Contact lenses? Very confused!

[TheRealLillyAllenVerifiedAccount]

I wear varifocals but change to readers for computer use, reading, sewing etc. This saves me from having to hold my head at weird angles so I can look through the bit of the lens that let's me see close up.

I've never had contacts before but am thinking about getting a trial. I'm really confused though. The lady in the opticians (not the optician) was in full sales pitch mode and it was busy.

She said you can get verifocal contact lenses. But dont you then end up having to hold your head at an odd angle to use a PC etc? She said no but you need to change your sight line with glasses to see through the right bit so why would that be different with contacts?

She also said you can get a short sighted lens for one eye and a long sighted lens for the other but how does that work? Does your brain just chose the one you need to focus?

Can I just get long sighted contacts and then the appropriate strength readers to wear over the top when needed?

I also get very dry eyes. Will contacts make that worse? The lady said it wont make it worse but I'll need to make more of an effort to use drops. To me, that sounds like it will make it worse?

TBH maybe it's all a lot of effort when I'm not overly bothered about wearing glasses anyway.

I’ve worn contacts for 20+ years and am now getting to the stage of needing reading glasses. At the moment if I need them I just put reading glasses on or take my contacts out if I’m close to bedtime (plucking eyebrows etc!)

I have an eye test tomorrow so am going to ask about varifocal contacts - like you I can’t really imagine them! Not interested in one eye long one eye near (for me, without the contacts my near vision is fine, so I’d just be wearing one contact).

I use daily disposables which don’t cause me any dryness (the longer wear ones did) and also don’t need cleaning etc. not sure if they are available in varifocal!

I'd probably use the daily ones too. The lady said they were available. More expensive (especially for verifocals I'd imagine) and probably awful environmentally. My mum ended up with some sort of permanent fungus or something in her eye from wearing the ones you reuse until your prescription changes. If she wears contacts again, she risks loosing her sight.

Would you let me know what they say?

I'm like you but now use reading glasses when needed. I wear gas permeable hard lenses. I tried varifocal contact lenses once they were awful. Distance and near vision was poorer.

Did you have to move your head about to use the right bit of lens? If I try to use my verifocal glasses on a computer I sort of have to point my nose to the ceiling.

I can't remember. It was years ago but they were awful. With lenses in I had excellent distance vision and with +1.5 or +2 reading glasses and lenses or no lenses and glasses I had excellent short vision. I just recall both types of vision were poorer, especially the distance vision.

I've worn hard and gas permeable lenses for over 40 years with no issues.

I wear gas permeable varifocal lenses and they are brilliant. No need to put your head at weird angles or anything like that.

I love my daily disposable verification lenses so so much. They’re like actual magic.

So you can just look straight on and see a car number plate or the time on yoyr watch?

Sounds like magic!

I wear multifocal daily disposables, they are brilliant!

I couldn't get on with varifocal glasses but contacts work well. Sounds odd, but one eye is for long distance and the other eye is for close up. Your brain sort of figures it out!

I have worn multi focal daily lenses for several years. They are magic. The way it works is that for close work your pupil closes a bit and you only look through the middle part if the lens which is your close prescription. When you look at a distance your pupil opens up and you look through the outer ring of the lens which is your distance prescription (preparing to be flamed by an optician first that description!!)

However there only a certain amount of difference between the two prescriptions that they can deal with, so I now have to wear generic readers for reading even with the lenses in.

Of course! Although I may forget so feel free to prod me next week.

I dont need to move my head about. I've certainly never had to look up at the ceiling. You should be able to just move your eyes with maybe a very small head movement. Are you sitting at the correct distance from your screen?
With varifocal you really do get what you pay for so some are better than others. If you chose the cheaper options then there will be a larger transition between each prescription. I can work on my screen, look at my watch, read written text and look at the window and focus all with minimal head movement. Nothing more than someone with perfect vision would have to do.

I wish they'd work, they do sound amazing.

I once tried a good quality VF glasses form Specsavers and HATED them I did not at all get on and had to return. My mum wears them without any issue.

So how do these contacts work for near and far sightedness?

