Eyeglass prescription question

This is the eyeglass prescription (that I got today) for my left eye,
which I'm copying exactly as written:

-50 -1.25 x 85

I was just surfing around to try and gage how bad that is, and the -50
number doesn't seem to correspond to the usual measurement system,
which looks like it generally runs from -12 to +8. Assuming my eye is
not completely off the charts, I'm thinking it's shorthand for either
-0.50 or -5.0. Anyone know which one it is?

On Aug 19, 12:02 am, Blasterbot5555 <blasterbot5...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> This is the eyeglass prescription (that I got today) for my left eye,
> which I'm copying exactly as written:
>
> -50 -1.25 x 85
>
> I was just surfing around to try and gage how bad that is, and the -50
> number doesn't seem to correspond to the usual measurement system,
> which looks like it generally runs from -12 to +8. Assuming my eye is
> not completely off the charts, I'm thinking it's shorthand for either
> -0.50 or -5.0. Anyone know which one it is?

If you can read the computer monitor witout glasses, it's probably
-0.50. If you see only a blur it's probably -5.00.

"Blasterbot5555" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ps.com...
> This is the eyeglass prescription (that I got today) for my left eye,
> which I'm copying exactly as written:
>
> -50 -1.25 x 85
>
> I was just surfing around to try and gage how bad that is, and the -50
> number doesn't seem to correspond to the usual measurement system,
> which looks like it generally runs from -12 to +8. Assuming my eye is
> not completely off the charts, I'm thinking it's shorthand for either
> -0.50 or -5.0. Anyone know which one it is?

It is probably -.50, which is a very mild near sightedness. But you do have
an astigmatism that needs correcting (the -1.25 at 85 degrees). If by some
chance it is supposed to be -5.00, then you are going to have trouble if you
take it somewhere else to get glasses because they will make them with -.50.

Thanks to everyone who answered. Based on what you all said, it sounds
like it's -.50. Which is surprising, because just from a numbers
standpoint, I would have guessed it was the other one. But "very mild
near-sightedness" sounds more like my vision than "sees the computer
monitor as a blur."

"Blasterbot5555" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> Thanks to everyone who answered. Based on what you all said, it sounds
> like it's -.50. Which is surprising, because just from a numbers
> standpoint, I would have guessed it was the other one. But "very mild
> near-sightedness" sounds more like my vision than "sees the computer
> monitor as a blur."

Actually, -5.00 would be more like "sees the distance as a blur". If your
monitor was close enough, you might be able to see it with a -5.00 (since
you are nearsighted).

You are slightly nearsighted with some astigmatism. the "-1.25 x 85"
part of the prescription describes the astigmatism.

The prescription is fairly mild and I would bet that a computer screen
looks pretty good without any glasses or contact lenses on.



On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 01:45:59 -0700, Blasterbot5555
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Thanks to everyone who answered. Based on what you all said, it sounds
>like it's -.50. Which is surprising, because just from a numbers
>standpoint, I would have guessed it was the other one. But "very mild
>near-sightedness" sounds more like my vision than "sees the computer
>monitor as a blur."