Contact lenses? Very confused!

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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 wear contact lenses with reading glasses over the top. They don't do varifocal lenses in my prescription.

Monovision (different strength in each eye) top up glasses to get my sight as good as it can be for driving . Daily disposables designed to solve the dry eye problem ( total1 in my case, other lenses are available!!!!)
Good luck

I love my contacts (dailies, my biggest extravagance tbh).

My eyes are both -2.5 (were -3.5 tho) and I wear -1 in my left eye which means I can read the computer at work but my right eye sees to drive, in the cinema etc.

I can read with them in too tho tbh when it’s late in the evening I just take them out. Bc I am shortsighted I can read/sew/do anything close with just my actual eyes. Put my glasses on then if I want to see what you are saying!

I wear varifocal lenses - mine are dailies and criminally expensive, I think £54 a month. I tried mono vision which is a cheaper option as you just need two different standard lenses, but my brain couldn’t figure it out. My glasses are standard distance vision as I only wear them at home, but I plonk them on top of my head if I am eg painting my nails or plucking my eyebrows.

I have worn GP (hard gas permeable) ones for 60 years (for me they only need changing approx 5-7 years). I am very particular about cleaning/soaking and have only had one infection. It was my fault as I took out a lens with dirty hands. No other problems apart from my age (78). They have 3 vision fields, distance, reading, mid range (computer). Your eyes pick up whatever they need automatically, so you don't keep moving your head.

GP lenses take longer to adjust to (5/6 weeks) but once you are used to them it's up to you how long you wear them. I wear mine 7 am to bedtime normally.

Following this as a short sighted lens wearer who is slowly also become long sighted! I’ve been told about varifocal lenses but also confused about how this works for focussing on near and distance. I don’t want to have to move my head a certain way. I’d rather just stick reading glasses on. My lenses are monthlies (new set every month, take off at night) and they are soft. I’ve never had an infection.
But to answer your question about dryness- no. I’ve worn lenses for over 30 years and don’t experience dryness at all unless I wear them longer than recommended. Even then, they seem to be getting better at managing even 12-14 hours wear.

I wear the mono ones. Single use. Different strengths in each eye. I used a high street optician trial and the staff member doing it was great. Before mono we tried different varifocals too but I just felt seasick and drunk. Not had any issues with mono. My brain just preferred them. I wear my varifocal glasses too when not wearing lenses, and have no issue switching between the two.

Funnily enough I have been trialling multifocal lenses today! They are constructed differently to varifocal glasses. vanclee describes it well - Dinolil has described monovision lenses, which I have used very happily until now but my prescription has got too strong.

first day experience - see and focus well at mid to long distance so felt fine to drive, could see dashboard clearly too. But was struggling to see well enough to read phone/book easily. Sid not test on vdu today. Will persevere and see if my brain gets used to them.

My optician gave me 2 different lenses and didn't tell me. To me it was like looking through a cracked mirror! I went back and ended up with driving lenses and had pop ons for reading.
My sister had variafocal lenses and said they were great. Have a trial. Fingers crossed for you

With my multifocal daily lenses, apparently there’s concentric rings of both my distance and close up prescriptions. They’re not quite as good as my varifocal glasses but great for sport and going to the gym.

I like having the daily ones so there’s less risk of infections. I always take them out to shower.

I get mine from Asda opticians- they work out as just over £1 per pair.

My best friend wears the varifocals and she said that they are awful. Is changing back.

Im 48 with dry eyes and find wearing contacts is far preferable to glasses. I have astigmatism but don't have the corrective lenses. If they get dry I just whack some drops in.

I have - 2.75 in one eye and - 3. 25 in the other. And I wear reading glasses for the pc at work which correct the astigmatism and give me the close up I need.

I don't need reading glasses for a book or my phone unless I'm tired.

I've been wearing daily contacts for 18yrs - I stopped wearing glasses when I had my daughter as they were so impractical being out and about and in rain and playgroups etc.

The amount I've spent I should have lasered my eyes then!

I wear my contacts from the moment I get up until I take them out when I get into bed. 16hrs a day pretty much. Never ever wear glasses except on long haul flights and in hospital after surgery.

BTW op, you'd want 'silicon hydrogel' lenses. Best for allowing oxygen to the eye.

