Reading glasses

[£440,000]

Been finding it increasingly difficult to read stuff like instructions on food packaging and medicine for the last couple of years. Have to hold things away from my face and squint. It's worse if the light is bad. I've got a magnifying glass in the kitchen at home that I use to help.

 

Now I can't comfortably read one of the books I brought on holiday with me cos the print is too small. I'm not about to read a book with a magnifying glass, so think I'm going to have to take the plunge and buy reading glasses.

 

Do I need to go to an optician's or will I be all right with a cheap pair from a chemist's? Is it important to get the right strength or does it not matter cos they're going to get progressively worse anyway?

 

I suppose it's one of the joys of being closer to fifty than forty.

Edited August 19, 2014 by £440,000

[Nate.]

My eyesight went to s*** in my late 20s early 30s probably before if i'm being honest. I'd been putting off getting them checked for a while. Turns out I needed a corneal transplant.

 

It was the optician that picked it up and sent me on to the quacks.

 

Get them checked properly. I wish i'd only needed glasses at the time.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Nate.

[£440,000]

Thanks. Yeah, probably should. Had bad sight when I was younger, but had laser surgery thirteen years ago, which sorted that out. Always knew I'd need reading glasses one day whatever, but probably smart to get then checked out.

Edited August 19, 2014 by £440,000

[muleskinner]

my reading vision has got a bit worse since buying a smart phone and a tablet. I'm not countenancing it being my age. Glasses are the next step :angry:/>

[Nebraska Red]

I had been using reading glasses for a few years until this summer. I went to the ophthalmologist for my eye exam and he fixed me up with some no line tri focals, great for reading, and they help with middle distance and far distance. They are also good for night driving as they help with the glare from lights.

I still have a few pair of cheapo readers knocking around for when I can't remember where I left mu glasses.

[charlie clown]

There's nowt wrong with just buying some off the peg glasses if all you want is some help with reading the small stuff - but as Nate says, half the point of getting a proper eye-check is to make sure you've no hidden problems - I know a few people who've been diagnosed with significant health issues which have been spotted during eye tests.

 

Edit: I'm always reminded in conversations like this one, of the story (apaprently true) of an optician going to see a gallery exphibition of Chuck Close's large-scale portraits. The optician passed an urgent message on to Close via the gallery saying 'if this picture is of a real person, and this portrait is as accurate as it appears to be, the subject needs to see an eye specialist immediately - they may have a life-threatening disease'. The mesage got through and the diagnoisis, based on the painting was correct.

Edited August 20, 2014 by charlie clown

[Ed the Wool]

You can get them lasered for reading these days as well, it's like a top up to your laser eye surgery. I'll definitely get mine done when I need them.

 

My missus works at a clinic which does it, drop me a mail if you want some details.

[£440,000]

Unfortunately, don't have that kind of money to spare these days, but work thinking about for the future.

 

My experience of Lasik was very positive.

[Ed the Wool]

Unfortunately, don't have that kind of money to spare these days, but work thinking about for the future.

 

My experience of Lasik was very positive.

 

Yeah me too. Had it done 3 years ago, it was absolutely incredible. Went from being really short sighted at -5 to 20/12 bionic vision. Was like going from a black and white telly in a caravan to a 65 inch LCD HD!