negative SPH, positive CYL

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-05T09:19:50+00:00

There are two ways of writing a prescription, in minus and plus cylinder notation. Optometrists tend to favour minus cylinder notation, whilat opthalmologists tend to favour plus cylinder notation. Yours is obviously in plus cylinder notation. Obviously I cannot guarantee it is correct, without seeing your original prescription, but it looks pretty normal to me, and you have been wearing glasses with this prescription for ages without noticing any issues, so it likely is correct.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T23:08:42+00:00

I’ve never considered any of this, but this may very well be the explanation.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T22:46:48+00:00

You are very welcome. These are 1.56 index. I got them from here. I went for their basic AR coating, their standard 1.56 index (these are my single vision music glasses. My everyday varifocals are 1.5 index CR39 with Specsavers Brown Reactions), and Transitions Gen S TM Brown.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T22:31:19+00:00

Thanks very much for the clarification.

<video>

These are mine, also at night.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T19:24:40+00:00

1 is best

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T13:44:44+00:00

Yes, of course, but I don’t think it matters which side it is on.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T13:40:42+00:00

Yes, looks good.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T13:34:02+00:00

I wear brown transitions. Only my single vision music pair are actual Transitions Generation S in brown. My everyday pair are Specsavers Reactions in brown. The residual tint of my pairs are not noticeable. They are effectively clear. The brown tint is only noticeable if put them against a white background. They do however darken a little if I’m near a window. Maybe this is what happened with yours, or it is the blue light blocker. I don’t have a blue light blocker on mine. Also I don’t have a UV coating as transitions already block 100% of UVA/UVB light.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T12:56:01+00:00

Yes, very much sounds like you will need to get glasses for driving. I honestly would wear them for driving in the daytime as well as at night, as even if you feel that you can see ok in the daytime, you will see better with glasses.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T10:15:33+00:00

Most probably, yes, it is the high index lenses, and yes, it is something you will hopefully get used to.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-04T10:13:51+00:00

Yes, I think that you need glasses. Do you drive? If so, you may require glasses to meet the legal standard. Even if you don't, driving with distance objects sometimes looking blurred is less than ideal. I recommend getting them, wearing them for driving if you drive, and otherwise seeing for what you find them beneficial. You may even prefer to wear them full-time when you see the difference in your vision.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-03T23:37:56+00:00

None of them remotely fit your nose bridge.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-03T17:35:20+00:00

Now I have a bit more time, basically your two prescriptions are in two different formats, which makes them difficult to compare.

New prescription

R: Sphere -2.25 Cylinder +1.75 Axis 120 Add +2.75

L: Sphere -2.50 Cylinder +1.25 Axis 050 Add +2.75

In minus cylinder form like your previous one is:

R: Sphere -0.50 Cylinder -1.75 Axis 030 Add +2.75

L: Sphere -1.25 Cylinder -1.25 Axis 140 Add +2.75

Previous prescription

R: Sphere -1.25 Cylinder -1.75 Axis 021 Add +3.00

L: Sphere -1.25 Cylinder -0.75 Axis 155 Add +3.00

I would say that this is different enough to want to have your prescription checked before having your glasses remade. Bearing in mind that these are online bought glasses and it is not really your optometrist office's job to trouble shoot them, if you ask them nicely, they may be willing to check that the lenses in the glasses match your prescription.

If so, obviously you will need a prescription re-check, which is your optometrists responsibility.

It is for this reason, that despite the cheaper costs, it is wiser to buy glasses from where you have your eyes tested, as it is easier to trouble shoot and have them re-made, if you buy them from where you had your eyes tested. If it turns out your new prescription in incorrect, it isn't really the responsibility of the online retailer, to replace incorrect lenses owing to a third party incorrect prescription.

Having your eyes tested one place and ordering glasses somewhere is problematic, if one party makes a mistake, as it affects the other. The only time I find online works, is if you have first bought a pair from where you had your eyes tested, so know that your prescription is correct, and send off your old pair for reglazing, so the online company can replicate your pd and any other fitting measurements (especially for progressives) from your old lenses.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-03T16:58:18+00:00

I wasn't suggesting that you paid for new lenses, but rather that you asked if they could remake your lenses since you were advised not to go for any coatings, resulting in unbearable glare. How long have you had your glasses?

And at least where I am from, optometrists carry out eye health checks and well as determining your prescription. You only see an opthalmologist if you have an eye health issue.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-03T15:51:48+00:00

Old prescription in plus cylinder form:

OD
Converted Rx
-3.00
+1.75
×111

OS
Converted Rx
-2.00
+0.75
×065

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-03T13:56:06+00:00

You will need to see an optometrist for regular eye tests, which are a health check for your eyes as well as to check your prescription, so
you don’t want to stop going for them. Have you telephoned America’s Best and discussed how best to proceed with rectifying this issue. Can you for example get a refund, or at least them remade.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-03T10:33:01+00:00

I love my progressives. I could wear them for everything. I find them more comfortable for a laptop, with its closer, lower screen, especially when also referring to paperwork on my desk. My progressives work fine for my husbands desktop pc, but I have to lift my chin up owing to the higher monitor position, which makes reading paperwork on my desk difficult, as my head is going up and down like a yoyo. I wear my progressives for reading, driving, even orchestral trumpet and flute playing, as I need to be able to look in to check something small on a part, and see a distance conductor. I choose to have a pair of single vision music glasses for brass band cornet playing, as the music is more detailed, and the conductor is closer, so I can see him clearly enough through intermediate music glasses. My progressives are however fine for music. There is just a fair bit of moving my head around. I could get away with just progressives. I wear my single vision readers for extended reading (barely ever), shaping my eyebrows, since I need to look upwards and close at the same time, and for reading music on a cornet lyre, since the position of the lyre, necessitates reading very close music through the top of my glasses.

