That dreaded moment when you realised you might need varifocals...

[HigherNature]

How did you know?

I am 52 years old and started needing reading glasses about 4 years ago. A few months ago I noticed myself squinting a lot when I watched tv. Then I realised I struggled to recognise people's faces from a distance. Then I started getting a bit dizzy and slightly blurred vision even when having a face to face conversation with a mate. This doesn't actually happen all of the time. Sometimes I might see just fine, and other times it seems like a lot of effort.

I have been in denial because I hate the thought that I might need glasses to wear all the time, but I have now booked an eye test for next week.
I'd love to hear your experiences with this.

Also, in the event of needing glasses for more than just reading, am I still okay to grab my prescription and buy online? I find Specsavers so awfully expensive, and hate the fact that their charges are not transparent and have been in shock at the till in the past.

I knew it was coming, discussed with optician two years ago and he said next time.
Sure enough two years later I need them.
They're not obvious anymore. I think the leaps in lense quality is blooming marvellous.

I bought varifocals from Asda for £45 all in, and they've been brilliant.

I ranted for months about how awful it was I was needing varifocals and the pain of being middle aged.

This was not met sympathetically by DH who has glaucoma, has lost his driving licence and can't see his feet but nevermind, I still whinged 🙄

Got the varifocals. Was told I'd be fine in a week. Actually took about 10 days or so and I had to make a lot of effort not to walk into stuff initially.

Now I wouldn't be without them. Get as big a field as you can possibly afford and big frames.

I love my varifocals - nothing I hate more than not being able to see things properly.

Agree on Asda, excellent service too.

I'm not on varifocals as I have vertigo and have been advised mixing this with varifocals especially if I'm driving may be dangerous.

Regardless I've got my most recent specs x 2 - one long and one short distance - from Asda. The manager spent aaaaaages watching while I tried on a zillion frames to give a second opinion coz I'm vain - then when I sat on a pair recently and broke the arm and was unable to find the worlds smallest screw driver to fix he happily repaired it for me. Lovely chap.

The only thing I find with with their lenses is despite keeping on top of cleaning them they're always cloudy if you get me?

Other than that I love them and the price is fab.

I know what you mean about the feeling old bit though

I was driving somewhere unfamiliar and realised I had to get quite close to a road sign to read the name of a town/village etc. I was ok with all the other road signs because I knew them so well and my brain was probably compensating by recognising the shapes. I refused to have varifocals at first. I had my 'driving' glasses and my reading glasses! But what a bloody faff that was. Varifocals are fantastic. I loved them the moment I started wearing them. I can't bear the thought of contact lenses. I honestly wouldn't mess about with varifocals online. I tried it once and they felt all wrong and I couldn't be arsed getting them adjusted. My eyeballs felt like they were swivelling in all directions🤣

I have varifocals, but have worn glasses since I was a child. Very strong prescription, but work great. I’m currently saving to have the lens in my eyes replaced with plastic ones (which option said would work great for me), so would only need reading glasses.

dh has 2 different pairs of glasses - one for reading and one for distance. Neither pair is very strong, but def needed. He spends his whole time taking them off and on again, which would drive me crazy.

mine also have clip on magnetic sunglasses which are great.

I've been shortsighted since 10, wearing glasses, then switched to contact lenses at 18. At around 50, I finally cottoned on to the fact that I was now also long-sighted (couldn't read text with my contact lenses in). I tried glasses over my contacts for close work, but that was a bit pants. Was forever putting them down and losing them. I tried putting them on a chain and making that a bit of a feature, but it just made me feel a bit doddery. Tried varifocal glasses but couldn't get on with them.

Varifocal contact lenses are pretty good, but I do have to trade off between good distance vision (for driving) or good vision for close work (reading, writing, certain DIY or sewing tasks) and if I put them in first thing, my eyes are pretty tired by 5pm. So at that point I switch to glasses for short sight (which lets me drive safely, and watch the telly or a play or film if we're going out) and take them off if I want to read. If we're going out for dinner or meeting folk, then I save up my contact lens time for that occasion, when I'm might only be required to read a menu or a bill.

Basically I spend a fair bit of time not seeing everything perfectly, or looking for my glasses. It's the part of ageing I like least, but it is what it is.

