Eyesight has gone downhill almost overnight. any one else

[NoWuckingForries]

I've never worn glasses. In in my 40s and towards the end of last week I started having trouble reading small print. At first, I thought I was just tired from work.

Totally fine for 40 odd years then boom, can't see small text anymore.

Thank feck you can alter the text size on Kindles.

U might want to get yourself checked out by an optician / doctor

you needto get checked ouf urgently.
ideally by an optician first as they have the right equipment and experience to ckeck the eye out.

I'm not sure if opticians are open in the uk?
is moorfield's eye a&e open?

Opticians are offering an emergency service
Really really important to ring and get advice if you have a change in vision

See your GP for a blood sugar test, you may have diabetes.

Do you mean really sudden, or just realising that you can't read shampoo bottles even if you hold them really far away?

Ring your local Optician. Most are open for essential care, they will welcome your call & discuss your concerns. If required, they will see you in Practice.

This sounds pretty normal to me - that’s how mine and DH’s close up vision deteriorated, very suddenly. Buy some reader glasses and see if they help.

Doesn’t do any harm to call an optician too, and at least find out if they want to check your eyes and health.

Opticians or Barnard Castle, OP.

It may be normal but it might not. Any sudden deterioration in vision needs to be checked urgently. Please ring round local opticians or go to your local eye hospital if you have one and they are taking emergencies.

One day I didn't need reading glasses, the next I had to get the kids to read a menu to me- combination of poor lighting and text on a coloured background made a double whammy. Exactly the same for DH, too. We kept looking for better light.

Sorry now, and I hope I won't be banned, but do a Dominic Cummings on it and go for a drive to see how it goes!.

Go to an optician, when they open again, not sure if they can right now. They will assess your situation. Best of luck.

Have you been joining in with the national insomnia? That always messes up my eyesight.

My need for glasses hit me just the same, although I have since discovered that I am really good at pretending I can read things when I can’t.

Apologies. I can still see the TV, subtitles. One day I could read small text, the next day I couldn't. I'm holding the phone far away and using MrNo's glasses to read instructions.

All opticians are doing phone consultations and emergency appointments. It may be nothing, it may be more serious. The suggestion of a cheap pair of reading glasses is good and the impact these have will help an optician over the phone.

I started needing glasses as an adult but it was a very gradual decline, if yours is as sudden as it sounds then you do need to get it checked out urgently. As other posters have said could be untreated diabetes, could be an infection or other illness, some of which could be reversible so don't put off seeing an optometrist. Most are open for this kind of thing, just closed to routine eye checks and similar.

If you're in the UK then some are linked to the NHS Minor Eye Health Scheme so will see people for medical consultations free of charge, just have to tell them when you book and give them the name of your GP. If you Google NHS Minor Eye Health Scheme there are lists of participating Opticians by area.

If you don't already wear glasses by 44, you will need to by 44.
Eyesight in your 40s can drop away rapidly and for a few years. Go get an eye test

@picklemewalnuts

One day I didn't need reading glasses, the next I had to get the kids to read a menu to me- combination of poor lighting and text on a coloured background made a double whammy. Exactly the same for DH, too. We kept looking for better light.

Exactly this.

I will call my local optician tomorrow

Thanks all. 💐

Maybe take a quick drive to Barnard castle to check your eyesight?

@damnthatanxiety

If you don't already wear glasses by 44, you will need to by 44. Eyesight in your 40s can drop away rapidly and for a few years. Go get an eye test

I’m 50 and I don’t need glasses.

Are both of your eyes equal, or is one worse than the other ?
Definitely phone the optician as my dad had a problem he didn’t want to bother anyone about and he ended up needing an operation. He was told very firmly that he should have attended sooner !

I have been massively short sighted my whole life, turned 40 and within a week realised that when I was knitting I either had to shove my glasses on top of my head or I was trying to knit at arms length and my arms weren't long enough! It was a huge shock, I have had varifocals ever since! Welcome to getting older!

I was always short sighted and when I went long sighted as well in my early 40s it felt like it happened almost overnight. I had to sign something at work and just couldn't see it properly. I spent months experimenting with mono vision contacts, reading glasses etc. but it was no good. The world of varifocals beckoned

Call your local opticians in the morning.

At the moment all routine eyecare is suspended by NHS England (Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland have as well I believe)

It could be a telephone triage with your opticians and it will be up to the registrant to decide if having a fact to face appointment is essential.

Just because your near vision has changed does not necessarily mean your distance vision has.