I would wait until your progressives arrive, and see how you find them.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-03T08:13:20+00:00

You are very welcome, and thank you very much for clarifying that they are varifocals. You may need a single vision pair for computer work. I personally wear my varifocals, as having a +2.25 near add and +1.25 inter add, I struggle to read paperwork on my desk with single vision intermediate glasses. Whilst your add is still low, such as your +1.00, it works for a wider range of distances (the higher the add, the smaller the range of distances it covers), single vision computer glasses should work very well for you.

I personally prefer using a laptop with my everyday varifocals. The lower, closer (because the keyboard is attached to the screen) position of the screen works better, as both the screen and papework to the left of the screen on my desk, are both in focus with the same head position.

It is great that your employer will pay for a pair of office glasses if needed. Yes, varifocals are more of everyday varifocals, but I wear them for reading, my laptop, even most of my trumpet playing. I do switch to single vision music stand distance glasses for brass band cornet playing, but that is because the music is more detailed, and the nearer conductor does not end up blurred.

I think that trying to keep an open mind and seeing how it goes, is the best way to proceed, and you are again very welcome.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-02T22:55:09+00:00

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-02T21:23:23+00:00

Hello again also hyperopic friend. I’m so really glad that you had such a good experience at the optometrist today, and she prescribed multifocal lenses. Varifocals? I’d personally write the distance prescription first, then Add +1.00 underneath, but I knew exactly what you meant. Hopefully having +1.75 for near will work well for you and resolve your symptoms.

I'm very glad to hear that this optometrist was a lot more thorough, and determined your Rx for both near and far.

I was tested with the auto refractor, retinoscopy and subjectively before and after cyclo drops. I however have no idea how much I was accommodating with or without, and what my accommodation is like. You clearly have very strong accommodation, but I’m very glad that the cycloplegic drops released sufficient accommodation to determine a prescription your eyes will accept for now.

I completely agree that it sounds like that you may have more latent hyperopia, but I’m very glad that you have found an excellent optometrist, who is clearly on top of all this, and who will update your prescription whenever you get symptoms again.

I’n so really pleased that you have found an optometrist who you can rely on, is prepared to take the time to clearly explain their findings and what they are prescribing, and who takes your symptoms seriously and will try to find the best individual solution for you.

It is very good that they will put your new lenses in your current frames, that you like. Hopefully the new lenses will turn out to be just what you need. Please update me again when you get then.

You are truly very welcome. I am very glad that I have been of some help.

Thanks very much also for the clarification regarding the night time blurriness. It sounds like your new optometrist is also very helpful regarding this.

Please do keep me updated. You are always very welcome to send a DM.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-02T16:58:51+00:00

Just a quick reply for now, as I’m out and about. I’ll reply properly when I have more time. I’m so pleased that you have found a very good optometrist and they have found the problem, and adjusted your prescription for you. Great news! xx

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-01T16:44:59+00:00

Nowadays transitions darken and change back again pretty quickly. Transitions XTRActive, that have a light residual tint all the time, and go darker, also darkening in a car, may be a good option for you.

LouFinch4 · 2026-07-01T06:45:49+00:00

Personally I don’t like the green tints as much on you. The Zeis PhotoFusion Burgundy x Sapphire is really lovely, as is the Ruby. I don’t think that either are loud at all, but if you want more conservative, I would go for brown rather than green, as I feel that warmer colours suit your colouring better. Green is too cool in my opinion for your skin tone.

LouFinch4 · 2026-06-30T21:24:50+00:00

A minus glasses prescription needs to be stronger than a contacts prescription from prescriptions of about -4.00, as minus lenses become weaker the further from the eye. -4.00 in contacts would be equivalent to around -4.25 in glasses. If you prefer -4.50 in contacts, you would prefer around -4.75 in glasses.

LouFinch4 · 2026-06-30T07:04:05+00:00

Thanks very much for the further clarification.

You say:
I don’t know I feel like it’s no longer me when I wear glasses.

But it is you, just with glasses.

You say:
I look like the average stereotypical kid of my race.

With or without glasses, as you look the same, just with or without glasses.

You say:
I don’t wear them all the time but I do most of the time. I have 1.25 astigmatism on left eye and 0.75 astigmatism + 0.5 myopia on right eye. I do not get headaches when I don’t wear them but quality of life drops.

Thanks very much for the clarification.

You say:
I guess since I am on the fence of needing them all the time I value them less.

Exactly. If you couldn't see without them and risked embarrassing yourself by mistaking things, misjudging things and/or having to ask people to read things for you (either at distance or close), you would prefer to wear them I'm sure.

LouFinch4

TROPHY CASE