I have progressive lenses in my glasses, too, deb. (No-line bifocals.) No one can tell they're not regular glasses, and they do help a lot. I've worn them since I was 44. My husband needed them at 41.
They told me that if you start out with progressives (no-line), it is difficult to switch later to the traditional type with lines, and vice-versa.
Also...if you just barely need bifocals, wait awhile. At first, they were just troublesome, and I preferred to take my glasses off to read. Now that I definitely need them, the glasses work much better.
Re: Bifocals!!!!!
dlowan wrote:It is happening, dammit!
My already sadly myopic eyes are starting to have trouble with the fine print.
I mean - you didn't oughta hafta have myopia AND long-sightedness as well - but there it is. Waaaaaaaaaaaah.
I shall soon have to surrender and get the dreaded bifocals.
Just how bad are they, folks? Any hints about what to get, not get???
It is soooo gonna be wrinkles soon, I just know it.
You can try the bifocal contact lenses. I understand they work rather well.
I have had bifocals for awhile now and have glasses with no line and the line. I invariable go looking for the ones with the line--the focus and magnification is much sharper, my eyes get less tired, and they are just better for reading.
Never tried a progressive lens, but I've had bi-focals for a decade. Never Again! Okay, you're driving, and maybe want to glance at the instrument panel? It's out of focus - both lenses. So you're walking down stairs and would like to see the next step - same thing.
I don't use glasses for much other than driving, so I never got used to the things, but if I get to the point I wear them all the time, I will use separate reading glasses.
Well, progressive bi-focal contacts may work great. I am not spending the money on something that might not work for me.
Foxfyre wrote:I have had bifocals for awhile now and have glasses with no line and the line. I invariable go looking for the ones with the line--the focus and magnification is much sharper, my eyes get less tired, and they are just better for reading.
How about having separate glasses for distance and near work?
I use the Varilux (progressives), for my regular glasses. For sunglasses, which I mostly use for driving, bifocals are good enough (and a lot cheaper). The progressive lenses let you see close, mid and long range.
The only problem is on a computer. I found that I was craning my neck upward to see properly. This really bothered my neck. If you are not astigmatic, you can get away with buying one of those cheapie reading glasses in the drug store. Wheat you do is find out what your strength is for reading: ie: +2.50, and buy a pair of glasses that are half strength +1.25. It you have a lot of astigmatism, you would have to have a prescription made to use with your computer.
Good idea, phoenix. But just think of the cost of having so many different pairs of glasses. One for near, one for computer, one for distance and one for sun. The cost could easily be more than $1000.
Miller- All you need are three- Progressives, sun and computer. If you can get away with the "cheapies" for the computer, all to the good. If you REALLY want to save, you can get those glasses that darken when you go outdoors, so you don't need sunglasses.
I keep forgetting that I need darker glasses because it is so bright where I live. I remember the first time that I went back up north, I had to buy a pair of over the counter sunglasses. The ones that I had were much too dark!
Also, for people who need glasses only for reading...............when I first started to develop presbyopia, a got a pair of "Ben Franklin's". In that way, you can look over the glasses when you look up from what you are reading. I wore them for years.
BBB
I wore progressive lens before and after my two cataract surgeries this year. I've had bifocals with the line and I prefer the progressives. Even so, I wear them on a chain around my neck because I don't like walking with them on because my depth and distance perception is distorted when I look down at the ground.
BBB
How much do progressives cost?
Nice idea on the drugstore lenses, Phoenix, but what do you do if your left eye needs no correction, like mine, for close work, but the right one does?
Same kind of problem with progressives, huh BBB? Glad I saved the money.
Roger
My progressive prescription is based on different needs for each eye, same as bifocals. My vision is much improved since my cataract surgery and I actually only need my glasses for reading.
BBB
Bear--
Smoke filled rooms encourage cataracts.
Dlowan--
Bifocals are a sign that your inner vision--undoubtedly always good--is becoming more and more accurate.
I've worn trifocals for quite a while. Bifocals wouldn't do the job for me, as I have been quite myopic and needed to see far away to drive, at intermediate distance to see people across my desk or the book titles eight feet away, and to see close up for architectural drafting. Unfortunately, trifocals, very expensive little sweeties, don't come in a progressive or blended form, so one always has these stupid glass lines across the lens, called "executive" lenses to put a nice face on it.
