Diary - Today, I accompanied my mum to get a new pair of eyeglasses

[Maybo]

This is an entry from my diary. Please check it and correct any mistakes.

Today, I accompanied my mum to buy a new pair of eyeglasses because her eyesight is getting worse. She asked a personnel in the optical about the myth that once people are grown up, myopia will not deteriorate. The personnel said he wished that was true. I hope I can maintain my eyesight because my eye doctor said people with high diopters will have eye problems more easily.

 

[tedmc]

This is an entry from my diary. Please check it and correct any mistakes.

Today, I accompanied my mum to buy(1) a new pair of eyeglasses (spectacles)(2) because her eyesight is getting worse. She asked a personnel in the optical shop about the myth that once people are grown up (3), myopia will not deteriorate increase. The personnel said he wished that was true. I hope I can maintain my eyesight because my eye doctor said people with high diopters will have eye problems more easily (4).

1. Spectacles are made to the optician/optometrist's prescriptions, so I don't think you can say you "buy" your spectacles.

2. I think spectacles or glasses are more common, at least where I come from.

3. "Grown-ups" refer to people who have passed their 20's. I think you mean when people who have reached middle age. That's when myopia stabilizes, or even decreases as presbyopia (difficulty to see near objects) sets in.

4. I think eyesight problems and eye problems are not necessarily related.

 

[Maybo]

I think you mean when people who have reached middle age.

I mean 20’s.

I think eyesight problems and eye problems are not necessarily related.

The doctor said people with high diopters have a higher possibility of retinal detachment due to stretching retinal. Also there would be other problems.

 

[Tarheel]

@Maybo As usual, the first sentence is just fine. (All three are used: "eyeglasses", "glasses", and "spectacles", with "glasses" the most common and "spectacles" being perhaps a bit old-fashioned.)

As for the second sentence, perhaps: "She asked a person in the optical shop about the story that after people are grown up my their myopia won't get worse. He said he wished that was true."

I'm not sure what diopters are.

personnel
www.dictionary.com

Apparently, your mom wasn't sure that story was a myth. That's why I suggested that change.

 

[Tarheel]

The doctor said people with high diopters have a higher possibility of retinal detachment due to stretching RETINAS. Also there would be other problems.

 

[Maybo]

I'm not sure what diopters are.

I have myopia. My prescription for my left eye is 3.5 diopters.

 

[Tarheel]

I have myopia. My prescription for my left eye is 3.5 diopters.

That's what I get from Dollar Tree -- 3.5. With these glasses on my face I can see well enough to read what's on this screen.

Once you get to be about 40 you start needing reading glasses.

 

[probus]

Please note @Maybo that I have edited your thread title to remove the extraneous "with". You probably knew that accompany does not take "with" because you didn't use it in the body of your post.

 

[Tarheel]

@Maybo Two things. One, if are writing something in your diary you are in a sense writing to yourself so no explanation is necessary. Two, your optometrist probably had to explain to you what a diopter is. Therefore, you shouldn't assume other people understand that term. The general principle is if it's a term most people are unfamiliar with some explanation is in order.

 

[Maybo]

Two, your optometrist probably had to explain to you what a diopter is. Therefore, you shouldn't assume other people understand that term.

I don't know "diopter" is uncommon in English because the term in Chinese is common. We call it "degree" in Chinese. When I say my left eyesight is 3.5 diopter in Chinese, nobody asks me what "diopter" is. Maybe people don't usually say it in English.

 

[Tarheel]

@Maybo I do not, of course, know the word for it in Chinese, but it's a technical term. In English it's not an everyday word.

 

[emsr2d2]

In the UK, we don't tend to use either diopters or degrees. If someone said to me "What's your glasses prescription?", my response would be "Minus one point seven five in my left eye and minus two point two five in my right". I genuinely have no idea what those numbers refer to. I just know my prescription reads "L: -1.75 and R: -2.25". That's good enough for me.

 

[Maybo]

In the UK, we don't tend to use either diopters or degrees. If someone said to me "What's your glasses prescription?", my response would be "Minus one point seven five in my left eye and minus two point two five in my right". I genuinely have no idea what those numbers refer to. I just know my prescription reads "L: -1.75 and R: -2.25". That's good enough for me.

Sometimes, we also just simply say the numbers without using “diopter”. It is like when people say temperature. If someone is asking about temperature, we say 35 or 35 degrees.

 

[Maybo]

If we don’t say “diopter” in English, should I say “I hope I can maintain my eyesight because my eye doctor said people with high prescription will have eye problems more easily?”

 

[Tarheel]

If we don’t say “diopter” in English, should I say “I hope I can maintain my eyesight because my eye doctor said people with high prescription will have eye problems more easily?”

I (and most people) would say "a strong prescription". Also, if you need prescription lenses you already have eye problems. So it's unremarkable that your eye doctor would say that. It's no surprise at all. As for what is more likely, I would say it's "more likely", but since you already have eye problems maybe what he/she meant is that means you are more likely to have other eye problems.