

Ask HN: Anyone had LASIK and, while successful, still doesn't see "well"? - manuelflara

I wore glasses since I was a kid, for 15 years. Then a couple of years ago I had LASIK performed, and after a second touch up procedure I ended up with a "perfect" lens on my eye (according to three different doctors). So the LASIK was a success, I see as well without glasses now than with glasses before.<p>BUT, I never saw too great with my glasses before to begin with. I can totally have a normal life, but I need to be a lot closer (than people with a normal vision) to text to be able to read it. This affects me greatly on my day to day as I'm a developer, and I need to be staring at text on my screen all the time. I can work just fine (larger font, screen closer to me, etc) but the biggest problem of all is, I tend to get my head closer to the screen a lot to see smaller text, consciously or not, and I have ridiculous neck and back pain as a result. I've been suffering this already for a few years. I've been to several eye doctors and all say wearing glasses or more LASIK wouldn't make a difference since "my eye is OK", and of course I've gone to every kind of back expert on Earth. All agree it's a posture issue (doh!) and while a good massage is a relief, the relief doesn't last  more than a few hours, so that's not helpful.<p>Has anyone gone/is going through the same? Any ideas what could I do to improve my vision?<p>I know all about "stop working every X time and do this and that exercise to relax your back", and would appreciate any "amazing and not-well-known exercises", but I'm mostly interested in improving my vision, if that's at all possible.<p>Thanks a lot.
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Whitespace
It might just be that you're getting older but sticking to font sizes for
teenagers, so you should simply increase your font size.

I'm 29 and I wear contacts, even though glasses are better for computer work.
I have a slight astigmatism in my left eye; so slight that it can't be
corrected by contacts. As such, it strains my eyes to read tiny text. So what
did I do? I bumped up my font size.

Let's use HN as an example. I'm on a 13" MacBook Air with a screen resolution
of 1440x900. In Chrome I hit Command-Shift-+ four to five times to make the
text comfortably readable. In Terminal, I use Anonymous Pro at 16-22 pt. I
often use OS X's Ctrl-Zoom feature to make things bigger.

I use F.lux to change the white point all the way to tungsten (2700K) at
night. Since I was a kid I constantly focus through objects towards the
horizon to relax my muscles.

I do all of these things to help my eyes, because I strain them all day long
looking at screens. And I'm still in my twenties!

So do yourself and your eyes a favor and make your text gigantic.

~~~
13rules
+1 for using F.lux (<http://stereopsis.com/flux/>) — started using this months
ago and couldn't imagine going back ... the different is startling!

~~~
WalterSear
I just wish it went darker, or redder.

~~~
ivank
<http://jonls.dk/redshift/> can go as red/dark as you want.

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digitalengineer
Guy with - 13 here. I've had LASIK surgery a few years ago and seeing good is
magical. (My insurance in the Netherlands/Europe even covered all expenses).
THE IMPORTANT THING IS: Your eye will still grow old and become less flexible.
The image you see is corrected via the lens, but the muscles holding your own
'real' lens become less flexible over time causing you to see/read details up
close less well. (This is why people with perfect vision have reading glasses.
Their eye-muscles are less flexible and can't contract good enough to read
close-up text). Have you tried using reading glasses?

Also (in time) your real lens can get 'cloudy'. This is why (mostly) older
people get a new lens). Your eye looks good they say, so I don't think it's a
cloudy thing, but you never know.

In my case, a few years later my right-eye retina completely imploded (thanks
to KRAV MAGA training years before) causing 95% of my vision to disappear.
They've drained and patched up my eye back to 90% visibility, but there are a
lot of laser-scars on the retina. This causes me to see bits and pieces of my
vision less well. I need to keep moving my head a bit in order to 'see past'
the scars. Does moving your head make you read text easier? Have you had your
retina checked? It's easy, painless and quick checkup, any doctor can do it.
Good luck man!

~~~
incognant
gulp, off topic but how did krav maga screw you up? I was thinking of trying
it out

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CyberFonic
I came across the "Bates Method" in a very old book which I found in a second
hand bookshop. Now there is a web site for the method:
<http://www.seeing.org/intro/index.htm>

It has helped me preserve good mid-range vision and I can comfortably use
computers all day long without strain or discomfort.

~~~
smnv
If you have a high myopia, Bates is useless. But it really helps when you have
a little nearsightedness.

------
voidr
Get your eye examined, maybe you need lighther glasses.

I opted in for contact lenses, I feel "whole" with them without the expensive
surgery and I can adjust them to my eye every six months.

If you don't want to go back to glasses but need sharper sight, then I would
recommend wearing contacts.

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brudgers
Get a monitor with a larger dot pitch.

For a given size, this means one with a _lower resolution_.

I have a 20" and a 22" display. It is far easier to read text on the 20"
because it is 1600x900 while the 22" is 1920 x 1080.

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newman314
Every couple of years, I consider LASIK and its variants. But I keep coming
back to "How do I find a good doctor?"

~~~
manuelflara
After so many years and such a high success rate in LASIK procedures, I don't
think it's a problem at all to find a good doctor. Mine came very recommended,
and as examined by several doctors afterwards, "my eye is perfect". Apparently
the problem isn't from any distortion or issue with anything (visible) with my
eye.

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flagman5
the after surgery eye drops are critical, make sure u religiously put them in
after the surgery to prevent problems.

~~~
manuelflara
I did put them on several times a day after the procedure, as told. It's been
two years since I had LASIK, now I only use them sparingly when my eyes get
dry.

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AznHisoka
anyone know the % percentage chance there will be complications afterwards?

~~~
digitalengineer
Risks Complications are relatively rare and can in most cases be dealt with
during follow-up treatments. Very rarely, the quality of vision may
deteriorate. Complications may include: \- Temporary increase of eye pressure.
This, however, is only a temporary phenomenon which can usually be adjusted
with drugs. \- Infections/inflammations. Early detection allows these to be
treated easily. \- Lens replacement (if the power is incorrect) or lens
reinsertion (if the lenses are not in a sufficiently central position).

<http://www.ophtec.com/consumer/en/artisan-artiflex/faq> and
[http://www.ophtec.com/consumer/en/artisan-artiflex/safety-
an...](http://www.ophtec.com/consumer/en/artisan-artiflex/safety-and-results)

------
rsanchez1
Maybe you can try reading glasses? Seems like a step backwards to wear glasses
again, but they are made to correct vision problems.

I can't convince myself to get LASIK or a similar procedure. I've been wearing
glasses pretty much every day for more than 15 years too. Being a developer as
well, I don't want to risk my sight. I know doctors will always tell you LASIK
is a safe procedure, but there's always that small chance that accompanies
even the safest surgical procedures, and glasses have worked every single day
for 15 years.

~~~
manuelflara
I've had tests done twice, and both with same results: glasses wouldn't
improve my vision. I wish I could wear glasses, even just for work, and
improve my vision, but they don't seem to help.

