# I'm about to be an eyeglass wearer; tell me what I need to know. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 2, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185 "2014-10-02T14:49:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/21 "2014-10-04T00:04:55Z")
Tips on actually wearing glasses: MY optician taught me “On your face or in their case.” after I damaged them by sitting on them/knocking them off the table and stepping on them. For my bedside reading glasses I added “On myself or on the shelf”. If, like me, you like to read lying on your side get a pair with flat arms or they will hurt. NB you can’t you bi or varifocals to read in this position, this is why I have bedside reading glasses. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/22 "2014-10-04T00:15:18Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Yes. You’ll need that also, and it’s generally not included with your prescription. Nor should it be. That’s the responsibility of the optician filling the prescription. If they aren’t capable of measuring your P.D., they aren’t qualified to be dispensing eyeglasses. If they use measurements taken anywhere other than their own office, they aren’t qualified either. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/23 "2014-10-04T00:26:31Z")
The biggest pain in the ass about wearing glasses for me is that they get water drops on them when it is raining. I learned to keep glasses cleaning supplies in my truck and at work. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/24 "2014-10-04T02:00:12Z")
There are coatings you can have added to the lenses, anti-reflective, hydrophobic, and oleophobic. It reduces glare both for you looking out of them and for others looking at you, and oils and water kind of bead up and are easily wiped off. I just got lenses with these coatings after decades of the regular just anti-scratch. I will now always get the extra stuff, they stay cleaner longer and wipe up easier (I just use the microfiber cloth that came with the glasses). I just wipe them off once a day as part of my getting ready routine. Maybe an extra wipe if I’ve been cooking stuff that splattered. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/25 "2014-10-04T02:05:15Z")
Once thing I noticed the first time wearing glasses is that for a week or so I tended to get motion sick while wearing them. I think that the added visual cues from better eyesight fooled my brain into thinking I was spinning whenever I turned my head. Also, I find it useful to have a limited number of spots where I put my glasses after removing them; this makes them much easier to find while searching half-blind for them. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/26 "2014-10-04T02:17:14Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > Tips on actually wearing glasses: MY optician taught me “On your face or in their case.” after I damaged them by sitting on them/knocking them off the table and stepping on them. For my bedside reading glasses I added “On myself or on the shelf”. If, like me, you like to read lying on your side get a pair with flat arms or they will hurt. NB you can’t you bi or varifocals to read in this position, this is why I have bedside reading glasses. That ought to read "You can’t _use_ bi or varifocals… What a weird thinko. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/27 "2014-10-04T02:46:03Z")
Worn glasses for almost all my life. I used to have trouble with sweat and dirt smudges around the bridge of the glasses (center). I now have frames with a wider bridge and the sweat smudges are drastically reduced. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/28 "2014-10-04T03:07:32Z")
America’s Best glasses are fine for me. I went there the last time I needed a new prescription (couple years back). I didn’t have vision insurance and I was pretty close to broke. I paid a small fee to upgrade my frames–none of the basic offerings felt/looked good. I have a very simple prescription, though. Just a little bit nearsighted and a tiny cylinder correction. If you have a complex prescription like bifocals/progressives, or need thick lenses/anti-glare/tinting, it might be better to go someplace else. > [@Student\_Driver](#): > > If you’ve never worn corrective eyewear before, be aware that there is a learning/adapting curve. New eyewear almost always introduces seeming distortions in depth-perception, etc. You will adapt in short order, but it’s a trip to spend the first few days noticing that everything seems to be fore-shortened, or that parallax seems different. Ohh yeah. I didn’t have trouble adjusting with my first pair of glasses. But once I started needing astigmatism correction, I noticed a “fishbowl” effect for a few days. It sucks until you get used to it, and then it’s no big deal. 🙂 > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Also, I find it useful to have a limited number of spots where I put my glasses after removing them; this makes them much easier to find while searching half-blind for them. On your face or in the case! And then the case goes right into my purse. Maybe this is harder for people who don’t carry purses… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/29 "2014-10-04T03:52:34Z")
