I’m 35. I’m currently muddling along with reading glasses and distance glasses. It’s a pain in the behind to switch pairs every time I want to talk to a co-worker, then go back to my computer screen.
It’s not vanity, it’s the cost of progressive lenses plus my thick prescription (I’m terribly nearsighted). I’ll probably wince and cough up the money out of my savings eventually, with the benefit that since I’m only 35, people who assume I’m 40+ will think I look GREAT. And what’s wrong with that, I ask!
I’m extremely nearsighted, and just got progressive bifocals last year (age 45). I was finding I had trouble reading computer monitors and print at reading distance. I would have found switching glasses extremely annoying, and found I adjusted to the bifocals in about a week. I’m not really conscious of “using” them, though I do occasionally find them annoying if I’m trying to look at a distant object while reclining.
I continue to take my glasses off for detail work or fine print, as my nearsightedness is severe enough to give me close-in magnification.
Since you have the money in your flex account, besides getting the bifocals, consider getting a second pair that is fixed focus at a near distance, i.e. your computer screen. If you spend any considerable amount of time on a computer, this is worthwhile.
I use progressive bifocals, but noticed that I was getting a sore neck after hours of computer work. I realized that I was constantly tilting my head back to look through the bottom part of the bifocals at the computer screen, and ending up with neck aches. So I asked about a fixed focus pair at the optical store; they said “oh, you mean computer glasses”. It’s pretty common, and they are quite used to doing it. And it cost me less than $75 for them.
I got progressives in my mid-forties, somewhere. It was easy to get used to them and much easier than wearing reading glasses. I think I had four sets of reading glasses, just so there would be a set wherever I needed them. I still have a couple of them stashed for the days that I forget to put the bifocals on in the morning.
My eye guy says I am following the average age/vision arc exactly, so I probably won’t have to change my prescription for another five years. I hope so. I’ll be able to get prescription sunglasses on my insurance next year if I don’t have to swap out my regulars.
How Ols was I when I had get bifocals!!! I was 50 when I got my first set of glasses. And I had to start with bifocals. forget the age thing or feeling old because of bifocals, the rest of my body tells me that I have been around for a while.
I hate needing glasses. Now with glasses I can not read easly small print, or things way off. 20 Years ago when I would get my eyes examined I would read the “Made in the USA” line on the bottom of the charts. Now I have to have my glasses on to type this. I hat glasses.
Early 40s for me. I have progressive bifocals and they’re great. You know they also make bifocal contact lenses. They take a little more getting used to though.
Why ever would you want bifocals if you can read/do close work by taking your glasses off? I started taking my glasses off to read sometime (don’t recall when) in my mid-40s and lived mostly without glasses for a decade or so. Finally around 65, I got drugstore reading glasses and a few years later broke down and got progressives. They work fine.
Some people don’t adjust to bifocals–some can’t stand progressives in particular. My mother can’t stand either, and has always just bought multiple pairs of cheap glasses. I’ll be like that too, I’m afraid. I’ve had a strong prescription for years, and the fact that I’m often looking through parts other than the sweet spot still bugs me every day. Put further junk in my vision, and I’ll be a basket case. At this point, I have reading glasses–a weaker version of my regular glasses. (My eyes are bad enough that I need some myopia correction to avoid having to put the book inches from my face.) If I’m reading a lot, I put them on. For most things, my arms are plenty long, or, if it’s really small, I put my face a few inches away and look over my glasses. So far, so good, but I can’t imagine what I’ll do when I lose more flexibility.
I am wondering why you’re getting a recommendation for bifocals if you can read easily with your glasses off. If your eyes are fine to read, taking glasses on and off should be easier on your eyes than having the distortions in the lenses associated with bifocals/progressives. Do you have some astigmatism correction you’re losing when you aren’t wearing your glasses?
I’m 44, and my latest prescription is for “progressive lenses”. I’ve procrastinated getting them filled. Not because it makes me feel “old”*, but because I’m a procrastinator in general.
*Liar! I am a liar!
I was still in my 20s when the Navy medic told me I needed bifocals. Right. What I needed was simple reading glasses, as I am farsighted, but with astigmatism, which was causing headaches when reading for more than 2030 minutes at a time.
First bifocals came in my 40s, because I worked an “inside-outside” job, and had to read manuals, specs, etc. while in the field. The major portion of the lenses were nearly clear glass.
I tried the progressives when I “came in from the cold” a bit and sat at a computer terminal for hours at a time.
My recommendation to MissTake is go for the ultralight, frameless, progressive lenses. The most expensive you can afford will serve you well.
I think I was in my late thirties when I went to bi-focals. Didn’t think a thing about it since I didn’t have to have those lines.
I began wearing glasses at 14 months with a patch over my strong eye to try to strengthen my weak eye. I would look sideways to see around the patch. Eventually there was a little hole over my good eye just enough for me to see out, but not large enough to be noticed.
So the right eye didn’t develop much strength. It is 20/400 and corrects to 20/200 with glasses. That little bit of light an movement awareness comes in handy.
Worrying about how old I was when I needed bi-focals never entered my mind. I cried with relief to find out that I wasn’t going blind.
No, no astigmatism. If I don’t have my glasses on - say I’m sewing - rather than putting it down, I just squint and try to focus when I look up. It leads to blinding headaches. Laziness, I know. I’ve tried to stop trying to focus when I look up, but it’s habit.
I called and made an appointment for a check up. First available appointment?
April 2nd. Oh well.
I have been wearing bifocals since I was 16. I think I might just get some computer glasses. I noticed my two year old son craning his neck at the computer like I do with my bifocals.
Oh Yes that time of you life when you are really, finally OLD! I went to 50, my eye doc was amazed. My wife had to have bi before me Heh! that was great! I went straight to Tri’s and love them No trouble at all getting used to them etc. I did ask for the better ones though, If I remember correctly they were 700 or 800 bucks.
From what my eye doctor said last year, I’ll probably be getting them this year (age 41).
My husband got them last year, and said the hardest thing to get used to was going down the stairs, but as long as he remembers to point the end of his nose directly at where he wants to go, he’s fine.
Around 43 or so for bifocals, I think. I hate the very idea of progressives - you know they can’t possibly make them work right in the bottom half except for a narrow band up the center? The math doesn’t allow it.
Then my neck started hurting from craning it to look at the PC screen, and not too much later after physical therapy and whatnot I got the bottom three neck vertibrae fused. I think the whole glasses deal just accelerated a problem that would have landed pretty soon anyway, but computer specs are a great idea indeed.
So, bifocals are a great idea at 40. You still have plenty of time left to enjoy them…
I’ve been exceedingly nearsighted and started wearing glasses in 4th grade. I switched to contacts at age 15 and I love them.
In my mid-forties, I noticed that my close-up vision wasn’t quite so sharp - threading a needle, reading fine print on a medicine bottle, etc. My eye doctor adjusted my contacts so that I have “mono-vision” - that is, my left eye is adjusted to see things close-up, and my right eye is adjusted for distance.
After a year or so, I realized that my distance vision was not perfect; signs were slightly blurry, especially at night or in rainy weather. The eye doctor said that mono-vision could adjust things only so much - he could fix it and then I could put on reading glasses for up-close work. I didn’t want to be bothered putting on glasses a hundred times a day, so I had him adjust my close-up vision so it was nice and sharp, my “middle” vision is pretty good, and now I have “distance” glasses that I only put on when I drive at night or if I need to see something far away very sharply.
The only problem I find is when I come inside from the car still wearing my glasses, I sometimes forget to take them off, until I try to have a conversation with someone and I notice that they look blurry.