Glasses, Progressives and Contacts... Oh My!

[Karen]

So... I'm reaching a certain age where my eyeballs just don't work the same anymore. I used to wear contacts from 8th grade until after I had my 2nd child and then I finally had LASIK done. It was magical and worked great! I was able to throw away all of my glasses and contacts and I could just see! Unfortunately, now that I'm aging I can't read stuff close up anymore and I have a light astigmatism too. (My astigmatism was pretty severe before LASIK so there was only so much they could fix). Anyway, about 4 years ago I finally had to break down and get a light prescription and opted for glasses. I thought I would only wear them occasionally, but ended up just wearing them all of the time within 6 months time because I felt reliant on them once I started wearing them.

Fast forward until recently, I need correction for distance, and computer and close up and of course those are all different prescriptions. Since I'm on the computer for work all day long, regular progressives with all three distances isn't ideal because the section for computer distance is a relatively small area of the lens and the Dr. said I'd be having to move my head around to focus in that small area, so now I'm supposed to buy a pair of bifocals for the computer and another pair of bifocals for everyday stuff/driving. What a pain and SO expensive! I tried wearing contacts again, but I don't think they corrected my vision as well and my eyes were so dried out by the end of the day. Plus they were multi-focal and were really hard to get used to.

So... am I the only one who has to work so hard to figure out the right solution just to see what I'm doing day to day? Anyone else work on the computer all day and have something that works?

 

[jk703]

Oh my word. I'm lucky right now, I can see both near and far. I get confused even talking about vision problems, and need charts, lol!

I'm sure you are NOT the only one. I have friends that deal with similar! My Dad just recently got a pair of glasses that do both the near and far - depending on where you look through the actual lens. We weren't sure how that would work, but he's doing great!

Also, if you can get your actual prescription, try Zenni for glasses! Amazing, and super inexpensive! Peter (DH) got glasses for $12, and $16.

But... I can relate to getting older. I need to get a hearing test and probably hearing aids. Nothing wrong with that, I'm just struggling to get over that hill.

 

[StefanieS]

I first got glasses in 2012, and still hardly wear them. I can read up close - although reading glasses help when my eyes are tired or I need to see a pesky hair on my chin. It's driving I need them for - thankfully my sunnies have a prescription in them so I never drive without them. The tv is the next hurdle. I keep telling hubby I need a bigger tv - they reply I should wear my glasses. Why do they add text messaging into the plot line without adding them as sub-titles? I can't be the only one missing out here.

 

[Karen]

Oh my word. I'm lucky right now, I can see both near and far. I get confused even talking about vision problems, and need charts, lol!

I'm sure you are NOT the only one. I have friends that deal with similar! My Dad just recently got a pair of glasses that do both the near and far - depending on where you look through the actual lens. We weren't sure how that would work, but he's doing great!

Also, if you can get your actual prescription, try Zenni for glasses! Amazing, and super inexpensive! Peter (DH) got glasses for $12, and $16.

But... I can relate to getting older. I need to get a hearing test and probably hearing aids. Nothing wrong with that, I'm just struggling to get over that hill.

I did have the dr. print my prescriptions and put them in at Zenni yesterday and the darn progressives are still pretty expensive there... like $125! But that's WAY better than from the dr's office. They are probably going to be around $400 each from there before insurace and I can only get one pair covered by my insurance.

 

[Karen]

I first got glasses in 2012, and still hardly wear them. I can read up close - although reading glasses help when my eyes are tired or I need to see a pesky hair on my chin. It's driving I need them for - thankfully my sunnies have a prescription in them so I never drive without them. The tv is the next hurdle. I keep telling hubby I need a bigger tv - they reply I should wear my glasses. Why do they add text messaging into the plot line without adding them as sub-titles? I can't be the only one missing out here.

Lucky! I lol'd at the chin hair... cuz same! My hubby has trouble with the text on TV shows, partly because he needed glasses (and finally got his first pair last year) and partly because he reads very slowly.

 

[jk703]

I did have the dr. print my prescriptions and put them in at Zenni yesterday and the darn progressives are still pretty expensive there... like $125! But that's WAY better than from the dr's office. They are probably going to be around $400 each from there before insurace and I can only get one pair covered by my insurance.

