I have macular oedema and I am having Eyelea injections. I feel my eyesight would be improved if I went to the opticians for some new glasses. Has anyone done this as I believe although it has not been suggested it would help me. I have been having injections for over a year and my opticians appointment was due around the same time as that so my glasses are over 2 years old. I also am on steroids for PMR and this has an effect on eyes.
Do you think it would be okay to go to the opticians. I would buy a cheapish pair of glasses.
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Koalajane
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First of all it is important to check with your ophthalmologist whether they deem your eyes to be stable enough to make it advisable to change your glasses at present.
Whilst sight is relatively good, then individuals can generally manage with varifocals or bifocals if preferred. However, if there becomes any noticeable impact to sight, then generally single vision lenses are preferable; separate for close up and distance vision. It is then generally also advisable to avoid transition style lenses and opt for anti-glare spectacles instead:
I receive eyelea injections from my retinal dr for macular odema but I also go to another eye dr for the front of my eyes and I started wearing glasses a couple years ago which helps a lot
In the first instant, it might be a good idea to contact your consultant via the secretary and find out how stable your eyes are and if they think getting new glasses is a new idea. This way you don't get a new prescription only to find it is likely to change quickly. If they think it's a good idea, head to your opticians. If they don't you could ask if they can give a guidance of when to expect to be able to get new glasses.
It's also important to be aware there is only so much that glasses can fix as they help the lens at of the eye whereas with macular issues, the problem stems from the back and glasses cannot fix these issues. However it is worth seeing if a new prescription helps your eyesight.
Thank you. I will ask at my next visit in 4 weeks time. I asked about 4 months ago and the answer was that I could go to the opticians but not get new glasses!
I got new glasses after 2 injections when I stopped. Have the injections helped you? they did nothing for me except cause a lot of pain and distress for days I rhink they are a racket People queuing up like a cattle market and I think 2 grand a time with government. I don't think they do a thing.
I've been getting injections every 6 weeks for the past 2 years for BRVO. I don't know what you are getting your injections for, Malvina. While there is discomfort the day of the injection, it goes away. And my vision is MUCH BETTER with the injections---over time. It took more than twice to improve. If your retinal specialist is suggseting injections I would continue. Without them damage can progress and become permanent.
Well it is made clear all over internet there is little if any improvement for wet macular that I have. I had terrible nerve pain after but that could be partly because I had it before Being elderly our head shrinks and if we have had a head accident before - like I did - this can create problems especially with a cracked scull. My ears and eyes hurt for a long time but thankfully this has stopped now. I just have one left long sighted eye and can use the internet it is my great comfort. All the Best
Malvina, wet macular can be improved enormously if caught at the right moment. If you have already had bleeds and the retinal cells are impaired then at least the new capillaries can be stopped and the bleeding can be minimised. I was incredibly lucky and it was caught before any real damage had happened. My eyesight for the moment is fine. The injections are horrible and hurt for the rest of the day, but paracetamol helps, and after at the most 48 hours there is no more pain, and one's eyesight is back to normal.
After my last injections this week I was lucky enough to have no pain at all but if I do it only lasts for about 18 hours
Hi, from my experience I would say definitely go and see what an optician could do for you. My docs kept telling me not to get specs until eye settled.......but it never did and I wish I'd got new specs much sooner than I did.
Now I get them whenever needed and my docs are fine with it - they said they just didn't want me wasting money, there wasn't a medical reason not to get new specs.
If you can afford maybe having to change them more regularly than before then check with your docs there's no medical issue and see what new specs might do for you! If the optician cant offer you specs that make enough of a difference well you dont have to buy them, you'll only be out the cost of the checkup.
The mac soc have given good advice re single lens v varifocals and it's what my docs said to me although I did end up with varifocals for work simply due to the environment I work in and the safety issues around swapping specs over ( I couldn't wear the close ups to walk to wash my hands before removing and putting others on them nor walk across the lab if I removed them first lol).
Like Eyesight I used to need to wear Varifocals because of my work as I would spend a lot of time in meetings where there would be constant switching between looking at documents and looking up at projection screens. However I do know need to keep a pait of distance glasses in the car as the impact of the macular oedema meant I was not able to see sufficiently clearly in the wing mirrors for reversing which meant I was gathering minor knocks to the back corner of the car when reversing off the front garden. The problem with this change is that other than the speedo I have difficulty in reading a lot of the items on the car instrument cluster . As Eyesright says the balancing of when to see if new glasses are worth getting is in part down to personal finances unless the Optician is able to say that they will enable you to meet something like driving sight requirements more readily.
