Reading glasses?

[LNC]

I seem to have blurry close up vision overnight! 45yo. Can I buy with Amazon Prime? Do I need to test strengths first? Toocold to go out! Eyeglass necklace to keep track of them? Tacky? Aging or necessary? :)

[wapiti]

I buy prescription (I have a distance prescription and my eyes tend to be close together anyway, which can affect whether my eye is looking through the appropriate part of the lens).

 

If I wanted to just buy random ones, I'd go to Walgreens or Target and try on the various strengths to see what strength works best (trying to avoid going too strong too early).  Then I'd either buy those right there or, knowing the right strength number, I'd go ahead and order the ones I wanted from on-line.

[Kalmia]

My close up vision tanked last year (44) too, probably out of spite as I had recently been extremely frustrated with my cousin who suddenly couldn't read the map on our big road trip. He'd just turned 45, and it happened just like that. I can hear him now, "What the heck, I could read the map last week when we planned this all out!" Two of my friends also mentioned on FB this week a sudden need for reading glasses. I guess our reading eyes have a 44 year warranty with no extension plan! Anyway, I picked up a pair at Rite Aid as I was fortuitously in Rite Aid trying to read the small print on some OTC medicine when I realized that no matter how close I got to the bottle I wasn't going to be able to read the words. The ones I have are Foster Grant and a very cute pink. I do imagine prescription ones might be better, I have to constantly adjust the distance in order to be in the "sweet spot" of magnification. 

[PrincessMommy]

Mine got a little bad for a while, but the last year (I'm turning 50 this week) got real bad FAST.  It was very disconcerting.   I would recommending figuring out what strength you need at the local CVS or Rite Aid, and then you can buy others online after that.  Believe me, you'll need more than one pair.  I have them lying all over the house and still can't find them when I need them.

[shukriyya]

Mine is bad too. I got a fancy shmancy pair of bifocals last year and they are *terrible* for the reading part. I consistently use my $20 cheaters that I got at WFs or Walgreens and they are fab. This site has a tone of options and better prices than anywhere I've seen. I keep several pairs scattered around the house and one in my purse.

[gardenmom5]

you should try them out first.  use the least strength with which you can get away. (it will need to be adjusted as you get older.)

 

I have to have prescription as my vision is just too complex.  it's just aging.  even dh had to get reading glasses at 47.

 

 if you don't have to wear them all the time, the eyeglass chains are handy.

[Belacqua]

What's the reasoning behind starting with the lowest strength you can? If bigger is better when you can't see the letters (and I'm talking to YOU, tiny green lettering on light green background of my shampoo bottle...), what's the advantage to keeping it minimal?

[Ottakee]

I had that where one day I suddenly couldn't see to read like I always had.  I borrowed a pair of walmart glasses from a friend and wore them for reading for several weeks and then suddenly I DID NOT need them anymore.  I have no idea.  Maybe it was a perimenopause fluke but I am back to reading fine again.

 

I also like that my Kindle has the option to make the font bigger if I need it.

[Pawz4me]

What's the reasoning behind starting with the lowest strength you can? If bigger is better when you can't see the letters (and I'm talking to YOU, tiny green lettering on light green background of my shampoo bottle...), what's the advantage to keeping it minimal?

 

Complete guess here (because I've never heard the keep it minimal thing before), but --

 

As you get used to glasses your brain adjusts to the way you see things through them.  So what you see with glasses on becomes your brain's new normal.  Many people mistakenly believe when they start using glasses their eyesight gets worse.  It doesn't.  It's the brain resetting to a new normal.  And so if you go for stronger glasses than you really need your brain is adjusting to a higher level of new normal than it maybe needs to.

 

Like I said, that's a sheer guess and could be totally and completely wrong!

[Susan C.]

It all about the distance from your eyes to what you are reading. And there isn't much play. Dh and I both got reading glasses rx..... I could see papers on the table and that was just the right distance, he had to hold papers six inches from his face. So he had to go back, get the rx changed, and his glasses.  I use +1.00 and can see papers on a desk. You can get several strengths, maybe 1.00, 1.50, and 2.00 at the dollar store and play with them. You will only be out $3. But do replace the one you like with better quality.

[Hikin' Mama]

I agree with trying them out first. And I refuse to wear a chain with my reading glasses hooked to them. I am a grandma, but I am not yet old, so no chain for me. :) If that means that I am always searching for glasses, which I am, then so be it! I am not old! : p

[KrissiK]

Same thing happened to me. I seemed to need reading glasses almost over night and my eyes are getting worse quickly. I just took one of those little vision tests on the Net and bought a pack of readers from Costco so I can have one in every room and one in my purse. I should probably get e really cool pair to wear on a chain, but I haven't gotten around to that yet.