Alas, welcome to getting older. In the last 3 years, I've gone from wearing contacts (and glasses when not wearing contacts), to being routed to bifocals (the horror!), to having all 4 lenses having to be changed (dramatically so) every single year.

I enjoy spending $700 per year on glasses/eye check-ups (NOT!). To be fair, I am blind as a bat--can't see my hand in front of my face without specs. My older friends have promised this constant degradation will stop once I hit 50....

I once got the dilation treatment. It was well over a decade ago.

I couldn't focus for 2 days literally. They never warned me not to drive myself home (which I did quite wide eyedly and blinded by the sun).

They said it would clear up in an hour or two NOPE.

Good to see they're using the same stuff. Good medicine is hard to find.

Kevin, I hope you are never diagnosed with optical rectosis, or a shitty outlook on life!

With bifocals looming five years ago, I underwent Lasik instead. So now my distance vision is great, I can wear any sunglasses I want to, but I must wear a $10 pair of reading glasses to read or do computer work.

I did not use a cut-rate Lasik place, though. I needed three months of post-op attention from my opto-doc before my eyes settled down.

No more Four Eyes.

Hello Kevin,

I think you have been sand bagged a little bit. I go to an opthalmologist every two years, and just had an exam two months ago with the eye drops. No problems afterwards.

I took the prescription to an optician and explained (firmly) what I wanted. I prefer glass lens, not plastic, because glass does not scratch nearly as badly and will last forever, and plastic attracts oily fingerprints. It took a little blunt discussion but I got glass and the older style frames I've always had.

At my age (61), I prefer to have an MD do the exam.

Olin

My optometrist didn't charge extra. When I asked him what the difference was, he said the scan was less prone to error and didn't have side effects.

Get big rim glasses. I got those stupid fashionable squares, and they restrict your vision to the point of being dangerous.

If you can't find them where you're at, go somewhere else.

That's a good deal...my optometrist charges about $80 for that test.

Not sure if you've been sandbagged or what. I've had that same experience only once and it pretty much stank, but I've never had the photo-senstivity effect since and have had many eye exams with "the works" so maybe it's a sporadic effect.

Do what I do. Go here:

http://www.eyeglasses.com/

Buy whatever frames you want. Then take them to your local guy to buy lenses. I started doing this when all the local guys were telling me "They don't make cable temples anymore." Turns out thats wrong. They just don't make them in Italy, which is the only place the local guys want to buy frames.

Also, as long time glaucoma boy, I can sympathize with the retinal exam. I have that done several times each year now. All I can say is that you must have always had it done previously on an overcast day, because it has always, always blinded me when I go out.

Yes, getting old just sucks.

I was told that the dilation medicine has been reformulated to reduce the time you're fully opened up...HAH! I had the test just a month ago and it took until evening to wear off. Maybe older eyes just don't fight the drug as strongly.

Larger "aviator" styles are good for larger folks because they are in better proportion to your face, but try finding that style today!

I do recommend the "bottom-free" frame style though, if you don't change glasses frequently, because they don't react with skin PH nearly as much as metal.

Best of luck.

there is an advantage to "small rectangular frames" that you may not be old enough to have noticed: if you are wearing gradients the smaller they are vertically the less you have to tilt your head to find the sweet spot. also they are easier on my tender nose.

I prefer to go to an opthamologist (who is a licensed M.D.) for my examinations, and not an optometrist (who is not).

I've done so ever since a dear friend of mine received a life-saving early diagnosis of Stage I leukemia, thanks to the keen and timely intervention of his own opthamologist, who took notice of an abnormal accumulation of white blood cells in the back of his eyeballs during his annual exam, and referred him immediately to a hematologist for further examination.

Would an optometrist even think to look for something like that? I think not.

In Canada it takes six months to get an eye exam, the the dilation lasts for over two years, and its all done by terrorists.

I'm overdue for an eye appointment myself, but I know the last time I went I found the dilation was more bothersome and lasted longer than I'd ever experienced before. And that was without an offer of an alternative method.

