Eyesight =( How old were you when.....

[Aiming_4_55]

you started wearing bifocals (if you wear glasses or contacts)?

Well, I started a new j*b in Sep 2011 which requires long hours (at least until yearend) and review of data on spreadsheets (font size 8) is a daily task several times a day. I was having trouble reading the spreadsheet and enlarge the font on the screen.

I normally don't purchase vision health coverage but knew it's been 2+ years since I got new eyeglasses, so with only a few months left in the year, I figure I would pay the premiums and have an exam/new glasses, then elect no vision coverage for 2012.

Well, it kinda back fired.... I'm getting bifocals! =( at age 42.

 

[Gumby]

I got my first set of reading glasses at 42. An inability to read the menu in dimly lit restaurants was the first sign that I needed them.

 

[W2R]

Age 42 for me, too.

 

[brewer12345]

I had bifocals at age 12. Cry me a goddamn river.

 

[HFWR]

Glasses for myopia since about 11, add presbyopia since 51. With some astigmatism thrown in for good measure...

Blind in one eye, and can't see out of the other...

 

[bbbamI]

Bifocals....40 sumpin'. I had to start wearing glasses when I was two years old.

 

[73ss454]

Reading glasses by 38 and bifocals by 42. Man, I need glasses to get out of a room.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

Can I bottle that "goddamn river" and sell it as spring or holy water...

12 huh? There's a joke in there somewhere, but I'll refrain as it'll show my low intelligence level

I had bifocals at age 12. Cry me a goddamn river.

 

[Nodak]

Was nearsighted from 13 to about 35 then no glasses from 35 to about 55 when I realized my arms were too short to read small print then right to bifocals.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

Seems like early 40's is the norm.

I started wearing glasses in high school.... finally was able to get tested and some gov't program paid for it. Lasik at age 28, very light prescription at age 38, legal to drive without glasses during my driver's license renewal last year.

If I didn't change jobs, I would not have this new problem in my life! If I was FI and RE I could of avoided all this hassle in 2011

 

[Animorph]

Bifocals in mid 30's. I can still read nicely at 6", but beyond that I needed bifocals. That was the first thing to go, at least for an engineer.

 

[brewer12345]

Can I bottle that "goddamn river" and sell it as spring or holy water...

12 huh? There's a joke in there somewhere, but I'll refrain as it'll show my low intelligence level

Contacts at age 16 were a blessing because I could ditch the very heavy glasses.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

That's a good reason to avoid restaurants, stay in and save some $$

I got my first set of reading glasses at 42. An inability to read the menu in dimly lit restaurants was the first sign that I needed them.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

contacts now in your avatar huh??

Age 42 for me, too.

 

[Htown Harry]

52 for me.

I've been nearsighted since 18 or so - I discovered I couldn't see the chalkboard from the last row of the big college lecture hall, where I liked to hang out. The need for bifocals came on very suddenly, as if I woke up one morning and decided I was better off reading the newspaper without glasses at 12 inches rather than with my glasses on.

DW was about 4 years younger when she started wearing the cheaters for reading. She never has had glasses otherwise.

 

[plex]

Based on my parents I'll need reading glasses in my early 50s, maybe bifocals in my 70s.

 

[W2R]

contacts now in your avatar huh??

Eva (whose photo is my avatar) probably doesn't need glasses... as for me, I wear them almost all the time. I have trifocals by now. I tried contacts again but no luck.

 

[Katsmeow]

I had LASIK when I was 44. Until then I was very, very nearsighted but had no problems reading. After LASIK I had 20-20 vision but soon started needing reading glasses. I still just use drugstore readers (I'm 57 now).

FWIW, the trade off was so worth it.

 

[W2R]

I had LASIK when I was 44. Until then I was very, very nearsighted but had no problems reading. After LASIK I had 20-20 vision but soon started needing reading glasses. I still just use drugstore readers (I'm 57 now).

FWIW, the trade off was so worth it.

Good idea, Aiming_4_55, maybe you are interested in going under the knife? Then you wouldn't need anything but reading glasses.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

Started wearing glasses for near-sightedness at 9, started wearing reading glasses at 49.

I have tried (and hated) bifocals, so I use 2 sets of glasses.

 

[Meadbh]

52 for me.

I've been nearsighted since 18 or so - I discovered I couldn't see the chalkboard from the last row of the big college lecture hall, where I liked to hang out. The need for bifocals came on very suddenly, as if I woke up one morning and decided I was better off reading the newspaper without glasses at 12 inches rather than with my glasses on.

DW was about 4 years younger when she started wearing the cheaters for reading. She never has had glasses otherwise.

+1 on the college experience. I couldn't see what the physics prof was drawing on the board from my assigned seat in the last row.

I had a brief flirtation with contacts in my 20s, until I stood on one (SCRUNCH!) during ward rounds in the hospital. Heck, glasses are easier!

I got progressive lenses in my 40s.

 

[ItDontMeanAThing]

Early 40s, about 2 years after I realized I needed them. Got away with it because I'm nearsighted and can read perfectly when something is between 8"-10" away. But that started to be both a pain in the neck and a really stupid way to avoid admitting I was aging.

 

[East Texas]

Went to an Opthamologist right when I turned 40 because of pain in one eye. Grandma had glaucoma at an early age and I was concerned I also had it. The Doc was about 112 years old and told me the pain was from eyestrain. I remember his exact words "when you get to be our age you need glasses". OUR age?

I am appreciative of that visit because I have had annual checkups ever since then. This year I was diagnosed with Normal Tension Glaucoma (optic nerve in one eye was a bit off off color so that set off a whole set of tests to exclude other factors). I have not had any loss of vision because the disease was diagnosed so early.

 

[Dawg52]

Started contacts in my late 20's, stopped wearing them around 40 due to dry eyes. Reading glasses kicked in at 44.

 

[Brett_Cameron]

Started wearing glasses at age 30 and bifocals in my 40's. I noticed my prescription had a definite change a few months after FIRE after about two decades of steady prescription.