That doesn't bother me to see through, but it is fairly disconcerting to others, as in "poor thing". On top of it, that means that even with the expensive thinner glass part of the lens is quite thick, so you don't have as wide a choice of the niftier looking wee wiry glasses as other people do.
Because of my own eye history, documented ad nauseum elsewhere on a2k, I'd never get a lens implant for cosmetic reasons... I cringe to think of it. If I could wear bifocals, I'd get the blended lenses and be done with it.
But most people who get the laser surgery seem happy to have done it, even if they have had some tweaking necessary (one friend, a news anchor, had one eye come out wrinkled in some way; that needed fixing and was fixed.) I do have another friend, a fellow who lives to play on the stock market and rises early to do that most days: he has to get up especially early because he can't focus for an hour or more after he wakens. He's dealt with that for years, but then he hasn't gone back to the surgeon.
Miller writes:
Quote:How about having separate glasses for distance and near work?
I'm one who hates changing glasses from inside to outside, near work, far sight. It's time consuming and to me a nuisance. I always prefer function over form if a choice needs to be made.
While we're on the subject, my last eye doctor discouraged me from getting those anti-glare coatings supposedly for computer work--I do a LOT of computer work. He said these scratch easily and blur and are almost impossible to really clean after awhile. He was so right. My new glasses without the coatings do much better not to mention are a bunch cheaper.
I'm just saying the line in bifocals are just plain superior to the no line ones when it comes to sharp vision and practical considerations. But some prefer the no line so it is good that they are offered.
I can understand, foxfyre.. I might prefer the line with bifocals too, instead of the blended, re clarity (even though I said in my last post I'd get the blended and be done with it.)
I've never had blended ones and didn't realize they were less clear. Am guessing that happens right at the blend zone?
I'd also prefer the bifocal part go all the way across the bottom instead of those little inserts, not because you see more, as the edges of the curved lens at the bottom aren't particularly effective, but because I like the looks of the lens better that way. Optometrists usually try to talk one out of that.
Noddy24 wrote:Bear--
Smoke filled rooms encourage cataracts.
Dlowan--
Bifocals are a sign that your inner vision--undoubtedly always good--is becoming more and more accurate.
Inner vision?
You mean the blinder I get, the more acutely I can "read: things???
Does this work for hearing?
Thanks to my mother's damned genes, my inner hearing is getting better, too!
Phoenix32890 wrote:I use the Varilux (progressives), for my regular glasses. For sunglasses, which I mostly use for driving, bifocals are good enough (and a lot cheaper). The progressive lenses let you see close, mid and long range.
The only problem is on a computer. I found that I was craning my neck upward to see properly. This really bothered my neck. If you are not astigmatic, you can get away with buying one of those cheapie reading glasses in the drug store. Wheat you do is find out what your strength is for reading: ie: +2.50, and buy a pair of glasses that are half strength +1.25. It you have a lot of astigmatism, you would have to have a prescription made to use with your computer.
Oh my! I can see the computer just fine, thank heavens!
ossobuco wrote:I've worn trifocals for quite a while. Bifocals wouldn't do the job for me, as I have been quite myopic and needed to see far away to drive, at intermediate distance to see people across my desk or the book titles eight feet away, and to see close up for architectural drafting. Unfortunately, trifocals, very expensive little sweeties, don't come in a progressive or blended form, so one always has these stupid glass lines across the lens, called "executive" lenses to put a nice face on it.
That doesn't bother me to see through, but it is fairly disconcerting to others, as in "poor thing". On top of it, that means that even with the expensive thinner glass part of the lens is quite thick, so you don't have as wide a choice of the niftier looking wee wiry glasses as other people do.
Because of my own eye history, documented ad nauseum elsewhere on a2k, I'd never get a lens implant for cosmetic reasons... I cringe to think of it. If I could wear bifocals, I'd get the blended lenses and be done with it.
But most people who get the laser surgery seem happy to have done it, even if they have had some tweaking necessary (one friend, a news anchor, had one eye come out wrinkled in some way; that needed fixing and was fixed.) I do have another friend, a fellow who lives to play on the stock market and rises early to do that most days: he has to get up especially early because he can't focus for an hour or more after he wakens. He's dealt with that for years, but then he hasn't gone back to the surgeon.
I'd love it.
My wallet says no.
Sigh.
My cowardice isn't too happy with it, either!
