What's the impact of wearing glasses with overcorrection?
FEB 13, 2024
Question:
My power in my eyes are: spherical and cylindrical, respectively L- (-10, -2.5) R: (-10, -2). As I was experiencing eyestrain in my left eye, the optician suggests an increase of 0.5 diopters to my right eye's cylindrical correction. What might be the impact of this overcorrection?
Answer:
Your question regarding eyeglasses correction is both easy and difficult because the answer must be individualized.
First, please understand that you should consult your ophthalmologist about "eyestrain." You may have too much correction in your spectacles or you may be at the age when you begin needing reading correction in your glasses, which is called presbyopia (age-related changes to the eye's lens that diminishes near vision). Your eye strain may be from trying to read without this near vision correction in your glasses. But, if the spectacle prescription is correct and the vertex distance is included (distance from your cornea to the back of your spectacle lens—it may or may not be needed), then the extra 0.5 diopter should have little or no effect on your correction. I doubt that you would notice it very long as your brain would adjust quickly and it may not be your dominant eye. On the other hand, this change may slightly degrade or improve your vision and change, worsen, or eliminate your strain. I suspect little will change, though, and this will not harm your eye no matter what your decision.
As you can see, this is a complex issue, so please schedule an in-person exam with an ophthalmologist to properly diagnose and resolve your symptoms.
This question was originally answered on Dec. 21, 2012.