Eyeglass question (bifocals?)

[Richard]

Finally starting to happen. I've always had laser eyesight, even to the point that my wife told me I can see better without glasses than she can WITH hers.

I guess at 49, that is starting to change

Went to eyedoctor and long story short.... suggests I go to Walmart or similar and buy some $7.00 .75 or maybe 1.00 reading glasses. He said I have a slight astigmatism and my far vision is fine where I don't really NEED to have any glasses but... I might gain by using them. He handed me a prescription and basically said it was up to me if I wanted to deal with correcting my far sight. He also went on to say that with my mix of sight, (something about the astigmatism I think) I could see similar to someone else at my age with glasses.

I don't know.

Anyways.... he said if I wanted to not deal with reading glasses AND correcting for far distances, I could get bifocals.

Hmm... I always associated bifocals with the second stage of losing ones sight I would have never thought someone might go from needing zero glasses to bifocals!!

I now have a pair of cheapo reading glasses and indeed, they bring back the laser sight I now recognize as having dwindled away over time.

I'm debating on filling the prescription and here's the logic of my question.

I don't think I'd want to fiddle with reading glasses AND distance glasses seperately, so I'm wondering about his wisdom of bifocals.

I know you can get bifocals with or without "the line"

My question is to people who might wear bifocals. It would seem to me that if I got bifocals WITH 'the line', then I would have two distinct areas of focus through the lens. They would be clearly differentiated by this line.

If however, I got a lens that had the invisible line, my suspicion is, the area where the line exists might not necessarily be focused for reading and it might not be focused for distance.... it might be more of a blend of the two for the transition.

I'm wondering from a vision stand point, do you find the bifocals with the line to be more efficient at what they do (good reading, changed over to good distance) or do you find the versions with the invisible line more efficient?

I'm less concerned about how they look to others while on my face, I'm more concerned about this line of transitioin possibly being a nusiance to me.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

I wear bifocals without "the line"...took me a couple days to get used to them but after that I have not had any issues. I am very happy with them.

 

[kidr]

Any bifocal has been a PITA for me. I tripped on things on the ground because you can't see clearly looking down. working overhead or even at eye level means bending your neck so far back it hurts. I solved it by wearing long range contact lenses and full size reading glasses. A PITA or neck what ever you do.

 

[RobertN]

I've had them for a few years(I'm 46). I have the transitions; ie no line. Took a few days to get used to them, now they are great.

The only thing that gets me sometimes, is going down stairs, looking forward and down.

I had an issue with my frames a year ago. Used my old glasses for a few days. THAT felt wierd, not having the bifocals. And, wierd when I got my bifoc's back.

Two other options, wear contacts and use cheap glasses to read. My wife and another friend do that. Or, laser correction for normal sight, and cheap glasses for reading...

 

[dmccarty]

I have to wear contacts for far vision and reading glasses for, well, reading.

You did not mention contacts as an option but I figured I would just throw it out there.

Later,
Dan

 

[Richard]

I don't know if I could get accustomed to wearing any kind of contacts. I suppose people do get used to them .... maybe I'm just a wimp. I am currently speculating that I might rather wait for the vision to get to a point and simply have it fixed surgically (presuming that would allow me to shun the glasses). I'd rather be chained to wearing glasses than wear contacts...I've always been fairly sensative in my eyes (there I go, being a wimp again)

Watching my wife with her glasses... she has them on the end table next to the bed... she has them in the bathroom while taking shower.... she really lives with them at her side on a daily basis. I never really thought about just how attached someone must become with their glasses until I bought these reading glasses.

I was needing them at home so I carried them home. I needed them at work, so brought them to work... then I realized how stupid this was and bought about 4 pair of them so I could have a pair everywhere, including my car.

I'm leaning on trying the bifocal thing... I'll admit that it's in part out of curiosity as much as anything. I don't really feel the need per se', to wear them at anytime since the only thing I notice a struggle in is reading or otherwise, seeing something up close.

I'm really kind of curious as to will I notice any improvement in my vision when driving. According to the Doc it might be there but it won't be necessarily as dramatic as I've now seen while trying to read.

I could see bifocals with a distinct focus line being a little annoying.... then again, I could see bifocals with a hidden line having that transition area perhaps being a 'smear' area and bad vision at the transition. (I don't know this to be true, just a fear) and THAT would indeed, drive me nuts, more nuts than the prior situation.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have tried bifocals and they just don't work for me.

I wear distance glasses and carry reading glasses. If I am going to read or work on the computer for any length of time, I switch.

If I just need to read something quickly, I put the reading glasses on while still leaving the distance glasses in place -- that's right two pairs at the same time. Redneck bifocals. Works great for me, and if you think about it, it is pretty close to what the guys with contacts and bifocals both are really doing.

 

[MossRoad]

Richard,
I am also at the stage where my near vision is weak.

Sorry, couldn't resist!!!

My far vision is fine. I tried no-line bifocals a couple years ago and they made me nauseous. It was a no-go for me. I bought some cheap magnifiers at the drug store and they work fine. However, I have found a few things...

1. Bright lighting makes seeing things without my glasses a whole lot easier! So, try upping the lighting in your reading areas.

2. I can read close up but towards the end of the evening it gets harder and I throw on the magnifiers. Things appear fine, however, I notice that if I take them off my vision is worse than before I put them on. I think the muscles in my eyes don't have to work to focus and the magnifiers let them relax. Then they really have to strain to get back into working well. Once I put them on, they have to be used the rest of the evening.

3. If I do not get enough sleep, I can pretty much count on not being able to see well up close in the morning. So I try to read the Sunday morning paper and cannot because I was up watching Aliens all night. So I throw on the reading glasses and then I can count on not being able to see up close the rest of the day without them.

4. I have had some good success with holding my finger out at arms length and focusing on it. Then slowly moving it in towards my nose, keeping it focused, making myself go cross eyed. I do this 10-20 times and it seems to be a workout for my eye muscles. I try and do that every day and it seems to keep the bifocals at bay for now.

I will need them eventually, and plan on getting the lined ones when I do.

 

[billbill1]

Bi-focals- with the line give me a headache, I'm always looking right at the line. I've worn no line since my eyesight went south about 12 years ago. I think you will get used to either if you give it some time. Walmart sells some stick on bi-focal lenses that can be added to plain glass, try them and you'll know if the line would bother you. At 57, I can't see a menu without my glasses and my vision was always perfect until about 45 yo. I hate wearing glasses but can't function without them.

 

[GT2]

I'm in the same situation as you, need distance glasses at night and reading glasses.
I got progressive bifocals and I have to say I just cant seem to get comfortable with them.
I'm thinking of doing what Curly D is doing.

Richard, you do relies lazer surgery will only fix the distance?