See my comment above- how it was explained to me by the optician

I'm 72 and have worn contact lenses of various kinds continuously since I was 16.

I now wear daily disposable lenses which are brilliant. I've not had a problem with dry eyes.

Since I started to need reading glasses (on top of my existing very short sight) I have worn varifocal lenses and now wear different strength lenses in each eye.

The varifocals were absolutely fine. I had no problems at all. There was no need to adjust the position of my head or eyes, the lenses just always seemed to be in the right position. (Unlike my varifocal glasses which I do find a pain.)

However, I have switched to wearing different strength lenses in each eye because it is cheaper and I can't see any difference in the quality of eyesight. My brain just works it out automatically, I don't have to think about it at all. My optician tells me that not everyone can get on with the different strength lenses, but it is definitely worth giving it a try and seeing if it works for you simply because it is cheaper. A decent optician should give you a few days' trial lenses for free to see how you get on.

I would add that I would avoid the big chain opticians because you will not see the same optician each time and they are primarily interested in selling you things (and up-selling whenever possible). Much better to go to an established independent opticians where you see the same person every time and can develop a relationship of trust.

I've been going to the same optician for more than 25 years. We know each other very well - he treated my children as well when they were younger - and, although he's obviously running a money-making business, he discusses the costs and the pros and cons of various options with me very transparently. For example, a new improved type of daily disposable lenses was available recently and he suggested I try them. He gave me a week's free supply to trial and at the end of it I could could see no difference at all between the new lenses and my existing ones, so we both agreed it made no sense for me to switch to the new, more expensive ones.

@VanCleefArpels explains it beautifully. I love mine too, although have gas permeable lenses that need changing only when I've lost one. My optician (local, independent) maintains they're better for the eyes than disposable as they cover less of the eye surface so more oxygen gets to the eye. Never had any infection, and I just clean them each evening when I take them out.
I've worn varifocal lenses for more than ten years now, and no need for extra reading glasses or any other change.

Ha, sorry I hadn't read that 😊thank you.

However there only a certain amount of difference between the two prescriptions that they can deal with, so I now have to wear generic readers for reading even with the lenses in.
It's still possible to have contact e.g. for driving and then use reading glasses on top?

Great thread, I hate swiping between my glasses. It makes me feel uncoordinated and clumsy.

Yes this is what my optician recommended as I was finding reading with my lenses in difficult. If I’m not wearing lenses I have specs with varifocal lenses and separate pair of single vision near sight glasses fur computer/reading

@TheRealLillyAllenVerifiedAccount I wear varifocal glasses need them for both close and distance, I dont need to hold my head at strange angles ever. Surely if you are havibg to do that the glasses aren't fitted correctly.

I'm very short-sighted and wear varifocal glasses. I've also worn contact lenses for decades. As I became slightly long-sighted as well with age, I tried varifocal contacts but hated them. I go with the lower prescription in one eye that fools my brain into improving my long sightedness without compromising my distance vision.

It's not perfect, and I still find reading and close work easier in glasses but I like having contacts for exercise and going out.

I couldn't get on with varifocal glasses, so I use standard monthly contacts, and just put readers over the top when needed. I buy my reading glasses online and they only cost £20! I don't get dry eyes, as modern contacts are "juicy".

My standard glasses/glasses, which I only really use in the evening, cost £300. Gulp. And those I have to move up and down my nose, or take off altogether when I am reading.

I am very short sighted.

I wear daily disposables that are very slightly undercorrected so I can read a lot of things close up. If I can't, I wear readers as well as my lenses.
I would think you might struggle with dry eyes, but a free trial would give you a good idea.
Did you go to a high street chain? I think an independent optician would be better as you won't get the hard sell and they should know what they're talking about.

I am very short sighted and have worn contacts for many years. Until three years ago the technology wasn’t there for multifocals in my prescription. Well now it is, and as someone said above, they are like magic! No more reading glasses, no head tilting or anything ( no more than a person with perfect sight). I have fortnightly ones . My optician did say there are a few people who just can’t wear them but thankfully I can . They’re a real game changer.