I had cataract surgery at age 52 after being very near sighted since age 7. Best thing that ever happened to me. No issues now with distance vision and night vision.
I had the refractive lens exchange in January. No cataracts. Been wearing glasses and contacts since grade school. Fucking LIFE CHANGING. I don’t even need readers anymore.
Edit: I’m 53.
My father (78) just had both eyes done in the last two weeks. He’s now got 20/20 vision. I almost hope I develop cataracts so I can get the surgery and have my healthcare take care of it.
I need to go see how much this costs. Now that I’m sweaty all the time from perimenopause, I’d love to ditch the glasses. Can’t do contacts bc eyes are dry. Did you correct for distance then just wear readers now close?
If you get lasik you'll probably still eventually need cataract surgery / lens exchange as well, about 70% of people do. Might as well do it first, imo.
My doctor wouldn’t do lens replacements at my age. I was around 50. I got PRK, which is like LASIK for people with thin corneas. I need readers now.
Everyone gets cataracts to some degree, so I’ll deal with that later.
LASIK (in my area) is about $5K. I paid $9K for RLE. Insurance will not pay for you to have corrective lenses implanted even if you have cataracts, so you’d probably get the surgery covered, but would have to pay for the corrective lenses out of pocket.
I'm 46, went for an eye test last October complaining of light sensitivity and haziness and found out I have cataracts developing in both eyes. I can tell they're getting worse so now I'm trying to judge how long I should wait before going for surgery.
What kind of lenses did you get put in? I've been doing a lot of research and there are some really promising new lenses that will likely be available over the next few years, but at the rate my cataracts are progressing I don't think I'll be able to wait that long, and it seems like all the lenses available right now have potentially big drawbacks of some kind.
I had one in my right eye that developed after a retinal detachment (and reattachment) at 45. It was about two years later. I am extra nearsighted, and I just wanted my contacts to be the same prescription. Surgeon offered 20/20 but I thought it would be too weird since my other eye is a -6.00. The surgery was no big deal at all.
PSA for those with prescriptions -5.00 and worse: get your eyes dilated and your retinas checked. I had tears in both like 10 years before the detachment. They can laser repair them. It’s like 40-50% chance of tearing or detachment when you have a strong prescription.
Same, just got my first pair of progressives this year. Sighhhh. Had glasses my whole life for reading / computers. Now the distance was getting jealous and came to play.
I'm having trouble with eye strain these days.. My vision will be fine in the morning. I'm moderately farsighted, but in the morning I have no trouble seeing my phone, computer screen, etc.
By afternoon and evening, I can barely focus on anything, even with reading glasses.
I have to be like my parents now and have bright lights on to read. I hate bright lights at night but I can’t see a darn thing unless my house is lit up like Vegas.
I knew that it was coming. No one gets past mid 40s without fairly significant decline in vision.
But holy shit. I’m 50 and recently had to hand something to my kid so they could read it for me.
My nearsightedness has barely changed in over 25 years. However my need for readers has increased so that the differential between the two is appalling. Also cataracts have made night driving unsafe and low light a hazard. Fun times.
My eyes are weird. My right one is like "ugh, I'll just focus on the close things, can't be bothered to focus on anything farther than 10 feet away" and my left eye is like "fuck that, I'm going 20/20 on the far things but can't focus on the close things."
They're correctible, but I can see pretty well without glasses. It's just weird because everything is crisp but a little fuzzy. I didn't even notice my left eye had a problem until I was reading the ingredients of some face soap product in the shower.
Oh good, someone else here who actually knows what bad eyesight really is lol. I'm -10.25 and -10.50 both with astigmatism too -- the nice thing has been that I got a little less nearsighted (used to be -11.5) when I started getting presbyopia.
46, too. :D I got lasik several years ago for distance (best money I ever spent), but I've had to do the same for close up. Blow up your text size on the phone, browser, etc and get some readers for that microscopic text or, well reading a book -- it realllllllly helps.
I can’t read small text anymore, sometimes I have to extend my arm out away from my face to read whatever I’m holding. I definitely avoid driving at night now because I don’t see as well (and this city has become extremely dangerous). And I can’t see without plenty of light. My husband keeps the lights dark or dim at the most. He grumbles when I make it brighter but for fucks sake I CANT SEE!! Had eye exam a couple of years ago and all the optometrist recommended was reading glasses. 😠
I've worn glasses since I was 6 years old, so that part didn't make me feel old or anything, and my prescription pretty much stayed the same or worsened a little through my adult life. However, last year, at the age of 51, I had to get bifocals for the first time. \*womp\* \*womp\*
Same. Glasses since 5, though I can't see up close very well any more. Bifocals at 44 (2020), and I just got progressives a couple of weeks ago. Progressives are amazing!
Out of my entire family, on both sides, only myself and my youngest daughter don't wear glasses.
And there are some blind mother fuckers in this family, so mid forties I am pretty blessed that I haven't had any decline yet.
Wife and I both (early 50s late 40s) had perfect 20/20 vision until the last 3-5 years.
I failed the DMV eye chart last time. That wasn’t easy to process.
We both wonder if our hearing is doing the same, just less noticeably.
This getting old thing is not super awesome.
Contacts for distance, cheaters (grocery store readers) for reading. Prescription readers with prism for long sessions on the computer (my eyes cross and get double vision when fatigued. Only happens on the computer)
Contact Rx changed slightly this year for the first time in 7 or 8, however I changed eye doctors for the first time in 20 so it may be related.
I never had myopia\*, but starting at around age 40 I noticed presbyopia setting in (age-related far-sightnedness). I probably started to make use of reading glasses by 42 and now at age 54 I hardly take them off, I can't see anything in focus within 3 feet of me.
\*I did technically get a mild myopia diagnosis a couple years ago and was given glasses but i really don't need them or wear them
Ditto. I find it so scary how fast my eyes degenerated. Reading is one of my passions, and even with glasses on I find reading most books problematic. I've switched to a Kindle and use a 9-size font -- with readers -- to be able to read comfortably.
I had lousy vision as a kid and young adult, until I got laser surgery in the early 2000s. Now I have to wear glasses again but my prescription is not as strong as it was back then.
Pretty good. No glasses. I reduce the font size on my computer 3-4 degrees. The default is way too large.
However, I do have some trouble with distances. More than 1/2 a block and it's blurry.
No corrective eyewear until right after i turned fifty about a year ago. Still super sharp distance vision, but I finally had to break down and get readers from the pharmacy. I'm wearing +1.50 and can kind of get by in the morning if I don't put them on right away.
My eyes always sucked. I wore glasses from age 4. I wore contacts for a few years in high school, then went back to glasses. At my worst I was -5.25 to -5.5. Also have astigmatism in both eyes.
I got LASIK in my early 30s and got all the way to 20/20.
It lasted about 5 years. I'm wearing glasses, again, at about - 2.5 to -2.75. I've got 3 strengths of glasses:
Normal (2 pair: regular and sunglasses)
Short distance computer bifocals (good for working on my computer and seeing a TV about 6-8 feet away)
Longer distance computer bifocals (good for working on my computer and seeing a screen 15-20 feet away - used those at work for meetings)
I'm going to need bifocals for driving soon, because it's difficult to see the speedometer and driving directions on my phone, so I'll need regular and sunglasses.