This year I'm going to have to schedule an appointnment at the end of the day; I can't work if I can't focus on the computer screen.

I have a network of gross floaters in both eyeballs. They impair my ability to see signs at a distance, while driving, etc. But doctors warn me that trying to get them out is almost impossible to do safely, since sucking out vitreous humor and replacing it with saline or etc. is dangerous. Is there anything I can do?

I have a network of gross floaters in both eyeballs. They impair my ability to see signs at a distance, while driving, etc. But doctors warn me that trying to get them out is almost impossible to do safely, since sucking out vitreous humor and replacing it with saline or etc. is dangerous. Is there anything I can do?

Posted by: Neil B. on July 9, 2007 at 10:02 PM | PERMALINK

Do a search using the term "eye floater laser" and you'll find all sorts of stuff. Mine are getting annoying to the point where I'm considering going this route.

The last time I had my eyes dilated, the doc mentioned that if eyes are naturally prone to dilating on their own, far less of that dilation juice is needed. Meaning your eyes recover in an hour or two rather than a day or two,

He said most eye docs don't want to administer a small dose because if it's too little it means waiting for the second dose to take effect before doing the exam. So they just dump in a lot the first time and be done with it.

Sounds like this is what happened to Kevin.

I got a referral to an in group opthamologist from my primary care physician. The test was included and quite the revelation to me. Doc said he'd do the drops if I wanted but no need. $10 copay for the visit. Rather than buying his office's expensive frames, I took the Rx to Costco and got what I wanted there at a decent price. Worked for me.

I always had a good experience with the eye drops when I was a teenager, I felt the dilation, but no light sensitivity. But then I changed doctors. The last guy must of poured on the drops, so I was screwed for the rest of the day. I would like to think it's the doctor, but maybe I am just getting older.

I was offered the $35 test too, and it took me awhile to get them to explain what it actually was.

What I was told (not certain if it was true) is that they take a picture (the pictures looked cool) of the back of your eyeball and actually get a picture of the blood vessels in the eye. According to my eye doc, these are the only blood vessels in the body that you can actually take a picture of.

They are also among the smallest blood vessels in the body, so that any disease like cholesterol or anything else effecting the blood system will show up there as a precursor. By taking the test every year and comparing, it will let you know how you are doing.

Of course, maybe that's just an excuse for charging me $35 every year to give me a glossy digital pic.

So I went to the optometrist this afternoon and they had a whole bunch of new machines. One of them performed a retina inspection test, which they said would cost $35 and wasn't covered by insurance. However, it replaces the eye dilation business, which lots of people don't like, so maybe I wanted to spring for it anyway?

Last time I went to my optometrist, I sprung for the new exam. My optometrist didn't make a big deal of it replacing the unpleasantness of dilation (though he mentioned that), his big reason for recommending it was that it provide an recorded image that he could check against later rather than performing a visual inspection with out as clear of a baseline.

It was also time for new frames. I'll soon be wearing semi-fashionable small rectangular frames because, basically, that's all you can get now. At least, that's all you can get from the optometrist I go to. I figure I'm now only five years out of style instead of ten years.

You know, last time I went to my optometrist, they didn't have any frames in stock that I liked, but I asked if they could get the same ones I had gotten the previous time (I needed new frames, but wasn't interested in a new look), and they checked their records, had the model #, checked the catalog, and they were still available.

My eyes are so bad (-10) that even after springing $35 for the cool photo thing they still had to dilate them just to make sure. The worst of both worlds.

Small lenses good for gradient lenses, only makes sense if gradients work for you. I tried gradients, twice, for six months, and could not abide them, and finally gave up and paid for bifocals out of my own pocket, and was glad to do it. Some people love gradients, but I loathed them, and will never try them again.

My main problem was that the "sweet spot", for me at least, was itty-bitty, and the distortion to the sides drove me batshit. Try doing carpentry with curved straight edges and wrong angles and not-squares -- that sort of thing. And also, moving my head around to put the sweet spot in front of my eyeballs -- eyeballs are round, so I can move them instead of my whole frapping head. The things people do for vanity (to avoid that dreaded line) never cease to amaze me.

hmo: In Canada it takes six months to get an eye exam, the the dilation lasts for over two years, and its all done by terrorists.

