Do you wear bifocals with just glass in the main bit?

[roisin]

Worth the expense?

I am nearly 50 and my eyesight (reading only) has been deteriorating for the last 5 years. I need glasses to read, which seems to cover about 80% of my waking hours, when you consider work, phone, tablet, reading labels on packaging in the kitchen fgs :(

But I need to take them off to focus when talking to someone, which I find frustrating. Do you think bifocals would help?

I had similar issues, OP, and was in the habit of lowering my reading glasses down my nose to look over the top of them when talking to people in the office. A distinctly school marm-y look!

I didn't consider the bifocal solution, but what I did was very effective. My optician suggested contact lenses with a very low prescription in one eye and a more corrective one suitable for reading, computer, etc in the other. It sounds crazy, but something in your brain can take the two images and translate them into perfect vision whether you're reading or driving or talking to someone. I was a similar age to you and had never worn lenses before, but found it much easier than I thought and was thrilled at never having to wear glasses at all (although I did keep a pair of reading glasses in my drawer at the office in case of emergency). This may work for you too.

Wow! That sounds incredible. Amazing what the brain can do.