I am 24 and have worn glasses for reading and working on my laptop for about a year now.
I required a prism lens in one of the frames (if anyone knows what that is I'd love to know), recently I feel my eyesight is getting worse.

How often are you supposed to go for a test?

To compensate for their loss of central vision, people with macular degeneration frequently look sideways at objects, forcing the eye to see around the dark or blank spots that often appear in the center of their field of vision. It is though that eyeglasses with special prism lenses move images so no twisting or turning is needed, therefore improving vision.

As for regular check ups with your optometrist, I would say every two years is okay, but you are already experiencing a problem, so you should make a visit soon.

If you have specific questions for him/her go with a specific list so you will come out more informed.

Thank you, I don't know why I didn't ask the optition but hey!
Will get booked in soon I think!

Two years is recommended for most people, but if you think there is a problem you should go as soon as you can get an appointment. I had my eyes tested and had no change in my prescription, and yet less than 6 months later I felt something was not quite right so had another test and my prescription had changed. If you are entitled to nhs help, they will issue a second voucher within the two years if there is a change, and cover the cost of the eye test if there is a change.

It's not just macular degeneration that causes cross-eyedness... people are born that way. And prism corrects the crossed eyes.

Or even a lazy eye.

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Originally Posted by Moomin

I am 24 and have worn glasses for reading and working on my laptop for about a year now.
I required a prism lens in one of the frames (if anyone knows what that is i'd love to know), recently I feel my eyesight is getting worse.

How often are you supposed to go for a test?

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Prism is an adjunct to glasses power that changes the direction from which images reach the eye. So if the eyes are misaligned to a small extent, making the eyes see two different images at the same time, double vision ensues. Prisms can move one image so that it is superimposed on the other, eliminating the double vision.

As far as how often to go for a glasses examination, if you feel that you vision has worsened, it is time.

snyders, I noted your disagree on my post regarding prisms used for macular degeneration. Using this type of lense for this condition is not uncommon and a way of extending sight as long as it can be for this diabetic condition.

In what way do you find my post incorrect?

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Originally Posted by tickle

snyders, I noted your disagree on my post regarding prisms used for macular degeneration. Using this type of lense for this condition is not uncommon and a way of extending sight as long as it can be for this diabetic condition.

In what way do you find my post incorrect?

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My main patient population is Macular degeneration (AMD), I have NEVER heard of using prisim for Macular degeneration.
It WOULD NOT help because the Macula is the part of the back of the eye where our central vision comes from. A prisim cannot move your macula.
A prisim is used most commenly for Strabismus (lazy / crossed eye) or to correct Diplopia (double vision). Its function (the prisim) is to direct the light to the correct part of the cornea that will help super impose the image onto the retina.

If your retina is bad due to macular degeneration a prisim will not help. The Retina where the macula is located is not moveable and when a prisim is used the light is redirected through the CORNEA not to a different spot on the retina.

If you disagree, please let me know where you have received your information. I would like to become knowledgeable on it, for I have been in the Ophthalmic field for 5 years and have never heard of this as a treatment for AMD.

Ai am in know way knowledgeable about these matters, but my daughter developed a squint at 18months and was found to be very long-sighted (+8), she is now nearly 3 years and has no squint whilst wearing her glasses... I recently developed 'strange symptoms' - confsion re distances, difficulty changing focus, words not seeming static etc.. And have been given experimental glasses with prism patch on one eye, which seems to be helping... what I really want to make a distinction about here is that I assume the prism only works for strabismus/lazy eyes if there is no long-sightedness in conjunction? Otherwise the prism treatment would be useful for my daughter too. I have been told my daughter's and my symptoms are unrelated because hers are due to to the long-sightedness and small eye, whereas mine is merely a slight deviation of eyes (outward, whereas my daughters is inward), which my brain seems not be able to compensate for- possibly realted to stress/increased reading and computer work recently?
I'm just curious for any comments really
Smiles