pinhole specs.

[Dave Dale]

Remember a post a few month back which said the longterm use of pinhole glasses had been discouraged by some specialist...just wondering if anyone found anymore info on this as I can't on the old internet!!

Cheers,

Dave.

[Dave Dale]

Well, saw Mr Morgan at Sunderland Eye Infirmary yesterday and asked about the use of Pinholes. I was concerned that you could 'train' the eye muscles to focus on a single pointdue to using the pinholes and loose some quality in the field of vision, as I have experienced recently.

He said this was not possible and the use of these was a good idea if it helps the individual..but added not to drive with them!

Dave.

[Susan Mason]

Dave

Mr Morgan has given a similar reply to that of Ken Pullum in the last post about pinhole specs, where he basically commented that if they helped vision wise that was ok and obviously to take them off when moving around if vision was restricted etc etc.

I found a company on the web 'Eyetrainers' http://www.eyetrainers.co.uk who had several different styles on offer. Basically a frame with a black plastic material lens with lots of little holes in it. Dissapointingly for me they did not seem to have as much correction in vision as when they were first mentioned to me in Liverpool back in Jan 2003. I am not sure if this is because my eyes are now worse or if the glasses are different to the method used at the hospital.

Have you tried any out???

Susan

[Dave Dale]

Thanks for the reply!

Yes I have used them since xmas just gone as I was advised not to wear my contacts for a number of weeks as I had a nasty eye infection.

Relised that at the hospital I could always get a few lines more further with the pinholes on. I had more success with them a few months back but now my eyes have worsend too, but I still find that when just around the house they are better than my naked eye and and glasses that I have.

I bought a pair from a american company, can't remember now but they are basically a thin metal frame with the black plstic pinhole lens in the frame...look cheap and cheerful but hey if it helps!

Feel better that a few specialists agree that they have no long-term damaging effects so I will go back on them soon after withdrawal!!

Cheers,

Dave.

[Mike Oliver]

I have tried a pair from eyetrainers which do help with focus and clarity. Even when wearing my sclerals the world has much sharper edges viewed through pinholes. However all the pairs I have found have many holes including the ones I am using. Some years ago I remember trying a pair at a hospital which had only one central hole. Obvious limitations on field of vision but I remember the clarity was like nothing I had experienced. Anyone else found this?

[paula hardman]

I've just used a pair this morning in outpatients on top of my glasses - they had about 10 holes in, bigger than pinholes. The whole chart appeared clearer and I got a couple of lines lower. I think I did better last year with the one-hole version - I remember being pretty amazed at reading most of the chart with my worse eye. As for long term usage side-effects - I'd rather take my chances than be constantly tired and squinting when I can't wear my contacts.

[polly]

I'm using a pair right this minute while wearing an rgp lens in the left eye, the other being broken (see earlier rant). They don't work on the left eye, but the vision in the right's better so the combination of left lens / pinholes works better than anything else at the moment, and certainly beats squinting at the screen all day! Only trouble is, I've got most of the light behind me in the mornings but you really need the light in front. They do make good indoor sunglasses, as they don't alter colours or anything, and I might continue to use them for this.

I've noticed that wearing them on top of my glasses gives me reasonable sight, if a liitle strange, but the combination's a bit bulky and the pinholes are so far from the eyes that it seems I'm looking through a honeycomb. This also seams to cure my travel sickness on the buses - if only I'd found out at the start of the 3 month engineering works on my railway line instead of in the last week! But at least I'll know in future. I've just ordered some pinhole lenses (no frames) to convert into clip-ons or something.

[Gillian]

I have just purchased a pair from eyetrainers and they have lots of holes. They are a help but a little strange and am sure I would be better off with a pair with fewer holes. Does anyone know where I can buy them? It is amazing that small print becomes so clear!

[polly]

they are a little weird and I certainly wouldn't use them in preference to contacts - at best I get a vague image of the grid, which doesn't happen with lesser holed varieties at outpatients. I think the holes may be too far apart or too small. A few holes in a small group would be better but I've searched the internet for hours in vain trying to find any. Has anyone thought of trying to make a pair? Or writing to manufacturers of normal pinholes? If enough people asked they might think the demand was there.

[Dave Dale]

When I got my first pair about last xmas I cut a piece of card from a ceral packet to fit the whole lens and then put some small holes in the area I felt best for my left eye with a needle...worked well for a while but I am afraid my eyes are past the pinhole spec days...although they are still better than no lenses at all!!

Dave.