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.

Here I am.
-2 in both eyes + astigmatism.
Mid 40s and need contacts to see and cheapo readers to read.
Night time is getting harder, but as it's dark from the time I go to work until the time I leave, there's not much I can do.
Reluctant to get verifocals cos specsavers never seen quite able to get my regular glasses quite right.

This is news to me! I'm -6.5 in both eyes, usually wear contacts and glasses otherwise and haven't noticed any change just yet. 47 next week.

I’m mid 40s and, this year, the prescription glasses I’ve worn pretty much unchanged for astigmatism for 20 years stopped working up close and I’ve had to buy some reading glasses off Amazon.

Getting older sucks!

The optician said the same to me when I went in the summer, I'm 47. She said you don't need them yet but you may do in the future as you're at that age now.

My eyesight hasn't changed since I was about 18.

My optician said three years ago that my next glasses will be verifocals. I wanted to prove him wrong, but I am now very slightly near sighted. It felt like he took the tiny last bit of innocence around age I had and I resent him to this day. I didn't need to be told then.

I feel the pain- I've had two lots of laser eye surgery (I had a massive prescription so needed another one soon after the first) and enjoyed a decade free of glasses only to turn 41 and seeing my eyesight weaken :(

I have an annual get together with large group of old friends. Since we all turned about 43 one by one we have started needing reading glasses, regardless of who had good sight initially. There are still about 3 holding out at 48 now out of 15. It's an annual discussion now 😆

52 in January. Short sighted since 14. Still don't need reading glasses - can still read the smallest font on the test page. So no it doesn't always happen.

Yep. I had absolutely perfect 20/20 vision. The only one in my family who didn’t need glasses. I probably was about 45 when it started to go, and I had to admit defeat and get reading glasses a couple of years later. I’m now 49 and have three distinct needs- no glasses for >2m, +1 for using a pc, and +2 for reading up close. Not going to lie, I hate it and find it endlessly frustrating.

42, -3. Something in both plus astigmatism

No sign of needing reading glasses as yet

46 , shortsighted ( -3.5)
At my recent eye test they found that my vision when reading or using the computer is best at -3 ( so my vision ) is correcting itself .

i still use - 3.5 for driving but it’s harder work to accommodate for near work using these glasses .

Yep me too! Was offered varifocsls at last appointment, since hitting forty my 'everything' just fallen to pieces! I'm a walking disaster (ironically I can't actually walk)

I will be 50 in March, eyesight -7/ -7.5 since childhood. No where near needing reading glasses and never been mentioned by opticians. I know and work with many people age 40+ who don’t need glasses or who just have distance vision ones. So don’t panic just yet - keep getting regular check ups and wait and see!

So far so good. 67 and no glasses of any kind (yet!).

The only time I seem to have a slight issue is looking at the electronic timetable displays in airports and train stations from a distance. I reckon it's the way they are lit or something! Can see reg plates and so on from the necessary distance.

On the other hand, I am 60% deaf, so use hearing aids! Nobody's perfect 😊

I'm 48 and my kids find it hilarious I now do that old lady thing of removing my glasses to read labels on things

Can someone explain why laser eye surgery doesn't work unless you are young? 43 and forgot glasses yesterday and realised I couldn't see any signs at all, which is why I use them for driving but weirdly came as a shock walking around (I've been wearing sunglasses with lenses in for the whole summer so this may have been happening for a while!)

Yes, just happened to me. Early 40s. Never needed glasses before and now need reading glasses

Wait until you find out about menopause fucks up your life, OP.

64 and don't need reading glasses. I do have glasses that I wear for driving at night, but I technically don't need them (I feel my night vision isn't what it used to be).

I’m - 7.5. I fiddled about with two pairs of glasses for a couple of years in my forties before throwing in the towel and accepting my varifocal fate.

Yes, I think if you have “elongated eyeballs “ it’s pretty inevitable. Sorry.

Happening to me now. My eyesight is deteriorating yearly now.

Both my parents were moved to varifocals in 40s. It's so expensive!

Meh, just wait for your fifties @ThisMustBeMyDream, you stop giving a shit about anything because you simply cannot be arsed with it. It's very liberating! 😁

Dh is 60 and doesn't need glasses for anything. I'm 56 and need glasses for reading, probably for 4/5 years now.

Late forties here. Always had perfect vision. Just picked up my varifocals this week for reading and computer screen work. Depressing.

I'm 50 and I don't need reading glasses. However my distance vision is not as good as it was at 20 - I think you tend to keep near or distance vision but not both, because your eye loses the flexibility to adapt.