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.

There must be some hold outs somewhere, but I can’t think of anyone my age who doesn’t need close up assistance. I used reading glasses on top of my contacts as long as I could and then switched to multifocal contacts when computer screens became an issue. DH has been squinting and using his phone to enlarge things. He finally agreed to multifocal glasses.

at least these days we have kindle’s and iPads and can adjust font size. I remember thinking the large font books were funny when I was a kid. Now I understand they are a necessity.

Yes I had laser surgery at 44 and still don’t have to wear reading glasses ten years on.

I was really short sighted at -10 and -9.5 so had laser surgery in my late thirties. The surgeon left one eye slightly short sighted and the other slightly long sighted with the idea that I’d remain free from glasses for a fairly decent amount of time. I’m now 57 and have a very mild reading prescription but can get by without my glasses most of the time.

I am a scientific bonehead but how can I be both short sighted and long sighted?! Can someone explain in words of one syllable to me please?!

I'm 57 and can get by without reading glasses for my phone and books though my eyes do get more tired. Teeny tiny print I would need specs.

My short-sighted prescription also improved from -2.25 to -1.25 last time too!
Tried varifocals and didn't get on. I think my eyes need to be worse before I try again.

DH had perfect vision until 45 now he can't read a thing without reading glasses. I've had glasses since mid 30s, weak prescription for short-sightedness. I wear them all the time for TV, driving and computer work but can see ok without them, they just give me HD vision. I know it's a matter of time until I struggle reading though.

I’m reading this on my phone without reading glasses. I’m 58. I need to remove my regular glasses fir shortsightedness in order to read, but have this far avoided needing reading glasses.

however, I can no longer wear contact lenses. With those I need reading glasses. I tried varifocal lenses but they made me feel seasick. I’ve reverted to regular glasses for distance and just take them off to read.

DH has started wearing a strange pair when working on the computer at home. I think he got them off Amazon 😕. He has not really discussed it much but am guessing he decided he couldn’t see well. They are not ( I repeat NOT) a fashion item.

Meanwhile I can no longer read ingredient lists on supermarket products. Or has that just got ridiculously small?

I know several people who've simply had their existing lenses eviscerated and new, fake ones put in. No need for glasses and contacts - both now have 20:20 vision.

Had near perfect eyesight and this year, the year I turned 48, I’ve had to buy reading glasses. I also have the other sort but my eyesight is ok at the moment so I rarely wear them. My next pair will be varifocals but I declined them this time!

I am short sighted and don’t need reading glasses. If I am wearing my glasses I have to take them off to read. With my contact lenses I have one lens so the short distance and the other the long- works fine.

This is me. I wear just one contact lens sometimes if I'm not driving and going shopping or a walk for example.
That way I can see my phone and into the distance- it's weird at first but your eyes do adjust. I often swap which eye I have the contact lens in.

I’m 48, had a test 2 weeks ago and I don’t need glasses. All is not lost! Weirdly I used to need them but now I don’t!

I’m not very scientific but my optician told me I have a slight stigmatism (oval shaped eyeballs) and that’s why I need both - it was probably more technical than that but I was trying to come to terms with needing glasses for the first time 🤨

I am 70 next year and have only just started with reading glasses, as well as glasses for other sight. I think I needed them Sooner, but the cost put me of and it wasn’t desperate. I do need them now though!

I am more amazed that you have got to your 40s without noticing that virtually everyone over the age of 45 needs glasses at least part of the time.

I have contact lenses, need reading glasses as well now.
And the other day, also used the torch on my mobile phone as well as couldn't read the grey writing on the blue label!

Oh god I never even thought about this, am 47 with a - 6 prescription and only wear glasses. Haven't noticed an issue with reading yet, though I have developed the weird thing with the bright flashes at the out edge of my vision, so annoying this time of year when it's dark for half the day!

I'm 43 and at my last appointment a few months ago he said I would definitely need them in 2 years 😪

I’m 65 and still have no need for reading glasses. So no, it doesn’t happen to everyone!

In actual fact, you can’t (unless you are short sighted in one eye and long sighted in the other).

Short and longsightedness don’t mean what people think they do.

Needing glasses for reading in middle age is presbyopia, not longsightedness.

The “short” and “long” actually refer to where light rays are focussed at the back of your eye, not how close or far away the thing you’re looking at is. But hardly anyone realises that and it’s too complicated to explain most of the time.

Sorry - that is not words of one syllable though!!

rubbish...took to mid 50s to need them.

I've had an almost identical experience at the optician this week. FML!

I am short sighted and started needing a prescription for reading when I was 38!

Presumably you are short sighted in at least one eye though!