gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by gottapeanow on Feb 5, 2015 3:22:20 GMT
Your eyes change as you age, and so you probably need bifocals. Or you might try my "trick." I wore contacts for decades. But like you, I couldn't see anything up close. Finally, I got sick and tired of using readers with my contacts. So I went back to glasses. For reading, I just take them off.  Lisa |
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Gravity
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 27, 2014 0:29:55 GMT
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Post by Gravity on Feb 5, 2015 3:26:00 GMT
I wear contact lenses 99% of the time and my glasses the other 1%. I can read without my contacts or glasses, but if I'm wearing my contacts I must use readers. A few years ago, I tried toric lenses to correct my astigmatism in order to get sharper vision. I couldn't see anything up close. I couldn't even read the speedometer on my car. I hated them. I went back to regular contacts. I had rather see everything so-so, than just some things good.
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Post by utmr on Feb 5, 2015 3:32:50 GMT
I went from fine (with contacts) to needing bifocals seemingly overnight. I've had several friends make the same comment. I went from contacts + cheaters, to bifocal glasses, to bifocal contacts. Once I found the right bifocal contacts they are great.
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Post by maryland on Feb 5, 2015 3:45:34 GMT
I went from fine (with contacts) to needing bifocals seemingly overnight. I've had several friends make the same comment. I went from contacts + cheaters, to bifocal glasses, to bifocal contacts. Once I found the right bifocal contacts they are great. I have heard the same thing! People said their vision seemed to get worse for reading overnight, usually the day they turned 40!
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Post by worrywart on Feb 5, 2015 3:53:28 GMT
I have monovision contacts which means regular contacts but one is for a milder prescription than necessary. Somehow, this helps with the reading. It has a slight effect on the regular vision but I am able to live with it.
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Post by sisterbdsq on Feb 5, 2015 4:02:28 GMT
I went from fine (with contacts) to needing bifocals seemingly overnight. I've had several friends make the same comment. I went from contacts + cheaters, to bifocal glasses, to bifocal contacts. Once I found the right bifocal contacts they are great. I have heard the same thing! People said their vision seemed to get worse for reading overnight, usually the day they turned 40!
Mine was when I turned 44. I actually went back to the Dr. last year when I felt my prescription must have "changed" and I was having a hard time reading with my contacts in at night while lying in bed. He re-examined me and said my prescription was correct and I was just seeing the effects of getting older. Ok fine, but eff you buddy. So now I can't see shit and I was waiting for our jackass insurance broker to get us the new plan #, but all he did was blame BCBS so my marketing manager took it upon herself to get it straightened out and she KICKED SOME ASS and filed complaints...BAM, insurance info.
Sorry. 
Anyway, I have astigmatism and I have to wear cheaters all the damn time. Cursed age.
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Post by hennybutton on Feb 5, 2015 4:16:20 GMT
I have monovision contacts which means regular contacts but one is for a milder prescription than necessary. Somehow, this helps with the reading. It has a slight effect on the regular vision but I am able to live with it. That's what my optometrist did for me. When I'm tired, I just put readers on with my contacts. |
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Post by maryland on Feb 5, 2015 4:17:31 GMT
I have heard the same thing! People said their vision seemed to get worse for reading overnight, usually the day they turned 40!
Mine was when I turned 44. I actually went back to the Dr. last year when I felt my prescription must have "changed" and I was having a hard time reading with my contacts in at night while lying in bed. He re-examined me and said my prescription was correct and I was just seeing the effects of getting older. Ok fine, but eff you buddy. So now I can't see shit and I was waiting for our jackass insurance broker to get us the new plan #, but all he did was blame BCBS so my marketing manager took it upon herself to get it straightened out and she KICKED SOME ASS and filed complaints...BAM, insurance info.
Sorry.
Anyway, I have astigmatism and I have to wear cheaters all the damn time. Cursed age.
That stinks! Sorry you have to go through all that. When I was young, I never understood why my grandparents had to put glasses on to read, but didn't need glasses or contacts to see at a distance. Now I do! I get headaches easily from the computer and reading, so I should try some reading glasses. And it did happen fast!
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:15:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2015 4:23:47 GMT
In my mid 40s I started needing reading glasses-but only when my contact lenses were in. The eye doctor explained this, and I will probably restate it incorrectly but it was something about correcting distance affecting close up. He said it's quite common.
