What's better in an emergency, old glasses or no glasses??

[Dinnerdinnerbatman]

Glasses destroyed in primary school playground incident. Can't get new ones straight away as it's a prescription that can't be done in an hour. Child's prescription is something like -4 in each eye, so quite strong. What's better whilst we wait for replacement specs? No glasses, or ones from a drawer that are a year old and therefore two prescriptions ago?

Will consider getting a second pair, too, but they are expensive and we haven't had a breakage for three years.

He will need something he won’t be able to see without any glasses. I’m a minus 10 in each eye, broke my glasses a few months ago and I’m managing ok with an old pair (mainly wear contacts though) as I’m saving for a new pair!

Definitely go with old spex. Also ask about myopia management. New spectacles and contact lenses have been launched that can slow down the progression of myopia in children so they don't end up such a high minus.

Old ones. I felt lost without glasses as a child when they broke.

Old one's because at that script level the world is a giant blur. It's not safe walking round like that. I'm +4.5 I took my glasses off the other day and my vision is atrocious without them.

Old specs defo. We always keep the last pair when we get new ones for dc. Older ones got straight into the glasses collection box.

I've also become a dab hand at bodge it repairs to broken frames with a hot glue gun and metal paper clip! Not so easy if it's a broken lens though.

Contact lenses are totally out sadly as they are too fiddly and there are motor skill and sensory factors at play. I've been taking them to the opticians since the age of 4 (currently 9) and to opthalmology from 1-4 years before being discharged to regular opticians.

Old glasses.

I'm -3.50 and -3.25. Without my glasses, I'm not just non-functional, I'm a danger to myself; I'd be walking into walls, falling over, bumping into people, probably in A&E within five foot of the front door. He wouldn't be able to participate in anything at school, not lessons, not playtime, he'd struggle with lunch unless he was placed at a table and food put in front of him. Add in normal school noise and he'd also struggle to understand anything being said to him, as he wouldn't have the backup of being able to see facial expressions either.

They are expensive, but it's really important to buy a second pair precisely because of this.

However, as he's also got a significant loss in not having peripheral vision, could contact lenses be a possibility? The improvement in vision from contacts from even brand new glasses is astounding - everything is just so bright and clear and they're pretty much immune to playground incidents.

Cross posted. More glasses, then.

Old better than none definitely, I know you say they need to be bifocals but is it worth finding some small off the shelf ones that’ll help while waiting for them? Worth asking the optician. My dh has used gaffer tape on his for a few weeks in this situation at -9.5!

Old ones are better than none.

Funnily enough I had this quandary - I was wearing an out of date pair today at the Opticians as the Lens fell out of my latest pair. She told me to always keep the old pair for emergency situations.

My eyes are both about -11.5 so I’m pretty short sighted. I could probably function on a basic level in my own house as I know where things are but I wouldn’t be all right outside the house.

I wear contact lenses generally but always have a pair of glasses for first thing in the morning and last thing at night and I need to know exactly where they are on the bedside table as I’ll never manage to see them to find them 😀

Definitely let him use the older glasses and hopefully you’ll be able to get a replacement pair very soon.

An old pair is better than none at all. I'm -5 and once u get to a bit -3 it's very difficult to be without them. At -4 they'll really struggle so even if old pair is -2 it'll mean they have the sight of someone that is -2 which isn't so bad.

Old ones will be ok in the mean time. We offer a discount 2nd pair for kids. Worth getting if you can afford it.

Old glasses are better than no glasses, I'm an optometrist. +/-4 should be fairly quick to sort, go along asap.

NHS covers the cost of bifocals, not the extra for varifocals. I'd shop around, unles you're paying to thin or getting expensive frames kids glasses should be free

Off the shelf glasses are ready readers, they are not suitable for anyone except those over 40 with just a reading prescription for close work.

Poor kid, I would feel so vulnerable if I had to go out without my glasses on (-3.25).

I worry about going on a plane in my contact lenses and then being in a crash, and getting stranded on a desert island but having to take my contact lenses out and not be able to see to hunt for food, or to spot distant ship on the horizon. So I always pack my glasses in my hand luggage, or wear them. Foolproof 👍

I am not at all worried about surviving the crash, just the specs situation afterward 🤦🏼‍♀️

I think asda's price options include varifocals so definitely worth checking out.

I'm only -3.75 and I literally would die without some sort of visual aid. Old pair all the way. I had a pair ruined in a car accident, and had to resort to my old prescription, it meant I could actually function rather than sob over which was shampoo or conditioner in the shower 🤣

🤣🤣🤣🤣 omg this is me!!

Before they had to be bifocals, DC's glasses would take an hour from vision express.

You wear glasses in the shower?!?

Im -8ish in both eyes and just hold the bottle right up to my eyes (or more usually, just learn the different lid positions for shampoo/conditioner) or pick them up from their designated places and get cross when DH has been careless and swapped them and I’ve squirted out the conditioner first…

I keep all my old glasses as spares. Can't see a thing without them so old glasses better for me than none.