, or looking left and right? Is it better or worse than going without them at all?

Douglas Green31 said:Ugh, if you're struggling that much behind the wheel, you can't just ignore it.
It might be astigmatism, but a -0.25 shouldn't cause this much trouble.
That's actually my prescription, and since I don't even wear cylinder correction in my lenses, my vision is fine.
The only thing that gets blurry for me is tiny text in the distance.
Does this happen mostly at night, or is it constant?

Mostly at night.
During the day it's slightly better, but I still feel it.

Kenneth Fisher3 said:By the way, how does your vision hold up with your old glasses while you're driving, sitting at the computer, or looking left and right? Is it better or worse than going without them at all?

With my glasses, everything is much sharper and easier to see.
Since I spend most of my time on the computer, I usually have them on to keep from straining my eyes too much.
They are pretty old, though. They get in the way when I'm walking around because they're all scratched up, but for watching TV or working, they get the job done.

wearybison14 said:With my glasses, everything is much sharper and easier to see.
Since I spend most of my time on the computer, I usually have them on to keep from straining my eyes too much.
They are pretty old, though. They get in the way when I'm walking around because they're all scratched up, but for watching TV or working, they get the job done.

Honestly, your best bet is probably to head to a different eye doctor with your old prescription just to be safe. I mean, there's no way you don't need glasses if your current pair actually gives you sharper vision—plus, that kind of astigmatism doesn't just vanish overnight.
That machine they use to measure your vision clearly missed the mark because it was totally off. Even with your current prescription and those cylinders, being able to read the letters on a chalkboard from the back row isn't proof that you don't need help. For example, I have -0.75 astigmatism in one eye, and if I get lucky, I can hit all the letters on the 20/20 line without any correction—but once I put on my astigmatism lenses, I can easily clear the 20/15 line.
Besides, it’s not just about how sharp things look. Having uncorrected astigmatism or a big difference in prescription between your eyes can cause headaches, general discomfort, and even mess with your depth perception.
So, the big question is: could you just wear glasses that correct the cylinder part?
I think you could, and it shouldn't be an issue. Given your age, I doubt a simple +0.75 would cause all that trouble on its own; the real culprit is likely the astigmatism and the fact that it's significantly different between your two eyes.

I find myself facing another conundrum regarding my prescription and this persistent astigmatism. I have a positive prescription along with astigmatism in both eyes. After noticing my vision had started to decline, I went in for an eye exam, and the optometrist decided to adjust my prescription—increasing the power slightly and tweaking the axis. Initially, everything felt wonderful. However, I picked up my new glasses yesterday, and I can’t shake the feeling that my left eye is struggling; it feels fatigued, as if it simply doesn't agree with the lenses. When I attempt to read text up close—testing specifically by covering my right eye to isolate the left—the view is rather blurry. Curiously, though, if I look through the periphery of the lens, glancing off-center to either the left or the right, the image becomes remarkably sharp. I am curious if anyone might have insight into what could be causing this phenomenon.