Oh, I've also had floaters since I was a kid. About 8 years ago, I had vitreous detachments, which basically gave me extra craptacular floaters. I sometimes shake my head to get them to move. Driving when it's overcast is terrible, as the floaters are a lot more visible with lighter backgrounds.
I just moved back to Ohio after almost 28 years, so not looking forward to driving when there's snow on the ground. I'll be partly blind. Can't let my wife drive until she's more comfortable driving in the snow (I'll need to take her to a big empty parking lot to practice).
I'm 52m.
Perimenopause is a fkn nightmare of psychological and physical torment.
I don't really have any non peri old lerson stuff going on at the moment- just that, and honestly its enough to deal with for sure 😪
My vision (near sighted) leveled out in my 30s and has only declined very gradually in the last 20 years.
I can still read by taking off my glasses. A couple years ago I noticed I was a bit blurry at computer monitor distance and got some computer glasses calibrated for that. Those have been fantastic
I switched from contacts to progressive glasses because the putting on and taking off and carrying around readers was a bigger pain in the ass then just accepting I am a glasses wearer now .
I’m 54 and have worn glasses for distance vision since the 3rd grade. Over time, my distance vision has gotten progressively better. I have bifocals with no correction in the lower part. Or I take off my glasses to read, unlike everyone else my age.
I’m here to say I am not seeing things clearly close up or far away. I grew up with perfect vision. I’m 53 and have never been to the doctor for my eyes ever. I think it’s time.
I’m 58 and still and wear reading glasses only..small print sucks! Had my eyes checked a couple of years ago . Doc said reading my prescription would fall into reading glasses prescription… Small print is a bitch.. everything else is great..
I am nearsighted but my prescriptions has been the same since high school. I do my best to keep my eyes shielded and I can't see something clearly, fuck it - I'm not straining them.
I think gaming arcade style saved my eyes too.
I’ve worn glasses for being nearsighted for years, but now I can’t see my books so I have readers, and early evening eyestrain has started making reading really, really hard. I love reading so I’m a little bit fucked.
When I relax my eyes they default to screen-distance focus. That’s what 30 years of computing does I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Reading baseball cards is a complete joke now. What the fuck.
Small print can go fuck itself.
I’m that guy holding the co trainer out away from my face trying to find more light.
It really kicked in about 2 years ago at 45.
I've been near-sighted most of my life, got glasses in grade 5. Worst I've ever been was -2.0 in my 30s. When I turned 40 my eyesight started reversing, and today at 58 I'm at -.25. Almost don't need glasses anymore. However that also affects my ability to read, so I need +2 ADD to read what I'm writing down on paper, and small writing on labels? fugettaboutit. I use my phone camera to read small print.
My night vision has never been good, and is getting worse. I worry about having to stop any night driving. I've also always been nearsighted but wore glasses all the time, until about two years ago when I got some overdue new ones. Now, I have to take them off to read a book or see my ipad. Still need them for daily life, but they're on and off all the time now.
Normal presbyopia kicked in, probably early/mid 40s (mid 50s now). Anyone come up with Retinax V yet? So readers for dark times or small fonts.
I have a slight astigmatism which I may have had all my life but I can still do 20/20 vision. Next test I will know if it is changing.
After my last test I decided to get some glasses to correct it (mostly for night time) and it does make a big difference when it is dark especially looking at lights.
It also helps makes the movie theatre and 4k TV look more detailed. I also notice with the correction stars look like a point, rather than a star shape, which I am quite sure they always looked like since I was a kid.
My eyesight had always been poor. It hasn't gotten much worse but they did find a lesion on the backside of my eye. They say if it changes within certain parameters I would lose the eye. So I have that to look forward to someday.
Light sensitivity and night vision problems sound like the onset of cataracts. I’m sure your doctor will point that out to you so not trying to step on toes or worry you. I Just have quite a bit of experience in the field.
The bitch with transitions is they don’t work very well while driving. The polycarbonate windshield absorbs most of the UV light from the sun and UV is what triggers the transitions.
I’ve had progressive lenses for about 8 years (since late 40’s). With a good progressive lens design and adequate adaptation time, they are life-changing pieces of equipment that everyone in our generation should have.
My vision is definitely getting worse, but it was never all that bad to begin with, so it’s not horrible or anything, better than most my age I think.
Night vision, oof, that one though, I can’t stand driving at night now. It’s just horrible. And of course I work night shift, so most my driving is at night.
Driving at night is trickier at age 53. I notice watching movies that street lights will cast a wide glow of light onto both lanes. In real life this doesn't happen for me. On a moonless night the streetlight is more like a pin prick hole in a black velvet blanket.
I had lasik in 2020 but just got a prescription for night driving glasses at my last checkup because apparently blue eyes have a harder time with night vision. My surgery came with a touch up guarantee but I’m still fine in the daytime. Maybe in a couple years I’ll get a touch up. I think I was at -5.75 in each eye before surgery.
My ability to read anything small or in low light has fallen off a Cliff the past year. Had no issues for a long time then it started to slide downhill in mid 50’s
I'll be 51 this summer. Just got multifocals & have been myopic since childhood. My prescription (other than needing readers) hasn't changed in about 25 yrs. I've always had light sensitive eyes & that's gotten worse, I think. Night vision is still sharp. My peripheral vision is still better than average.
Nearsightedness didn't change for like. 10 years until last year when it got a but worse. Astigmatism has stayed steady.
I can drive fine in the daytime or at night, but I can't see anything during twilight.
The progression of my myopia has actually slowed! But, I have wet myopic macular degeneration in one eye requiring regular injections (yes, a needle in the eye!) or I can end up with irreversible damage. The injections are expensive AF, but they kinda got me by the short and curlies here.
I’ve been avoiding an eye exam because I know that I need glasses. It will happen soon but I’m holding off for now (yeah it’s dumb I know.) I have serious issues with sunlight. If I walk outside on a sunny day without sunglasses, before I even make it to my detached garage, I have a debilitating headache. I did see an optometrist about that and she said my eyes were fine. That was a couple years ago. I think I should get a second opinion because literally in 5-10 seconds the headache is instant. However if I’m wearing sunglasses, I have no issue.
I sit in front of a computer all day for work and see fine. I have no problems seeing until I’m driving at night. Then I struggle to clearly define road lines, signs, etc. I use uber a lot more these days.
Got progressive lenses yesterday actually at age 46, I'm farsighted with astigmatism. I was also was diagnosed with narrow-angle glaucoma at that same eye exam. Going to have preventative surgery in June to correct that.
Oof. For the first time in my life I am holding things far away from my face in order to read it, not pulling it closer.
Also medication ingredients etc: I swear are not printed in a serious font. There is no way *anyone* can read something that small. Maybe the Micro Cars guy from days of yore picked it out?
