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Dramatic Change in Prescription
Farhan wrote:
I have had a change in my prescription which was from last December. While the new prescript works well for my left eye, the right now seems to off. I am not sure why that is, I have worn the glasses for a week and did not adjust. The axis changed quite drastically for my right eye so I am thinking that the eye exam wasn't done properly. Here's my old prescription (2009): OD: -6.0, CYL: -0.50 x 180 OS: -6.0, CYL: -0.50 x 160 My new prescription: (2010): OD: -6.25, CYL: -0.50 x 015 OS: -7.25, CYL: -0.75 x 160 Is it normal for the Axis to change that much? I.e. Go from 180 to 015? Please help.
Dr Henry Smit's response:
Dear Farhan
In fact, your left eye has had a much more dramatic change in prescription than the right eye. Axis 180 is used to designate a perfectly horizontal correction – the equivalent of Axis 0. The axis has changed only 15 degrees, not 165 degrees as the numbers might suggest. As you have only a small amount of astigmatism in that eye (0.50 dioptres) a change in axis of 15 degrees in quite commonplace, and usually does not cause any adaptation difficulties. It is certainly more uncommon for one eye to increase in myopia by 1.25 dioptres (as your left eye has done) while the other eye changes only 0.25 dioptres, but that, too, is not unheard of. Since it has been nearly a year since you had your eyes examined, and there was quite a lot of change in the left eye, it is probably worth your while to have your optometrist recheck your eyes. It is possible that the right eye might now need a different correction than it did a year ago.
Thanks for your inquiry.
Dr. Smit
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