Eye sight blurred struggling with glasses

[Italy2rome]

Help! I am 54 & my eyesight went blurred literally over night. Ended up in eye casualty who advised eyes eere healthy & then A&E as convinced it was a stroke or brain tumour. CT scan was cleat. So next visit to optician who advised i neecec to wear glasses every day for distznce, reading & computer screens. I have gone from wearing no glasses to juggling 3. I hate wearing them & feel I have lost my identity. I look like an old lady. But worse is the feeling i am seeing yhe world divferently. Everything is so magnified I can see every spec of dust which has led to ocd spending hours cleaning. I dont recognise myself when lookimg in the mirror i can see evey pore & my skon looks lime orange peel. It has affectec my mental healtb so badly tbat i dont want to leave the house or work in the office. Researched contact lenses but overwhelmed with thr thought of putting something in your eyes. Any advise appreciated

That sounds quite horrific OP.

Did they not suggest you try varifocals rather than have three seperate pairs of glasses?

I can really sympathise with the seeing every spec of dust and every imperfection though. I was extremely short sighted all my life. I generally wore contact lenses when out and about and glasses around the house. In reality when I was in the house I only put my glasses on when I needed them for eg watching TV or using my laptop. So I had cataract operations in January and now i'm no longer short sighted i can now see all the dirt and dust in my house and the imperfections on my face. And yes it really has upset me so I understand how you feel.
I'm slowly adjusting to my new vision. And hopeless you will.

All i can suggest is possibly varifocals . And I know that opticians used to let customers have trials of wearing contact lenses. It might be worth seeing if you can have a trial. You might get on with them better than you anticipate

I'm a similar age to you and have worn glasses since I was 11.

You'll get used to it but yeah, varifocals.

Make sure you wear them to drive as your licence will probably have the need to wear glasses noted on it.

I’ve worn contacts for 40 years and HATE it when I have to wear glasses so I do feel your pain re how you look and feeling hidden behind them. I am so short sighted I have to wear one or other all the time so have never had the shock of seeing properly suddenly thing though. I’d give contacts a try, ask your optician.

Thank you for your replies and empathy. I dread getting up in the mornings as everything is so blurred & knowing i will be wearing glasses all day. My eyes feel heavy & tired that i no longer enjoy watching tv. Optician advised varifocals but heard so many bad reports that they make you feel dizzy & magnify under the eye even more. Have been looking at utube videos of putting in/out contact lenses & it looks scary...any advise? I know it sounds vain but my outfits dont match the face. I liked fashion & always took pride in my appearance but now its just an old lady face wearing young clothes.

I'm not the best person to advise re contact lenses because I've worn them so long I can't remember what it was like when I first tried them. But I cannot imagine life without them. I have varifocals for when I'm not wearing the contacts (first and last thing or ill) but just don't feel like myself in glasses. No dizziness or actual issues seeing out of them though, I just physically hate wearing glasses and don't feel ready for the day till my contacts are in. I can't even get out of bed safely without glasses in case I step on something or trip over.

Putting contact lenses in and out is extremely easy with a bit of practice. I can't tolerate glasses at all so had to learn, despite being terrified of touching my eyes and completely unable to use eye drops. If I can do it anyone can. A good optician will take the time to teach you and there are various techniques you can try. You'll think it's impossible and within weeks you'll be doing it without even thinking.

Btw you can get varifocal contacts. The outer part of the lens for distance and the inner for near (or the opposite, I forget, but basically not like varifocal glasses at all as you have a full range of vision). I can't recommend them enough.

Varifocal glasses are the best thing since sliced bread. Some people struggle with them but most get used to them pretty quickly.

I have been wearing glasses since I was a teenager and am not worried about how I look in them.

I wear contact lenses sometimes, and I would say they took a little while to get used to - more than a week but less than a month. But unless I'm running, I actually prefer wearing glasses. They are an important part of my chosen image and I feel a bit boring without them. If you think your glasses make you look like an old lady then you may have chosen frames that aren't quite right for you. I think frames that are deeper/rounder make you look physically younger than narrow oval ones, but also the style can be associated with different age groups - frames that are very slightly cat's eye, but not exaggerated enough to be an obvious style statement, can look a bit old-fashioned, as can very dark frames. And be aware that you can customise frames (maybe your spare pair if you have one) with nail varnish. I've made a multicoloured speckled pair and one with a bit of subtle silver glitter at the outer corners! I do remember the slight sadness when I first started wearing glasses most of the time - in my case it was not the way they looked, more that putting them on every morning felt kind of like a chore, "oh no, one more thing to worry about," but that didn't last long. I hope it's the same for you. Any issues with things looking a bit weird at the edge of your glasses soon become normal too.

Optometrist here.
Have you started taking any new meds recently? It's fairly unusual for your vision to deteriorate that quickly.

I would definitely recommend trying contact lenses - if you don't like putting them in, then go back to glasses. There's nothing to lose by trying them.

I would honestly try varifocals. I’ve been wearing them 10 years or so and they are only awkward for the first week or two.

contacts too are easy enough once you get over the first few times of putting them in.