You won’t have to move your head - that won’t help because the lenses are in your eyes and will move with you! You move your eyes so look up look left look right etc etc - it will be horrendous at first and then you will get used to it.
I wear contacts and now I am old I have reading glasses. I can’t be arsed with the drama of getting used to varifocals. Depends on how bothered you are by the glasses really. If you are quite happy I wouldn’t bother going through the faff. If you fancy giving it go then why not! You can always decided it’s not for you and there will no punishments 😁
Good luck! X

I wear multifocal lenses. Both are +2, one is -5.25 and the other -6. My short sight is -6 in both eyes. They work really, really well. Your brain is very clever!

I’m currently going through this and getting nowhere. I’ve got mild astigmatism - don’t need toric contacts. My glasses prescription used to be over -10 but went down by .5 ish

If I’m wearing -9.5 contacts I need +1.5 or +2 readers. And I can’t wear those when driving but also can’t see the sat nav clearly enough. I’ve tried varifocal glasses - keep falling down stairs .

I’ve tried about 4 different kinds of varifocal soft lenses. I’ve tried different strengths in each eyes -double vision. I work with large multiple monitors all day amd my priority is to be able to see that or read. I am indoorsy.

But obv also need to be able to drive.

I’m fed up trying lens after lens. ☹️

Anyone got any suggestions? With Brand and lense name ideally 😀

I wear monovision daily disposable lenses and they are fantastic. My left eye is +4 and my right eye is +1.75 or something like that. My vision is great when I’m wearing them as they correct for reading and distance. I couldn’t be bothered with the faff of glasses. I just buy cheap reading glasses to wear at home (+2 or 3) and they are fine.
I have dry eyes but use the lubricating drops and I can usually get around 12 hours wear with each pair of contacts. I use Total 1 toric.

I've worn varifocal glasses for several years now and if they are made/fitted properly there should be no need to move your head to see anything! I did have one pair that were a bit 'off' once but out of about 10 pairs that's the only time! I also wear monovision contact lenses and had no problems from the off wearing them comfortably! They are not as sharp as my glasses in all areas, but near as damn it! Asda opticians for me!

You and me both 😥

I’m currently in daily lenses plus reading glasses phase. My contacts are supposed to under-correct my sight enough to read but that’s not the case. At least reading glasses are super cheap.

I also wear gas permeable lenses and have done for 40 years. My optician slightly varies the prescription in each lens so one is for long distance and one short, my brain fills in the gaps! Working so far, but I accept I may need reading glasses at some point.

I am slightly amazed by the numbers of PPs on the thread who wear GP lenses. I mean hats off to you. I had GPs for years and was advised by my optician to switch to monthly disps and the relief was tremendous. I don't think I ever forgot I was wearing the GPs!

I switched to daily disps after a horrible eye infection (note: if an eye consultant is excited by your painful eye and tells you the next day “we had a meeting about you” that's not a good thing. Luckily it turned out not to be the ghastly rare thing that would have made me go blind. The consultant was really disappointed).

Absolutely

When I was on +1 readers I just got those over my "normal" lenses. But then they were giving me headaches because I really do not get on with glasses (I have worn contacts since I was 12).

My optician said there was reason for changing to disposable. My eyes are doing fine and I don't notice them when I'm wearing them.

oh yes I am not saying you should change them. I am just impressed at all the GP wearers. I was in pretty much a constant state of minor irritation. Disps were a revelation to me.

I stopped wearing contact lenses 7 years ago after wearing them for about 30 years due to dry eyes. Like OP I wear varifocals with separate glasses for computer work which is OK but a bit of a faff. I do have daily disposables for sport (same prescription both eyes) but my vision isn't perfect in them.

Last time I was at the opticians they suggested trying new contacts but I have to use a heavy duty ointment on a night to keep the dry eyes at bay and I am not convinced contacts will be a good idea.

It sounds vain but my son is getting married this year and I would love to ditch the glasses for the day, it would give me more headwear options!

I posted earlier about wearing multifocal lenses, forgot to mention that I wore a weaker prescription in one eye first, so had about 5 years of wearing -6 and -5.25 before that wasn't enough any more and I switched to multifocal. I have extended wear monthly lenses and take them out overnight just once a week. Next best thing to perfect vision!