Prescription Eye Exam and Glasses

[Miss Marty]

Eye Exam and Glasses

A few months ago, I went to a local eye doctor to get a comprehensive full eye examination to evaluate more than just my vision but to also check for common eye conditions like glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy, along with the overall eye health and visual acuity. Plus to have a Vision Specialist doctor fill out a required Vision Screening form so that I could renew my drivers license online. Everything was filled out properly including (PD) Pupillary Distance the distance in millimeters (mm) between the center of one pupil to the center of the other. I am now in the process of getting new glasses. Now I am trying to decide on ordering from a store since I would like to try them on first.

Many years ago, we did Mystery Shops (to save money) at various Lenscrafters Eye Glass Stores
in and around our area and was able to get several pairs made in store in about an hour or more.
Lenscrafters no longer fills prescription eyewear in store, but will help you place your order at your local store.

QUESTION: What is Blue Light ? Is it worth ADDING BLUE-VIOLET LIGHT FILTERING TO YOUR GLASSES?
Note: The blue-turquoise light (between 460-500 nm) from your digital display may keep you awake.
Blue-Violet Light filtering helps reduce your exposure to blue-violet light from natural and artificial sources.
I am in the process of learning about the quaility of various lenses and buying the perfect pair of glasses.

 

[Talent312]

I get my eyeglasses from https://www.eyebuydirect.com/
Many use https://www.warbyparker.com/ which also has local stores.
Theses websites should be able to answer your questions.

 

[Passepartout]

We have been VERY satisfied with www.zennioptical.com/ for many years. Good quality, fast service, low prices, great selection.

 

[zentraveler]

Eye Exam and Glasses

A few months ago, I went to a local eye doctor to get a comprehensive full eye examination to evaluate more than just my vision but to also check for common eye conditions like glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy, along with the overall eye health and visual acuity. Plus to have a Vision Specialist doctor fill out a required Vision Screening form so that I could renew my drivers license online. Everything was filled out properly including (PD) Pupillary Distance the distance in millimeters (mm) between the center of one pupil to the center of the other. I am now in the process of getting new glasses. Now I am trying to decide on ordering from a store since I would like to try them on first.

Many years ago, we did Mystery Shops (to save money) at various Lenscrafters Eye Glass Stores
in and around our area and was able to get several pairs made in store in about an hour or more.
Lenscrafters no longer fills prescription eyewear in store, but will help you place your order at your local store.

QUESTION: What is Blue Light ? Is it worth ADDING BLUE-VIOLET LIGHT FILTERING TO YOUR GLASSES?
Note: The blue-turquoise light (between 460-500 nm) from your digital display may keep you awake.
Blue-Violet Light filtering helps reduce your exposure to blue-violet light from natural and artificial sources.
I am in the process of learning about the quaility of various lenses and buying the perfect pair of glasses.

The Washington Post recently published an article about blue light and glasses and I am sure an internet or chat gpt search will turn up plenty of articles and undoubtedly some studies. This is one: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37593770/

 

[GetawaysRus]

I'd suggest you do some web searching about whether blue light is considered harmful to our eyes.

I think you are really asking 2 questions here. (1) Is blue light from electronic devices (cell phones, tablets) harmful? (2) Is blue light potentially harmful to the retina?

There is also an important item to consider. Do you have, or are you at high risk of developing, macular degeneration? If so, this might affect your decision. Some eye doctors will recommend a blue-blocking pair of glasses (particularly when outdoors) for people with macular degeneration.

Without getting too far off on a tangent, understand that a high quality blue light filter may affect your perception of color. These lenses are often tinted yellow, amber, or brown. (I have no idea if the lenses you are considering will have a noticeable tint. Perhaps not?) If a lens has a significant tint, subtracting out the blue end of the color spectrum will make colors appear different. The same is true of the intraocular lenses (IOLs) used during cataract surgery. Some IOLs are clear and do not block any of the visible light spectrum and others are tinted (typically they look yellow) to block the blue end of the spectrum. The yellow-tinted IOLs can affect color perception.

 

[pedro47]

I have been very please with Costco and their helpful staff.

