When do I have to start wearing glasses (vs when big name opticians say I do)

[bluekingfisher]

I always feel the opticians are hard selling me glasses after I go in there for a test. My eye sight has changed -0.25 since two years ago and isn’t bad enough to need glasses for driving etc. I have astigmatism that the optician has said is pretty bad. I have had most of my life and think my eyes have accommodated it naturally so I can see well, can see small text from a distance. I don’t have any symptoms around this day to day.

I believe I can see reasonably without glasses
but the opticians said I would ideally be wearing them all the time. So I don’t know if I should get glasses or not. Ideally I don’t want the faff of them unless I actually need them

Was going to say exactly the same thing.

when I first started wearing glasses I had -1 cyl and sph was - 0.25.

Over the years my cyl increased through the 1’s and my distance remained at -0.5.

I’ve worn glasses the whole time as needed to.

im now Cyl -2.5 and sph -1.5 + 1.25

Severe astigmatism is over 2 so I don’t know why he said it’s severe - you’re still mild to moderate but you’d still benefit from it being corrected.

I can’t see a thing without mine on - not even the biggest letter in the chart 😂

...I can drive without them etc.

The things I can’t see are things fairly far away and I would be able to see them if I wore glasses. But I get by...

If you say so.

I thought this until I got distance glasses and it was like a miracle! I got the cheapest frames which are really light.

They've also improved watching TV and I can now read the pesky texts they insist on showing in TV dramas these says.

@CharlotteStreetW1 , If you say so.
She probably can.
It's the astigmatism that's the issue.

Op your coming across as exceedingly vain.

All this bullshit about "not liking the feel of glasses"

There's nothing wrong with wearing glasses. It's not some kind of moral failure. I have a similar prescription to you and have been wearing mine now for 10+ years.

Until you start wearing them you have no idea just how much your missing. It's like the world turns into 4d.

I’m not sure why so many people are saying I can’t see far away, I can. I think maybe I should seek another appointment as well. Would I not get headaches if I temporary wear them for driving? I definitely can see. I drive my dc and I wouldn’t drive if I can’t see.

I also checked this specifically with the optician and they said I was fine for driving. I don’t drive at night (nor everyday) I agree with the age thing that it’s inevitable I will end up wearing them at some point.

i wasn’t told they may correct my astigmatism that would be good though.

Obviously you can’t do this for distance glasses. They don’t sell them. You need a proper prescription from a qualified optician.

It will correct it while you wear them.
My eyes feel a bit wonky when I take off my specs.
I think the replies saying you can't see far away don't understand that astigmatism isn't the same as short-sightedness or long-sightedness.

As I pp, go to a different optician. Explain about the headaches and ask questions.

(If you did go to 'Should have gone to', you really shouldn't.)

I don’t get headaches at all and my eyes are worse than yours. I only wear my glasses to drive.

I realised the optician was right and I did need glasses after I got my first pair.
The first thing I noticed that I could see individual leaves on trees.

I’m with you on the not liking the sensation of glasses; and I’ve found that I have to get the lightest ones I can track down (& even then I can’t wait to take them off). However, I need them to see clearly and tbh it’s just one of those things.
go see a good indie optician and get your eyes tested.

I always go to an optometrist rather than an optician, as they’re not trying to sell you anything after. You know if you can see well enough or not, but maybe get a second opinion?

It won't necessarily get worse. I've gone from -2.25 to -1.25 over the past 15 years or so and am a similar age to the OP. Perfect vision in the other eye. I don't wear glasses except to drive and manage absolutely fine. I would prefer to not have them as I do a lot of skiing, trampolining and generally being out and about in the rain! Plus the cost. I just don't feel like i need them at all so it's an unnecessary extra thing to have in my life. Can barely tell the difference when I wear my driving glasses - it's habit more than anything.

The Plano part of your prescription is showing you don't need any correction for long sighted or short sighted vision .
It's only the astigmatism that is being corrected.
I have severe astigmatism so don't know how much a very mild astigmatism would affect you. Probably just glare or blur on lights.

Get in the way of what? What are you needing to press your eye against that can’t wait a nanosecond to take a pair of glasses off? They’re not like cycling shoes that clip onto your face!

Eye professional here, so much incorrect information posted !!

1 an optometrist is an optician who can also provide contact lenses, pretty much exactly the same.

2 wearing or not wearing glasses in adulthood will not make your eyes better or worse (children are v different) BUT once you get used to your sight with glasses on it is difficult to go back to the slight blur when not on so you may become more reliant on them.

3 you only have to wear glasses legally to drive if you don't meet the driving standard. You might want to wear them for symptoms such as headaches or eye strain but if you don't have any of these needs you will not damage your eyes by not wearing a prescription (again only adults, children must follow eye professional advice)

4 even if you don't intend to buy glasses you should still have an eye check every 2 years as they can pick up all sorts of nasties like high blood pressure and diabetes ! More frequently if you have a family history of glaucoma !

5 ready readers are for reading denoted by a plus sign and glasses for distance are usually a minus sign but for higher prescriptions glasses are worn all the time. Presbyopia is the need for glasses only for reading and is due to aging of the eye, you only need to wear these when your arm is not long enough !

Hope that clears up a few things

@MaryBerrysFannyHammock it is not vanity. I don’t like the feel of them on my face. I don’t wear sunglasses either. I like the look of them but not the feel?

Plus I’m too ugly to worry for vanity reasons !

That's harsh. I wear contacts day to day because I hate wearing glasses. Nothing to do with vanity, I just find them uncomfortable, am always conscious of them in my peripheral vision, they are constantly dirty and need cleaning (maybe I just have a greasy face), my eyelashes hit against them and annoy me, they just annoy me for all sorts of reasons. I have needed glasses for 27 years, hated them from day one and have never stopped hating them.

Big name opticians can be very pushy - I ended up having to pay for my own eye tests because work would only do vouchers for a big name company and I couldn’t trust them

the advice I received from the independent was quite different to that form the name - and has stopped my squinting

I've worn glasses for 60 years now. I'd strongly advise you to use a small independent optician. All my experience is that you get better, more personal attention. Boots and Specsavers have caused me no end of problems.

I've not used Boots. I have used Vision Express and they were great, but it might be branch-dependent.
The local 'should have gone to' muddled up my prescription. Others have said the same.
The local independent is fine. It feels more personal and less pushy.

You can go and get a second opinion from a non-high-street ophthalmic optician, then you can take your prescription and either not get glasses if you still don't feel you need them, or go to a frames place and get the most basic pair for about £89 and see how you go.

My Boots optician has practically given up any sort of hard sell these days. Who is shelling out £450 for a pair of specs in this economy?

of course they correct your astigmatism.. did you think they were just for the teeny weeny bit of distance/close up issue you may have?

jfc.

This is exactly how I feel.

I think once you pass 40 and don't have glasses, they are determined to convince you that you need glasses.

No thanks from me!

I’m in my 50s and I have had glasses since I was 10. However I don’t really wear them. I wear them for driving (don’t need to) and the cinema and thats it.

I have had loads of opticians tell me I need to start wearing them for decades, I don’t. My day to day eyesight is fine. They are also always pissed when I buy the very cheapest glasses I can get because they’re not that important to me.