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The bigger issue is that a prescription alone is not enough to order new glasses, you also need pupillary distance measurements in order to ensure the lenses ar
by tristor 5y ago
The bigger issue is that a prescription alone is not enough to order new glasses, you also need pupillary distance measurements in order to ensure the lenses are ground correctly. Many many optometrists will not provide these, only the legally obligated prescription. While for most people who have minimum prescriptions you can use a phone app or similar to get a rough PD, for anyone with serious prescriptions even minute variations in PD can prevent proper vision correction.
- dsr_ 5y agoOn the other hand, your PD should not change once you are an adult, outside of major traumatic events.
- JCM9 5y agoIf an industry’s strategy to keep itself alive is keeping the distance between your eyes a closely protected secret… the end appears near.
- etaioinshrdlu 5y agoI've probably been to 5 optometrists over the years and they all provided PD.
- FemmeAndroid 5y agoThis happened to my wife just last month. I was very frustrated when I saw that she hadn't received a PD, but I didn't realize that this is a frequent and intentional decision at this point. Extremely frustrating.
- mikeInAlaska 5y agoMy local optometrist uses a $99 Enshey (check amazon) IPD measurement device. I guess if I was ordering glasses for my entire family (we do), it would probably be worth it.
- nicoburns 5y agoReally? Mine just eyeballed it with a ruler!
- otabdeveloper4 5y agoI'm not in the US; when I got my latest pair of glasses they just used a ruler. It works fine. (Yes, I'm exactly one of those people sensitive to "minute variations".)
- handrous 5y agoI used the "ruler on a mirror, open one eye, center it on the end of the ruler, close it and open the other eye, mark where the center is on the ruler, then read the measurement (in mm)" method. Did it a few times to be sure, exact same results every time, just have to keep your head still and geometry does the work for you. Glasses made using that measurement have been entirely fine, no problems.
- adolph 5y agoWorked for me too. Had my PD measured afterwards and device value was same as mirror method.
- donatj 5y agoI needed my PD to get prescription lenses for my Oculus headset and it wasn't on my prescription. On a whim I asked at a glasses store in the mall if they could measure mine. They happily did it for free. Your milage may vary on that of course, depending on the person you interact with.
- vburg 5y agoThey made me sign a waiver then gave me the wrong measurements.
- radicaldreamer 5y agoI asked about 3 times for a PD measurement at my last exam and they distracted me and failed to put it on the prescription or measure it... didn't realize this was probably intentional
- bluGill 5y agoLast time I got glasses I bought from them, and asked about swim goggles - which they don't carry. They then happily wrote my PD on a paper for me to use when buying swim goggles - or anything else. (too bad I lost the paper since...)
- conductr 5y agoJust ask for the PD on the prescription, they generally don’t mind but also won’t offer. It makes things awkward if they refuse. I ask in the exam room.