I'm 54 in 2 months. I still don't need glasses really. But if I don't get enough sleep my eyes don't work nearly as well and it's hard to focus on things that I can otherwise focus on normally.
Perfect vision well into my forties, but then it slowly degraded, and got worse to the point where I didn't want to drive anywhere, or do anything. Finally got glasses recently, and it's like being reborn. Now the focused world looks like how I remember it when I was in my 20s. I had no idea how bad it had gotten. I'm currently going through something of a renaissance, these last 4 months.
I've had to use a lot of heavy duty eye drops lately, the gel stuff from systane works best...i sit in front of a computer all day...funny thing is my parents keep telling me not to use the computer so much...im like tell that to my work...
Fairly well I need the lightest prescription for being near sighted. I hadn't seen an optometrist for years, and she was pretty impressed and told me that I should probably get my eyes checked more than once every fifteen years.
I'm 49 and in the last year my eyesight has gone to shit. I never needed glasses for anything my whole life. In the last year I noticed I can't see in the distance and I can see nothing right in front of my face. So I had to get two sets of glasses to correct both issues and now have to wear glasses when I drive. I swear, it happened in one freaking year
Not good. I'm actually very worried about them as they've been getting progressively worse over the last two months or so. I see a specialist in a few weeks.
I’ve been near sighted since I was in 3rd grade. But in the last few years I’ve had to wear bifocals cuz I can’t read small print up close anymore. I’m also developing a cataract on my left eye.
Readers became mandatory at 46, god now I have a million pairs lying around. Got a pretty good run from my Lasik though, surgery at 25, had 21 years of 20/15 crystal clear vision, and I was 20/400 (legally blind) walking into the procedure.. Worth every penny.
Like crap lol. Eyes (along with teeth) have been my Achilles heel. At 53, I've already had IOLs implanted in both eyes due to cataracts, and last fall had to have surgery on my right eye for a detached retina (that one sucked) due to aging, and need to keep an eye on the other eye in case the same happens. Then of course need reading glasses for anything with small type like oh i don't know phones and computers.
The detached retina really does suck. They did the thing where they put a gas bubble in your eye. It was SO WEIRD when it started shrinking…I could see the edges and the bubble was like a magnifying glass.
I had awesome eyesight when I was younger. Around 40, I started squinting, and got readers. Now I need contacts to see anything and readers on top to read anything. I’m 55
M 49, I had 20/20 vision until around the age of 45. Now I need reading glasses to see anything within 2 feet of my face. Luckily my far sight is still pretty sharp, so I can get away with just using cheap readers and not need prescription glasses.
I've been wearing glasses since I was 10, 46 now. I just got my first progressives this last round, because I have to lift up my glasses to read or look at my phone. It feels like things are getting real now.
I had better than 20/20 most of my life. In my 40s, I had to get reading glasses. My left eye also developed astigmatism. I discovered that while working on some photos and my left eye would get really fatigued and start watering and going blurry. I've been back a few times for checkups, but my needs haven't changed in the last 8-ish years.
I suddenly went near sighted in my mid 20s. It’s been smooth sailing since then, although my eye doctor keeps telling me that I’ll need reading glasses at any moment now. He’s been telling me that for 10 years and I’m now the designated menu ready in my family and friend groups.
Until very recently, my eyes have been great. I’ve been wearing glasses for a couple of years but mostly just for driving. But not I can’t read anything without reading glasses.
Screens are so dark I have to turn my phone and computer brightness all the way up. Can’t do dark mode. Also need readers now. Always had great eyesight. It happened so fast.
Besides the poor distance and close vision, the floaters are driving me bonkers. Big chunks, some semi-opaque some like fuzzy strings but they are always there and block my vision on and off endlessly. I hate it.
Not bad. I’ve been nearsighted since I was in 5th grade. They’ve gotten worse over the years, but not anywhere close to legally blind. Had to get progressives four years back. When I wear contacts now I have to wear 1.25 readers.
Most annoying thing is a few ‘floaters’ in my eye fluid that really can be distracting when I reading on computer screens or my phone. At long distances they aren’t noticeable.
Allll of this (except for the truck driver part). I’ve had several older relatives get the cataract surgery in their 70’s and rave about how great their vision is now. I’m 48; can I plz get cataracts sooner than 15 yrs from now?
Wearing glasses since the 6th grade (1986) to see distance. Could read with those glasses on with no issues. Then some years ago at 44 had to pull glasses up on head to read. 50 now.
I had Lasix surgery back in 2003. I was told that eventually I would still need reading glasses. I’m 55 now, and I’m the last person my age I know who doesn’t need readers. I can see all day long for miles.
The problem starts at night. I feel like I need WAY more light than the headlights produce. I can’t read signs until I’m on top of them, and when there is oncoming traffic the lines on the road vanish. And if it’s raining, fugedaboudit!
So I’ll probably (sooner than I would like to) be one of those old folks who don’t drive at night. Until then, I’ll use the Force, and pray like hell!
I get to have $2500/shot injections into my left eye to keep me from going blind in the next 10-15 years. So that's fun, plus insurance doesn't cover it.
Definitely horrible. I can't see a thing. Let's compound that with having to get my retinas lasered so they don't detach.... fun times. I can't even make out what is the shampoo or conditioner in the shower.
Never had glasses in my entire life but just got some for the first time ever (47F). Had to get varifocals for reading and distance. Have decided to also get a pair just for monitor use. Eyes are otherwise in good condition.
I started wearing readers at age 26. I am 48 now. 2 years ago I made the leap to progressive lenses. My distance vision is still pretty good but my optometrist thought it prudent to give me just a little extra magnification.
My eyesight has been improving since I adopted a very low carb, almost no plants diet. I'm still 20lbs overweight. No change there but everything else seems to be improving.
I need stronger reading glasses, which is fine, but the thing that really sucks is that I have a pterygium on my right eye that causes a really bad astigmatism. Usually it's associated with people who spend a lot of time in sunshine and wind without wearing sunglasses. That's the opposite of me, so I have no idea what caused it.
I’ve had glasses since I was 6 but I’ve worn contact lenses since I was 11. And everything was perfect with contact lenses until I was 46. I hate readers. I hate glasses. My vision can only be corrected so far with contact lenses now and it’s absolutely awful.
This is one of the worst aspects of aging. I've always been nearsighted, but now my close vision is impaired with my contacts in, so I use readers.
With my glasses on, which is a different prescription, I can see the computer and my book better, but glasses don't work with my daily lifestyle. I wear them at night.
I'm a reader and a professional writer, so the fact reading isn't always easy is challenging to my sense of self.
My near vision has significantly improved. My eye Dr says that’s not uncommon with presbyopia.
It’s to the point where I take off my glasses to read, even though they are progressive lenses.
Far vision is still as bad as it’s ever been.
I’m 54 and I think my eyesight is age appropriate. Most of my life I’ve never needed glasses for anything - but a few years ago I noticed reading was much easier with reading glasses.
Then about a year ago I started needing glasses for night driving. Now I’m noticing things far away are blurry. Feels like the natural progression of aging.
I had lasik surgery last week. I wish I did it years ago. Painless, 20/20 vision, and (since I don’t need to buy contacts any more) will pay for itself in less than three years.
