Going Blind or Getting old?

[Umbran]

I'm pretty sure its just a slight loss of vision, or potentially even that my glasses arn't doing what they arn't supposed to anymore. Can that happen, glasses not working anymore?

I wear glasses, and at home have to work on a 15" monitor, and I use 1024x768. It's a pain in the neck and difficult to read, so I'm not surprised you're having issues.

"Loss of vision" is not a proper diagnosis. It's too vague. People don't just "go blind" - there's always something more specific going on.

You wear glasses, and have only updated your lenses once in the past five years? That's not going to help. Glasses correct focus to make up for the shape of your eyes. But that shape can and will change over time, especially if you regularly subject yourself to eye strain. I would not be surprised if you need a new prescription.

 

[GlassJaw]

My recommendations:

Get a bigger monitor. IMO, the monitor is the most important part of your computer since you are starting at it all the time. Get something with good resolution too. It helps.

Go see an optometrist. Seriously. Your vision can certainly degrade over time and it definitely can be caused by too much computer usage.

Having a wrong prescription (either too strong or too weak) can also do damage to your eyes.

Ask your optometrist about LASIK - it might be an option for you. I had it and it's amazing.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

At 21 years old, my RX changes about every 9 months - it just keeps getting worse and worse and worse. Been in my current lenses for 8 months and am back to squinting at my computer screen and complaining about not being able to read road signs. I wish I could say that it's because my eyes are finally starting to "get better" - but it's probably not.

I second GlassJaw - check out LASIK. Not too spendy and, from what I hear, totally worth it.

 

[diaglo]

diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness in people aged 20-74


see a doc. have him run some tests.







[joke]see your mom was right...maybe it doesn't cause hair to grow on your palms, but it can cause blindness.[/joke]

 

[Desdichado]

Switch to 800x600.

I'm amazed you can read anything at 1024x768 on a 15" monitor.

No kidding. I would require a bare minimum of a 17" monitor to attempt that resolution. Preferably a 19".

 

[Desdichado]

You wear glasses, and have only updated your lenses once in the past five years? That's not going to help. Glasses correct focus to make up for the shape of your eyes. But that shape can and will change over time, especially if you regularly subject yourself to eye strain. I would not be surprised if you need a new prescription.

I'll second that this is probably the problem. My own prescription hasn't changed since I was a teenager, but I got progressively stronger lenses every few years as a teenager. Most people continue to do so; I'm not really sure why my vision stablized.

You probably need new glasses. And a lower resolution or a bigger monitor.

 

[Eolin]

You probably need new glasses. And a lower resolution or a bigger monitor.

I did have a wonderful 19 inch monitor. It was sweet. 1260 x 1024, I believe I ran it at. Good resolution, good dot pitch, good refresh rate.

I sold it to make rent one month. That's how bad off I am right now. I'd love to go see an opthmologist, I'd love to get new glasses. Its not in the cards right now.

 

[Crothian]

get away from the computer. Don't be on it so much, I understand exactly what this is like. I'm on a computer at work, at home I read PDF s to review on screen and prose the net. Every now and then moive away from the computer and look at something else for a few minutes. Read a book or realzx and darkness or jusat something els.e Spending 10 hours a day looking at the computer screen when you don't have to is too much.

 

[Umbran]

Most people continue to do so; I'm not really sure why my vision stablized.

For myopia (nearsightedness), I am told it seems to be strongly related to when you first get your glasses. Kids who get glasses very young seem to have their prescription worsen over time. Those who get glasses later (say, 7th grade or later), your prescription tends to stabilize.

That is, of course, only a tendency. Individuals will vary.

 

[Eolin]

Hazah for parents and being in your twenties!

I'm going to go see an eye doc, my mom will pay for it. Awesomes.

I spent much less time at the computer today, and my eyes feel much better.