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Post by papersilly on Feb 5, 2015 4:29:08 GMT
Your eyes change as you age, and so you probably need bifocals. Or you might try my "trick." I wore contacts for decades. But like you, I couldn't see anything up close. Finally, I got sick and tired of using readers with my contacts. So I went back to glasses. For reading, I just take them off. Lisa yup. this is me exactly. I have progressives and those are fine for more than 12" from my face. any closer and I have to take my glasses off to see the close stuff clearly. |
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Post by sisterbdsq on Feb 5, 2015 4:30:32 GMT
Mine was when I turned 44. I actually went back to the Dr. last year when I felt my prescription must have "changed" and I was having a hard time reading with my contacts in at night while lying in bed. He re-examined me and said my prescription was correct and I was just seeing the effects of getting older. Ok fine, but eff you buddy. So now I can't see shit and I was waiting for our jackass insurance broker to get us the new plan #, but all he did was blame BCBS so my marketing manager took it upon herself to get it straightened out and she KICKED SOME ASS and filed complaints...BAM, insurance info.
Sorry.
Anyway, I have astigmatism and I have to wear cheaters all the damn time. Cursed age.
That stinks! Sorry you have to go through all that. When I was young, I never understood why my grandparents had to put glasses on to read, but didn't need glasses or contacts to see at a distance. Now I do! I get headaches easily from the computer and reading, so I should try some reading glasses. And it did happen fast!
Thank you, that's kind of you. It just really sucks to not know what to do about your vision when you are in this "transition". Do I need/get bifocals? Do I wait a year? I'm only wearing the 1.25 strength now, but I know it's going to get worse. GAH! |
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Post by maryland on Feb 5, 2015 4:33:06 GMT
That stinks! Sorry you have to go through all that. When I was young, I never understood why my grandparents had to put glasses on to read, but didn't need glasses or contacts to see at a distance. Now I do! I get headaches easily from the computer and reading, so I should try some reading glasses. And it did happen fast!
Thank you, that's kind of you. It just really sucks to not know what to do about your vision when you are in this "transition". Do I need/get bifocals? Do I wait a year? I'm only wearing the 1.25 strength now, but I know it's going to get worse. GAH! I understand completely! It's so hard when you don't know what will happen. I need to make an appt., and I don't know what he will recommend. I worry as I get "eye related" headaches, so I know adjusting to a new prescription will be hard. |
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Post by Outspoken on Feb 5, 2015 4:33:07 GMT
I have monovision contacts which means regular contacts but one is for a milder prescription than necessary. Somehow, this helps with the reading. It has a slight effect on the regular vision but I am able to live with it. The day my ophthalmologist prescribed this for me, I told her I was going to kiss her! i, too, wear toric lenses. My vision is so bad, the contacts are special made and take about 3 weeks to come in. I have new ones on the way and I can't wait! I wear ear one lenses for distance and one for reading. Your brain trains the appropriate eye for whichever activity. Generally, they test which eye is dominant and use that for your distance vision. |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:15:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2015 4:39:10 GMT
Your eyes change as you age, and so you probably need bifocals. Or you might try my "trick." I wore contacts for decades. But like you, I couldn't see anything up close. Finally, I got sick and tired of using readers with my contacts. So I went back to glasses. For reading, I just take them off. Lisa A few years ago, I ended up wearing my readers more often than not while wearing my contacts.
I thought to myself "if I'm going to be wearing glasses anyway...why am I bothering with contacts"?
So now, the only time I wear contacts is when we go on vacation and I'm wearing sunglasses for extended periods of time.
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uksue
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Post by uksue on Feb 5, 2015 11:27:54 GMT
Not sure if this is the same, but one of my friends wears a long sight lens and a short sight lens, and somehow her brain manages to scramble the info so that she can see distance and close up. I have been told this is not possible for me as I also have astigmatism. Like others have said, I wear specs and take them off for close work. My biggest peeve with that is one, constantly losing my glasses and two, being told by my kids to put them on a granny chain!
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Post by trixiecat on Feb 5, 2015 12:43:23 GMT
I have to wear glasses now after wearing contacts for years. I need the glasses for the distance, but I take my glasses off for computer work, to eat and to read. But...if I need to read something in very small print or to thread a needle, I need the readers. It is horrible. I can't see it at all.