Are the injections in one eye or both. I get them in one, and that eye has only a distance lens in it. I have a progressive lens in the other eye. So I don't have to switch to read. It took about a half hour for my brain to adjust.
You should go get a vision test with your current glasses. From personal experience, I have been on Avastin injections for Wet MD for a year & then was switched to Eylea & have been on that for just over 2 years. I go for a vision check every September to see if new glasses would help. So far, after 3 years, the prescription I had in my glasses just before the Wet MD started & the injections started, over 3 years ago, is the best I can get for my eyes. I have been told year after year not to waste money on new glasses because the script has not changed.
But, for you, you won't know until you get your vision checked to see if new glasses would help or not. So go for the vision script test to find out.
I was told the same thing.....wait until treatment is completed, but we will go on forever with the injection, as long as we respond. Meanwhile my good eye that if free of AMD is worsening in vision.
I have now had 6 injections and the Moorfields consultant said my eyes were now stable enough to get a new prescription if I thought I needed one. I am now looking for a local optician who has a retinal qualification.
Hi Koalajane, I too have diabetic macular oedema and have had monthly avastin then eylea injections for well over 5 years now.
Had it in both eyes, then the right eye cleared up but the left eye is my current problem.
The eye center always starts off with a vision test then they take retinal pictures. I have been able to maintain 20/20 vision for the longest time , then it worsened to 20/25, 20/30.
It was quite depressing to keep going back, I dreaded these vision tests.
Then, I thought, my eyes are not getting worst, my prescription is not right.
So I made an appointment with an optical store, got tested, my vision had slightly improved but it was enough that it made a big difference with my monthly tests.
I could see the small letters again,so in my case, it was well worth the expense of obtaining new glasses if anything for my state of mind.
Oh yes do! I do this about every year now. This is how I get what I need at a reasonable price; I pay for an eyeglass prescription and then order glasses online, I use Zenni Optical (google it). I have used Zenni for 10 years and never have had a problem. My eye glasses include; the frames, bifocal, uv coating, (scratch resistance is included at no extra cost) AND my glasses darken in the sun. I pay 55.00 US. So 65 for the script and 55 for glasses...not bad--at least in the US.
The ONLY issue I have is with opticians..I stopped telling them I have AMD..they freak out because they have NO training in glasses for AMD people and they want to get it right for you but realize they cannot help us with glasses--I just tell them when they exam my wet eye...cause I have 40% left in that eye and it is obvious when they examine it. AND I tell the optician I realize the issue and I am not going to refuse to pay them or anything detrimental.
Otherwise it works! I am driving again...not a lot but to the store at least!
Hello - I've been having injections for 3 years & after a year felt I needed new specs. My ophthalmologist said it was difficult to get a good prescription because of constant visual changes caused by injections. However, he advised me to get an eye test midway between injections. I did that & went to a high street optician well known for its budget range of specs (new specs can be very expensive) . I explained my situation with AMD & they were very helpful & had other patients in similar situation . I had my test & got 2 pairs of specs, one for reading & one for distance. I have been doing this every 12 months & it does help. The optician also e-mails my prescription to my ophthalmologist at the eye clinic where a copy is kept in my case notes - the ophthalmologist also finds this helpful. Hope this info helps.
I said midway between injections. For example I am on 8 week intervals between injections so half-way would be at 4 weeks i.e. 4 weeks after last injection & 4 weeks before next one.
I get injections for BRVO. I had progressive lenses, and I needed new glasses. So I had an opthalmologist check my Rx, because I thought, he's the EXPERT. I did not like the new Rx at all. So I went back to the optician I've been using for 20 years. He not only tweaked the RX the opthalmologist gave me, he suggested we try just a distance lens in the eye that gets injections, and the progressive lens only in the other eye. Worked like a charm and I love my optician for suggesting it.
Rx is shorthand for prescription. Opticians vary in competence and cost enormously. And I have tried them all. (Well, quite a few). I am settled now with a well known one. But about 3 years ago I was going to an optician who was excellent a and recommended by word of mouth. She alas retired and was replaced by one that I found out no-body liked. She had an appalling bullying manner and to save money didn't scan or photograph my retinas, even though I was well into my 70s and had told her about, what was I found out on the internet, was a scotoma. I said I had a black spot in front of my eye.
She didn't even refer me by fax to the eye clinic, but wrote a letter.
So some opticians are more interested in saving money or are just plain bad.
Shop around.
I've found this discussion on glasses extremely helpful. I have wet AMD in one eye and a cataract in the other.
I am due for on op. but C-19 put the kybosh on that.
I did go to the good optician to see about desperately needed new glasses, but they want me to discuss this with my consultant first. I have an appointment to see him in August.
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