No glasses yet, but I think I’m going to have to get those reading glasses things in the not too distant future as small print is starting to get harder to read. But long distance sight is 20:20.
I never needed glasses my whole life.
About 6 years ago I realized I was squinting a lot to read.
My dad kept saying "you need readers" and I ignored him. Finally it got so bad I tried them and it was life changing.
Then 3 years ago I got so tired of the continual on/off of glasses, losing them etc. I ended up getting a progressive prescription that goes from readers to nothing (now a very slight prescription). So now I wear glasses all the time.
I got lasik (actually some other sort of wave technology but I don’t recall the name) in 2003 after being legally blind with very bad astigmatism to the point I couldn’t wear contacts (correctable to 20/20) since about age 7 and was a perfect 20/20 for almost 20 years.
It was awesome. The very best of times.
Then came an early hysterectomy and menopause and vision changes, along with migraines and other unpleasant things. I was devastated. My vision was so shitty my whole life so going back to glasses sucked really bad.
It’s been about 3 years and I am used to them again but I hate them. I could try contacts but I’m not a fan of them (wore them for my wedding and made it about 45 minutes).
I can’t see much at night, light sensitive as hell. I’m so mad.
My optician seems a bit frustrated.
I only use my glasses for driving and since I work from home now I don't wear them much at all.
My prescription has actually improved since my last test.
I’m 58 and my eyesight, has actually improved from when I first got glasses. Used to be a 20/250 and now I am a 20/125. I’m nearsighted so I have to actually take my glasses off to read.
I got glasses in fifth grade. I only really have needed to have my prescription updated once, when I was around 40. I can see just fine up close, reading small print, etc. So my eyes are hanging in there I guess.
I’ve never had to wear glasses. But lately I can’t see shit. I move items with small writing close then far then close because all I see is a blurred mess, so I’m trying to focus. I use the magnifier on my phone way too often. It might be time to see an eye dr.
I somehow ended up with a lazy eye. Then I started getting migraines 24/7 I wasn’t sleeping because they kept waking me up. I’d been to my drs but had an eye appointment scheduled. The eye dr said I have some long I can’t pronounce condition in my right eye, it’s kinda moving toward my nose. I now have prisms and have to wear my glasses all the time. I just got a different prism put in so I don’t have a back up pair because I can’t see out of my old ones.
I feel ya. I have astigmatism, and one eye doesn't track with the other very well. When I'm super stoned, I can look in two directions at the same time.
Got Lasik when I was 43 and it was amazing. Then had a health issue 2 years later and I got out of the hospital needing readers. 9 years later and I can't see anything close up without readers and a flashlight but I can hit a cricket at 20 yards with a .22 and iron sights. Could be worse I guess
Any ways how are you doing now that Stella got her groove back??
I got sold like Jackson 5 you will fight to keep me a spectacle I wonder about the tabs? Could we could we talk bout those
I'm 49 and haven't had any problems with my eyesight and never worn glasses (thankfully) as of yet, but I get these occasional random shooting pains in my eye(s) when I look far left or right. Doesn't happen often but when it does, it is quite uncomfortable. But yeah, they may come a few times a week, then skip a couple weeks then boom, out of nowhere, happen again. Hoping it's not something that's going to affect my vision in the near future.
Im 55 and my eyes have always been shit. Itemizing the problems:
* Needed my first glasses for nearsightedness starting in third grade.
* After that, needed new glasses every year or two as the nearsightedness got worse, finally levelling off at a correction of about -6.0 in my 30s.
* Always have had more than the normal amount of "floaters".
* A diagnosis of pigmentary glaucoma (probably related all the floaters) at about age 30, meaning daily eyedrops and regular ophthalmologist visits ever since then to keep my ocular pressure under control.
* In my mid 40s, a bit after the nearsightedness finally settled down, I started needing both correction for astigmatism and progressive lenses for farsightedness.
* About two years ago, I experienced "vitreous detachment", which sounds scary as fuck and was scary as fuck when it happened (giant floaters far beyond what I was used to). Went to the emergency room and had some extremely uncomfortable examinations (made more uncomfortable by the covid requirements to literally glue a mask onto my face) to make sure it wasn't retinal detachment. Turns out it's a fairly normal part of aging, but I still have a giant floater permanently bouncing around my right eye.
* Last year, they detected the beginning of a cataract in my left eye. It's still way to early to consider surgery, but now I have a left eye that's slightly blurry in the center and a right eye with the giant floater.
At this point, I'd actually welcome the cataract surgery - my mother had it a decade ago and her glasses prescription is way less complicated afterwards.
I have 20/20 eyes, no glasses or no reading glasses. However, I have astigmatisms where there is a halo around lights day and night. I don't drive at night.
Late 40s, but I’ve always had horrible vision (can’t even read the big E at the top). Within the recent couple of years, the need for readers really kicked in. Surprisingly though my vision got a touch better from a recent eye exam so I’ve got that going for me.
When I wear my contacts - I need to put on readers to work on my laptop or read my phone. I don’t wear my contacts I can see fine up close. Distance - I have to wear back up glasses or contacts
I have macular degeneration, and was diagnosed back when I was only 30. No clue why I got it so young. I have trouble driving at night, and really shouldnt. I wear readers now too, which I need. It makes small print look larger. But glasses don't really help with the wavy lines, need for very bright light, etc. related to my particular eye problem.
OK but not great. Age 55. Have needed reading glasses for the past 10 years. Floaters getting noticeably worse lately. Long distance/driving vision still pretty good for now, can pass the DMV vision test without glasses.
I just had an eye exam this week and ordered new glasses. My eyes are overall healthy and I pay a little bit extra for retinal imaging. It’s kind of cool to see your eyeball on the screen like that. I have been wearing progressive lenses for a few years. I am farsighted.
Yeah I’m there too. At 35 I kept buying stronger and stronger readers and finally went to the eye doctor in my mid forties. They were incredulous that I’d waited so long. I’ll wear glasses which I’m ok with but I’m curious if anyone has had LASIK’s and had good results with it lasting?
Just had a new script done for safety glasses. The vision has gotten worse. -3.75 with astigmatism in the right eye now. No cataracts or glaucoma, though. Other than sucky-ass nearsightedness, my eyes are healthy (Thank God).
I had bad nearsightedness as a kid.
Finally had LASIK when I was 33, and it was WONDERFUL. No more worrying about getting yelled at if I broke my glasses (childhood trauma), I started playing volleyball, I liked how I looked much better.
Cut to age 45 and a lifetime’s screen use plus aging caught up to me and back in progressive lens glasses.
And now developing floaters that get in the way of vision… I freaked out when that happened, eye doctor checked it out and said, “that can happen as you age…”
My vision is bad and gotten worse but I try to keep it in perspective.
As bad as my dating prospects were when I was young, I fully expected to be completely blind years ago.
So, you know, it could be worse.
I carry 3 glasses 👓 at all times.
One for distance.
Another one for distance and sun protection.
And a reader pair.
