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 wore contact lenses for over forty years. I sorted out the one eye distance, the other eye close for myself. It works really well and I could see adequately to drive safely and do close work comfortably with this combination. The correct eye for whatever you’re doing will take over of its own accord. My optician was happy to supply my lenses on this basis.

I persisted for years with what I think were called monovision lenses - one for distance, one for close up.

As my prescription changed, it just became too awkward - the reading lens really wasn't working for me. Now I just have distance vision lenses for occasional use and readers to go on top.

I'm insanely short-sighted and then got a bit long sighted with age (I thought it was going to balance out, but no 🙄). I wear gas permeable (because of the terrible eyesight) and have gone for the one adjusted for further away and one for nearer.

I was very dubious about this option but it works really well for me. I can't tell that they're odd, can read road signs and can do most close work too. I do have a pair of +1 readers from superdrug for super-close work and reading tiny labels, but hardly ever use them. Is apparently a much cheaper option than varifocals too.

I tried varifocal contact lenses. It was great not having to wear reading glasses but I found seeing long distance wasn't as good. They were also a lot more expensive. I have astigmatism so not sure if that was the reason they cost so much. I stuck with the old lenses and am just used to wearing reading glasses alongside them.

I'll go back and read the posts - thanks everyone.

Just a note about moving my head. The bottom of my lenses are the reading bit. I need the reading bit to use my work PC. I cant just look through the bottom bit of my lens when the screen I need to read is directly in front of me. That's why I have to move my head up.

If I'm reading my phone or a book, then I dont need to move my head, I can just look down through the reading bit.

I have realised that my glasses frames hide some cheek lines that I don't like. 🤣

I have had different strength contact lenses for years, they call it 'mono vision' at my opticians. Basically they work out your dominant eye and prescribe the distance lens for that one and the other eye is under prescribed, if that makes sense. It's a bit of trial and error at first but it's been brilliant for me. I once tried varifocal lenses out of curiosity but found they were no different and didn't justify the increase in cost.

I had varifocals contacts for about nine months (so really did try with them!) but in the end went to single vision with cheap reading glasses in every pocket. I felt the varifocals were a compromise that didn’t quite work at any distance. They were fine for social vision but I couldn’t read for extended periods, and felt my night vision wasn’t great for driving either. I believe the prescription is in a spiral shape so you font have to move your head or put them in a certain way. I guiltily use daily disposables as they are very comfy and haven’t caused dry eyes.

That's interesting. Do you have depth judgement?
I was born with a lazy eye - never been able to see out of both together. The left was far more shortsighted than the right. I had contact lenses (rigid, non-gas permeable) from when I was a teenager which in theory made them both equal but it never made them cooperate. I choose which one to use. I have never had depth vision.
So you learned to use just one eye at a time?

No, not consciously anyway! Not had any trouble with depth vision either.

Ooh, please tell me more about wearing a lower prescription in one eye!

I wear contacts most of the time, have done for decades. My glasses are varifocal. I tried varifocal contacts but didn't like them as I felt like they were compromising on my distance vision too much.

My prescription is -5.50, so what strength lens should I go for in one eye? Thanks!

I've just got two prescriptions for my lenses. A driving strength and a screen strength. Takes seconds to swap. Tend to use the screen strength the most as can still see distances. Driving is much sharper, but my screen eyes are fine for around the house and daily stuff.

Resurrecting this as I have just been for my eye test.
We talked about contact lenses at length and he was going for toric/varifocal ones, but he couldn't find a prescription that would correct my near vision well enough. So the decision was distance lens and reading glasses, or one distance one near. That's what we decided on.
I'm going back in 2 weeks.

I decided against them in the end. My glasses hide some face lines I dont like and I realised how tiny my eyes are.