Question
I've just changed opticians because i've left home for university. Back home i've see the same Optometrist for years who gave me a prescription of R(-0.75) L(-0.25) for my glasses and for my contacts R(-1.00) L(-0.50) which i've never had any problem with. With this optician they've given me a prescription of R(-0.75) L(-0.25) and given me the same prescription for my contact lenses. I've worn the new lenses for over a week (continuous wear, night and day, same as before) but my visions not as clear as it should be and slight blured when looking detail. I've heard that your prescriptions shouldn't be the same for glasses and contacts, and that the powers should be slightly out for contacts, however the power different that i've heard about is opposite to what my optometrist back home gave me (even thou i had no problem with it) and i've sure these new people have got some thing wrong giving me both prescription the same.
Should they be different? Why were my contacts fine when they were a stronger prescrption that my glasses, not a weaker one?
Thanks for any help you could shed on this for me :-)
Matthew
Answer
Hi Matthew,
At those low powers the contact lens power should equal the glasses and yield the same vision. If the glasses are fine, so should the be the contacts. Except some people are sensitive to the optical properties of some contacts vs. others. If the contact lens brand/model is the same as before, I guess you like the stronger lenses which is fine and won't hurt you at all. Some people like just a tad overpowered optics which is OK unless you end up with a headache or some other symptom. So talk to your new contact lens fitter about your blur and let them address it. Know though that there wasn't a mistake to make the contacts the same power as glasses if the glasses were right.
Best regards,
Mitch Axelrod,OD
