eyeglasses, do you like your progressives , bifocals etc

[badatmath]

I read some old threads and got mixed opinions from those of you who have tried all sorts of progressives, bifocals, etc. I tend towards clumsy.

I have mildly bad distance vision in one eye, perfect in the other. Moderate astigmatism and they say I need reading glasses. But I CANNOT SEE out of the reading glasses they suggest.

Going to try a new doctor, can anyone suggest what I might ask for? They cannot correct my distance vision to 20/20 in the bad eye regardless so the Rx seems to make little difference for that BUT I WANT TO SEE BETTER. And I can't explain that apparently. Most of the time now I wear none which works about 75% of the time.

They won't let me have contacts due to scarring from a surgery.

Thanks for reading I know this sounds a bit weird, hence why I am frustrated. I wish I could take my eyes off and hand them over and say SEE?! THAT is the problem.

[easysurfer]

I like my current progressives glasses.

During my last ophthalmologist visit, got measured for new glasses as I told them I was having trouble at night while driving.

Got the prescription from them and ended up going to Lenscrafters for the glasses. Getting the glasses made took two tries (they have a satisfaction guarantee). The first attempt, something must have been measured wrong as I couldn't see well at all for distance. The second try (at no extra cost to me) was a lot better and now am able to see fine for driving.

[njhowie]

DW recently got progressives for the first time and loves them. It took her a short while to get accustomed to them, but she really likes them.

[homestead]

I got new progressives last year. Went to my long time eye doctor, he said my astigmatism had rotated. He nailed my prescription and got my vision back to 20/10. The lenses were ground on the edges which gave some reflections at night so they reground them so that the edges weren't polished which helped.

[pb4uski]

My last two pairs of glasses have been progressives and Transitions.... been happy with both.

[ugeauxgirl]

No idea what a progressive is. I've worn contacts since I was 16. At 46 I started to have trouble with small print. (Oddly, I can read perfectly with my contacts out, or with my glasses) I currently have bifocal contacts. I like them.

[W2R]

I got (expensive!) multifocal progressives maybe 30 years ago and absolutely hated them. I am not good enough with fine muscle movements of my neck, to be able to tilt my head the right amount so that I am looking through the correct part of the lens (so that the refraction is right for whatever I am looking at). I think most people can adjust to them but some, like me, do not do well with progressives.

Instead, I went with bifocals and then trifocals, and that approach worked for me. I loved contacts but my optometrist said they were giving me "over-wearing syndrome" and scratching my cornea, so I couldn't wear them.

In 2015 I had cataract surgery, so they implanted a lens in each eye. I chose the regular ones with distance correction, so I don't need glasses to drive. For reading or computing, I wear reading glasses from Amazon. I also bought a more expensive pair of Rayban reading glasses, but the ones I linked to work just as well for me and are cheaper. I also bought some even cheaper ones but like these better.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ugeauxgirl No idea what a progressive is. I've worn contacts since I was 16. At 46 I started to have trouble with small print. (Oddly, I can read perfectly with my contacts out, or with my glasses) I currently have bifocal contacts. I like them.

Progressive is bifocals and trifocals where the changes in the lens magnification is subtlely blended such that there is no line like there are with bifocals or trifiocals.

Transitions are light sensitive and get darker in the sun and lighter when inside.

[GenXguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I got (expensive!) progressives maybe 30 years ago and absolutely hated them. I am not good enough with fine muscle movements of my neck, to be able to tilt my head the right amount so that I am looking through the correct part of the lens (so that the refraction is right for whatever I am looking at).

I hated them also. I tried progressive lenses just a few years ago, hated them, and returned them quickly. I hated that you have to look straight ahead to see clearly. I first realized how much I hated them when trying to drive home wearing them. Looking left and right, with everything blurry, spots of lights becoming streaks of lights unless they were absolutely straight ahead. Note - I'm not talking about unintentionally looking through the bifocal part, but only the distance part of the lens only.

They say you have to wear them a while to get used to them. I personally had no desire to get used to seeing less clearly when looking anywhere but straight forward in the direction my noise was pointing.

I usually wear contacts, but I did get a pair of lined bifocals, and I also ended up having a pair of single vision computer glasses made for when I'm not wearing my contacts that make everything clearest at about 24". Otherwise, I put off-the-shelf reading glasses on to see close-up better when wearing my contacts.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ugeauxgirl No idea what a progressive is.

Here's a detailed description of what progressive lenses are:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_lens

[spncity]

Once quite a few years ago, I paid extra for Zeiss lenses in progressives. They were SO MUCH BETTER! Nice quality and larger correction area in each "zone."

Only recently did it dawn on me that during an eye exam I should "not" squint or strain to "read the smallest print you can read" on the eye chart. Relaxing and not squinting will result in a better, more accurate prescription.

Being an over-achiever works against you in this area!

And it made me wonder why no optometrist nor ophthalmologist has EVER given me these instructions.

[38Chevy454]

I'm nearsighted and used to wear single vision. Now older my eyes can't overcome the distance correction when close viewing. So I have got progressive and happy with them. Kind of funny, my close up "bifocals" are really just canceling out the distance correction. I can see clie fine without glasses, but the progressive lenses let me keep my glasses on instead of h as having to constantly remove them to switch from distance to close.
BTW. I tried transition lenses once and hated them. Now I just get single vision prescription sunglasses. Take them off and switch to the progressive once inside.