Bwa!

Agree with whoever said it's worth it to go to an ophthalmologist for her or his ability to identify serious disease. Even if you're just prone to eye infections, as I am despite my best prevention efforts, it's worth the dough to see an MD if you can swing it.

And now I have to look up "gross floaters" to see if they're as frightening as they sound.

My guess is that he knocked you unconscious, chipped you as part of a DHS security initiative to protect the US from leftwing bloggers, and then had sex with your eye socket which would explain why your eyes bothered you more this time than last.

I'd gladly pay $35 to avoid the test where you have to keep from flinching when they blow puffs of air into your eyes.

Kevin, I've got an assignment for you: find out which politician received what amount of money from the optometry lobby to make it necessary in California to have an eye exam within a year from when you want a new set of lenses. It's quite a racket.

I've had the same prescription for a few decades, but if I want new lenses, I need to go through the whole "better now ... or now" scam.

Umm... Andrew, those 'puffs of air' are a primitive way of checking for glaucoma and don't replace drops. One of those 'puff' tests by an optometrist about 25 years ago ended with a preliminary diagnosis of glaucoma...
Now - I only see ophthalmologists who not only dump yet MORE drops into my eyes, but the 'puffs' have been long replaced by solid objects of unknown provenance crammed into my eyeballs for a more accurate reading. Count your blessings, my boy...

I have a network of gross floaters in both eyeballs.

Please! There may be children reading. (And adults with a childish sense of humor.)

I didn't get dilated the last time. I figured they were just being half-assed and was glad my eyes were relaxed and dilated for other reasons.

Do you get a new Washingtonmonthly caricature to go with your new glasses?

As a re-enactor, I wear 1860's oval lenses...!

...but, I miss my progressive, high-index lenses on my modern oval frames (you can still find them).

OT -- I wonder what would have happened to Libby in China. They just executed their Food and Drug czar.

In other news, China says they will have quality drugs and an efficient oversight system within 5 years. I figure we could eliminate dangerous food and drugs from China in a few days. Of course we'd probably have empty isles at drug stores and grocery stores.

I figure I'm now only five years out of style instead of ten years.

I disagree. I think your out-of-style-ishness is so vast, it's wrapped around to only minus 10.

Some guy's been trying and reviewing online glasses vendors. The highest-rated ones have glasses (single vision) for about $25, including lenses.

http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com/

My first NHS visit was to an ophthalmologist, where my eyes were dilated. I wish that stereotype about dark, dingy Socialist waiting rooms were true!

And don't you dare buy aviator frames. You'll look like Tom Clancy!

Regarding your sudden difficulty in recovering from dilation, your optometrist's client base doesn't happen to include a large number of melanin-advantaged folk, does it?

People with darker skin often need a heftier dose of the dilation sauce. (My daughter, adopted from India, needed five full days of at-home drops before visiting the eye doctor.) If your optometrist serves a number of such patients, he might be forgetting to dial it back for pasty types.

Smoke a big old doobie every day and you don't need to worry about no glaucoma!

Prescription glasses from $18:
http://www.eyebuydirect.com/

I am not affiliated with them but amazed at the prices. And pleased with the glasses I bought from them.

I thought aviator frames were coming back into style as being retro. I know they are as sunglasses, if the fashion magazines here in Old Europe are any guide.

As for the eye dilation, as someone who has had it done an awful lot over the past several years due to some chronic eye problems, I've not noticed it getting any worse as I've gone through my thirtysomething years. Of course, that's probably not old enough for what we're talking about.

However, there are several different dilation medications (mydriatics), some lasting longer than the others. So maybe they just gave you a longer-lasting medication than you used to get.

Neil, floaters are easily treatable by traditional chinese acupuncture. they can come and go, depending on your level of liver stagnation. a simple change of diet or a b vitamin can help you with no medical intervention.

and Kevin, are you using this eye exam thing as an excuse for not watching the tennis match?

