Tell me about "high index" eyeglasses???

[Wcross]

I need a new pair of glasses. I am nearsighted and have a pretty high degree of myopia. I am considering looking into lasik next year but for now I need a new pair of glasses. The last time I went to the eye doctor I ended up with a pair of coke bottle lens glasses that weighed a ton and were un-usable (I tried them for a two week period and kept getting a strained feeling behind my ears).
I saw an article about high index lens material. Have you tried them? Are they more comfortable? Can you get them at the mall type stores or do you have to go to an optomitrist?

[trotsky]

1. I wear a high-index polycarbonate.

Also have considerable nearsightedness with astigmatism. MUCH, MUCH more comfortable. Extremely light. The only thing I don't like about them, but maybe this would happen with glass too, is that different wavelengths of light get refracted much differently at the edges. For instance if you look at a traffic light and turn your head, as the light gets more towards the edge of the lens, the red light shifts away from the light fixture and looks like it's floating in space.

Not a big deal though, since the sides are only for peripheral vision but I did notice it.

[Wcross]

2. Thanks Trotsky! Did you get them at a place like lenscrafters?

My insurance will cover Lenscrafters and Horner Raush (inside the local walmart- yuck). I will pay out of my own pocket if I need to because I will not put up with heavy lenses.

[trotsky]

4. Yes, Lenscrafters is exactly where I got them.

From megatherium's post below, it sounds like he describes more technically what I see with mine. So depending on how bad your eyes are, the effect could be significant. It doesn't bother me, and the tradeoff for having nice lightweight lenses is worth it.

[Shopaholic]

7. I'm over -8.00 in both eyes

lightweight lenses are a godsend! Well, along with contacts! :evilgrin: Anyway, here's the secret for getting comfortable glasses if you have really bad eyesight--go as small and as round as you can framewise. They are also making a lot more comfortable, lightweight metal frames (metal is lighter than plastic). And yes, by all means, pony up the extra dough for the lightest weight lenses they offer. It's totally worth it.

Oh--and absolutely go to an independent optical place. Mine is connected to the large opthalmology practice I go to.

[megatherium]

3. I tried these. I have high myopia (7 diopters).

I didn't like them. It seemed they were sharp only in the center of vision; things were blurred or warped in my peripheral vision, and there was some prismatic color effects (chromatic abberation; purple or yellow fringes on borders of things). I went back to ordinary plastic lenses. Thicker but much better vision for me.

If the lenses are too thick, try small, round frames. Frames have little numbers on them: e.g. 49 19 145. This means the lenses are 45 mm across, they're 19mm apart, and the temples are 145 mm long. The key number is the lens width. Less than 50 is what you want (and long temples if you're not a small person).

The problem is if you go to Lenscrafters or other stores, they only stock their own frames, and if some fashion guru in the central office decides long thin oval shapes are in, you will not find small round frames for love or money. But if you go to a good independent shop, you may find exactly the frames you want. (I like traditional, old fashioned round wireframes, or tortoise shell frames, also round.) Best wishes.

[fishnfla]

5. good post

The first # is eye size, I think you meant 49mm (A measurement), the second # is 'dbl" 19mm (distance between lenses) They are the two important ones. Keep the eyesize small, but make sure the frame fits well, and looks good too. Sometimes with a high Rx, you can get the edges rolled and polished to make it look better, esp. in a metal or rimless frame. "Airlocks" which are post-mounted rimless frames are all the rage now. Lenscrafters might have to send that job out and try and discourage that. Make sure you ask what sort of warranty you get on the frame, get it in writing.

A word to the wise about Lenscrafters, they are now owned by a frame company, Luxoticca, which is the highest grossing optical sales company in the world.(Wal-mart is second) They get there by marking up their goods and aggressive sales techniques, their "associates" are are paid on incentive and trained to sell like hell, especially second pairs and "add-ons" things like tints and coatings, and yes, high index too.

Sometimes shopping for eyeglasses is like shopping for cars, you can bargain, remember they have a large margin to work with at LC.

[Wcross]

6. I just got back from the eye doctors.

I have a perscription of -3.2 and -3.5 diopters. He said I don't need Bi-focals just yet but I will in a couple of years. (Oh boy!)
I passed my gluacoma test (I have been using preventitive measures from time to time!)
Thanks for the tip on the frames I should look at Megatherium!

[megatherium]

8. I've just crossed the bifocals line (so to speak).

I'm in my mid-40s. This leads to another conundrum: what kind of bifocals? There's the Varilux (spelling?) sort, without any line. You have to keep tilting your head to get exactly the right focus; it gradually changes from top to bottom. I tried these and they didn't work well for me. (Supposedly they work for 90% or 95% of the people who try them.) The problem was the sweet spot, where things were in focus, seemed to be smaller than the page I was reading in a book; I had to keep moving my head around. So I went with segmented bifocals, with the line; it's comfortable to read in these. The only thing my bifocals are bad for is computer use, so I got another pair of glasses just for using the computer (it has the bifocal prescription for the entire lens).