I was shocked at how inexpensive Zenni was... though, yeah, Progressives are a little trickier!

 

[HeatherB]

I have progressives for my everyday glasses, but I also have a pair of computer glasses - the prescription is set to the distance a computer screen is normally so I have full vision when working (or scrapping). They also have a blue tint glare reduction which helps avoid eye fatigue. My eyesight is pretty bad, so my glasses and computer glasses were very expensive. $700+ for the progressives, and $400+ for the computer glasses, but what a difference they make!

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Prior to having cataract surgery last week, I've worn progressive lenses for decades (I'm nearsighted). Then in my 50's I started having issues with reading, so I just started taking my glasses off to read. Five years ago I got a pair of prescription glasses just for computer use as I was having to tilt my head at an uncomfortable angle to see through the right area of my progressive lenses which gave me a kink in my neck.

Since my surgery I've been going without glasses most of the time b/c I can't get a new 'script for five weeks to allow my vision to settle down. I opted to have new lenses implanted that leave me a bit nearsighted, so I can see to read and use my computer w/o glasses, but will need glasses to drive. I'm hoping to be able to get by with a single lens prescription for distance vs. progressives and just wear them for driving.

Anyhow, in your position, I'd probably opt for a pair plain "computer" glasses, then bi-focal for every day/distance, then just switch glasses when you're not on the computer.

 

[michelepixels]

I first started noticing my vision was no longer perfect a few years ago, but for me it has been so extremely gradual, and I haven't had a strong need for perfect vision in any job or hobby, so I've only barely begun to use glasses.

After a year or two of just noticing that I needed to be closer to street signs before I could see them sharply and occasionally experiencing astigmatism, I got that horrid USPS job in October 2020. I thought maybe glasses would help me find addresses more easily. But the glasses I was given so hugely distorted the world, like bending it and warping it, so I felt unsafe with them on, and I realized the problem was more with people not making their addresses easy to find, so I never wore them.

A year later, with my new teaching job and new insurance, I went to a new eye doctor. I still didn't feel a strong need for long distance correction, but reading was getting tiresome, so I asked if I could get glasses that corrected my near vision and my (still only occasional) astigmatism. I have a huge iMac screen, so I still don't need glasses for that, and I don't read a lot on my phone so I don't bother using them for that usually, but I've been regularly using them when I'm reading books. I can still read the words without the glasses, but the glasses making the words bigger means I can read longer instead of getting tired, so that's nice!

I hear you on the complications of getting glasses for multiple issues. I don't even like to wear jewelry so I'm dreading needing to wear glasses more often. It took me a while just accepting them for reading! I was distracted by having something on my face, even though I picked out the lightest frames I could!

I've barely even scrapped about getting my glasses in January yet. I think I might have included one small photo amongst others in a weekly/monthly summary.

 

[HavaDrPepper]

There was a time when I was working that I had a separate pair of glasses just for computer work. I was an accountant and worked on the computer 8 hours a day... numbers all day. I don't have these anymore since I'm no longer working.

I actually wore glasses when I was 2.5 to 5 years old because I had a crossed eye. Then my eyes were good until I got to college. I started having issues with seeing distance and since I was on the highway any time I came home for the weekend, I needed to see those highway signs! So at 19 or 20 I got a prescription for glasses to wear when I was driving or at a movie theater. The doctor also said to wear them if I had a lot of reading in my college studies. I was able to get by with them until my mid-30's but I had started wearing them all the time by the time I hit 30. Then I needed the bi-focals. And, now I'm in progressive.

