4 ms·

My regular eye exam caught early stage glaucoma. I go to follow-up screenings yearly to track progress, but it's entirely correct to say that going to my optome

by bane 7y ago

My regular eye exam caught early stage glaucoma. I go to follow-up screenings yearly to track progress, but it's entirely correct to say that going to my optometrist to get my updated prescription probably saved my sight. All that being said, I always ask for a copy of my prescription so that I have it in my wallet just in case. I've been abroad when my glasses broke and having that on-hand made getting an emergency pair of glasses very simple. edit I get my glasses at Costco, probably $120 all-in.

tmm84 7y ago
I think many people don't hear this enough. Eye exams can catch things and since a lot of the people I know get a good 4~6 years out of their glasses it makes since to get an exam when replacing them. Sure, exams might cost time/money but most people just don't hear the story of going to get a new pair of glasses and being saved from xyz eye condition story enough. I live outside the USA now and to get contacts you need a recent eye exam to purchase them. I think this works out good because the country I live in has a high number of contact users and I feel it ensures better health for the great amount of those who need vision correction.
- WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
  Eye exams catch problems in the healthcare wealthy. They catch nothing in the dozens of millions of Americans who aren't (and haven't been).
  - tomjakubowski 7y ago
    Sounds like a great reason to subsidize yearly eye exams for those who can't afford them. Or even to cover the cost of an annual exam for every person, to avoid the usual problems with means testing.
cbsks 7y ago
I usually travel with an extra pair of glasses. My preferred frames, including lenses, are $30 from Zenni. I’ve been using the same prescription for about 6 years, it may be about time to see an optometrist and get my eyes checked out...
- dbtx 7y ago
  It's funny how lens.com requires a scan of a valid prescription and will not fill it after it expires-- stating something about a law. They even send email recommending that you stock up before it does. So I bought 2+ years worth, got ~50% "back" as "rebates", and then emptied their spend-tracking "rebate card" into the phone bill for the number they already had. This must be merely what "increased access to eye exams and eye doctors" means in the USA. Zenni lets you punch in your own numbers and takes your money and gives you glasses. These are a bit strong (my eyes have to adjust) but they are satisfactory.
eru 7y ago
In Germany they usually just give you a little credit-card-sized card with your glasses that has all the information about the lenses (and thus your prescription) on it.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- blkhawk 7y ago
  yes, tho the point of the article is that you need a fast expiring prescription in the US. Even if you have the information you cannot directly buy glasses.
  - jpindar 7y ago
    Not from a brick and mortar store, but you can online from places like Zenni.
  - eru 7y ago
    Wow, even worse: > Thankfully, I knew that two laws, one passed in 1997 and the other in 2003—which had, incidentally, been loudly opposed by the AOA—gave me the right to demand a copy of my prescription. They don't even tell you the numbers, unless you insist. On they used to not tell you the numbers at all even after insisting..
XMPPwocky 7y ago
"regular eye exams are important", while probably true, seems like a really weird reason to say "if you want to buy glasses, you need a prescription".
- tshaddox 7y ago
  Exactly. The fact that some procedure may be a really good idea doesn’t mean it should be a prerequisite for some unrelated thing that is also important. You shouldn’t have to get a yearly physical to be able to register to vote.
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  Honestly, I don't know. Yes, it's a hack. But it's also an effective hack. Young people don't go to doctors unless there's something wrong with their bodies that reminds them to go.
  - ViViDboarder 7y ago
    Should we restrict toothbrushes to be only available with a prescription from a dentist to encourage regular cleaning and inspection? The added burden may also dissuade people from getting either thing in the first place.
  - npongratz 7y ago
    I don't want to be hacked, and I don't think it's right to manipulate people to get your desired behavior. And in the past I did not go to the doctor because it was very often a piss poor experience, with piss poor results.

by bane 7y ago

tmm84 7y ago

I think many people don't hear this enough. Eye exams can catch things and since a lot of the people I know get a good 4~6 years out of their glasses it makes since to get an exam when replacing them. Sure, exams might cost time/money but most people just don't hear the story of going to get a new pair of glasses and being saved from xyz eye condition story enough. I live outside the USA now and to get contacts you need a recent eye exam to purchase them. I think this works out good because the country I live in has a high number of contact users and I feel it ensures better health for the great amount of those who need vision correction.

WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
Eye exams catch problems in the healthcare wealthy. They catch nothing in the dozens of millions of Americans who aren't (and haven't been).
- tomjakubowski 7y ago
  Sounds like a great reason to subsidize yearly eye exams for those who can't afford them. Or even to cover the cost of an annual exam for every person, to avoid the usual problems with means testing.

cbsks 7y ago

I usually travel with an extra pair of glasses. My preferred frames, including lenses, are $30 from Zenni. I’ve been using the same prescription for about 6 years, it may be about time to see an optometrist and get my eyes checked out...

dbtx 7y ago
It's funny how lens.com requires a scan of a valid prescription and will not fill it after it expires-- stating something about a law. They even send email recommending that you stock up before it does. So I bought 2+ years worth, got ~50% "back" as "rebates", and then emptied their spend-tracking "rebate card" into the phone bill for the number they already had. This must be merely what "increased access to eye exams and eye doctors" means in the USA. Zenni lets you punch in your own numbers and takes your money and gives you glasses. These are a bit strong (my eyes have to adjust) but they are satisfactory.

eru 7y ago

In Germany they usually just give you a little credit-card-sized card with your glasses that has all the information about the lenses (and thus your prescription) on it.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
blkhawk 7y ago
yes, tho the point of the article is that you need a fast expiring prescription in the US. Even if you have the information you cannot directly buy glasses.
- jpindar 7y ago
  Not from a brick and mortar store, but you can online from places like Zenni.
- eru 7y ago
  Wow, even worse: > Thankfully, I knew that two laws, one passed in 1997 and the other in 2003—which had, incidentally, been loudly opposed by the AOA—gave me the right to demand a copy of my prescription. They don't even tell you the numbers, unless you insist. On they used to not tell you the numbers at all even after insisting..

XMPPwocky 7y ago

"regular eye exams are important", while probably true, seems like a really weird reason to say "if you want to buy glasses, you need a prescription".

tshaddox 7y ago
Exactly. The fact that some procedure may be a really good idea doesn’t mean it should be a prerequisite for some unrelated thing that is also important. You shouldn’t have to get a yearly physical to be able to register to vote.
TeMPOraL 7y ago
Honestly, I don't know. Yes, it's a hack. But it's also an effective hack. Young people don't go to doctors unless there's something wrong with their bodies that reminds them to go.
- ViViDboarder 7y ago
  Should we restrict toothbrushes to be only available with a prescription from a dentist to encourage regular cleaning and inspection? The added burden may also dissuade people from getting either thing in the first place.
- npongratz 7y ago
  I don't want to be hacked, and I don't think it's right to manipulate people to get your desired behavior. And in the past I did not go to the doctor because it was very often a piss poor experience, with piss poor results.