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Post by elaine on Feb 5, 2015 13:28:01 GMT
Your eyes change shape with age, and just about everybody becomes farsighted when it comes to reading and needs reading lenses.
I've always been farsighted and when I hit my 30s and went in for well-eye visits, the eye doc would tell me it was just a matter of time before I'd need readers. In my early 40's, my reading vision changed within 1 year so that I couldn't read labels at the grocery store, when it had been fine previously. Now, at 51, my distance vision is still fine, but I can't read a thing without readers.
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Post by idahomom on Feb 5, 2015 13:41:50 GMT
I have the same problem and have several pairs of Dollar Store readers laying around. I've never had perfect contacts that I don't feel in my eyes. My husband totally forgets he has them in - that's never been me. Currently I just wear my contacts to the gym, but I've decided I'm not getting them anymore and will just do glasses. I have a fairly new pair of Oakley sunglasses that I'm going to take to my yearly appointment in a few months in the hopes that they can put prescription lenses in them. At my age (46) as long as I have cute glasses, I don't really care. I've worn my glasses to the gym a few times and always get compliments and several people say I look better in glasses anyway. Insurance pays for one or the other so I'll be saving a lot of money as well. I paid $600 for my contacts last year. They're dailys and I stretch them a couple of days since I only wear them 2 hours a day at the gym so I probably have a year's supply left. So, easy decision for me.
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gloryjoy
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Post by gloryjoy on Feb 5, 2015 13:47:13 GMT
I went from fine (with contacts) to needing bifocals seemingly overnight. I've had several friends make the same comment. I went from contacts + cheaters, to bifocal glasses, to bifocal contacts. Once I found the right bifocal contacts they are great. I have heard the same thing! People said their vision seemed to get worse for reading overnight, usually the day they turned 40!
This is me exactly! |
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Post by miominmio on Feb 5, 2015 13:48:45 GMT
I went from fine (with contacts) to needing bifocals seemingly overnight. I've had several friends make the same comment. I went from contacts + cheaters, to bifocal glasses, to bifocal contacts. Once I found the right bifocal contacts they are great. I have heard the same thing! People said their vision seemed to get worse for reading overnight, usually the day they turned 40!
Not only that, but suddenly I needed lots of light when reading. I expected my eyesight to gradually change, but the suddenness of the changes to my eyesight tookme by surprise! |
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Post by maryland on Feb 5, 2015 14:22:59 GMT
I have heard the same thing! People said their vision seemed to get worse for reading overnight, usually the day they turned 40!
Not only that, but suddenly I needed lots of light when reading. I expected my eyesight to gradually change, but the suddenness of the changes to my eyesight tookme by surprise! I forgot about that! Me too! I could always read the programs at my kids dance recitals with just a small amount of light from the stage. Then at the recital in Dec., I couldn't read a thing! Yes, I expected it to be gradual too, but it wasn't. |
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SweetieBsMom
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Feb 5, 2015 14:42:04 GMT
I went from fine (with contacts) to needing bifocals seemingly overnight. I've had several friends make the same comment. I went from contacts + cheaters, to bifocal glasses, to bifocal contacts. Once I found the right bifocal contacts they are great. I have heard the same thing! People said their vision seemed to get worse for reading overnight, usually the day they turned 40!
Yep. My eye doctor calls it "40-ish disease". It happened to me about a month after I saw her. She mentioned that some people wear 1 contact to deal with it. I can't imagine doing that, I would think I'd get a raging headache. |
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Post by anonrefugee on Feb 5, 2015 14:54:50 GMT
Not only that, but suddenly I needed lots of light when reading. I expected my eyesight to gradually change, but the suddenness of the changes to my eyesight tookme by surprise! I forgot about that! Me too! I could always read the programs at my kids dance recitals with just a small amount of light from the stage. Then at the recital in Dec., I couldn't read a thing! Yes, I expected it to be gradual too, but it wasn't. Restaurants menus are impossible! |
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Post by pretzels on Feb 5, 2015 14:56:07 GMT
My DH has bifocals, but when he wears his contacts, he has to wear readers.
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Post by maryland on Feb 5, 2015 14:58:08 GMT
I have heard the same thing! People said their vision seemed to get worse for reading overnight, usually the day they turned 40!
