First Time Glasses

I'm 42 and have just picked up my very first pair of prescription
glasses from the eye doc after getting an eye exam. They're "single
vision" (which means nothing to me). I mainly needed the glasses for
computer and for reading up close. The doc said I could wear them all
the time and they would help when driving.

I'm noticing that things up close are now amazingly clear and easy to
read. BUT: I'm noticing things like the tv across the room are now
slightly blurry for a little while then slowly come into focus.

Is all this just a matter of getting used to wearing glasses for the
first time ever?

The eye doc said I can either wear them for reading OR I can wear them
all the time (like driving at night). Should I only use them for
reading or just go ahead and wear them all the time?

I seem to be getting two points of view from folks...some say JUST for
reading...others (like the doc) say all the time is just fine.

Thanks!!

"Michael" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:b0859efb-d78b-4132-9cbc-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm 42 and have just picked up my very first pair of prescription
> glasses from the eye doc after getting an eye exam. They're "single
> vision" (which means nothing to me). I mainly needed the glasses for
> computer and for reading up close. The doc said I could wear them all
> the time and they would help when driving.

Single vision is as opposed to bi-focals or progressives (no-line bifocals).

> I'm noticing that things up close are now amazingly clear and easy to
> read. BUT: I'm noticing things like the tv across the room are now
> slightly blurry for a little while then slowly come into focus.
>
> Is all this just a matter of getting used to wearing glasses for the
> first time ever?

No, virtually everyone at your age starts to develop presbyopia, which means
you need more "plus" correction up close than you do for distance vision.
Lens come in plus or minus diopter correction, depending on whether it is
correcting for farsightedness or nearsightedness respectively.

> The eye doc said I can either wear them for reading OR I can wear them
> all the time (like driving at night). Should I only use them for
> reading or just go ahead and wear them all the time?

Assuming your Rx is correct, and you never needed correction up until now,
you probably only need them for reading (unless you are an alien from
another planet and aren't developing presbyopia like everyone else your
age).

> I seem to be getting two points of view from folks...some say JUST for
> reading...others (like the doc) say all the time is just fine.
>
> Thanks!!

If you can't see clearly with the glasses at a distance, and you can see
clearly at distance without them, then don't wear them while viewing at
distance. Good vision is primarily up to you, not up to the OD.

However, just in case you don't really have single vision lenses, you should
post your exact Rx in this forum for review (in case want decent advice). If
you don't have it, got back to your OD and ask for a written copy of your Rx
(you are entitled to it by Federal law). Also, ask your optician what brand,
model, lens material of your lenses and post it here.

It is possible (if the doc says wear them all the time) that you have
progressives with plano (no correction) power for distance vision area at
the top of the lens, and a plus correction for the reading area at the
bottom of the lens. That is the one situation where I can see why he would
tell you to wear them all the time. Progressive are notorious for having
distortion caused by improper fitting (and to some extent the very nature of
a progressive lens), but in most cases you will get used to it over time
(unless the fitting is just plain wrong).

There is one other explanation that I can think of, and that is your
correction that is needed is the same for distance and reading, but there is
some distortion in your distance vision caused by an aspheric lens that is
not centered properly on your pupils, or other fitting problem with your
lenses that is causing distortion in your distance viewing. This seems
unlikely if you never needed glasses before and then at age 42 now need them
for reading.

In article
<b0859efb-d78b-4132-9cbc-(E-Mail Removed)>,
Michael <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I'm 42 and have just picked up my very first pair of prescription
> glasses from the eye doc after getting an eye exam. They're "single
> vision" (which means nothing to me). I mainly needed the glasses for
> computer and for reading up close. The doc said I could wear them all
> the time and they would help when driving.
>
> I'm noticing that things up close are now amazingly clear and easy to
> read. BUT: I'm noticing things like the tv across the room are now
> slightly blurry for a little while then slowly come into focus.
>
> Is all this just a matter of getting used to wearing glasses for the
> first time ever?
>
> The eye doc said I can either wear them for reading OR I can wear them
> all the time (like driving at night). Should I only use them for
> reading or just go ahead and wear them all the time?
>
> I seem to be getting two points of view from folks...some say JUST for
> reading...others (like the doc) say all the time is just fine.
>
> Thanks!!

I start by saying I am not a medical or vision professional. It is
merely a hobby. :=)

As you describe it, you see well enough at a distance to not need
glasses for that purpose. If you did not use a computer, you would only
require the glasses for reading. So far, it seems that no pro has
suggested the use of bifocals. If I were you, knowing what I know now, I
would get bifocals with zero power (effectively no) lens for the main or
distance vision portion with an add for reading. That add would probably
be about 3 diopters. Check with your OD. That would enable you to retain
your old vision for driving and allow you to read books and the like.
The source of your current problem appears to be that you can no longer
distort your crystalline lens to focus at reading distance.

That does not solve the computer seeing problem. What I did was to get
bifocals for viewing my computer and leaving them at the computer. Then
as Mike Tyner suggested. buy drug store reading glasses for viewing your
computer. I you wish to do it for yourself, measure the distance from
your eye to the computer in meters when you are in your desired computer
location. Find the reciprocal of that distance. The lenses you buy
should match that value. I would expect that to be between 1.5 and 2.5.
If your OD is cooperative, that would help.