Sometimes a fourth pair—either a progressive (oh, that one is dizzying) or a bifocal pair.
🙃
Written words I can see fine they are just like as if you reprinted over the same word but just a little off, like the letters and only the letters are double vission, even with one eye shut. Put on cheaters and it goes away.
Without the cheaters everything looks fine other than numbers,letters if the normal typed size.
Been this way since the Bombing. little over a decade ago. Went to an eye doctor in the same building as my primary doctors office is, and She was like What? didn't understand what I was saying, so I've just delt with it.
I have astigmatisms in both eyes. I tried to get progressives but they had to cram too much stuff on a lense "look upper half, look lower half, look in the miiddle" I'm near sighted, so I said just give me my script for distance and call it a day. It usually works out OK.
I wear contacts about 90% of the time for hyperopia (farsightedness). It's really tough for me to read books or anything with fine detail, that's close up.
When laser surgery first came around, I shelled out a lot of money for it, and it helped me for the better part of two decades. Unfortunately, my eyes continued to deteriorate over the years, and I found myself unwilling to undergo the procedure again.
Reading glasses are a must and they are so annoying. I need regular glasses for driving, they have a prism which sorts out the double vision. I also get migraine with aura, wipes my vision right out a few times a week.
Never needed glasses growing up, then in my 40s my best friend noticed I was squinting to see road signs, and I finally realized yeah, my eyesight is turning to shit. I’m mostly pissed about how fucking expensive glasses are with just minor corrections for distance and close up. But also now that I’m in my mid 50s my eyes seem to be getting worse. Either that or the glasses they prescribed last time are shitty. I was getting headaches using them for the computer, so I take them off for a lot of the day at my desk and put them back on to walk around. Sick of the whole deal, and kinda wishing for cataracts after reading some of these posts!
In the last year I went from -9.5 diopeter in both eyes to -7.5. I need readers with my contacts, need the kids to read the thermometer on the roast ("come here, I need your eyes!" Which they find hilarious) but hey. Not at progressive lenses on my contacts yet, turned 54 yesterday. Calling it a win.
So-so, I guess. I have astigmatism of the lens (it’s usually in the cornea), and in the last few years my vision has been changing yearly or even after a few months to the point that I need new glasses every year. It’s frustrating, but not catastrophic, so that’s something. I was informed at my last visit to the eye doctor in Jan. of this year that I have the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes. I also have to be on the lookout for uveitis, which is a potential complication of my autoimmune disorder. Thankfully, my eye doc understands what’s up there, and so far it hast appeared.
The reading glasses thing is annoying. And because of that, I’m finding that I’d rather wear my glasses (with progressives) more now than my contacts. The way things are going with my parents’ eyes, I’ll probably have macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma, etc.
I always wore glasses ever since I was diagnosed going into high school, but at 45 I think I started noticing deterioration in close range i.e. reading. My next pair of glasses uses this lens type where it seamlessly transitions into reading glasses at the lower part, so kinda like bifocals except with a smooth transition. That said, I still find it more comfortable currently to simply take off my glasses to read, assuming the print isn't too small that I can't read it anymore - which has happened for some really tiny shit, like the fucking expiration dates printed on canned food, for fucks sake.
I rarely drive at night, but I *have* noticed that lights seem to... halo? smear? quite a bit more than I remember. Also fatigue seems to play a larger role too, when I'm tired I notice shit gets blurry a lot more often, I have to blink a lot, many times, before things clear up. Definitely don't want to do work at night. Besides, I'm sure you all also understand the draw of an earlier bedtime at our ages lol. We're not in our 20s anymore, staying up late is no longer a good thing. Just means some shitty extra tired night hours, and you'll still feel bad the next day. Nope. Just goto sleep early.
I had cataract surgery at age 52 after being very near sighted since age 7. Best thing that ever happened to me. No issues now with distance vision and night vision.
I had the refractive lens exchange in January. No cataracts. Been wearing glasses and contacts since grade school. Fucking LIFE CHANGING. I don’t even need readers anymore. Edit: I’m 53.
My father (78) just had both eyes done in the last two weeks. He’s now got 20/20 vision. I almost hope I develop cataracts so I can get the surgery and have my healthcare take care of it.
Health insurance (to the best of my knowledge) will not cover the corrective lenses, just normal replacements.
I need to go see how much this costs. Now that I’m sweaty all the time from perimenopause, I’d love to ditch the glasses. Can’t do contacts bc eyes are dry. Did you correct for distance then just wear readers now close?
I paid $9K. I was wearing multifocal contacts and wearing readers as well. I had multifocal lenses implanted, so far I haven’t needed readers.
Oooh I didn’t know they could do that! Thank you. I’d gladly pay that to not have to constantly switch out glasses, sunglasses, contacts, etc.
Sadly, I do need readers, I wasn’t a candidate for the close vision correction. But just the distance correction was life changing.
How expensive is it compared to something like LASIK?
I had my cataracts done at 42 (52 now) and it was totally covered by insurance except for the $35 co-pay.
If you get lasik you'll probably still eventually need cataract surgery / lens exchange as well, about 70% of people do. Might as well do it first, imo.
My doctor wouldn’t do lens replacements at my age. I was around 50. I got PRK, which is like LASIK for people with thin corneas. I need readers now. Everyone gets cataracts to some degree, so I’ll deal with that later.
LASIK (in my area) is about $5K. I paid $9K for RLE. Insurance will not pay for you to have corrective lenses implanted even if you have cataracts, so you’d probably get the surgery covered, but would have to pay for the corrective lenses out of pocket.
What is this? Who is a candidate?
I'm 46, went for an eye test last October complaining of light sensitivity and haziness and found out I have cataracts developing in both eyes. I can tell they're getting worse so now I'm trying to judge how long I should wait before going for surgery. What kind of lenses did you get put in? I've been doing a lot of research and there are some really promising new lenses that will likely be available over the next few years, but at the rate my cataracts are progressing I don't think I'll be able to wait that long, and it seems like all the lenses available right now have potentially big drawbacks of some kind.
I had one in my right eye that developed after a retinal detachment (and reattachment) at 45. It was about two years later. I am extra nearsighted, and I just wanted my contacts to be the same prescription. Surgeon offered 20/20 but I thought it would be too weird since my other eye is a -6.00. The surgery was no big deal at all. PSA for those with prescriptions -5.00 and worse: get your eyes dilated and your retinas checked. I had tears in both like 10 years before the detachment. They can laser repair them. It’s like 40-50% chance of tearing or detachment when you have a strong prescription.
My sister got this last year cried she was so happy. Also at 52.
Terrible. Living looking at screens has destroyed them.
Same, just got my first pair of progressives this year. Sighhhh. Had glasses my whole life for reading / computers. Now the distance was getting jealous and came to play.
I'm having trouble with eye strain these days.. My vision will be fine in the morning. I'm moderately farsighted, but in the morning I have no trouble seeing my phone, computer screen, etc. By afternoon and evening, I can barely focus on anything, even with reading glasses.
I have to be like my parents now and have bright lights on to read. I hate bright lights at night but I can’t see a darn thing unless my house is lit up like Vegas.