[badatmath]

Hmm thanks. I have just noticed the people at work can't deal well with computers and bifocals and I fear I would trip over curbs with progressives. Or wreck the car. I am not sure why they cannot understand that in real life I do not need to see any print the size of tiny gnats 6 inches from my nose though so I don't care what it takes to fix that. I was still legal to drive without glasses 2 years ago, but might not be now. Which makes me think they will be oh like you need this complicated thing. My regular ophthamologist (sp?) does not do vision tests just the "workers". So they cannot answer questions. Hence why I am going somewhere else.

[TromboneAl]

I hated the progressives. I think I tried them twice.

I could only read with the line of text at the very bottom of the lens, and the whole line was never in focus.

I've discovered that my reading glasses work well for the computer screen, and I usually wear them around the house all day.

>BUT I WANT TO SEE BETTER
I know what you mean. Maybe try another doc? I don't have confidence in my optometrist.

[MacsNMore]

Been wearing progressive and transitions glasses for 20+ years. Yes, initially they take a couple days to adapt but I love them and would never want to use separate reading glasses. Also order them from my ophthalmologist as “high indexed” which allows for thinner and lighter lenses. I use my glasses all day, everyday; driving, hiking, running, reading, watching tv..you name it.

[GenXguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spncity Once quite a few years ago, I paid extra for Zeiss lenses in progressives. They were SO MUCH BETTER! Nice quality and larger correction area in each "zone." Only recently did it dawn on me that during an eye exam I should "not" squint or strain to "read the smallest print you can read" on the eye chart. Relaxing and not squinting will result in a better, more accurate prescription. Being an over-achiever works against you in this area! And it made me wonder why no optometrist nor ophthalmologist has EVER given me these instructions.

I remember there being an option for a better progressive lens that had a wider range of vision, but it didn't look like it was enough that I would have been much happier with it than the lower cost version that I bought... and returned.

I don't recall anyone ever telling me not to squint, but somehow I knew not to do that since I was young.

[statsman]

I have been wearing progressives for about 15 years now (I'm 60). The early eyeglasses were okay, but part of that was my fault. I went with about the smallest lens area of the eyeglasses frame due to liking the style at the time. Unfortunately, this limited the blending of the distance-to-mid and mid-to-reading adjustments, and it also limited peripheral vision. I have been using a frame with a larger lens area for the past 4 years, and it is much better. I also went with a higher grade of lens with the larger lenses.

One area I had a problem with and still have a problem with are stairs. I either need to look straight down to get a clear view of the stairs (and stain my neck at the same time), or I lift the glasses up a bit and use my uncorrected vision on the stairs. I had a friend severely twist her knee on stairs while wearing progressives a few months into first having them. Definitely something to be aware of.

As was also mentioned, progressives on a PC/laptop are a pain. I can never get the vision angles right. There are progressives for computer work, modified for close and moderate distances, but that requires an additional set of eyeglasses and constant swapping. Since I like to be on the PC a lot, I may finally break down and get a pair for computer use.

[Jerry1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by badatmath I read some old threads and got mixed opinions from those of you who have tried all sorts of progressives, bifocals, etc. I tend towards clumsy. I have mildly bad distance vision in one eye, perfect in the other. Moderate astigmatism and they say I need reading glasses. But I CANNOT SEE out of the reading glasses they suggest. Going to try a new doctor, can anyone suggest what I might ask for? They cannot correct my distance vision to 20/20 in the bad eye regardless so the Rx seems to make little difference for that BUT I WANT TO SEE BETTER. And I can't explain that apparently. Most of the time now I wear none which works about 75% of the time. They won't let me have contacts due to scarring from a surgery. Thanks for reading I know this sounds a bit weird, hence why I am frustrated. I wish I could take my eyes off and hand them over and say SEE?! THAT is the problem.

Please clarify. You want to see better while reading? It sounds like that is what you're saying. In that case, I would get some inexpensive single vision lenses (just go to the drug store and try them out) so you understand how much correction you need. For example, you may need a +2.00 to read a book up close and only a +1.5 to read a sign just beyond arms length. It's just good to understand this as part of the process.

I only need glasses to read. I purchase progressive lenses because with computer work, you are at least two distances away from what you're reading - the desk/keyboard and the screen. Progressive lenses are a bit of a challenge. You have to work with optometrist on the gradation of the lens. A good measurement of how far your desk/keyboard is from your eyes is critical as well as how far your computer screen is.

Reading glasses are like a magnifying glass. You have to get the right distance based on the power of the lens. It took me three pairs of glasses until I got progressives to work for me. One pair was so bad I actually returned them. One other thing, if you need glasses as described, for the computer, ask specifically for computer glasses. They're a progressive lens, but my experience is that the gradation is smoother and less drastic (less like bi-focals).

[brett]

A few years ago I got progressives. They went back after a month. Got a new prescription. Same issues.

I was told that I could not wear progressives because I had a higher than average amount of eye mobility/activity. There was a name for it. DW simply called me shifty eyed.

So back I went to two pairs and all is right with the world again.

[badatmath]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry1 Please clarify. You want to see better while reading?

It wasn't what I meant but I can see where I said that. In the old days, pre RK surgery and before I got decrepit, I could put on glasses (for distance) and see everything all the time.

Now it seems like I can only see right about 60-75% of the time - at any distance. I still w*rk, so I am always in front of a computer. But say I leave my desk and look over a coworkers shoulder?

Well forget it I might as well not bother because that distance is not going to work. Especially when they are 25 and use funky fonts and colors . . . Same could be said about driving can I see, sure mostly. If its raining and dark maybe not so much.

Appreciate you all helping me think this through so I will be more prepared for the appointment.