Short sighted astigmatism lenses

[MotherAbigail]

So I’ve got to the point where my reading vision is deteriorating. I am very short sighted (-7) and have astigmatism. I have just got toric contacts, but need to also use reading glasses with them as Specsavers can’t correct all my issues with lenses without losing distance vision. I also have two pairs of normal glasses - one for reading, one for driving, for days when I’m not wearing my contacts. My prescription means I can’t have varifocals.

This is an absolute pain in the arse and not one item of corrective eyewear gives me good all round vision and I am constantly changing glasses and putting them on and off and need to carry two pairs with me all the time, even round the house!

Is this what my life is going to be like forever now? I’m only 49 and in the grand scheme of things it’s only a small issue, but has anyone else had similar issues and managed to resolve them??

I'd go to another optician and talk about varifocals. I'm short sighted, have astigmatisms, and have prisms in both directions as I squint and I have varifocals

I've got a feeling this is going to be me in a few years too. Very similar correction to you and near sight seems to be getting very slightly blurred. I'm only 40 🥺

Thanks, I did wonder whether a second opinion would be worthwhile. The contact lens optician was lovely and very helpful, but not very experienced.

I wasn’t expecting to have problems, not with all the technology we have these days!

It’s hard to advise without seeing your full prescription but I don’t see why you can’t have varifocal glasses (I’m an optician).
With contact lenses there will always be some compromise to see clearly distance and near, whether that means having reading glasses for over the lenses, or so called monovision where one eye is clear for distance and the other for reading. Though this does work well for lots of people.

What was the reasoning behind not giving you varifocals? Is the astigmatism too high or is it the cost?

I would advise going to see an independent optician with lots of experience. Independent practices are the best bet here as they are generally able to source glasses and contact lenses from different manufacturers and help find one that works for you. Larger chain stores often have limited access to different products

I am a bit less shortsighted than you -6 and -5.5 with the less common type of astigmatism. I also have convergence distortion. I’ve had varifocals for the past five or so years with no issues. My first pair was from Specsavers and more recent pairs have come from Bailey & Nelson and a local independent.

Sorry, convergence insufficiency, not distortion.

Anyway, I would try another optician.

I've been going to an excellent independent contact lens practice/optician in York for years, and I have lenses that correct my -8/-9 and astigmatic prescription. They're monthly ones, as there aren't yet any dailies on the market for my prescription that my optician recommends for my eyes (I need the ones that allow a lot of oxygen through them). I'm just starting to get to the stage where I will either need varifocals or reading glasses, and my optician said next time I see him, we'll discuss which is the best option.

If I were you I'd be seeking a second opinion for sure.

I'm a few years older than you and have a similar prescription. I'm slightly more shortsighted than you actually, and I have astigmatism. Unfortunately I can't tolerate contacts well any more thanks to dry eyes, but when I do I need reading glasses with them.

I have varifocals and get on very well with them, after resisting them for years and juggling ordinary glasses and reading glasses. In fact I have two pairs of varifocals, one with distance vision and one without that I use for computer work.

DH is also very shortsighted, and has a prism. He also has varifocals.

Neither of us went to Specsavers, we go to a local independent optician. Don't give up, there'll be a solution for you.

What is unusual about your prescription that you can't have varifocal glasses? Did they discuss mono vision with you for contact lenses? It sounds bizarre but works incredibly well for a lot of people, we work out your dominant eye and leave that corrected for distance vision. Then deliberately over plus the other eye to help with near vision. The bigger the difference between the eyes the harder it can be to correct but we can often get enough reading in there to see normal stuff like your mobile phone, prices, menus and your dinner, some are fortunate and can tolerate a bigger difference and get the smallest print. People often the have a pair of cheap reading glasses over the top to boost to the tiny print or threading needles etc.
There is also a varifocal toric contact lens being launched, we haven't got it yet and I have no idea of the cost but might be something to try when available.

Short sighted and astigmatism here... Worse script than yours op!!
And I am also 49!
Ordinary glasses and take them off for reading.
Lenses made me too self conscious after years of hiding behind specs!

Agree with everyone saying to get another opinion!

I have shocking astigmatism and short sight, years of being the worst prescription at hospital eye clinic. Have always worn glasses, and then started needing reading glasses too. I just couldn’t cope with swapping pairs around.

Went to Specsavers, who said varifocals wouldn’t work, and would be too distorted.

Went to a highly recommended local independent optician, who said he thought I would do very well with them. He had access to much thinner, more bespoke lens companies than Specsavers.

I haven’t looked back; I loved my varifocals from the second I got them.

Also short sighted with astigmatism and have worn gas permeable for years. I now have varifocal lenses which work fine. I go to a local independent optician that specialises in contact lenses. Excellent care and advice. I think Specsavers are fine for straightforward stuff but for anything else you need experience and expertise.

