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.

Oh, and if the old lady glasses weren't bad enough, your fucking HEARING starts going as well.

Subtitles on the TV are de rigueur these days. I blame an excess of noisy gigs in my younger years.

My name is five chairs, I am 45 years old and I am a varifocal user.

44 here. I need glasses for short sightedness, and reading glasses. I also need different reading glasses for when I am wearing my contact lenses. I keep losing all three pairs.
If I had the money I would go for laser eye surgery, just one pair of reading glasses sounds like heaven.

Nope. Have needed glasses for driving since mid 30's and I mean needed as in "illegal to drive without them" Since my 60's I have had folding ready readers for threading needles, reading the fine print instructions on stuff and doing fine crafting but I don't need them for anything else including reading.

49, perfect until about 40 now can't read this on my phone without glasses and general looking around eyesight not a good as it was.

I also make an oof noise sitting on and getting off chairs, I love comfortable shoes over fashionable shoes and a nice cup of tea and a lie in are the best things in the world.

Aging is a privilege denied to many...

Apparently that happens as your lenses harden.

I'm 43 and had an eye test last year and apparently I'm very close to needing reading glasses. Had a full life of perfect eyesight so it's pretty gutting. My husband has worn contacts most of his life, got laser eye surgery a free years ago and now has perfect vision!

49 and have needed reading glasses for a few years.

Haven't RTFT but I'm very late 50s and don't need reading glasses.

Both me and Dh are short sighted and always needed distance lenses. Neither of us ever needed reading glasses and we are mid sixties. I need them now as I’ve just had cataract surgery(another joy of getting old) and unless you go private it’s the sacrifice you have to make.

Late 50s. Don't need any glasses as yet.

DH didn’t start needing reading glasses till he was nearly 70. I’m in my 50s, very short sighted but don’t need reading glasses yet - no problems with reading or computer use, though I’m beginning to notice I have trouble reading menus in low light, especially if they’re that fashionable pale grey text.

Nope but that's probably because I'm so knackered I'm asleep most of the time. 😊

I’m 44, -9 in both eyes and don’t need reading glasses or varifocals. DH is a middling -2.5 by comparison and also doesn’t need them (same age).

My dad is knocking up 60, and wears glasses, (short sight but not sure of his prescription). No reading glasses.

Late FIL on the other hand, didn’t need distance, did need reading.

I don’t think anything is guaranteed.

TiredArse · Today 20:41

MILLYmo0se · Today 20:11
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!

If you have not already been, then that needs checking out by an optician asap.

I came on to say the same thing. This happened to me, same prescription as you, and the specialist found that I had a detached vitreous. Needs careful watching...please see someone without delay!

I am 58 and very short sighted (- 6). I am only just ever so slightly longsighted and still do not need glasses for reading. It definitely does not happen to everyone.

@CordeliaNaismithVorkosigan Yes, dim lighting is a complete pain!

Sorry OP, I'm another one. I'm now 50 and got reading glasses a couple of years ago. Several of my friends also have them. I can manage fairly well, but dim lighting on menus or labels with small print are challenging.

I was Christmas shopping a couple of days ago and had them on my head so I could look closely at certain items...I refuse to wear them on a chain around my neck.

Oh, and my optician's told me that a cataract has started to form in one eye. It'll be years before it needs removing, but that really confirmed that I'm now on the slippery slope of aging! 😆

No

I made it to my mid 50s probably because I am very short sighted and getting more and more so.

Good on ya

@MILLYmo0se when I got lights at the edge of my vision it was a detached vitreous and a tiny retinal tear. When it happened to my friend it was a (much more serious) detached retina. Please see an optician or eye hospital about if right very quickly.

Ready Readers from market or Car Boot sales at 42 or so. Then proper glasses for screen and reading then varifocals by 50.
Then at 60+ I needed hearing aids. That is shit. Spectacles do work and let you see. Hearing aids are nowhere near as efficient.

You sound great. Love the oof noise.

Had laser surgery in my thirties and then had 17 blissful non- spectacle wearing years. I even lost the dent behind my ears.

Then I went short sighted and longsighted in less than a month at 48 - I was googling MS and brain tumours but the optician said at my age it was perfectly normal. I now wear varifocals all the time and the dent is back

I got glasses in my late 30s after never needing them my whole life 🙄