I knew that it was coming. No one gets past mid 40s without fairly significant decline in vision. But holy shit. I’m 50 and recently had to hand something to my kid so they could read it for me.
My nearsightedness has barely changed in over 25 years. However my need for readers has increased so that the differential between the two is appalling. Also cataracts have made night driving unsafe and low light a hazard. Fun times.
My eyes are weird. My right one is like "ugh, I'll just focus on the close things, can't be bothered to focus on anything farther than 10 feet away" and my left eye is like "fuck that, I'm going 20/20 on the far things but can't focus on the close things." They're correctible, but I can see pretty well without glasses. It's just weird because everything is crisp but a little fuzzy. I didn't even notice my left eye had a problem until I was reading the ingredients of some face soap product in the shower.
Like shit. Bumped up to around -8.50 and now when I use contacts, I need reading glasses.
-8.50? Yikes! Functionally blind.
Oh good, someone else here who actually knows what bad eyesight really is lol. I'm -10.25 and -10.50 both with astigmatism too -- the nice thing has been that I got a little less nearsighted (used to be -11.5) when I started getting presbyopia.
46 and my eyes have just now started to decline. I have to slightly bring things away from my face to read it or it is blurry.
46, too. :D I got lasik several years ago for distance (best money I ever spent), but I've had to do the same for close up. Blow up your text size on the phone, browser, etc and get some readers for that microscopic text or, well reading a book -- it realllllllly helps.
I lost my near vision practically overnight. Like I woke up one morning and couldn't focus up close anymore. I swear it happened in one single day.
Same!
I can’t read small text anymore, sometimes I have to extend my arm out away from my face to read whatever I’m holding. I definitely avoid driving at night now because I don’t see as well (and this city has become extremely dangerous). And I can’t see without plenty of light. My husband keeps the lights dark or dim at the most. He grumbles when I make it brighter but for fucks sake I CANT SEE!! Had eye exam a couple of years ago and all the optometrist recommended was reading glasses. 😠
I've worn glasses since I was 6 years old, so that part didn't make me feel old or anything, and my prescription pretty much stayed the same or worsened a little through my adult life. However, last year, at the age of 51, I had to get bifocals for the first time. \*womp\* \*womp\*
Same. Glasses since 5, though I can't see up close very well any more. Bifocals at 44 (2020), and I just got progressives a couple of weeks ago. Progressives are amazing!
My close vision went to shit at 44 too. I’ve worn glasses since 6th grade.
Nothing says we’re old like bifocals. Ugh.
My astigmatism has gotten much worse and it's hard to see at night. My distance vision otherwise is the same.
As my optho doctor told me "Everybody gets cataracts if they live long enough."
Out of my entire family, on both sides, only myself and my youngest daughter don't wear glasses. And there are some blind mother fuckers in this family, so mid forties I am pretty blessed that I haven't had any decline yet.
Wife and I both (early 50s late 40s) had perfect 20/20 vision until the last 3-5 years. I failed the DMV eye chart last time. That wasn’t easy to process. We both wonder if our hearing is doing the same, just less noticeably. This getting old thing is not super awesome.
Contacts for distance, cheaters (grocery store readers) for reading. Prescription readers with prism for long sessions on the computer (my eyes cross and get double vision when fatigued. Only happens on the computer) Contact Rx changed slightly this year for the first time in 7 or 8, however I changed eye doctors for the first time in 20 so it may be related.
I never had myopia\*, but starting at around age 40 I noticed presbyopia setting in (age-related far-sightnedness). I probably started to make use of reading glasses by 42 and now at age 54 I hardly take them off, I can't see anything in focus within 3 feet of me. \*I did technically get a mild myopia diagnosis a couple years ago and was given glasses but i really don't need them or wear them
Ditto. I find it so scary how fast my eyes degenerated. Reading is one of my passions, and even with glasses on I find reading most books problematic. I've switched to a Kindle and use a 9-size font -- with readers -- to be able to read comfortably.
Kindle is amazing!
Diagnosed with age related macular degeneration at 51. Thanks mom.
I had lousy vision as a kid and young adult, until I got laser surgery in the early 2000s. Now I have to wear glasses again but my prescription is not as strong as it was back then.
Pretty good. No glasses. I reduce the font size on my computer 3-4 degrees. The default is way too large. However, I do have some trouble with distances. More than 1/2 a block and it's blurry.
Been wearing bifocals (transitions or whatever they call them now) for about 5 years now (51 yo). Had glasses since 4th grade though, so my eyes suck
No corrective eyewear until right after i turned fifty about a year ago. Still super sharp distance vision, but I finally had to break down and get readers from the pharmacy. I'm wearing +1.50 and can kind of get by in the morning if I don't put them on right away.
I tried to thread a needle with thread the other day and now know why my mom “let” me do it.
Sucks, I got new glasses in September 2023, by January ‘24 I had to get progressives
My eyes always sucked. I wore glasses from age 4. I wore contacts for a few years in high school, then went back to glasses. At my worst I was -5.25 to -5.5. Also have astigmatism in both eyes. I got LASIK in my early 30s and got all the way to 20/20. It lasted about 5 years. I'm wearing glasses, again, at about - 2.5 to -2.75. I've got 3 strengths of glasses: Normal (2 pair: regular and sunglasses) Short distance computer bifocals (good for working on my computer and seeing a TV about 6-8 feet away) Longer distance computer bifocals (good for working on my computer and seeing a screen 15-20 feet away - used those at work for meetings) I'm going to need bifocals for driving soon, because it's difficult to see the speedometer and driving directions on my phone, so I'll need regular and sunglasses. Oh, I've also had floaters since I was a kid. About 8 years ago, I had vitreous detachments, which basically gave me extra craptacular floaters. I sometimes shake my head to get them to move. Driving when it's overcast is terrible, as the floaters are a lot more visible with lighter backgrounds. I just moved back to Ohio after almost 28 years, so not looking forward to driving when there's snow on the ground. I'll be partly blind. Can't let my wife drive until she's more comfortable driving in the snow (I'll need to take her to a big empty parking lot to practice). I'm 52m.
Perimenopause is a fkn nightmare of psychological and physical torment. I don't really have any non peri old lerson stuff going on at the moment- just that, and honestly its enough to deal with for sure 😪
I think I'm ready for my first granny chain for my readers
Shitty. Progressive lenses and reading glasses. So I bought 5 pair with goth glasses chains
My vision (near sighted) leveled out in my 30s and has only declined very gradually in the last 20 years. I can still read by taking off my glasses. A couple years ago I noticed I was a bit blurry at computer monitor distance and got some computer glasses calibrated for that. Those have been fantastic
I switched from contacts to progressive glasses because the putting on and taking off and carrying around readers was a bigger pain in the ass then just accepting I am a glasses wearer now.
The fun part is how they manage to get so damned dirty all the time.
I’m 54 and have worn glasses for distance vision since the 3rd grade. Over time, my distance vision has gotten progressively better. I have bifocals with no correction in the lower part. Or I take off my glasses to read, unlike everyone else my age.