Asda every time.
I got mine 2 years ago and whilst it took me a while to adjust I wouldn't be without them now.
I do also have 'office lenses' for when I'm working, these go from short to mid distance and are really good for reading and computer work. I don't find my varifocals good for lots of small print reading, but for everyday they are brilliant.

So true.

You must get your eyes tested though to check you are ok to drive without glasses if you want to wait and see. If you’re squinting at telly you may find that your further distance is also affected but you’re just not noticing. Get that eye test to be sure and find out what prescription you are for short sightedness (eg distance vision is effected). Onc3 you know your prescription you could get a cheaper pair just for telly and or driving etc .

I've been severely sort-sighted all my life, and have worn glasses for over 60 years. Varifocals are brilliant! However, I'm waiting for a cataract operation, and I'm really looking forward to the change in my vision-my prescription strength should go down considerably.

🤣🤣this was me before retiring. I wore contact verifocals which balanced right for working (I could read small print on over head screen and normal size writing and peoples faces). I then had glasses I’d put on with the lenses to make driving distances sharper and legal, then another reading pair if looking at small print
then I had Some disposable short sighted only contacts for bird watching.
a pair of distance vision (short sighted) glasses for driving /tv and normal wear without contacts, and same for reading without contacts as well.
so many choices, so many decisions 🤣🤣🤦‍♀️
I’m now on a straight pair of verifocal glasses - ditched everything else and stopped contacts as eyes getting too dry. Easier, but I miss contacts sometimes

Varifocals are a no brainer as far as I am concerned. I spent a couple of years in denial but got fed up juggling two pairs of glasses and frequently sitting on the pair I wasn’t wearing.

My advice is to get the best lenses you can afford. Cheap ones have a very narrow field of view.

I'm honestly dreading this day. I wear contacts, never ever glasses, but am limited in the brands of contacts I can wear due to astigmatism so have no idea whether varifocal lenses will suit me. I can't get my head around wearing a different prescription in each eye. How do they decide which eye gets which prescription? Does it take a long time to adjust?

The optician "decides" based on which is your lead eye and what your prescription is.

I have to admit, different strength contact lenses didn't work for me, felt like I couldn't see out of either eye. And in the testing we swapped the eyes round too.

I've got an astigmatism, but it makes no difference to the mono-vision lenses as they are just normal lenses.

I tried varifocal lenses first (on the opticians advice) but they just didn't work for me - I couldn't see near or far!

I knew about mono-vision as my mum has had them for years.

Your brain just worked it out (although they don't work for everyone) and the benefit over varifocal lenses is price as they are just normal lenses.

the main issue with varifocals is theyre more expensive. Ive tried buying some online but its a false economy as theyre more fiddly to get right than single vision and I cant really wear the ones i bought online, whereas buying single vision online was fine.
I think asda opticians dont charge extra for varifocals so worth looking at their range

Oh, and it took no time to adjust, I just put them in and could see near and far again 🙂.

What does take time is getting the balance right, I was back and forward for what seemed like ages getting mine sorted, made worse by it being 2020 and appointments were limited etc.

I went from a mild prescription for reading glasses at 40 to needing hardcore varifocals within 5 years. Decided to try contact lenses instead and have never looked back. It felt amazing the first time I put them in and realised how much I was missing out on seeing. Even with my back up glasses, I just don’t get the crystal clear vision I get with my varifocal contacts.

Usually an astigmatism would mean you'd have torric lenses.

VanGoghsDog, yes I meant normal lenses as in whatever you had before (I have toric) but just a distance prescription in one eye and a reading prescription in the other - rather than vari or multi focals which have both long and short correction within each lense and are therefore more expensive.

I love my Asda optician too. I was seriously impressed after being unimpressed with Boots and Specsavers for years. I'll need varifocals next time. I don't really care as they are all just glasses to me and most people I know in their mid forties need them.

Interested in all the love for varifocals - I hate mine. I have to look down for near vision, which makes using a computer screen difficult unless ii tilt my head back, and I find things like going to the supermarket and switching back and forward repeatedly from distance to near difficult. So I tend to take them off for anything close up, which is exactly what I spent a small fortune trying to avoid. But you really should see what your optician says OP. You can still get your prescription and go elsewhere to buy:

I hate mine. I can use them for watching tv and reading but nothing else. They make me feel sick.