 

[jp10558]

I strongly recommend zennioptical or eyebuydirect - I've been very happy for years. I also recommend (for the vast majority of people) not paying hundreds of dollars for a ophthalmologist / eye doctor unless you have a specific disease you're tracking like graves or something. Go to an Americas Best location and pay the $80 to get a full exe exam and the additional tests plus some glasses thrown in. It's way way cheaper.

 

[davidvel]

I strongly recommend zennioptical or eyebuydirect - I've been very happy for years. I also recommend (for the vast majority of people) not paying hundreds of dollars for a ophthalmologist / eye doctor unless you have a specific disease you're tracking like graves or something. Go to an Americas Best location and pay the $80 to get a full exe exam and the additional tests plus some glasses thrown in. It's way way cheaper.

I disagree. The store optometrists are marginal at best. People should see an ophthalmologist every few years to find out about potential issues they do not know about.

 

[jacknsara]

I have been very please with Costco and their helpful staff.

Aloha,
We use a local optometrist for exam and get our glasses from Costco. Costco may not have the full range of fashion options but that is not a factor for us. Given that this is a travel (timeshare) oriented community the following personal story might be relevant. Once while on Kauai, the hinge bracket to my frame failed. We went into Kauai Costco, they took the identical frame off the display rack and popped my lenses into it. I only had to use my back up glasses with obsolete prescription for a small fraction of a day.
Jack

 

[Passepartout]

I've been pretty loyal to ZenniOptical since 2012. I saw earlier today that my last order was in 2022. Since then, I have had cataract surgery and have chosen adjustable lenses. All is healed well and there are no problems. I chose to have one eye 'set' for distance vision, and one eye more adjusted for reading distance. I can pass the state eye test for a driver's license, and restaurant menus are no challenge to read.
I'll see my ophthalmologist and get checkup, and a refraction. I'm thinking about surrendering to advanced seniority and ordering bifocals.

@Miss Marty here is ZenniOptical's take on Blue Blocking eye glasses. I haven't decided whether to order my new spec's with this or not, but either way, Zenni has put me in great eyeglass styles for less than half the cost of Costco, and probably under 1/4th the cost of optometrist supplied glasses with no discernable difference in quality.

Jim

 

[Dori]

This is a little off topic, but has anyone heard of Dream Lenses by Bausch and Lomb? Our granddaughter, age 11, lives in Korea. when our son took her for an eye exam, they recommended these Dream lenses. They are contact lenses and you wear them at night, when you are sleeping, and remove them during the day. It seems that this improves your vision throughout the day. It sounds like she has an astigmatism, and the lenses work to pull the eye into the correct shape. I don’t have any other information, as she has just started wearing them

Dori

 

[jp10558]

This is a little off topic, but has anyone heard of Dream Lenses by Bausch and Lomb? Our granddaughter, age 11, lives in Korea. when our son took her for an eye exam, they recommended these Dream lenses. They are contact lenses and you wear them at night, when you are sleeping, and remove them during the day. It seems that this improves your vision throughout the day. It sounds like she has an astigmatism, and the lenses work to pull the eye into the correct shape. I don’t have any other information, as she has just started wearing them

Dori

I have never heard of contact lenses you wear at night - I was always told that was a bad thing. And I'd want more info to know why you wouldn't wear them to actually help you ... you know .. see.

 

[dioxide45]

I have never heard of contact lenses you wear at night - I was always told that was a bad thing. And I'd want more info to know why you wouldn't wear them to actually help you ... you know .. see.

I looked them up after reading about them here. They adjust for issues related to astigmatism by reshaping. Where your cornea is an abnormal shape which causes vision problems. It seems they would have to be used where astigmatism is the only real cause of vision problems and not things like refractive issues that cause near or far sightedness. The contact reshapes the cornea.

 

[Dori]

It is my understanding that astigmatism is the issue for her.

Dori

 

[WinniWoman]

When we moved we joined a practice with both ophthalmologist and optometrists. They wouldn’t let us see ophthalmologists unless the optometrist felt it was necessary. (my ophthalmologist back in NY had slowly started doing a similar thing). The MD’s basically were doing all the surgeries. The optometrists all the eye exams.

