Opticians refusing to give me my pupillary distance

[IHateMyJob2004]

You can do this with a ruler and a mirror. It is easy to do. I did it 3 times to be sure of my measurement and I was almost always coming up with the same number. Off by 1 mm at worse. Thing is, if you are off by 1mm or 2mm it is not the end of the world.

 

[Aikouka]

That's a pretty big number, I'd question the accuracy too.

Thing is... I don't think it's off. I even did a rudimentary test last night where I simply spread my thumb and index finger to the center of my eyes, and then measured the distance. Given that human digit measuring isn't exactly very precise, it wasn't surprising to see that I came up with somewhere around 75mm with.... I'd say +/- 5mm variance. You may think, "Wow... that's really long", but there are 25.4mm per inch, which means we're talking slightly less than 3 inches.

I also just ran another test with a metric ruler where I kept one finger at 0 and moved the ruler to position the stationary finger (at the 0) in the center of one eye and shifted the other finger around. Same as before... it was at about 75mm. It might also be more believable if I said that I seem to have a big head, which is why I think that I can't wear normal hats. I have to buy XXL hats, and even those are kind of tight.

 

[IronWing]

^^ 72mm here but I'm a bit of a waterhead.




Do waterheads even exist anymore or did pre-natal testing and abortion solve that problem?

 

[who?]

^^ 72mm here but I'm a bit of a waterhead.




Do waterheads even exist anymore or did pre-natal testing and abortion solve that problem?

The doctors put a drain in the brain.

 

[Brainonska511]

New 700 DOLLARS FOR GLASSES?!?

I agree, that's insane. You can easily get glasses at for less. I haven't paid as low as $200 for a full set of glasses (thanks to having a high prescription). But it doesn't matter as much to me, because a) I don't buy a frame every year (I replace a frame maybe once every few years) and b) my prescription has remained pretty level, so I don't need new lenses ever year.

I'm also quite skeptical of buying glasses online. For something that is both a fashion item and a medical item that I require to see, I want it to be correct in all aspects and I don't think that's something I could get with online shopping.

 

[Iron Woode]

I'm in a similar situation as the OP.

I need glasses and my prescription didn't include pupil distance. I need those measurements because I require bifocals.

a pair glasses with progressive bifocals and AR are $439.00 (no tax here) at Hakim and $299 + frames for one pair at Walmart.

If I had the correct PD and the ones required for bifocals, I could order them online for $120 for a single pair.

 

[Kazukian]

http://static.zennioptical.com/media/Zenni-Optical-PD-Ruler.pdf

 

[waffleironhead]

Order a digital PD ruler from china. $35

 

[MontyAC]

Costco will measure your PD for free. Go when it's not busy.

 

[master_shake_]

my optometrist called it a trade secret. uh huh.

i used the caliper method and got it dead on.

 

[amdhunter]

A week later and I still can't find a doctor to give me my PD. Unfuckingbelievable.
I'm fucking enraged. Really - I hope all these stupid motherfuckers go out of business.

God FUCKING dammit.

Need to vent - sorry.

 

[amdhunter]

Will these jackasses withhold information on my prescription? Can I get everything else except the PD and measure it myself?

Fucking jackasses won't tell me anything but - its up to the doctors discretion to give you whatever info he feels necessary.

Seriously - I hope these fucking people die.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Will these jackasses withhold information on my prescription? Can I get everything else except the PD and measure it myself?

Fucking jackasses won't tell me anything but - its up to the doctors discretion to give you whatever info he feels necessary.

Seriously - I hope these fucking people die.

The changes in healthcare the last few years have been hard on ODs. They used to make a ton of money running tests on people to "find disease," but now those tests can't get approval or they are assumed to be part of the exam (aka no extra fee). The crafty ODs have moved onto cosmetic treatments like LATISSE, while the rest have doubled down on locked people into buying their overpriced glasses.

The earlier posters was right that a full blown opthamologist wouldn't mind giving you what you want, as most of them survive on cataract and refractive surgery (ie getting rid of glasses). The exam for a opthomologist would cost more, but you would also get a really good exam (probably) for your money to make sure you aren't at risk for real eye disease (and not BS optometrist eye diseases like dry eye).

 

[dullard]

Will these jackasses withhold information on my prescription? Can I get everything else except the PD and measure it myself?

Fucking jackasses won't tell me anything but - its up to the doctors discretion to give you whatever info he feels necessary.

Seriously - I hope these fucking people die.

The one time I did it, I went in to see the eye doctor with the Zenni Optical form. I had the doctor fill out the form for me, PD and all before I left the room. I had the same concern as you and had measured my pupil distance before hand, it was identical to what the doctor wrote down. It isn't a hard thing to measure, nor does accuracy there matter much. Worst case, if you really screw it up, then you get new lenses from Zenni with a different pupil distance for a few bucks.

Or, go to a cheap place like Walmart, get RX safety glasses for $19 (or less) and take the numbers from it.

 

[balloonshark]

I've gone into a Wal Mart before and had a friendly tech measure it for me.

This. I got an eye exam and wal-mart then choose my frames. The lady helping with the frames gave me my PD and I had her write it down for me.

Here is a how to video on this page. https://www.walmart.com/cp/9217084

 

[Imp]

A week later and I still can't find a doctor to give me my PD. Unfuckingbelievable.
I'm fucking enraged. Really - I hope all these stupid motherfuckers go out of business.

God FUCKING dammit.

Need to vent - sorry.

Don't worry, hermano, they will be soon, that's probably why they're so adamant about not giving it to you.

Thanks to this thread, I looked up my PD last week. It was on a decade old prescription. My head may or may not have changed since -- new optometrist didn't write it down. I should double-check my PD.

Edit. P.S. Sorry, but I'm not going to feel sorry for opticians. Once I started buying glasses online, I went from $400 to $140 for glasses with the UV/AR/anti-scratch coatings. And it was still from some place in my own country -- as far as I know.

 

[highland145]

Will these jackasses withhold information on my prescription? Can I get everything else except the PD and measure it myself?

Fucking jackasses won't tell me anything but - its up to the doctors discretion to give you whatever info he feels necessary.

Seriously - I hope these fucking people die.

Seriously, your tongue is ~2"...on a good day. What's the problem?

Newlyweds.....

 

[Linux23]

Do I need to get my pd to use the Vive? I wouldn't think it matters.

 

[highland145]

Only if you have a tactile response digital cliterometer with undulating saline sack alibaba specials.