Chris in VA Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I need bifocals. Currently I use progressives, but they are bugging me. Can I use contacts for distance, and then wear reading glasses AT THE SAME TIME when I need to read something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsKriknav Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I am no expert, but I'm pretty sure my mom does this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in AR Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 (edited) I need bifocals. Currently I use progressives, but they are bugging me. Can I use contacts for distance, and then wear reading glasses AT THE SAME TIME when I need to read something? Yes. I've just begun doing this a day or two per week. I was tired of wearing my glasses every day, so bought some daily contacts that allow me a little freedom on the weekends. So far I haven't worn them on days I'll be doing a lot of reading, but the reading glasses are working fine for the times I've needed them. P.S. I bought my readers from Wal-Mart, and am very happy with them. Edited January 24, 2011 by Jackie in AR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 So, to clarify, I could buy contacts to correct my nearsightedness, and then buy readers to put on while I'm wearing the contacts, when I want to read? Sorry I'm being obtuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Many people would have to go to 'mono-vision' to do what you are wanting... With the contact they can see distance with one eye-- and with the reading glasses they can see up close WITH THE OTHER EYE... If your eyes happen to be off by the same values (rare) then the reading glasses will correct both eyes... My progressives took me about 6 months to get used to--even when I change scripts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Yes. Lots of people do this. My friend does this all the time. I have tried it, but I was struggling with dry eyes and with dizziness whenever I turned my head while wearing the readers. Now, I just wear my glasses and remove them for reading, since I don't need correction to read otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in AR Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 (edited) So, to clarify, I could buy contacts to correct my nearsightedness, and then buy readers to put on while I'm wearing the contacts, when I want to read? Sorry I'm being obtuse. Yes, that is exactly what I do. When I wear my contacts, I can't read anything up close until I put on my readers. P.S. And the reason I can buy mine at Wal-Mart is that each of my eyes needs the same amount of correction. Edited January 24, 2011 by Jackie in AR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I could not read anymore without my cheaters! I still see great with my contacts far away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I used to work for an optometrist and we did this all the time. Most people could use the cheap/drugstore readers, but a few had to have prescrition reading glasses made up for them. It still worked just fine though. Of course they still kept "losing" the glasses on their heads...:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Yes, you can, but I'll throw in a word for multi-focal contact lenses (it's a bird! it's a plane! it's alpha centuri!). I did the contacts/readers for a while, but it tended to give me headaches, plus I found it really annoying to take them off and put them back on all day long. If I was sitting on the couch reading, and dh asked me a question, the glasses had to come off to look up at him and reply, then back on to resume reading. If I was in the kitchen, the glasses had to be on to read a recipe, off to find ingredients, on to read the package, off to stir the pot, lol. Perhaps I'm just easily annoyed, but it drove me nuts, and I rilly, rilly did not want to get into the habit of peering over them all the time. The librarian look does not work for me :D. So I tried multi-focal contacts, and they. are. AWESOME. You are just automatically looking through the right part for close, medium, and distance. The doc said some people have to adjust, but I was fine with them from the very first day. Now, the glasses (for when I take my contacts out) were more of an adjustment, but still pretty easy, imo. I mostly only notice those if I look up from reading super fast. Anyway, just a thought, I love mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Yes. Lots of people do this. My friend does this all the time. I have tried it, but I was struggling with dry eyes and with dizziness whenever I turned my head while wearing the readers. Now, I just wear my glasses and remove them for reading, since I don't need correction to read otherwise. So do you simply use regular glasses and no contacts? Is that to correct near-sightedness? I'm nearsighted and read without my glasses but have to wear them for everything else. I've started to notice a change in my eyes, but I don't want to do bifocals. I don't want to do contacts either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 So do you simply use regular glasses and no contacts? Is that to correct near-sightedness? . Yeah, my regular glasses are to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism. So, I really need either bifocals with no correction for reading or contacts with reading glasses. I am wary of the bifocals and the no-line bifocals because of my problems with dizziness and nausea when I turn my head. Funny ... I can go on almost any amusement park ride that spins and not get sick, but the "readers" and bifocals make me sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Yes. Lots of people do this. My friend does this all the time. I have tried it, but I was struggling with dry eyes and with dizziness whenever I turned my head while wearing the readers. Now, I just wear my glasses and remove them for reading, since I don't need correction to read otherwise. This is also what I do (glasses for distance and take them off to read), but I know I have an aunt who did what you're talking about for years - contacts and then regular reading glasses worn while contacts were in as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Yes - my contacts make me be able to see across the room. When I need to read something small, I put on drugstore reading glasses. My optometrist has tried to talk me into bifocal contacts or doing the near-far (one contact for each) - no, no way. I'm not messing with what's working. Also, I would never do the near-far thing...our son needed a full year of vision therapy to get his eyes working together, and I learned how important binocular vision is...no way will I do anything to disrupt mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Jo Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I have contacts that one eye reads and the other does distance. Works very well for me. It was a little hard to get used to (for about 2 days) but now I don't even notice...and both eyes do work together.....just when I'm reading the eye that can see it better works a bit harder...and reverse for distance. The only time I had "problems" was the week that my MIL died....we drove about 1700 miles in less than one week...and add a lot of crying to that...I had to change out my contacts because of the protein build up and they did get a bit tired towards the end of the week from all the driving....(I did most of the driving). The other thing that I noticed that has helped is I put my contacts in first thing in the morning...I don't wear my glasses at all first thing. That way my eyes just adjust to the contacts and not my glasses (which just correct distance). At night I might wear my glasses if my eyes are tired - but I rarely do. I've been wearing contacts for over 30 years....so I'm pretty used to them. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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