My add for the bifocals was set so that I could look at objects closer
than my normal reading distance.

Bill

--
Private Profit; Public Poop! Avoid collateral windfall!

Michael <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:b0859efb-d78b-4132-9cbc-
(E-Mail Removed):

> The eye doc said I can either wear them for reading OR I can wear them
> all the time (like driving at night). Should I only use them for
> reading or just go ahead and wear them all the time?

I hate wearing glasses while driving, especially at night. Glare reflects
off of the lenses and causes distractions. Besides, the rims always
interfere with a certain perimeter of peripheral vision.

"ShadowTek" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns9B697835EDA06ShadowTekfakeemail@85.214.105 .209...
> I hate wearing glasses while driving, especially at night. Glare reflects
> off of the lenses and causes distractions. Besides, the rims always
> interfere with a certain perimeter of peripheral vision.

Do you have a high quality anti-reflective coating on your lenses?

"Mark A" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:UbzZk.4001$(E-Mail Removed):

> "ShadowTek" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:Xns9B697835EDA06ShadowTekfakeemail@85.214.105 .209...
>> I hate wearing glasses while driving, especially at night. Glare
>> reflects off of the lenses and causes distractions. Besides, the rims
>> always interfere with a certain perimeter of peripheral vision.
>
> Do you have a high quality anti-reflective coating on your lenses?

lol No. I just have the same old pair of cheapos that I've had for years.

"ShadowTek" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns9B69BD257CCADShadowTekfakeemail@85.214.105 .209...
> lol No. I just have the same old pair of cheapos that I've had for years.

Then what do you expect?

On Dec 2, 7:20*pm, Michael <msurt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm 42 and have just picked up my very first pair of prescription
> glasses from the eye doc after getting an eye exam. They're "single
> vision" (which means nothing to me). I mainly needed the glasses for
> computer and for reading up close. The doc said I could wear them all
> the time and they would help when driving.
>
> I'm noticing that things up close are now amazingly clear and easy to
> read. BUT: I'm noticing things like the tv across the room are now
> slightly blurry for a little while then slowly come into focus.
>
> Is all this just a matter of getting used to wearing glasses for the
> first time ever?
>
> The eye doc said I can either wear them for reading OR I can wear them
> all the time (like driving at night). *Should I only use them for
> reading or just go ahead and wear them all the time?
>
> I seem to be getting two points of view from folks...some say JUST for
> reading...others (like the doc) say all the time is just fine.
>
> Thanks!!

your observations are totally as would be expected for an early
presbyope or early hyperope. just use the glasses when you are doing
near tasks (reading, computer, etc) and forget about them otherwise.
as you get older you may find that they don't adversely affect your
distance vision at all when you first put them on. you are
experiencing normal physiological changes in the lens and ciliary
muscle portions of your eye and it occurs to ALL humans at around your
age. read about presbyopia.

"Mark A" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:2pFZk.3497$(E-Mail Removed):

>> lol No. I just have the same old pair of cheapos that I've had for
>> years.
>
> Then what do you expect?

I expect that that are also others who didn't have the money to spend on
"high quality" lenses at the time of purchase, which means that it is an
issue for some people. Also, this being his first pair of glasses, he may
not have know what kind of lenses would be best to buy, so he may have
bought a cheaper pair like mine.

Although, the bottom-of-the-line model is likely to be better than it was
when I last bought lenses.

On Dec 2, 7:20*pm, Michael <msurt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm 42 and have just picked up my very first pair of prescription
> glasses from the eye doc after getting an eye exam. They're "single
> vision" (which means nothing to me). I mainly needed the glasses for
> computer and for reading up close. The doc said I could wear them all
> the time and they would help when driving.
>
> I'm noticing that things up close are now amazingly clear and easy to
> read. BUT: I'm noticing things like the tv across the room are now
> slightly blurry for a little while then slowly come into focus.
>
> Is all this just a matter of getting used to wearing glasses for the
> first time ever?

I think that you are hyperopic and your eye doc prescribed your
distance correction to be used as readers.

People who are hyperopic can see clearly at distance by flexing a
muscle inside the eye that controls the lens. This is the muscle that
is also used to focus at near. At about age 38 to 45, the lens loses
it's flexability and it becomes harder to read. At age 42, you likely
have enough flex left to clear your distance vision without glasses
but not at near, in efffect you "use up" your near flex room to clear
the distance. By wearing glasses to correct the distance vision, you
then free up flex to clear near.

Since you have been flexing that lens for distance for the past 42
years, you continue to do so even with the glasses which is why the TV
is blurry with glasses. As you look at it, your visual system relaxes
and the TV becomes clear.

At this point you can suit yourself, wear the glasses just for near or
wear all the time. In another year or two you will find that you need
them for distance. This is not the glasses making things worse, just
the normal age related change that would occur whether glasses are
worn or not.

Judy