Should I worry that my eyeglass prescription is increasing?
AUG 18, 2015
Question:
I am 25 years old and I'm concerned about a recent increase in eyeglasses prescription. Last year at my eye exam, my prescription increased to -6.5 (right eye) and -7.5 (left eye). For the three to five years prior to that, I hadn't noticed a change in prescription, and it stayed around -5.5 (right eye) and -6.5 (left eye). I've heard about pathological and degenerative myopia, and I am worried if I have that. Is this a genuine concern or will my eyesight stabilize in the next year or so? Aside from high myopia, my previous eye exams have indicated normal retina and eye health.
Answer:
Typically refractive error stops worsening by the early-‘20s. It is less common for myopia, but not impossible, to increase in the mid-‘20s. Although your prescription is high it is not dramatically high and I would expect it to stop soon. You were very correct to have an exam to rule out any serious pathology or degenerations. On occasion the prescription might be stronger than you need if the person testing you had difficulty controlling your accommodation (focusing) during the test. The best way to know that is to repeat the testing with dilating (cycloplegic) eye drops.