Yep. My eye doctor calls it "40-ish disease". It happened to me about a month after I saw her. She mentioned that some people wear 1 contact to deal with it. I can't imagine doing that, I would think I'd get a raging headache. Me too! When I first needed vision correction (age 17), I got contacts and glasses. If one contact bothered me, I took it out and was fine with one contact. After having contacts a few years, I could no longer do that. I must have crazy eyes, because I don't even think it would be possible for me to just wear one. But I will have to try it tonight, having one contact in and one out and see how it goes! |
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SweetieBsMom
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Feb 5, 2015 18:51:44 GMT
Yep. My eye doctor calls it "40-ish disease". It happened to me about a month after I saw her. She mentioned that some people wear 1 contact to deal with it. I can't imagine doing that, I would think I'd get a raging headache. Me too! When I first needed vision correction (age 17), I got contacts and glasses. If one contact bothered me, I took it out and was fine with one contact. After having contacts a few years, I could no longer do that. I must have crazy eyes, because I don't even think it would be possible for me to just wear one. But I will have to try it tonight, having one contact in and one out and see how it goes! I keep saying I'm going to try wearing just one contact but I haven't done it yet.... |
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Post by melodyesch on Feb 5, 2015 18:58:56 GMT
Your eyes change as you age, and so you probably need bifocals. Or you might try my "trick." I wore contacts for decades. But like you, I couldn't see anything up close. Finally, I got sick and tired of using readers with my contacts. So I went back to glasses. For reading, I just take them off. Lisa  After I turned 44 or so I started not being able to see up close with my contacts. I have cheaters at work for if I need to read smaller print. At home I just wear my glasses and take them off if I have to read. |
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Post by vronn on Feb 5, 2015 19:18:16 GMT
Optician here. Starting around the age of 40, you lose the ability to focus on nearby objects. If you are near sighted to begin with, you can oten remove your glasses for reading. If you are far sighted, you might find that your arms aren't long enough. The astigmatism correction is for when things are blurry. 40 is a wonderful magical age, and it often feels like you lost your sight overnight. Progressive lenses are usually what we recommend. Almost evry single person needs to wear glasses as they age, even those who have had lasik.
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Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Feb 5, 2015 20:17:44 GMT
I am 49 and have been wearing reading glasses for 16 years. a couple years ago I went to the eye doctor and he said I needed to have progressive lens so that I wouldn't need to take off my glasses when watching tv and reading or playing on my tablet. well. I had those for 6 months and couldn't stand them. I went back to where I got them and told them that the glasses weren't working for me. So they redid the lens for straight reading glasses. Worked great. so a few months ago I went in for another exam. found out that I needed glasses for distance as well as for reading. the doctor tried to talk me into progressive lens again. I said no thank you I want 2 pairs. so I got s pair. one for distance and one for reading. I find myself not using the ones for distance as much as I am suppose to.... I do wear them but usually for driving so I can see the road signs better. I tried to wear them while watching tv and they gave me head aches. the doctor said I don't need them for watching tv and the headaches might be caused by motion sickness. so I wear them when I drive and not so much anything else. I do how ever wear my reading glasses arms length or closer.
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Post by krazykatlady on Feb 5, 2015 21:18:18 GMT
Optician here. Starting around the age of 40, you lose the ability to focus on nearby objects. If you are near sighted to begin with, you can oten remove your glasses for reading. If you are far sighted, you might find that your arms aren't long enough. The astigmatism correction is for when things are blurry. 40 is a wonderful magical age, and it often feels like you lost your sight overnight. Progressive lenses are usually what we recommend. Almost evry single person needs to wear glasses as they age, even those who have had lasik. I am profoundly near sighted, started wearing glasses when I was in the third grade. Up until my early 30s I wore contacts but switched to glasses after I developed astigmatism in one eye. About 10 years ago I noticed that I was having trouble reading with my glasses on and took them off and was just fine. This worked but was a pain because I would take them off to do close up work and then couldn't find them! The last time I got new glasses they talked me into getting progressive lenses. Biggest mistake ever. I never could find that little spot I was supposed to use when reading and just continued to take them off and on. Over the last couple of months I've noticed more change in my sight. Now it's blurry doing mid-range stuff, like eating. It's very frustrating. My mom has graciously offered to buy me new glasses now rather than me waiting until I can save up the money to pay for it. I'm so excited that I might be able to "see" again but really conflicted about deciding whether to try progressives again or just go with a bi-focal. Aging and eye sight problems ...ugh! |
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