AIBU to think this can't happen to everyone in their mid 40's?! Surely?

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

Went for my regular eye test today. Regretting that already. I've literally just turned 40. Been blind as a bat since age 10. Wearer of contact lenses since age 12. Sight is -6 in both eyes.
Why is it only today that the optician gleefully told me that by 42, mid 40s at the lastest I will need fucking reading glasses. I'll need some sort of varifocal contact lenses and glasses. Apparently. It happens to EVERYONE. ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE!
Give me some hope. Have you made it to 50 without needing reading glasses?! Especially if you were short sighted already.
Also! Why is this news to me now?! Why has this dreadful secret been kept from me?! I can not stand the thought of my sight being affected and having to mess around with my bloody contact lenses prescription (glasses look awful on me. Every single pair. Trust me, I've tried them all). I only asked the guy about laser eye surgery as now I'm older, I can finally afford it. Only to be told it is basically pointless to have unless in your 20s as its a waste of money due to the long sightedness developing in your 40s!
Ugh.

That happened to me in my 40s, can't speak for everyone though!

Yep, it all goes to crap after 40. I never needed glasses before then and now I need them for reading and driving. Dh also needs them for reading/computer work. We are 50 now

I was a -7 in both eyes and about 4 years ago the optician gleefully clapped her hands together and said ‘let’s talk about varifocals’ I was 43 and I said no. I had laser eye surgery instead and now don’t need glasses for anything at all, including menus - life changing

Most people do get long sighted as they get to midlife. I think I was nearer 50.

I didn't need to carry reading glasses for menus etc for quite a few years after that.

This has happened to all my friends (we are all late 40s) and DH. We now ask who has brought their reading glasses in low lighting situations, when it used to be who has brought a packet of 10 Marlborough Lights.

I’m 48, shortsighted and wear contacts. I don’t have reading glasses (yet) but they’ve adjusted the prescription for my contacts so that it balances out the slight need for reading glasses. As it’s only a small prescription, it works very well for me at the moment.

When my eyes deteriorate, I’ll probably go for reading glasses over my contacts as I’m not in a job that requires continuous reading. (DH is at a screen all day long, and wears his reading glasses as standard now - also 48)

I'm 50, very short sighted - 9 both eyes, use glasses and contacts but not reading glasses - yet!

I noticed about 2 years ago that I was struggling a little in dim light to read small text, this has gradually gotten a little worse but, most of the time, I can still read small text (think pt size 7/8/9) but not silly tiny text of pt size 3/4!

I had perfect vision until I hit mid 40’s but not anymore, now I have to have glasses to do anything fiddly. It has happened to everyone that I have had this depressing conversation with.

I think it happens to most people, maybe not everyone.

My optician said it’s pretty much everyone. I have same eyesight as you OP and hoped I’d be spared reading glasses on top of 35 years with crap distance vision but nope I’m finding my arms aren’t long enough.

I had laser eye surgery in my early 30s for this very reason, I was -8 in both eyes. Delayed the need for reading glasses until my early 50s. I didn't get back to 20/20 and my eyesight gradually got worse again. Over 20 years on and I'm -1.75. just started needing reading glasses according to the optician, but I don't, I can still read just fine without any glasses. I don't have varifocals either. I'll hold off until I have a noticeable problem reading

Extremely short sighted. Had laser surgery in very early thirties. By fifty I was well into reading glasses. It happens!

I was short sighted and wearing glasses from childhood, used contacts too but mainly glasses. Had surgery on St. Patrick's Day 2008 when I was 37, I'm 53 now and needed reading glasses at about 49, switched to varifocals around a year ago. My son was also short sighted from age 5, he had the surgery age 21, weirdly he recently told me he'd be happy to go back wearing glasses.

Yeah sorry, I had 20/20 vision until about 45 then it went to shit 👀

You can get varifocal contacts- a bloody astonishing bit of tech !

they haven’t told you worse sadly… a lot of people with life long shortsightedness develop vitreous degeneration or detachment. At the very least the large floaters are a pain in arse in bright light and at very worse it can lead to retina detachment . Sadly short sightedness is a plague that doesn’t get easier with aging

once you’ve recovered from the shock of the serious shitload of money varifocal glasses cost and taken a small mortgage on them 😡you do learn to live with all of the above. Yes, it’s not great but there are a lot more serious shit stuff that can happen with your sight with older age

i do wear glasses now, but while I was still working I used varifocal contacts for most stuff and they were great. I just had to gave some stronger looking long distance glasses to go over for driving at night and some cheep over counter glasses for close up work, the lenses did the heavy lifting for most situations.

don’t go laser surgery- there’s all sorts of issues with it that can make a bad problem worse in older age . You WILL manage, frustrating as it is.

but it doesn’t mean you can’t wear contacts - look up how varifocal lenses work

Happened to me I’m afraid and I had 20:10 vision up till then, just started deteriorating in my 40s.

I'm sorry. I have really similar prescription to you and hit varifocals at 46.

To be honest I'm one of those that finds reading smallprint easier with no glasses on and holding the paper / book/ menu right up to my nose. Hence I love my kindle for reading. I can make the font HUGE!

I needed reading glasses in my early 40’s, now they are stronger!

This year, I hit 50 and had to have laser treatment for narrow angle glaucoma so it’s all going to shit quite frankly!

46 just needed my regular distance glasses.

47 could no longer read with them on then struggled with fine detailed work with glasses on or off. Got my first pair of varifocals - love them!

I am 49 and got reading glasses last year. Prior to 47 I had really good eyesight in all aspects. They are only +1.25 but already I can't do without them in low light or small print on food packaging.

I have glasses at 37 if that makes you feel any better!! X

I'm 44. My eyesight is fine, my arms are just too short.

Did you have the same optometrist as me? Mine said the same when I turned 40, and was gleeful at my last eye test (I'm nearly 43) when she found I'm now +0.5 in both eyes (I'm also around -5.5/-6). I don't have reading glasses yet though (and she seemed disappointed when she said it wasn't necessary yet!)

My optician told me that too. Hit your 40th birthday and you need glasses.

Ha, yes it's sad but true. On the plus side I can actually do those magic eye pictures now, spent years wondering what the fuss was!