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.

Despite having had glasses for 45 years, 8 of those with varifocals, I have no idea what you mean by lense design. They are just designed to fit in the frame aren't they?

I can't recall what the thinning was but it wasn't quite as much as Specsavers do, which I think might be 9? It hasn't made any difference though, it's only very slightly thicker and as largish glasses and plastic frames are in the sides are hidden. The thinning was the one thing I felt slightly anxious about because I've always gone as thin as I can, but Asda told me any more thinning would distort them which is blatantly untrue as I've had thinning before and it's been fine (and I've never heard that before). And then they tried to tell me I couldn't have had 9 because that's only possible on glass and would be too heavy, and I've not had glass for many years, decades even! So I did feel they didn't quite know what they were talking about and we're just trying to justify not offering quite as much thinning.

But the glasses are actually fine.

You could phone and ask them?

There are several types of varifocal lens. The more sophisticated lens has wider field of view so you are less likely to get the sea sick feeling.

My first pair were the cheapest type and they were horrible. I had to turn my head to look at anything rather than just move my eyes. The expensive type I wear now just feel like normal single vision lenses, except that I can see distance and close up with one pair of specs.

I started getting free eye tests when my prescription hit -10.

Same.

I got glasses from Asda years ago and was pleased with how much cheaper they were than Specsavers, but it was a bit of a faff because I could only see their senior optometrist for both choosing and collecting my glasses and they worked limited hours.

Do Asda have all the special machines for checking eye health now, like Specsavers do? They didn’t when I last went but that was a number of years back. I moved over to Specsavers because of the inconvenience with Asda, but in the years I’ve been with them they’ve only had one pair of neutral coloured frames that suit my strong prescription; I have no choice there at all and have to keep getting the same pair.

However due to serious eye issues (I’ve had a retinal detachment and have a scleral buckle) I stay with them because they have all the machines and can check everything including changes from one appointment to the next. They’ve been great at spotting issues and sending me to eye casualty.

I think I’m at the turning point for needing varifocals as reading things close up has always been a strength but at my last appt they said I might need to swap between my new pair of glasses and my old pair for reading - and I do struggle with reading close up now.

I tried vari contact lenses , really didn't get on with them .
I'm short sighted and my glasses haven't changed for years but I'm now at "that age" where the optician mentions reading books etc as an issue.
Solution for me is a single lens.
One eye without a lens for reading / computer and one eye with a lens for driving / distance .
Might not work for everyone but it works for me!

I didn't have that issue with Asda, they had lots of staff and dispensers were able to dispense without the optometrist.

No, they don't have the new scanning machine, so I need to stay with Specsavers for my eye tests, which is where the NHS sent me. I've had a retinal tear, I've got a partial one in my left eye currently, just waiting now for that to develop, and this macular hole developing in my right eye (which is also the one that had the previous retinal tear).

No spectacles can improve my sight from the floaters left by the retinal tear nor the structural damage the hole has caused, so even with the best specs in the world now I can't ever have clear vision again.

To be fair, the Specsavers guy said they can see the issues without the scan, the scan just helps and confirms what they're seeing. The hospital didn't seem to need that scan when they checked and then operated.

I got told the day after I turned 40 that I needed them. Not impressed

Barnard Castle

Thanks, I will stick to Specsavers for eye tests then. Yes the scans are mainly so they have a photographic record and can compare them I think.

I have complex vision with -12 eyes and astigmatism so Asda said only this one person could deal with me.

I also don’t have great vision even with glasses. After the the detachment on one eye I then developed tears on the other eye but they lasered that retina as soon as they were found. My retinas are both a mess and I have regular flashes, floaters and other strange things going on (I also have cataracts which are bad enough to need removal but can’t be operated on due to my retina issues). I’m just grateful I can see though, as I was told I was lucky to still have vision in the eye where the retina that detached.