questions about glasses and vision

[redsquirrel]

Ok, this is all new to me so please don't laugh.  I've done some amount of research, but I need to hear from people who actually know what they are talking about.  And, right up front, this is SUCH a small matter. I totally acknowledge this.

 

So I've always had great vision. I've never needed glasses.  I've never known just how good until about... three to 5 years ago when I noticed I was having trouble seeing street signs (the little ones at the corner) as soon as I used to see them, when driving.  So, I went to have my eyes examined.  The doctor pretty much laughed at me.  He told me that I must have had better than 20/20 if I was having problems.  He said I was seeing as well without glasses as most people with glasses see. He said he could write me a script if I wanted it, but  I didn't have to get one.  I chose not to get one.

 

Then, one day, about a year ago, I couldn't see to write a check. I mean...it was weird!  It was like one day things were fine, and then next day I needed reading glasses. I got some at the grocery store and I needed the mildest ones, I think they are +1. At first I just needed them for things like writing checks, or filling out forms. But it quickly progressed to wanting them (not needing them) for knitting and reading. 

 

But, now, a year later, I need them for almost all close up work. I am sitting here wearing them now so I can more easily read what I write. I don't absolutely need them for computer work, but I find my eyes get tired if I don't.  And BTW, tired eyeballs is a REALLY WEIRD FEELING.  I now absolutely need them for reading on my phone. I can't see the detail of anyone's pictures on instragram when I am not wearing them. I can hardly see the details if I am wearing glasses, lol. 

 

I don't think my distance vision has gotten much worse since my last eye exam. I know I can go get another one pretty easily. Maybe they might come in handy for driving long distances? That has been ok actually.

 

But, It is really, really hard to walk around putting on and taking off reading glasses. It turns out I look at things close up all the freaking time!  Like constantly!  Text from my mom..need glasses. Check my fitbit....need glasses.  Glance down at our lesson schedule for the day....need glasses.  Google a book review...need glasses.  Look for a splinter in my kid's toe...need glasses. Read a recipe for dinner...need glasses.  Read directions on my new deep conditioner...need glasses.  Read the boards...need glasses. It never stops!  My whole life is apparently centered around things that are less than 24 inches from my nose! 

 

Is there such a thing as glasses (or contacts!?) that will work for me that I can wear all the time.  I am SO sick of this.  I now have a twitch in one eyebrow, and I think it's from eye strain b/c I am not wearing the glasses as much as I actually need them. Do you think I would get some sort of script that is really mild on top but stronger on the bottom? Is that how this works? Can I get contacts that will work for me or is that just nuts.

 

 

I generally don't mind getting older, but this is really chapping my butt. I am all kinds of annoyed.

[The Girls' Mom]

You should be able to get bifocals that have a weak prescription on top.  They make mutli-focal contacts too.

[Alessandra]

You might want yo look at progressive lenses. They work like bifocals, but instead of having one type of prescription at the bottom of the lens and one at the top, the two prescriptions are on a gradient. I don't have them, so I'm suggesting from hearing about them, not personal experience.

[hornblower]

You probably have presbyopia. It can hit quite fast in middle age.  I would advise having your eyes checked by an optometrist again now (not an optician) because there are also health things that can change (glaucoma, retina problems, cataracts etc.) 

Yes, you can get glasses that have no or low prescription on the top & more on the bottom for reading & close up work. 

There are bifocal contacts too but I don't have those - when I wear contacts I have to wear readers over them for doing close things. I buy them in bulk from 4readers.com 

the wayfarer style has curved arms so you can hang them on your neck or on top of your head (but when you're wearing a hat as I do most of the summer, hanging them on the neck is easier) I even have a pair of sunglasses with reader rx so I can read at the beach :) 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Sounds like presbyopia which is basically old people's farsightedness....

[Pawz4me]

Yes, you can get bifocals (or progressive bifocals) that you can wear all the time even if you only need help with close up things. My DH did that for the same reason--he got tired of having to keep up with his glasses and taking them on/off all the time.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Pawz4me

[redsquirrel]

Ok, so at least I'm not the only person this happens to, lol. And yes, this happen fast. It was fast enough that I actually got a little worried. But, I'm not dead yet, so I guess I'm ok, lol.

 

So optometrist? That means not going to like a 'glasses warehouse' type store, but a doctor with a real office, right?  I will check my insurance to see if I can call myself or need a referral from my primary (we need referrals for everything, so I might). 

 

DH has these really dorky sunglasses that fit over his everyday glasses. He got them once in a pinch. I have taken them and use them at the pool when I want to read. They fit over my readers, lol.

 

Thanks you for the insight. This was super helpful. I never would have known to go to an optometrist. And I didn't know about the different kinds of lenses.  Now I have something to ask about. And I like the idea of contact lenses, at least as an option.

[EKS]

I wear progressives--they are like bifocals in that the higher magnification part is in the bottom and the distance part is in the top but there isn't a line.

 

I love them!  When I wear them (which is all the time) I feel as though I can see normally--it feels very natural.  I am always surprised when I don't have them on how poor my vision actually is (and it isn't that bad in the scheme of things).

 

My eye doctor claims that it is good to start with progressives when your vision hasn't deteriorated too much because then the difference between the top and the bottom of the lens isn't as extreme, so the glasses are easier to get used to.  You also need to wear the glasses all the time, particularly in the beginning, to get your brain habituated to them.  

[redsquirrel]

I wear progressives--they are like bifocals in that the higher magnification part is in the bottom and the distance part is in the top but there isn't a line.

 

I love them!  When I wear them (which is all the time) I feel as though I can see normally--it feels very natural.  I am always surprised when I don't have them on how poor my vision actually is (and it isn't that bad in the scheme of things).

 

My eye doctor claims that it is good to start with progressives when your vision hasn't deteriorated too much because then the difference between the top and the bottom of the lens isn't as extreme, so the glasses are easier to get used to.  You also need to wear the glasses all the time, particularly in the beginning, to get your brain habituated to them.  

 

Thank you for this description. This is good to know and I will ask about progressive lenses. I'm going to have to wait until next week to call my insurance company, but hopefully I will have this all sorted before we start school in September. 

 

It's the wearing all the time that I think will be difficult for me. DH wakes up and puts on his glasses. He can't see without them. But it's good to know that they feel natural. I think that would go a long way towards making it easy for me to remember to wear them. It's the annoyance of the on and off that is really starting to get to me.

 

I bet this is also good practice for when DH needs them, lol. He's a couple years younger than me, so but i suspect he will be wanting reading glasses sooner rather than later.