I have wore eyeglasses since third grade. I always hoped that my eyes would get better so that I wouldn't have to wear them any more, well they didn't. I have accepted that but when my eye doctor tried to prepare me for bifocals I thought "you mean the glasses with the lines on them?!" Gasp. I dreaded when that day would come. Luckily with all the new developments in eye wear (designer frames, transitional lenses, and even no lined bifocals) I had something to look forward to but little did I know how much it would cost me. Now I hate making decisions when it comes to choices so I chose everything that I wanted - designer frames, transitional lenses, and of course no line bifocals. The assistant went over my order and proceeded to tell me that I couldn't have transitional lenses and no lines in the bifocals. What?! So I 'had' to decide what I was going to give up between the two. I really wanted the transitional lenses so lined bifocals it was. Now what I'm about to say shouldn't be shocking but I hated everything about these glasses that even having designer frames didn't help any. I just couldn't adjust to them. I complained constantly and so much so that the optometrist suggested contacts accompanied with reading glasses. I was a happy camper even though it cost me. I had two years to really think about what I wanted on my next visit.
By the 5th. grade it was obvious I had been getting less classroom information down: I couldn't see the blackboard clearly. So, glasses it was. I hated them, but a new world opened up, seeing the little glistening twigs on the leafless trees that winter looked worth it. I always was near-sighted, but in later years, could not read print with the glasses on, so last time I got the graduated, line-less bifocals. Still not a good compromise, I could not get used to tilting my head back to read, plus my arthritic neck has become very painful. So, I take them off to read labels, and such. Or books, newspaper..... Frank
Sometimes I time it's just a conspiracy to be told that you will have to wear anything other than single lenses. I always thought bifocals were just for reading and I didn't feel that I needed them and still feel that way today. My argument was that I worked on a computer all day and very seldom did any reading which required 24/7 bifocals. I don't know if conspiracy is the appropriate term to use but I believe that the health insurance companies are dictating this requirement based on age assumptions - like when you turn 40 you will have to wear bifocals. I have been tempted many times to challenge this by demanding single vision lenses and see just what happens. I feel that I'm paying for it why shouldn't I get what I feel is best for my seeing purposes. Once again there is probably some health insurance jargon to justify otherwise. Why can't we just have the option to choose?
I chose what works for me. I couldn't pass my last drivers license exam without glasses. The eye doctor gave me a prescription for lenses for distance driving only. And for reading I buy drugstore readers. So, both near & far are covered. Not always the handiest thing to have different pairs of glasses, but I just hated bifocals and wouldn't wear them. My Medicare Advantage Plan let me get the eye exam free (once every two years I think), and I got the frames at Walmart for $49.
I love my no-line bifocals. I need to read and for short distance, but far away, I don't need to wear them at all.
Maybe next year I can present doing something like this to my eye doctor. I wouldn't mind having multiple pairs of glasses for different purposes. At least I would be walking around trying to find the correct position to put my head so that I can see what I'm reading. Uggh!
Like Frank, I've needed distance glasses since around 5th grade. I started getting migraines from the fluorescent lights, and was having trouble seeing the board, so the teacher recommended having my eyes checked, and I was disappointed to find out I needed glasses. I did get contact lenses as few years later, and wore those for years, but I've gone back to glasses, because my eyes are so dry that the contact lenses became very uncomfortable. I haven't had an eye exam in several years, but the last time I did, I still didn't need reading glasses. I know my vision has deteriorated since then, but because I'm so myopic, I might still be able to get away without bifocals this next time, although I'm not sure that will last forever.
@Diane Lane I only wore contacts until my next visit but I loved the freedom of not having to push the bridge up my nose . I was told that there are contacts with bifocals. I haven't heard any good or bad about them or even if any one has tried them. Hmmm I glad I started this thread it's helping me a lot.
@Von Jones I don't wear them, but I know there are bifocal contacts. I know at least some of them are weighted on the bottom, so the reading portion stays down there. I ended up getting migraines from the contacts, since my eyes were so dry, which is why I finally decided to stop wearing them. Even the ones that are advertised for dry eyes didn't work for me. I am not a fan of glasses. Like you, I was disappointed that I had to start wearing them, and still don't like wearing them many years later, but I'm glad I can see .
I wear progressive lenses, no line. I need it for far away and reading. My middle distance is okay but I just leave my glasses on all day, except at night watching TV.
They have now for years made contacts which even correct for Astigmatism, or "Spherical Correction". Some folks' lenses (in their eyes) are not consistently thick around the periphery, so corrective lenses must be "ground" to follow that inconsistency. This means the lens "strength" varies around the outer edge, and the lens must always be aligned the same way. Glasses automatically hold the lenses correctly; they cannot "turn round". But contacts can rotate in the eye, and thus Astigmatism could not be corrected by them. Then, they devised a way of "weighting" them, so no matter how you "pop' them into the eye, the weight rotates them to proper alignment, due to gravity. But, what about the person who must, for whatever reason, rotate the position of his head, maybe in his line of work? How fast do those weighted babies turn about in the eye? I drive my wife nuts. Does it show? Frank
Yes it does at times Frank your wife is a saint I presume..................a interesting post though, I didn't know anything about weighted contacts. On the subject of plain glasses I started to have problems reading small print in my late 40s and had an eye examination, and was prescribed a pair of reading glasses. These cost $60 which was a fair amount in the 1980s, they lasted less than a month as I sat on them I ended up buying a pair of shop ones for a few $, and have done ever since. I have found some pretty good ones from China on Ebay, recently with titanium frames for $10 and they arrive within 10 days. I need a pair for reading and another for distance these days, I can drive without but it just sharpens the horizon wearing glasses. I don't think I would get on with varifocals, but it would mean one less pair of glasses to carry around I guess.. I should really have another eye examination, but never seem to get around to it.
I have been wearing no line bifocals for years now but my first pair of bifocals were lined and I could not get used to them. So the next time I needed to get a new pair I opted for no line and we have lived happily ever after ever since. The last time I went for a new pair of glasses no one told me that the frame I picked out would leave the edge of the lens hanging out over the sides...the lens were so thick on the edge that I knew there was no way I was going to ever wear those glasses. So I took them back and told them they just would not work for me. And then they explained how lens work with different eye problems...some lens are the same thickness thoughout, some are thicker through the middle, and some like mine are thicker towards the edges. Since they hadn't explained any of this to me before I ordered my glasses or told me that the lens would be wider than the frames they took those glasses back. The person who explained all this to me helped me find frames that would contain the edges instead of letting them all hang out. And when I went back to pick up my new pair of glasses I liked them just fine. I don't particularly like wearing glasses all the time but I love reading, researching, etc. so they are a necessity I don't want to live without. Our 70 something next door neighbor used to wear glasses too. A few years ago he decided to have laser eye surgery and now he sees as well as he did when he was much younger. I'm sure that is very expensive and I don't think it fixes all eye problems either...but I'm not positive about that part. But he's very happy with the results and I'm happy for him. The only time my glasses bother me is when I get a sinus infection.
When I was first fitted with bifocals years ago, I was asked if I wanted the "blended" types so people wouldn't know I wore bifocals. I told the Optician that I WANTED the dividing line between the 2 optical surfaces because I WANTED people to know I wear Bifocals! Hal
How direct, Hal. I started with lined bifocals but found them very difficult to adjust to. It was hard working at a computer 8 hours seeing those lines. After two years of hoping it would get better it didn't so I elected the unlined bifocals.