# Help with first pair of glasses **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047 "2021-02-16T15:28:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/41 "2021-02-17T17:02:43Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Costco would cost you $60 for an annual membership, which you save back right away and then some, plus you get the expensive stuff like personalized in-person advice and fitting, just like your expensive optical shop at your optometrist’s. Same qualifications of the person fitting your glasses: optician. Or just go into Costco with a friend or family member who is a Costco member. That’s how I’ve gotten glasses from there. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/42 "2021-02-17T17:03:59Z")
> [@flight](#): > > Gotcha. So would that be something that is known just based on what the prescription is, or might that change with the lens material or something? It’s both. The optometrist should evaluate whether or not you _need_ any prism, and – whether the correct amount for you is zero or something other than zero – the optician should figure out the best way to get you there. And opticians have any number of knobs and levers that they can tweak to do this optimally. > [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Re: **prisms** , you may need those even if you don’t think you have what we laypeople think of as double vision. We laypeople can develop ‘convergence insufficiency’ which is what prisms correct for. The misnomer of ‘double vision’ can throw us off. The ‘double vision’ can be very subtle, not what we lay folks think of as double vision. If you need prisms, they can be amazing in sharpening your eyesight. She’s right. And, again, the anisometropia can make binocular vision issues (not necessarily dramatically) more likely. That’s why I remark that a thorough eye exam should also evaluate your “binocular vision” status. “Convergence insufficiency” OR any number of other binocular vision disorders. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/43 "2021-02-17T17:13:10Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > When you get the reading glasses, do you actually mean you will use those for your computer glasses?-if so, be sure to point that out to the optician you get fitted by when you order your glasses in person. Saying ‘readers’ gets you clear vision at distance you would hold a book, not, I think, the computer monitor distance it seems you are talking about in your real life use. That computer distance you speak of also might be helpful with the dashboard/speedometer needs when you drive. I’m just passing along stuff I learned the hard and/or expensive way, so you don’t have to. No, just for reading. To properly focus on the computer screen now, I am using the very top of the progressive lens, so just getting single vision lenses set for distance should work for this. > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > And, again, the anisometropia can make binocular vision issues (not necessarily dramatically) more likely. > > That’s why I remark that a thorough eye exam should also evaluate your “binocular vision” status. > > “Convergence insufficiency” OR any number of other binocular vision disorders. I did have a recent eye exam and they seem to think I am good on convergence, or at least they did not note and necessary prism correction (the form they gave me has multiple spaces for prism in each eye that are all blank). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/44 "2021-02-17T17:23:27Z")
The four or five foot distance at which you’re reading your computer monitor is way higher than most people have their computer monitor or book they’re reading. So if you are still using a computer at that distance when you work with an optician, be sure to let them know. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/45 "2021-02-17T17:33:18Z")
Your distance prescription is very mild on one side, and non-existent on the other. Do you need glasses to see your computer monitor? The PL on one side means you have a plain lens for distance on one side. IOW, no prescription. The other side is a very small adjustment. You have a relatively small, but meaningful add value for close up in the progressives, which won’t be there in your single vision glasses. When exactly do you feel you need glasses? ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/46 "2021-02-17T17:49:06Z")
Can I read the monitor? Yes. Is the clarity dramatically improved with glasses? Yes. I only now reached a point where I am ready to wear glasses all the time. Even a year ago the balance fell to not being worth the bother. So, I expected the correction to be relatively minor. I expect I am getting much more of an effect from the astigmatism correction. They are a general improvement always and a very large improvement close up. I received a Metal Earth model a year ago. The damn thing is incredibly tiny, requiring tweezers to bend the little bits. I could not do that without glasses. Just not possible. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/47 "2021-02-17T18:20:23Z")
Yes, that’s the close up, reading part of your prescription, which you won’t have in the single vision distance glasses. I asked because I had a very similar scenario. My first progressives were plain lens for the distance part on one side, and very slight correction on the other. Now I have some correction for distance on both, but it’s slight. I would not have made the jump to getting glasses if I hadn’t developed presbyopia, which made me jump pretty much straight into progressives. But if you need the distance rx to see your 4.5’-away monitor clearly, then that’s pretty different from what I was experiencing. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/48 "2021-02-17T18:54:20Z")
I can read it fine now (progressive glasses are in the mail being returned), but I was not aware of how less-than-optimal it was until I had the glasses on. That is what the optometrist had said, “You are able to fine in your daily life right now, but with glasses it will be notably better. Once you try them you won’t really want to go back. It’s like living off of hamburgers and being fine with it until you have a couple good steaks and wonder why you had been eating so poorly before.” ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/49 "2021-02-17T19:38:04Z")
Yeah, that’s different from my experience – which makes sense, as we don’t have the same rx, and we’re different people. (Notably, my slight rx is for farsightedness, not nearsightedness, too.) When my distance rx was less, glasses were not worth the hassle until I needed the presbyopia correction as well. I’m glad you are seeing such an improvement. Oh, and regarding your OP question about seeing part of your glasses frames in your peripheral vision – I can see mine in my peripheral vision. Both the outer part, and, depending on where I’m looking, the part by my nose. You just learn to ignore it. Actually, that sounds too active. More like, after a short time, you stop noticing it unless you are thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/50 "2021-03-18T21:25:52Z")
Update: Based on everyone’s suggestions I bought one pair of single-prescription glasses for most of life and one for reading, the first pair having blue blocker lenses. These were way better. Being able to see through the whole lens was great and not having my vision warped when looking at steps was fantastic. All in all, a much better way to go. Then I had to fish something out that fell between my car’s center console and seat and didn’t notice that the (very light) glasses had fallen off onto the parking lot. When I got back to my car someone hand pulled in next to me and run them over. Had them for about a week. So, I am ordering another pair. Since they are frameless it makes them a bit more expensive, so I am paying almost 100 for them at Zenni. Still worth it though, and the replacements should be here in a few weeks. For now I am back to poor vision though. So, thanks for everyone’s help. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/51 "2021-03-18T21:48:51Z")
I’ve been paying attention since this thread, and it’s clear to me that the brain adjusts to progressive lenses. I can look straight down at steps, through the lower part of my lenses, and while they may look slightly blurry, they don’t appear closer or otherwise distorted. I don’t know how that adjustment differs if you have dramatically different prescriptions in each eye, but I bet it happens for most people with progressives. The only time I see a real distortion is when I am looking partly through the glasses, and partly over them, or past the edge. Then, I can see something seem to change position as I move my eyes past the edge of the glasses. ETA: Not directed to the OP specifically – glad you found a solution that works for you. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047/52 "2021-03-18T21:51:55Z")
Sorry to hear that your new glasses got smashed. On the sort of bright side, once you get used to wearing glasses regularly, you’ll notice immediately if they’re not on your face. So you’d probably notice if they fell on the ground. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-first-pair-of-glasses/933047.md?page=2)