Last year all the ophthalmologists left the practice except one. As I’ll need cataract surgery at some point the optometrist said he’d refer me out unless it’s critical because the one doctor there only will see a patient with immediate needs.

Very disappointing. But we moved just as COVID hit and we were lucky to get any doctors. The family doctor we had chosen here before we moved even left the practice before we got to see him and we are stuck with one we aren’t too crazy about.

The eye practice also has an optician but we get our glasses online at glassesusa.com now.

 

[easyrider]

The eye practice also has an optician but we get our glasses online at glassesusa.com now.

I didn't think about using this company.

Costco burned me out when I damaged a lens and wanted to order another. I was told it was past two years, only by a couple of months, and I had to have my eyes checked. I told Costco that my lenses work perfect and I just wanted the one lens. The manager came over and said the same thing.

Someone here at Tug suggested eyebuydirect.com and I ordered a new set using my old prescription which has the bi-focal. The cost was similar but slightly less than Costco.

Bill

 

[dioxide45]

I didn't think about using this company.

Costco burned me out when I damaged a lens and wanted to order another. I was told it was past two years, only by a couple of months, and I had to have my eyes checked. I told Costco that my lenses work perfect and I just wanted the one lens. The manager came over and said the same thing.

Someone here at Tug suggested eyebuydirect.com and I ordered a new set using my old prescription which has the bi-focal. The cost was similar but slightly less than Costco.

Bill

I believe the valid length of a prescription is mandated by state law. They can't just fill a new glasses prescription if that prescription has expired. That other outfit may have violated state law by filling your glasses order on an expired prescription.

 

[easyrider]

I believe the valid length of a prescription is mandated by state law. They can't just fill a new glasses prescription if that prescription has expired. That other outfit may have violated state law by filling your glasses order on an expired prescription.

I think you are right. I know that eyebuydirect.com didn't care about my prescriptions. I used my old prescription twice now to fill out the values for the glasses. They seem to work pretty good.

Bill

 

[davidvel]

Odd. I went to Sav On to get a few more bottles of Percocet, but they required a prescription. I found an online site that sent it to me overnight.

 

[pittle]

I've been pretty loyal to ZenniOptical since 2012. I saw earlier today that my last order was in 2022. Since then, I have had cataract surgery and have chosen adjustable lenses. All is healed well and there are no problems. I chose to have one eye 'set' for distance vision, and one eye more adjusted for reading distance. I can pass the state eye test for a driver's license, and restaurant menus are no challenge to read.
I'll see my ophthalmologist and get checkup, and a refraction. I'm thinking about surrendering to advanced seniority and ordering bifocals.

@Miss Marty here is ZenniOptical's take on Blue Blocking eye glasses. I haven't decided whether to order my new spec's with this or not, but either way, Zenni has put me in great eyeglass styles for less than half the cost of Costco, and probably under 1/4th the cost of optometrist supplied glasses with no discernable difference in quality.

Jim

I bought some Blue Light glasses with no script (but transitions) at Zenni for reading my computer, iPad or Kindle at night. No glare and my eyes do not get tired. Since they are transitions, I can use them as sunglasses too. I had multi-focal lens put in when I had my cataract surgery in 2020, so do not need a script. Over the years I bought lots of glasses from Zenni - I found out about Zenni on TUG.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I didn't think about using this company.

Costco burned me out when I damaged a lens and wanted to order another. I was told it was past two years, only by a couple of months, and I had to have my eyes checked. I told Costco that my lenses work perfect and I just wanted the one lens. The manager came over and said the same thing.

Someone here at Tug suggested eyebuydirect.com and I ordered a new set using my old prescription which has the bi-focal. The cost was similar but slightly less than Costco.

Bill

The customer should be able to decide! That's ridiculous and I had the same thing happen to me. My glasses were damaged when I fell 18 months ago, and Costco wouldn't use my old prescription to fix the lens. I had to wear reading glasses for days before I could get to the eye doctor.