Thank you so much for all these replies, I will definitely be seeking an independent optician!

The reason for not being able to give me varifocals was because the correction wouldn’t work for my prescription (which I don’t think is an unusual prescription, they always said they have seen worse). They corrected my contact prescription by reducing the distance vision in one eye to try and make it work, but the other one is slightly blurry at both close and distant, which is very off putting.

Yes, i think Specsavers are good for simple stuff and cheap glasses more than anything else.

I've been wearing contacts monovision style for the best part of 15 years now (I'm mid 50s) and manage just fine, my right eye is undercorrected which means I am wearing --9 and -9.5, I have a toric lens (-0.75) in my left eye for astigmatism that is the one I use for distance. For the very rare occasion that this isn't enough for reading (eg ingredient labels on dark backgrounds) I use the magnifier function on my phone. I am just about hanging on with single vision glasses but I do increasingly have to pop them off and look closely at things without, I can see clearly very close up still.

In that case there will probably be a varifocal lens out there for you somewhere. They may perhaps mean you are out of range for their standard suppliers. The type of frame you choose also has an imo
Like others have said you probably need to go somewhere where they have access to a wide range of lenses but unfortunately it will be more expensive

Posted too soon! Meant to say the type of frame you choose also has an impact on spectacle lens availability with certain prescriptions.

mono vision can be very successful...tbh if one eye is not good at close or far then I'd suggest that lens needs changing. It has fallen out of favour though as it's not supposed to be good for your steroscopic vision, but loads of folks do love it.

I did try it, but at that point my reading add was not that big and the decrease in the quality of distance was too aggravating compared to the gain for close.

I have also tried varifocal contacts....the main issue with those is that the options for toric varifocal contacts is lagging compared to the choices for more basic prescriptions, but they are catching up
Visually they were okay to good for everyday but utterly horrific for driving in the dark

The last option is to go for tailor made contacts that correct everything perfectly rather than compromising your astigmatism or using both eyes together. Visually these were fabulous but the material they were made in did not suit me and my wearing time went down to barely more than six hours before I wanted to peel my corneas off and sandpaper them.

I tried these as a guineapig when I was still working as a dispensing optician so the Optoms got to see how they worked and fitted

You do need someone who knows their stuff for toric lenses and even more so when you add in the possibility of the varifocal options! I'd aske if there is a contact lens specialist in your branch and go from there tbh.

My favourite options still remain as lenses with over readers, or just distance specs, I don't seem to struggle with close overly much with just the distance specs and I whip them off and peer at things if anything needs scrutinising.

What's your exact prescription OP?
I'd be amazed if the cyl was too high for any varifocal. You may just need to go somewhere else.

The other option would be to have your distance vision corrected with laser surgery and then you'd just need to wear reading glasses.

Go to an independent optician. I am extremely shortsighted and now needing reading glasses with slight astigmatism. With my independent optician I have separate consultations for my prescription (free) and contact lens fitting. Most of the time I wear my contacts and use reading glasses on top - but I also love my varifocal glasses which I wear at home. The two big problems being that the lenses for the glasses are extremely expensive - £600 and only three people in the country can make them apparently - and they are very thick so I'm self conscious wearing them in public. I did wonder in specsavers would be able to do them cheaper but was told they wouldn't/couldn't.

I think I would go and see an independent optician. I went to a chain once as that's what my work would pay for. I got two pairs of glasses for the price of one at my independent optician. But the pair I had planned to be my "main" pair were never right and I went back multiple times and they insisted they were the same as the other pair (which thankfully were fine). I have never had anything other than perfection from the independent place, and I accept the cost as One of Those Things.

Do you absolutely need the astigmatism lenses? Specsavers tried to give me astigmatism lenses but I found them really uncomfortable and did better with normal lenses.

TBF my prescription isn't far off yours op. I never had problems with contacts until dailies became the thing and then never persevered beyond 45 because the menopause and long sight clicked in and I just started wearing my glasses more due to comfort. Wore contacts very successfully from 16 to about 45.

However I am -7ish in both eyes with astigmatism and long sight. The only time I had a problem with varifocals was with an upmarket chain - the prescription was wrong and their advice "wear them for a week because you have to get used to varifocals". It was my fourth pair and had never had to get used to them preciously, always perfect from day one. I got a refund and went back to my independent optician in London (only changed because we moved).

The chain charged me £860. The independent £679 for an equally good frame and specs with the correct lenses.

My last pair were about £620 so I think the price of good varifocals is coming down.

I agree with posters- see an independebt optician. I’ve had bad experience with Specsavers when I lived in U.K. They really cater to the average patient. Most nearsighted people are only -2, so they have very little experience dealing with those of us with high prescriptions and astigmatism.