Now my issues are cataracts. I was diagnosed with them about 5 years ago but the doctor said as long as they can correct my vision with a prescription, I would not have to have surgery. So far, so good. I've never had good insurance for vision so dropped it through my employer and chose to use my HSA money. My doctor also gives a discount for cash payment and also a discount if you purchase more than one pair. I have to be careful of the type of frame I get as well. Playing with a dog is not good when you have a flimsier frame. Broke a couple pair that way. So I lean towards plastic frames but I have a weird nose so they don't always feel right. I now have 3 pairs of glasses (not counting the prescription sunglasses) that I alternate wearing. A nicer pair for when I go out and a couple pair for everyday use. I quite often have 2 different pair on during the day. When the nose pads start hurting, I switch to the plastic frame. The last few times I've gotten glasses, I just get new lens and use my current frames. When you find a frame that works, you stick with it! My plastic frames I'm wearing right now are maybe 8 years old and were on the "cheap frame" rack. Now that I think about it, these frames were my computer glasses back when I had them. As long as they can still get this size lens, I'll keep them.

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Now my issues are cataracts. I was diagnosed with them about 5 years ago but the doctor said as long as they can correct my vision with a prescription, I would not have to have surgery. So far, so good.

My cataracts could still be corrected by prescription glasses, BUT not the glare I was experiencing, which was debilitating. I mostly stopped driving after dark b/c of the glare, and shopping was a nightmare b/c of the glare caused by the fluorescent lights reflecting off all the shiny surfaces in stores. Two of my friends had the same issue with glare and we all pleased with our after surgery "no glare" results.

I was also surprised by how bright and colorful the world is again. I had no idea how dim my world had gotten. It was like I was looking through a dirty, yellowed thick piece of plastic while sitting in a room with the blinds shut. I had both eyes done at once, and Medicare is covering most, if not all of the cost.

 

[Karen]

I have progressives for my everyday glasses, but I also have a pair of computer glasses - the prescription is set to the distance a computer screen is normally so I have full vision when working (or scrapping). They also have a blue tint glare reduction which helps avoid eye fatigue. My eyesight is pretty bad, so my glasses and computer glasses were very expensive. $700+ for the progressives, and $400+ for the computer glasses, but what a difference they make!

So... this sounds like what I need to do too... do you have to swap glasses multiple times during the day? Like if I have a meeting, will I need to switch to my regular glasses to see people across the table? Do I need to switch glasses to walk down the hall? I supposed this will generally depend on my own prescriptions but I'm having a hard time thinking about changing glasses all day long. It's so frustrating! Lol. I just wanna put one pair of glasses on and be able to see. Who knew this was so difficult?!?! And expensive! I also am getting the blue block coating and that adds so much cost too, but since I'm in front of the computer all day long, I know I need that. Maybe I don't need progressives for my computer glasses either, maybe just a single prescription for that distance would be okay. Ugh. I wish I had asked all of these questions while I was there.

 

[Karen]

Prior to having cataract surgery last week, I've worn progressive lenses for decades (I'm nearsighted). Then in my 50's I started having issues with reading, so I just started taking my glasses off to read. Five years ago I got a pair of prescription glasses just for computer use as I was having to tilt my head at an uncomfortable angle to see through the right area of my progressive lenses which gave me a kink in my neck.

Since my surgery I've been going without glasses most of the time b/c I can't get a new 'script for five weeks to allow my vision to settle down. I opted to have new lenses implanted that leave me a bit nearsighted, so I can see to read and use my computer w/o glasses, but will need glasses to drive. I'm hoping to be able to get by with a single lens prescription for distance vs. progressives and just wear them for driving.

Anyhow, in your position, I'd probably opt for a pair plain "computer" glasses, then bi-focal for every day/distance, then just switch glasses when you're not on the computer.

The kink in the neck is what my dr. warned me about too and why he thought I should go straight to a separate pair for the computer. That's pretty cool that they could fix your vision to be able to see to read and on the computer without glasses. That would be awesome! But yes, I think the plain computer glasses for the computer and the bi-focals for everything else sounds like the right plan for me.

 

[gonewiththewind]

I need to go back to the optometrist. I have trifocal progressives. It's time for an update for sure, as I'm often taking off my glasses when reading. I found that the progressives weren't that hard to get used to. I usually buy one pair at my optometrist's office (covered by insurance) and then I've bought sunglasses at Zenni. It's definitely more expensive for progressives on Zenni than if you are just getting a straightforward prescription; but it's still infinitely less expensive than the optometrist's office!