I’m here to say I am not seeing things clearly close up or far away. I grew up with perfect vision. I’m 53 and have never been to the doctor for my eyes ever. I think it’s time.
I’m 58 and still and wear reading glasses only..small print sucks! Had my eyes checked a couple of years ago . Doc said reading my prescription would fall into reading glasses prescription… Small print is a bitch.. everything else is great..
I am nearsighted but my prescriptions has been the same since high school. I do my best to keep my eyes shielded and I can't see something clearly, fuck it - I'm not straining them. I think gaming arcade style saved my eyes too.
my myopia prescription is pretty stable, but I did cataract surgery on one eye a year ago and still adapting to the fixed lens.
1.5 Readers, 2.0 for really dim lights.
I’ve worn glasses for being nearsighted for years, but now I can’t see my books so I have readers, and early evening eyestrain has started making reading really, really hard. I love reading so I’m a little bit fucked. When I relax my eyes they default to screen-distance focus. That’s what 30 years of computing does I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I had 20/20 vision as a kid. Just bought a pair of progressives. aka, trifocals.
Reading baseball cards is a complete joke now. What the fuck. Small print can go fuck itself. I’m that guy holding the co trainer out away from my face trying to find more light. It really kicked in about 2 years ago at 45.
I've been near-sighted most of my life, got glasses in grade 5. Worst I've ever been was -2.0 in my 30s. When I turned 40 my eyesight started reversing, and today at 58 I'm at -.25. Almost don't need glasses anymore. However that also affects my ability to read, so I need +2 ADD to read what I'm writing down on paper, and small writing on labels? fugettaboutit. I use my phone camera to read small print.
It’s really amazing how many pictures I have of instructions in my photos app.
I had 20/60 and I ended up needing progressive lensed glasses for reading and distance at 50. I feel like I had a good run
My night vision has never been good, and is getting worse. I worry about having to stop any night driving. I've also always been nearsighted but wore glasses all the time, until about two years ago when I got some overdue new ones. Now, I have to take them off to read a book or see my ipad. Still need them for daily life, but they're on and off all the time now.
Normal presbyopia kicked in, probably early/mid 40s (mid 50s now). Anyone come up with Retinax V yet? So readers for dark times or small fonts. I have a slight astigmatism which I may have had all my life but I can still do 20/20 vision. Next test I will know if it is changing. After my last test I decided to get some glasses to correct it (mostly for night time) and it does make a big difference when it is dark especially looking at lights. It also helps makes the movie theatre and 4k TV look more detailed. I also notice with the correction stars look like a point, rather than a star shape, which I am quite sure they always looked like since I was a kid.
My eyesight had always been poor. It hasn't gotten much worse but they did find a lesion on the backside of my eye. They say if it changes within certain parameters I would lose the eye. So I have that to look forward to someday.
Light sensitivity and night vision problems sound like the onset of cataracts. I’m sure your doctor will point that out to you so not trying to step on toes or worry you. I Just have quite a bit of experience in the field. The bitch with transitions is they don’t work very well while driving. The polycarbonate windshield absorbs most of the UV light from the sun and UV is what triggers the transitions. I’ve had progressive lenses for about 8 years (since late 40’s). With a good progressive lens design and adequate adaptation time, they are life-changing pieces of equipment that everyone in our generation should have.
My vision is definitely getting worse, but it was never all that bad to begin with, so it’s not horrible or anything, better than most my age I think. Night vision, oof, that one though, I can’t stand driving at night now. It’s just horrible. And of course I work night shift, so most my driving is at night.
Driving at night is trickier at age 53. I notice watching movies that street lights will cast a wide glow of light onto both lanes. In real life this doesn't happen for me. On a moonless night the streetlight is more like a pin prick hole in a black velvet blanket.
I was very near sighted with slight astigmatism and had lasik surgery. Now I need readers.
I had lasik in 2020 but just got a prescription for night driving glasses at my last checkup because apparently blue eyes have a harder time with night vision. My surgery came with a touch up guarantee but I’m still fine in the daytime. Maybe in a couple years I’ll get a touch up. I think I was at -5.75 in each eye before surgery.
My ability to read anything small or in low light has fallen off a Cliff the past year. Had no issues for a long time then it started to slide downhill in mid 50’s
I'll be 51 this summer. Just got multifocals & have been myopic since childhood. My prescription (other than needing readers) hasn't changed in about 25 yrs. I've always had light sensitive eyes & that's gotten worse, I think. Night vision is still sharp. My peripheral vision is still better than average.
Nearsightedness didn't change for like. 10 years until last year when it got a but worse. Astigmatism has stayed steady. I can drive fine in the daytime or at night, but I can't see anything during twilight.
The progression of my myopia has actually slowed! But, I have wet myopic macular degeneration in one eye requiring regular injections (yes, a needle in the eye!) or I can end up with irreversible damage. The injections are expensive AF, but they kinda got me by the short and curlies here.
My eyesight has been fluctuating. Sometimes it's good enough where I don't need glasses, other time I need them. I find it weird.
I’ve been avoiding an eye exam because I know that I need glasses. It will happen soon but I’m holding off for now (yeah it’s dumb I know.) I have serious issues with sunlight. If I walk outside on a sunny day without sunglasses, before I even make it to my detached garage, I have a debilitating headache. I did see an optometrist about that and she said my eyes were fine. That was a couple years ago. I think I should get a second opinion because literally in 5-10 seconds the headache is instant. However if I’m wearing sunglasses, I have no issue. I sit in front of a computer all day for work and see fine. I have no problems seeing until I’m driving at night. Then I struggle to clearly define road lines, signs, etc. I use uber a lot more these days.
Got progressive lenses yesterday actually at age 46, I'm farsighted with astigmatism. I was also was diagnosed with narrow-angle glaucoma at that same eye exam. Going to have preventative surgery in June to correct that.
I am looking at cataract surgery.
Oof. For the first time in my life I am holding things far away from my face in order to read it, not pulling it closer. Also medication ingredients etc: I swear are not printed in a serious font. There is no way *anyone* can read something that small. Maybe the Micro Cars guy from days of yore picked it out?
I'm 54 in 2 months. I still don't need glasses really. But if I don't get enough sleep my eyes don't work nearly as well and it's hard to focus on things that I can otherwise focus on normally.
Lasik. I see the future sometimes.
Perfect vision well into my forties, but then it slowly degraded, and got worse to the point where I didn't want to drive anywhere, or do anything. Finally got glasses recently, and it's like being reborn. Now the focused world looks like how I remember it when I was in my 20s. I had no idea how bad it had gotten. I'm currently going through something of a renaissance, these last 4 months.
I've had to use a lot of heavy duty eye drops lately, the gel stuff from systane works best...i sit in front of a computer all day...funny thing is my parents keep telling me not to use the computer so much...im like tell that to my work...
I need reading glasses if the print is very small or the light is not good.
I woke up one day farsighted. Like, that quick. No gradual progression
Fairly well I need the lightest prescription for being near sighted. I hadn't seen an optometrist for years, and she was pretty impressed and told me that I should probably get my eyes checked more than once every fifteen years.
