Contact lenses - anyone wear them over 40?

[EscapetothePorch]

...Because, I haven't worn them for a while and am considering getting some new ones. Am seriously short-sighted but now also do that, having-to-take-peer-over-my-glasses-or-hold-things-at-arms-length-to-read-the-small-print thang. I remember reading somewhere that the solution they come up with is to put a near-sighted lens in one eye and a long-sighted lens in the other. I can't imagine what this is like. Does anyone else have any experience/advice?

I have worn contact lenses for 25yrs and have no plans to stop Today I discovered that my dominant eye has become more dominant and my other eye slightly less short sighted.... so feel like one eye doesn't work properly My short sight is still very good either with or without lenses or glasses, and distamnce is pretty much as crap as it's always been. I'm 42btw. Interesting posts here though, thanks for all the info!

just watching

I've used disposables, am very short-sighted with astigmatism, couldn't cope when working in an office (too difficult to read) but really good outdoors especially in the rain.

I've met a few overseas consultants on assignments to Moorfields, and noticed they all wear specs. No contacts or lasers for them

Tried multifocal lenses. Too dry by a looong way.

Tried the mono ocular thing, but the having to close one eye at the theatre and halos round lights when night driving was really not good so went back to my usual lenses and use pound shop reading glasses at the moment. Just starting having odd pronghorns with the pc though-not reading or distance iyswim!

I have a good friend in her 40s who wears two different lenses (mono vision) and it works very well for her.

A while ago I tore one of my last lenses and couldn't find my backup glasses. I had to wait for my prescription to arrive which took almost two weeks. During that time I wore my one lense in my dominant eye. I was shocked to discover that after three days I barely noticed it anymore. My brain had almost completely compensated for the non-corrected eye and unless I was actually thinking about it I saw no blurriness. Both eyes are -7, although right is marginally better.

Try mono vision, you might be amazed.

I only wear them occasionally and carry some £1 shop reading glasses around.

I have tried bifocals. Yes you can now get bifocal lenses.

my mum has different ones in each eye so that she doesn't also have to have reading glasses.

She had contact lenses for short sight for years (at least 20+) and when her nar sight started to go they switched her lenses to the "different one for each eye" (not bifocal).

She is 66 and has had these ones for at least 5 years and says they are brilliant.

I've different prescriptions in each eye, works brilliantly. I am 48 and been wearing daily contacts for a year. No need for reading glasses. Took a while for optician to get it right.

ZOMBIE THREAD ALERT

I've always worn one for distance and the other for close up. It works for me.

As others have said, over 40 and contacts? no problem. CLs for over -11D are readily available so no need for RGPs. Use daily contacts if at all possible as this is the most hygienic and has far fewer complications.

'I remember reading somewhere that the solution they come up with is to put a near-sighted lens in one eye and a long-sighted lens in the other. '

Sound like you either need two different prescriptions for each eye, or you need multifocals - either way, you can definitely wear contact lenses.

As your optician for an eye test, then take your prescription and buy them online, it's a lot cheaper. I'm short-sighted and usually buy from here: www.feelgoodcontacts.com/

I use daily disposables. I have previously used them in monovision mode with no issues but now i wear them fully corrected for distance. I then use a pair of ready readers as and when required. I use spherical dailies i.e NOT torics even though like most people, i have a degree of astigmatism.

It is perfectly possible to use spherical lenses rather than torics even if you have astigmatism. A rough guide is that if the degree of astig is 1D or less,you will probably be fine with spherics which is good as they are simpler,cheaper and have far fewer complications /