I didn’t get on with varifocal lenses but wear a lens for short sight in one eye and a distance one in the other

@jetlag92 hi I am on HRT & take b12 calcium tumeric & vitamin c. Recently taken cortisol detox. Having some blood tests next week to see if there are any deficiencies

Honestly OP apart from.the fact I disliked wearing glasses in principle I had no problem with varifocals right from the get go. I know some people take a bit of adjustment to wearing them but I'm surprised you have heard so much negativity about them.

I can understand you reticence about contact lenses. I wore them off and on for 50 years and I would lie if I didn't say they weren't sometimes problematic for me. But you do get used to putting them in and taking them out -the optician will give you advice and coach you in how to do this .Contact lenses are a God send if you don't like yourself in glasses. And also so convenient for certain activities.

Have your blood sugar levels been tested? If you’re developing diabetes, that can blur your vision.

I wear glasses for distance but around 45 my eyesight did deteriorate and I now have varifocals. You did loose my sympathy when you said glasses make you look like an old lady, some of us have worn them since our teens! You are fortunate to not have needed them yet but I do suspect it was less sudden than you realise, it’s just it crossed a threshold (with me I boarded the wrong train because id misread the big board!)

get used to actually wearing glasses first then consider switching to varifocals for general use (I still have cheap computer glasses because my varifocals just aren’t set quite right for working at a screen for hours). I switched to varifocals when I was struggling to see the speedo in the car. Go out for dinner with a bunch of 50 somethings and there’s much trading of reading glasses, holding of menus in and out and whining about eyesight, it’s normal. Do attend annual eye tests and if you get any form of shadow, dots or flashes go to eye a&e, that indicates a potential emergency

Please do not take anything messing around with your cortisol, mostly because it’s a load of old nonsense - your body should regulate its cortisol levels itself but if it can’t then that’s very serious - see Addisons / adrenal insufficiency and cushings. I have Addisons (adrenal insufficiency) and it’s a serious, life long, potentially fatal condition. It needs to be diagnosed via endocrinology. All this stuff in the media about cortisol is just a way to get money from people. It is possible these meds have messed about with your eyesight, the HRT can also cause changes to your eye lubrication - usually in a good way, as menopause can make eyes drier and HRT can help with that but it can also make eyesight a bit different. If you’ve recently started these meds and your eyesight has suddenly changed it seems fairly obvious there may be a connection.

I have very bad eyes (-9.50 both eyes with retinal issues, my glasses make my eyes look tiny even with the thinnest lenses!), I also have Sjogrens and lots of autoimmune issues so I had to stop wearing contact lenses at 45 after 30 years of wearing them. Contacts are very easy to get the hang of so if this is something you’re interested in book a trial and give them a go.

You can usually get a trial with contacts? I wore them for many years - for most people it just takes a few tries to get used to putting them in and taking out. You don't feel them once they are in your eye. In your position I would try them as you're struggling with glasses.

I’ve just moved to varifocal lenses. They are brilliant.

Contacts are not always easy. I tried for close on 3 months and gave up.
But I don't mind glasses. I like the different looks they give me and they certainly don't make me look older. Been wearing them since early 40s.

If you think they make you look like an old lady then you've chosen the wrong style. I've worn glasses since I was 3. I can't get on with varifocals so have fairly cheap reading/computer glasses but spend a lot more on my main pair. It helps to take photos of yourself trying on lots of different shapes and styles of frames. Think about what suits the shape of your face rather than what's in fashion. I really like very stylish chunky black frames but the reality on me is more serial killer vibe so I avoid them and go for something more flattering.

Farewelltothatid ; I'm exactly the same as you! I love not having to fumble for my glasses in the morning, and not getting rain all over them; but my face looks "saggy" without the glasses hiding part of it.😁

I wear glasses. You do seem to have an odd opinion of glasses @Italy2romeI find they are part of me. I like new styles and my DD has quite a collection too. I’ve had a problem with one eye and needed frequent lens changes before o had an operation. However you certainly should look at varifocals. DH swears by his snd I’m just getting mine. I think he found judging near distance a slight issue for around a week. I’m hoping for a good experience. I do think you are very pessimistic about this. You have good sight if you see specks of dust!

It sounds as if you just need to get used. Contact lenses will make everything just as clear. I know it's a shock when you go from gradual perfect sight to really noticing. You get used to it. Now you need to get used to seeing properly again.

Have a play around with frames and when you're used, get the lenses you need so you don't need multiple pairs.

I didn't realise how bad mine were until I played a split screened game with my teen. He thrashed my arse because I couldn't see it properly.

It sneaks up on us.

OP I'm not usually harsh on here but I think your reaction is out of proportion. I'm younger than you and have spent 40 years wearing glasses, my daughter has worn them since early childhood, so you're blessed to have had good eyesight for 54 years. The reason you're seeing dust etc is because you obviously weren't seeing properly before! Why are you catastrophising about varifocals? They changed my life and stopped me "looking like an old woman" as you put it because I don't have to change glasses. Although I'd recommend having a separate pair for working on a computer as I don't find varifocals are the best for that. There are loads of different styles of glasses and as long as you can afford it you can have as many pairs as you want. I really don't understand how some people would rather go around with rubbish vision than wear a pair of glasses. Obviously contacts are an option too.

OP did you take Ashwagandha as part of the detox? That can affect the eye focussing mechanism.