Eyesight getting much worse - is that normal in your 40s?

[EyeOfNewtBigtoesOfFrog]

Just want to know if this has happened to other people.

I've gone from perfect eyesight for most of my life, to being given a prescription 4 years ago for screen use. 18 months ago I was tested again and eyes were slightly worse so got new glasses.

At that time, I could read anything/work on laptop etc without my glasses, it was just a bit more tiring and not quite so easy as with them on. But since then it feels like that's changed and I actually can't see small print or look at the screen without going "gahh where are my glasses". I can't read instructions on cosmetics and food packages at all because it's always too small. Basically I feel like I've now become a person who needs to wear glasses all the time.

I'm OK with that and I'm going back to the optician's for another test - but I'm also a bit worried. I was kind of expecting my sight to decline very gradually. (I'm 44.)

Same here.. very simiar ro Starballbunny.
I was already short sighted.. quite significantly at - 5.50 and -5.00.
THEN I couldn't read things close up either! I wear contacts for short sightedness in the day biut now use cheap readers for print, and in the evening I wear my (short sight prescription)glasses and have to life them off to MN or see my knitting.

I KNOW I need varifocals but the cost is making me struggle on at the mo.
After years of having crap eyesight anyway I find it really annoying it has managed to get even worse!!

I'm shortsighted and wear contact lenses then I got to 40 and found my optician would do extra tests during my routine glasses or lenses checkups. Just because I'd turned 40. So all you have been describing sounds right to me. I'm now 42 and my optician has 'reduced' my lenses prescription by 0.25 so that I'm not squinting at tins of beans. It has helped!

I think it's 0.25 . Anyways adjusting them down has helped with reading some small print and I don't notice the change in looking at distance

These are all great posts - yet I am still confused ha ha
I am short sighted and have been wearing glasses or contacts since my late teens. Two yrs ago my prescription was strengthened a teeny bit, the first time in many years. In the last year I am finding I cant actually see labels in the supermarket or read with my glasses on, I can almost work on the PC without them as well???? So, does this mean I can expect the option of varifocals or is it OK to just take my glasses off for close work?

Does the prescription for the short sightedness get worse as well as the near sight getting 'better' - so confusing. I am due an eye test and will find out soon enough, just wondered if someone can put me straight :)

I'm 46 and have had to have my prescription for short sightedness made stronger this year, no sign of long-sightedness yet. I'm so shortsighted I can barely see past the end of my nose.

However, in anticipation of this happening, about 4 years ago my optician switched my contact lenses to one optimised for close work and one for distance, it works really well. Maybe you could try that in contact lenses Brighter - Never heard of it being done with glasses though.

Thanks WhoKnows - that sounds like a weird but great option, I won't try to understand how one lense for each distance need works :)

The thing that seems so strange is not needing my glasses for things nearer to me, when for years I did - at the moment I am taking them on and off a lot and walking around the house without them, then losing them. I will look into using contacts again.

worn glasses and lenses for short sight for nearly 35 years. Now starting the long arms thing, and got a shock the other day when trying to thread a needle. Also take OFF glasses for bedtime reading.

not bad enough yet for reading glasses but here it comes...