 

[HavaDrPepper]

I was also surprised by how bright and colorful the world is again. I had no idea how dim my world had gotten. It was like I was looking through a dirty, yellowed thick piece of plastic while sitting in a room with the blinds shut. I had both eyes done at once, and Medicare is covering most, if not all of the cost.

I don't like driving at night but had issues with that even in my early 40's (so over 20 years ago). But I haven't gotten to the point that you are talking about just yet of everything seeming "dim". I asked if they had progressed at my last appointment and they said not much at all and that I was not even a candidate for the surgery yet.

 

[HavaDrPepper]

So... this sounds like what I need to do too... do you have to swap glasses multiple times during the day? Like if I have a meeting, will I need to switch to my regular glasses to see people across the table? Do I need to switch glasses to walk down the hall? I supposed this will generally depend on my own prescriptions but I'm having a hard time thinking about changing glasses all day long. It's so frustrating! Lol. I just wanna put one pair of glasses on and be able to see. Who knew this was so difficult?!?! And expensive! I also am getting the blue block coating and that adds so much cost too, but since I'm in front of the computer all day long, I know I need that. Maybe I don't need progressives for my computer glasses either, maybe just a single prescription for that distance would be okay. Ugh. I wish I had asked all of these questions while I was there.

If I needed to be in a meeting during the day (didn't happen that often though), I would put my regular glasses back on. If I just needed to walk down the hall to see someone, I could see well enough that I didn't have to switch glasses. Heck, I could wear the computer glasses to do that. I could also still read off of paper with my computer glasses which I had to do with a lot of my work. I could pretty much do anything when wearing them except see long distance with my computer glasses so they were a no when driving.

 

[Karen]

If I needed to be in a meeting during the day (didn't happen that often though), I would put my regular glasses back on. If I just needed to walk down the hall to see someone, I could see well enough that I didn't have to switch glasses. Heck, I could wear the computer glasses to do that. I could also still read off of paper with my computer glasses which I had to do with a lot of my work. I could pretty much do anything when wearing them except see long distance with my computer glasses so they were a no when driving.

That's really good to know. Thanks! I hope that's how it works for me too. I think I'll get annoyed if I have to switch back and forth too much! Lol!

 

[Pachimac]

I never could adjust. I have close up glasses, computer glasses, and driving glasses. Sigh…

I had LASIK too and it was awesome while I was young!

 

[Memaw2Wm]

I don't like driving at night but had issues with that even in my early 40's (so over 20 years ago). But I haven't gotten to the point that you are talking about just yet of everything seeming "dim". I asked if they had progressed at my last appointment and they said not much at all and that I was not even a candidate for the surgery yet.

I didn't realize how dim my world had become until after I had the cataracts removed ... my living room light seemed so yellow and dim pre-surgery, now it's white and bright. I'd been a candidate for a few years, planned on having the surgery summer of 2020, then COVID hit. Finally decided last October that I had to get them done. Had to see the optometrist to get a referral to the ophthalmologist, then there was a 3+ month waitlist to get the surgery. It was quite the assembly line at the surgery center ... patient into the operatory, patient out, next patient in, rinse, lather, repeat.

 

[HeatherB]

So... this sounds like what I need to do too... do you have to swap glasses multiple times during the day? Like if I have a meeting, will I need to switch to my regular glasses to see people across the table? Do I need to switch glasses to walk down the hall? I supposed this will generally depend on my own prescriptions but I'm having a hard time thinking about changing glasses all day long. It's so frustrating! Lol. I just wanna put one pair of glasses on and be able to see. Who knew this was so difficult?!?! And expensive! I also am getting the blue block coating and that adds so much cost too, but since I'm in front of the computer all day long, I know I need that. Maybe I don't need progressives for my computer glasses either, maybe just a single prescription for that distance would be okay. Ugh. I wish I had asked all of these questions while I was there.

I just put on my computer glasses when I start work. I work remotely, so I just need those all day. I never switch back and forth. But the prescription is based on optimizing distance to the computer screen so that covers most of the viewing area of the lens with slight progressive for up close reading at the bottom of the lens. I think they optimize for up to 6 feet. I can get around the house with my computer glasses on and even watch TV, so I don't think you would need to switch glasses to walk down the hall or to see people across the table.