AIBU to not understand glasses (specs)

[Lochroy]

Starting when I was in my teens, I needed specs for extreme short sightedness with astigmatism. Later I moved onto contacts. Both were worn all day every day (obvs not together!) and I could do everything whilst wearing them.

Then I had laser eye surgery and didn't need anything.

Now I'm middle aged I now need reading glasses. They're so flipping weird. If I look up, or around, it's unpleasant. I'm told by the optician it's to be expected and fine and normal. But why can't I just have have glasses (or contacts) which take me back to 'normal'. Why do these fuckers only work for reading so I have to have them with me at all times, but I can't wear them at all times?

People call it long-sightedness sometimes, but it's a different cause, a different condition and a different treatment than hypermetropia, the long-sightedness that's caused by eye configuration.

Well, same treatment in that both presbyopia and hypermetropia/long sight are corrected with a plus/convex lens, but they're worn differently, and you can't correct presbyopia with things like laser eye surgery because the problem isn't overall shape or configuration, it's loss of ability to adjust focus.

I just got glasses for distance and I know what you mean.

I put them on to go get in the car and then take them off to put google maps on the phone, put them back on to drive off, take them off when I get out. They end up on my head a lot.

On the plus side, it forces me to put down my phone a bit more if I want to watch something properly (and read messages on phone on the screen).

Just get varifocals with clear glass at the top and reading glass in the bottom.

I'm going to blow your mind @Lochroy I have been very short sighted since I was a child and have worn glasses or contacts all day since I was nine.

I have since developed the need for reading glasses, so I wear varifocals mostly, but normal distance glasses for driving as I find my vision is better ( the varifocals meet the standard thought)
But if I'm struggling to read small lettering or the light is poor, I take my glasses right off and go really close up.
If you see someone in the supermarket peering over the top of their specs, possibly with one eye closed, reading the ingredients on a small packet, that'll be me, or someone similarly afflicted (or with the same superpower, depending how you view it)

So I didn't need glasses at all till I was about 40. Started with reading glasses only and had to carry them around in case I needed to read anything while out and about. At 55 my distance vision was no longer 20:20, so I needed distance glasses as well.

I now have two types of specs. Varifocals with distance at the top and reading at the bottom for daily life. But they are no good for computer work, so I also have a pair of occupational varifocals; the top focuses on the screen and the bottom enables close reading. Sounds complicated but it works for me.

Ugh, just going through this myself at the moment - always been very short-sighted but my reading has suddenly gone to +1. Good to hear people seem happy with varifocal glasses but any experience with varifocal lenses? The glasses don't bother me so much as I can take them off to read if need be, with lenses it's harder...! Feeling old :(

I have the same issue. I now have a pair of reading glasses to wear over my contact lenses as that's the only time I really need them. Not that I wear them very often, I'm saving that for when my arms aren't long enough to hold my Kindle at arms length!

My DH did this but with laser eye surgery. One eye for distance and one eye for reading. Somehow his brain blends them together so it feels normal. It sounded mad to me but it worked perfectly and he has no trouble with driving or anything else. I don’t need reading glasses yet but once I do I will probably look into it myself. After wearing glasses for decades I had laser eye surgery and it was so freeing. I find glassss so uncomfortable, I can’t face going back to them!

Oops I meant to quote @ISeeMisledPeople

There's actually a kind of laser you can now have for this- for ageing eyes and you don't need glasses any more after. It's called PRESBYOND Laser Blended Vision.

I am having it on the 30th of this month!
Excited not to wear glasses again!

I wonder why there's such a vast difference in when a person needs reading glasses.
I'm 54 and can read fine, there's just beginning to be a slight lack of clarity when doing digital artwork. My Mum has needed reading glasses from 40ish - she went through the menopause at the same age. I still have periods and am on HRT, I do wonder if there is a link?

I spent the last year carrying around readers to use in conjunction with my contacts. I hated them. This year I got multi focal contacts. The two separate prescriptions get mixed together in the same soft contact lens and somehow your eye picks the right spot to focus. I don’t really understand it, but I can see again both near and far.

I only need readers now for extreme detail work like threading a very fine sewing needle.

Wow, that looks interesting. From 3k per eye, perhaps by the time I need it, I'll have saved up enough!

Dh is interested in presbyond. I hate varifocals and can't seem to find anything that works for me atm.

I had laser surgery for mild myopia about 20 years ago. Fantastic, no glasses for driving etc and I also didn’t need reading glasses when all my friends did.

Until about a year ago when suddenly I did need reading glasses. And driving glasses/ watching tv glasses. But definitely not all day glasses that require varifocals. So I have reading glasses on a chain around my neck which is so very retro- granny chic plus my driving glasses in the car and my tv glasses ( same prescription) by the tv.

It’s a total pain. All my prescriptions are mild but significant enough to make a real difference. Will I have more surgery? No. Oh and I can’t buy off the shelf because the surgery giving me a ‘long eye’ and a ‘short eye’ means they are forever different.

I don’t regret it though. Life changing to have that long period of time with no glasses at all.

My reading glasses have fairly narrow frames so I quite often perch them a bit low on my nose and can then peer over the top.... I could do with old-fashioned half-moon glasses, why aren't they a thing any more?

Get bifocals with clear distance lenses.

Get some half moon or narrow lenses, you wear these further down your nose so you can wear them all the time but look over the lenses.

You can also get bifocal contacts.

The original problem with your eyes was the shape of the lense, you have had that corrected but now it is the muscles which don't adapt as much as they used to.

I used to be a dispensing optician

As you age the muscle that controls focus begins to harden and you can't control it

Called presbyopia

So I'm short sighted anyway for distance and had a minus prescription for distance only

But as I've got older I now need an ""add" to that prescription for reading
So for me a variofocal is most convenient

Well I am never one to be on trend but I'll throw my hat in the ring for half moon specs!

The contact lenses is an interesting one, I did ask but was told I couldn't because of the astigmatism.

Like @MatildaTheCat the laser surgery was fantastic and I'm so glad if the years I've had without lenses or glasses. No idea if it's physically possible to have more surgery but I'm not sure that mentally I could put myself through it again anyway!

There is no laser treatment for presbyopia, and it's a progressive change anyway , so like when I first needed reading specs my reading add was +0.75

Now 10 years later its +1.50 , it changes year on year

There are contact lenses for astigmatism called toric lenses but I found them not that good , they tend to move and vision better with specs

I think I'm the only one but I don't like the thought of varifocals. Even a slight change to my prescription can affect me so I can imagine feeling a bit off with more than one prescription in the same glasses and having to move my head!

Specsavers sell 'super reading' glasses, which are a sort of varifocal. I have just had cataract surgery and they are wonderful round the house. I even feel safe driving with them but my distance vision is better without them.

Modern varies don't have hard zones so you can't actually tell you're wearing them