The obvious question is why it should cost more and not be covered by insurance to get the best diagnostic method?

Am I the only one tired of accepting crap like that?

Thanks for various advice about floaters. As for etiology, I looked towards the sun too much as a kid, and also tried some that damnable non-drug phosphene light show touted in Life or Look in late 60s - press your eyeballs! I think both messed me up by promoting floaters.

dr2chase - Your trouble with gradients may come from having astigmatism, since it is really impractical to cut well for both the cylinder adjustment and the changing overall curvature, AFAIK.

Finally, as a health tip - not enough mfrs or wearers pay attention to infrared absorption for sunglasses, because UV has the big hype. But IR harms the retina, and many sunglasses let too much in (warning sign is often reddish tinge seen in incandescent lighting.) Most fashion type lenses aren't good enough, even with mandated UV protection. Green high-quality lenses are probably best, but look around for info.

Uhh...you shouldn't have been DRIVING after dilation. It doesn't just relax/paralyze your iris muscles, but also the lense and other eye muscles so you CAN'T focus. You are legally blind under the influence of dilation - you would NEVER pass an eye exam at a DMV.

Oh, and just because before you didn't THINK it bothered your eyes doesn't mean it didn't, in fact, "bother" your eyes. You iris jammed wide open, letting in BRIGHT sunlight and UV rays...you do damage to your receptors.

That said, smart move to quit being a cheapo on the next visit.

Not those frames. Oh Lord. Now you'll begin to crave iPhones and Macs and interactive media conferences & such. Beware.

Sorry about the experience, Kevin. Been there. Hate hate hate the drops, avoid it whenever I can.

Also hate these stupid little rectangular glasses. My prescription bifocals just won't fit into them, and it took me weeks just to find an ugly pair of old lady glasses that would fit it.

My dream is for Annie Hall glasses to come back into style. And no, I won't buy glasses online. I just have to try them on first. Although, if the site mentioned above has those REALLY old-fashioned fifties-scientist-engineer glasses, it might be worth a look...

Going to an optometrist instead of going to an ophthalmologist for a comprehensive eye exam is like having a chiropracter perform a surgical consult.

Go to a real doctor, one who actually went to medical school, if you want a real exam of your eyes.

Just because optometrists have an effective lobby which has allowed them to be called "doctors" and in some states to perform procedures that normally require a medical school degree doesn't mean they are actually real doctors.

95% of optometrists don't have a clue about how to recognize and diagnos serious eye diseases, much less how to treat them.

Kevin, See if the eye doctor can use "reversal" drops:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2968223&dopt=Abstract

It works really well. Instead of having to wait about 4-6 hrs to be able to read stuff, it only took about 1-2 hrs.

Doc: See if the eye doctor can use "reversal" drops . . .

Real doctors, like my ophthalmologist, routinely use these drops.

Real doctors also actually know what they are looking at when they look at your retina.

Doctor, my eyes have seen the years
And the slow parade of fears without crying
Now I want to understand

I have done all that I could
To see the evil and the good without hiding
You must help me if you can

Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long

cause I have wandered through this world
And as each moment has unfurled
Ive been waiting to awaken from these dreams
People go just where there will
I never noticed them until I got this feeling
That its later than it seems

Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what you see
I hear their cries
Just say if its too late for me

Doctor, my eyes
Cannot see the sky
Is this the prize for having learned how not to cry

Used to worry about drunk drivers, sleep-deprived drivers, drivers talking on their cell phones and drivers with heart conditions. Now I'll add to the list drivers who just had an eye exam.

I find it incredible that anyone would drive after an eye exam. I can hardly find the exit door.

As for the $35 -- always go for any medical test offered that will create a photographic record for future comparison. Comparisons through time are the most valuable diagnostic tool, and make possible second opinions -- even retroactive ones.

In Canada it takes six months to get an eye exam, the the dilation lasts for over two years, and its all done by terrorists.

It is randomly funny comments like this that keep me coming back here. Thanks, for that.