You need to know that sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will ever hurt you. Translation: eventually you get used to everyone calling you “four-eyes”. . . ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/30 "2014-10-04T04:01:21Z")
No one has called me that ever. My dad, who also still pats waitresses on their asses, doesn’t count! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/31 "2014-10-04T04:04:02Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > No one has called me that ever. My dad, who also still pats waitresses on their asses, doesn’t count! Shush, you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/32 "2014-10-04T05:02:19Z")
Wore glasses off and on (mostly off in my teens and 20s; vanity is a strong thing), from age 8 until age 40 (when I finally got LASIK). If you go to a real eye doctor…: [ul] [li]BRING SUNGLASSES FOR THE EYE EXAM. EVEN IF IT IS CLOUDY. If they dilate your eyes, it will suck. Dark sunglasses are the way to go. [/li] [li]Buy a hard case for your glasses. Trust me on this. [/li] [li]Get a spare pair of glasses, even if they are a total no-frills pair. If you don’t have a back-up pair, you will break pair number one. Trust me on this as well. [/li] [li]Also, you want the anti-scratch and anti-glare protection. [/li] [li]If you need glasses to see the computer, tell the optometrist. My dad has lenses that allow him to see distance, read, and see the computer. I think it depends on where he’s looking in the glasses, which prescription he’s looking through.[/li][/ul] > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Don’t buy tissues with lotion in them anymore. Otherwise “dammit, wiping them made it worse!” > > 🙂 I keep tissues with lotion on my desk at work. It stopped all of the glasses-wearers in my old department from taking a bunch of tissues every day to clean their glasses. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/33 "2014-10-04T05:45:57Z")
Wow! Lots of good stuff here guys. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/34 "2014-10-04T10:29:50Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > Tips on actually wearing glasses: MY optician taught me “On your face or in their case.” after I damaged them by sitting on them/knocking them off the table and stepping on them. That’s why I have a hard case for my spare pair - you could step on that case and not break it, keeps them very safe. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/35 "2014-10-04T11:05:35Z")
Skip metal frames–they bend. Bending can cause the lens to pop out–this is a PITA. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/36 "2014-10-04T11:16:31Z")
Get into the habit of putting your glasses in the same spot every time you take them off. I have a place on my bathroom sink for when I take showers, and a specific spot on my night stand, next to my phone charger. This way you don’t have to look for them, just reach and grab. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/37 "2014-10-04T11:27:43Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Skip metal frames–they bend. > Bending can cause the lens to pop out–this is a PITA. You mean, skip CHEAP metal frames. Personally, I love my titanium frames which are very much metal. Of course, they weren’t cheap, either. I have never broken a lens. I have broken a half-dozen plastic frames over the years, though. I suspect this is an area where mileage varies. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/38 "2014-10-04T13:35:14Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > You mean, skip CHEAP metal frames. Personally, I love my titanium frames which are very much metal. Of course, they weren’t cheap, either. > > I have never broken a lens. I have broken a half-dozen plastic frames over the years, though. I suspect this is an area where mileage varies. I’m with Broomstick^^^. Lifelong glasses wearer, now wearing progressive lenses. I buy good quality titanium frames with good lensing, about every other year. Also get sunglasses at the same time with the exact same lens shape. I found it tough on my eyes going back and forth between different frame shapes, and the distortion bugged me. Costco botched my lenses the one time I tried to cheap out. Another qualified facility pointed out the poor workmanship as I had them redone. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/39 "2014-10-04T13:44:03Z")
I just bought new lenses for my frames at Sams Club Optical. $80 for the vision exam and prescription, $20 for dilation to examine my retinas, $208 for high index progressive bifocal lenses with super scratch resistance. I already had the frames, which were $90. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185/40 "2014-10-04T23:44:33Z")
You will stop noticing the frames in the edge of your vision after a while. And it’ll feel great to actually be able to see better! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-be-an-eyeglass-wearer-tell-me-what-i-need-to-know/700185.md?page=3)