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Feb 2021
7:58am, 18 Feb 2021
13,393 posts
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geordiegirl
Not sure if I’m asking for advice or shared experiences or ponderings but I find the collective fetchies are pretty good at these things.
I’ve been wearing glasses for work and reading for a number of years now. I can manage without but I get eye strain.
3yrs ago my optician suggested I went for varifocals as my reading prescription needed to change and meant that to get up from my desk, look up to talk to a colleague would mean I’d have to take them off as distance would be blurred. (I can still wear my old glasses but agree they are not quite strong enough)
I won’t say I didn’t get in with them but I find I still need to take them off to watch tv, drive as the world is clearer after mid distance without them.
Eye test 2019 my prescription changed again but I am not convinced by varifocals. One option from the first change in vision was contact lenses. So I made an appointment and the last week I’ve been trialling them.
I only need one apparently our brain is so clever it knows to read and work close with my left eye and my right eye needs no correction so can do anything beyond that and it works. I’ve only put it in on working days the rest of the time I manage without or my old prescription more reading based glasses when I need them.
The optician also said I may be better with intermediate glasses for work with reading glasses for closer work - big thing is I love reading and I’m not managing to read much these days as the varifocals don’t seem up to the job (she said curled up with a book and varifocals isn’t ideal as you’re not at the right position for the lens) I don’t want to lose my reading capability. What I don’t like is reading looking up and it being blurred, it’s only blurred enough to make me feel disorientated.
On the lenses I am still fighting to get it in and then out which leaves my eyes irritated, Tuesday was perfect but it’s hit and miss. I can still feel the lens there and I seem to forget to blink enough when working and it dries out causing irritation. I am told by friends with lenses it gets better but I’m only going to be wearing it 4 days a week.
I did get reviewed and prices for replacement lens eye surgery last year, sadly it was too expensive but I’m being more tempted to bite the bullet.
So my pondering is does any fetchies have experience wearing only one lens? And if so does it become natural?
Or anyone with the multiple types of glasses?
Any fetchie opticians who have advice on what may be best or the pros/cons of both?
If I need reading glasses for reading is the cheap ones an ok option (provided I know what strength) as I know for a fact I’ll forget to take them.
Sorry for the long ponderings but I just done know where to go or what is best.
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Feb 2021
8:36am, 18 Feb 2021
2,221 posts
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CumbriAndy
I've worn contact lenses for years - primarily for distance vision. I vaguely recall it took a while to get used to them but it's second nature now.
As I started ageing, I also headed into the realms of 'needing help' for reading as well as for distance. My optician originally tried me with different lenses for different purposes - a 'distance' lens in one eye and a 'reading' lens in the other - which sounds similar to your 'one-eyed' solution. I gave up after a few weeks as the imbalance was making me feel sick - may just have been too big a difference for my brain to cope with. My solution has been to continue wearing my distance lenses for everyday purposes and stick a pair of reading glasses over the top when I need to. That works for me - and my optician is fine with me using off the shelf glasses from Poundland as my readers.
We're all different though and what works for me may not be right for you - but I'd suggest you have very little to lose by buying a couple of pairs of cheap readers and seeing how you get on.
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Feb 2021
9:02am, 18 Feb 2021
15,163 posts
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richmac
Ohhh me me!
Been on lenses now for a few years. I use monthlys.
Lots of thoughts.
Getting used to taking them in and out is the hardest thing. The optician I started with looked at my one hand and said he didn't think I'd master it, pfft.
How severe is your prescription? Mines into the -9's I nearly qualify for a free dog.
I think forget just one lens, it would be the worst of both worlds.
Surgery I'd look at, but once your have your lenses cut off there is no going back, I've a mate who has had it done and says it's fine, he does iron Man stuff so it's ok to swim with.
Back to lenses. I have to wear readers with mine, that's fairly common apparently and your can get multi packs of readers off Amazon for very little so you leave glasses where you need them. However if I'm doing really really close stuff, like really small wiring jobs, in end up taking everything off or out and squint at it from 1 cm away, it looks hilarious but it's how I cope.
Middle and distance stuff is absolutely great much better than glasses you don't have the frame around your world.
If your swim especially OW the advice is bin the lens your wearing when you get out, personally I haven't and not gotten any infections, i would, I think if I swam somewhere like Salford quays again. But to get round that your can either get off the peg goggles that are close enough to swim in or get some dailies, my provider (spec savers) will sell your thirty sets for thirty quid on top of your monthlies.
If you suffer from dry eyes, I do, it's a question of staying hydrated yourself, no bad thing, and making sure you have eye drops handy, or keeping a bottle of lens fluid handy to squirt in. It's a question of leaving things where your need them
So I'm pro lens even with all that.
My glasses, for beginning and end of the day plus some days to rest my eyes from lenses. Are varifocals. I still have them halfway down my nose but get on ok with them. I avoid running or biking in them though.
It takes some getting used to though.
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Feb 2021
9:31am, 18 Feb 2021
484 posts
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SteveC NordRunner
Having only one lens, or having one near, one far prescription can become natural, yes. I use monthlies. I used a matched pair before that, but as I went through my forties I needed reading glasses too. Now in my early sixties I don't need the latter and I appreciate the lack of hassle
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Feb 2021
9:36am, 18 Feb 2021
48,564 posts
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McGoohan
I had a tryout of distance lens in one eye and reading lens in the other. The optician said my brain & eyes would get used to it. Maybe I should have given it longer but I found I had an instant crashing headache.
An alternative was a pair of varifocal lenses which I think had distance in the middle like a bullseye and close-up around the edge (or vice-versa) but they were really thick so hurt my eyelids when I blinked.
I didn't bother.
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Feb 2021
9:37am, 18 Feb 2021
13,397 posts
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geordiegirl
Thank you both lots to think about. Glad to see that it is possible to have different (solo) lens and that it can work.
I don’t know what my prescription is I bought some readers from the £ shop + 1.5-2 is ok I went with +2 and they may be a bit strong
I don’t need them at all if I’m not reading or working on the laptop.
The eye surgery was lens replacement which has added benefit of protecting against future cataracts but at £8k well out of reach esp for such a minor inconvenience
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Feb 2021
9:39am, 18 Feb 2021
21,599 posts
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Meglet
I’ve worn lenses since I was 16. I changed from gas permeable to soft about 10y ago and it was a challenge getting used to the new removable technique!
I’ve trialled different prescriptions, one set for reading and one for distance but hated it, I prefer my distance vision to be really good.
I’ve settled with using reading glasses. It’s annoying at work with the PPE which means I have to keep them on most of the time but I’ve adapted to the slight blurriness while inside. I’m not sure I can be fussed with varifocals, but if my reading prescription gets stronger I might need them (I need full size glasses to protect my eyes at work, at home I just peer over the top!)
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Feb 2021
9:56am, 18 Feb 2021
13,398 posts
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geordiegirl
Maybe I need to get used to the disturbance to my vision I’m in glasses this morning and I’ll swap to lenses shortly to see the comparison. I think I’m a reluctant glasses wearer 🥺
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Feb 2021
10:00am, 18 Feb 2021
21,600 posts
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Meglet
I don’t think there’s much choice as you get older the reading glasses become inevitable. I’ve embraced it and now try to remember to take them out with me (when reading a menu at a restaurant was a thing we did)
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Feb 2021
10:17am, 18 Feb 2021
13,399 posts
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geordiegirl
Denial I’m getting old 😂
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Speccy four-eyes
Oct 2022