Ain't it grand gettin' old? I was a (foolish) braggart about my vision into my early 40's. Now, at 45, I have glasses for driving (at night mostly) and for reading. I didn't suffer the dilation nightmare you did, and I do wear the apparently insufferable "small rectangular frames " (online purchase, $39.95). But I like them and my wife likes them -- the only two people I care about when it comes to fashion or image.

Kevin,

I guess the "eyes" have it.

I am a high miop (-10.5 & -11.5) so I get dilated every year. I usually wear two pairs of sunglasses to drive home. My experience is that I can see just fine to drive, except it is difficult to focus up close on the dash board. Going back to work and trying to look at a computer screen is futile.

My dog had to go to a doggy ophthalmologist because his eyes were dilated. Turned out it was partially detached retinas due to a puppy hood infection, he can still see fairly well with one eye but not well at all with the other. The eye exam was interesting – the doc just waved her hand at the dog from the side and noted whether he flinched. Turns out dogs deal well with compromised vision. They aren’t really aware they have lost anything, so they just go on about their life depending on their other senses. Of coarse they don’t read books or operate computers. There are many stories of people not realizing their dog was blind till one day they moved the furniture.

I'll soon be wearing semi-fashionable small rectangular frames because, basically, that's all you can get now.

What is the DEAL with those awful things? It's all you see anyone wearing any more and I can't believe they give you the field of view that the quaint old 'aviator' glasses do. I need new glasses but I'll be damned if I get stuck with those things.

The Prairie Angel

Kevin,

Just went for my first eye exam in 15 years, and they used a little machine that puffed air at my eyeballs: "Do you see the green light? Keep focusing on that light . . . that's it . . ." then, whoosh!, right in the eye. A little disconcerting, not sure what it told them, but they felt the need to do it twice.

At 50, I'm getting my first pair of glasses (progressives), and they had the nicest Armani frames, don't weigh a thing, and insurance covered them, so why not?

"find out which politician received what amount of money from the optometry lobby to make it necessary in California to have an eye exam within a year from when you want a new set of lenses. It's quite a racket."

That's the case in Washington (WA, not DC) too. Yes, the state in its majesty knows when my eyes need to be examined. My finding out about this coincided with the time in my life of slow/no change in my vision to make ten years between new pairs of glasses.

You got retinal imaging. Like dilation, it's used to look for retinal detachment, problems with blood vessels, etc. Nice thing though, take a picture, it lasts longer. And in 5 years you can take another picture and compare it to the older one to look for any changes. This is great for slowly-progressing diseases.

For instance, my eye doctor told me that with strong myopia (-8 diopters) that I was at a higher risk for retinal detachment. So she advised me to get the images done a couple of years to get a baseline, and then do them more infrequently. To catch retinal detachment, it's completely worth it.

Mom did this to me once when I was a kid. Mom then proceeded to drag me around Manhattan on the britest suniest day of the year. 'looking for sunglasses.' she said. oddly, we never found any.
arghhh....

Is this a contest? My prescription is -17.50 (r), -18.00 (l).

The "eye puff" test is a blunt instrument.

Real eye doctors (ophthalmologists) should getting direct pressure readings from an instrument that actually touches the eye, an instrument that is a lot less disconcerting than a puff of air to the eye.

I couldn't focus for 2 days literally. They never warned me not to drive myself home (which I did quite wide eyedly and blinded by the sun).

They said it would clear up in an hour or two NOPE.

I am a diabetic, I have the dialated exam once a year, I get a pair of temporary shades to wear home, and it always clears in an hour. Jeez, people, just who are these incompetent optometrists you're going to?

Warren: Jeez, people, just who are these incompetent optometrists you're going to?

"Doctors' who really aren't doctors.

Well, I have been all over the place looking for info on eye dilation. You guys are making me laugh so hard I'm waking up my poor hubby. My 8 yr old had her eyes dilated late afternoon and has been having ill effects since (nausea and hadaches). She went to bed still having diifuculty reading. The answer is yes I went to a real Doctor, Ophthalmologist. Opps, youngest just fell off her bed , gotta go.