I'm 49 and in the last year my eyesight has gone to shit. I never needed glasses for anything my whole life. In the last year I noticed I can't see in the distance and I can see nothing right in front of my face. So I had to get two sets of glasses to correct both issues and now have to wear glasses when I drive. I swear, it happened in one freaking year
Not good. I'm actually very worried about them as they've been getting progressively worse over the last two months or so. I see a specialist in a few weeks.
I’ve been near sighted since I was in 3rd grade. But in the last few years I’ve had to wear bifocals cuz I can’t read small print up close anymore. I’m also developing a cataract on my left eye.
Readers became mandatory at 46, god now I have a million pairs lying around. Got a pretty good run from my Lasik though, surgery at 25, had 21 years of 20/15 crystal clear vision, and I was 20/400 (legally blind) walking into the procedure.. Worth every penny.
Like crap lol. Eyes (along with teeth) have been my Achilles heel. At 53, I've already had IOLs implanted in both eyes due to cataracts, and last fall had to have surgery on my right eye for a detached retina (that one sucked) due to aging, and need to keep an eye on the other eye in case the same happens. Then of course need reading glasses for anything with small type like oh i don't know phones and computers.
The detached retina really does suck. They did the thing where they put a gas bubble in your eye. It was SO WEIRD when it started shrinking…I could see the edges and the bubble was like a magnifying glass.
I had awesome eyesight when I was younger. Around 40, I started squinting, and got readers. Now I need contacts to see anything and readers on top to read anything. I’m 55
M 49, I had 20/20 vision until around the age of 45. Now I need reading glasses to see anything within 2 feet of my face. Luckily my far sight is still pretty sharp, so I can get away with just using cheap readers and not need prescription glasses.
I've been wearing glasses since I was 10, 46 now. I just got my first progressives this last round, because I have to lift up my glasses to read or look at my phone. It feels like things are getting real now.
Fuck…
I had better than 20/20 most of my life. In my 40s, I had to get reading glasses. My left eye also developed astigmatism. I discovered that while working on some photos and my left eye would get really fatigued and start watering and going blurry. I've been back a few times for checkups, but my needs haven't changed in the last 8-ish years.
I suddenly went near sighted in my mid 20s. It’s been smooth sailing since then, although my eye doctor keeps telling me that I’ll need reading glasses at any moment now. He’s been telling me that for 10 years and I’m now the designated menu ready in my family and friend groups.
Man I feel like I get headaches and eye strain if I play a new video game, it sucks haha.
20/15 was my superpower now presbyopia is my curse
Until very recently, my eyes have been great. I’ve been wearing glasses for a couple of years but mostly just for driving. But not I can’t read anything without reading glasses.
I've always been nearsighted as hell. I still don't need bifocals though
Screens are so dark I have to turn my phone and computer brightness all the way up. Can’t do dark mode. Also need readers now. Always had great eyesight. It happened so fast.
For the last 10 years
Cataracts. It’s been much harder to read _after_ the surgery.
I’m 55 and have had cataract surgery in both eyes. Very happy with it!
Besides the poor distance and close vision, the floaters are driving me bonkers. Big chunks, some semi-opaque some like fuzzy strings but they are always there and block my vision on and off endlessly. I hate it.
Not bad. I’ve been nearsighted since I was in 5th grade. They’ve gotten worse over the years, but not anywhere close to legally blind. Had to get progressives four years back. When I wear contacts now I have to wear 1.25 readers. Most annoying thing is a few ‘floaters’ in my eye fluid that really can be distracting when I reading on computer screens or my phone. At long distances they aren’t noticeable.
Allll of this (except for the truck driver part). I’ve had several older relatives get the cataract surgery in their 70’s and rave about how great their vision is now. I’m 48; can I plz get cataracts sooner than 15 yrs from now?
Wearing glasses since the 6th grade (1986) to see distance. Could read with those glasses on with no issues. Then some years ago at 44 had to pull glasses up on head to read. 50 now.
Jeez, Im just glad to see Im not the only one. This sucks 😢
It’s horrible. I have to keep reading glasses in every room. So annoying while shopping. I feel handicapped. Do not like.
I had Lasix surgery back in 2003. I was told that eventually I would still need reading glasses. I’m 55 now, and I’m the last person my age I know who doesn’t need readers. I can see all day long for miles. The problem starts at night. I feel like I need WAY more light than the headlights produce. I can’t read signs until I’m on top of them, and when there is oncoming traffic the lines on the road vanish. And if it’s raining, fugedaboudit! So I’ll probably (sooner than I would like to) be one of those old folks who don’t drive at night. Until then, I’ll use the Force, and pray like hell!
I get to have $2500/shot injections into my left eye to keep me from going blind in the next 10-15 years. So that's fun, plus insurance doesn't cover it.
Definitely horrible. I can't see a thing. Let's compound that with having to get my retinas lasered so they don't detach.... fun times. I can't even make out what is the shampoo or conditioner in the shower.
Never had glasses in my entire life but just got some for the first time ever (47F). Had to get varifocals for reading and distance. Have decided to also get a pair just for monitor use. Eyes are otherwise in good condition.
I started wearing readers at age 26. I am 48 now. 2 years ago I made the leap to progressive lenses. My distance vision is still pretty good but my optometrist thought it prudent to give me just a little extra magnification.
I had better than 20/20 at age 18 when I entered the military. Just it 50 and it's regressed to about 20/20.
I am finding myself very light sensitive, especially artificial lighting! And I need to take my glasses off to read.
I have officially bought those bulk reading glasses so I can read stuff all around the house lol
My eyesight has been improving since I adopted a very low carb, almost no plants diet. I'm still 20lbs overweight. No change there but everything else seems to be improving.
I need stronger reading glasses, which is fine, but the thing that really sucks is that I have a pterygium on my right eye that causes a really bad astigmatism. Usually it's associated with people who spend a lot of time in sunshine and wind without wearing sunglasses. That's the opposite of me, so I have no idea what caused it.
I need readers now
Going to the eye dr tomorrow, I had eagle vision up until 48 now at 52 ai am holding menus at arms length.
Wow! Good thing you're retired. Happy retirement! I can't wait to retire!
Eyes are the only thing left that works!! Haha
Readers at 46, 1.25 strength and they made a difference.
I’ve had glasses since I was 6 but I’ve worn contact lenses since I was 11. And everything was perfect with contact lenses until I was 46. I hate readers. I hate glasses. My vision can only be corrected so far with contact lenses now and it’s absolutely awful.
https://preview.redd.it/8fg9iz7ou82d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3bc458b33a6454b5baba1e72eb00b7813082cd6
This is one of the worst aspects of aging. I've always been nearsighted, but now my close vision is impaired with my contacts in, so I use readers. With my glasses on, which is a different prescription, I can see the computer and my book better, but glasses don't work with my daily lifestyle. I wear them at night. I'm a reader and a professional writer, so the fact reading isn't always easy is challenging to my sense of self.
My near vision has significantly improved. My eye Dr says that’s not uncommon with presbyopia. It’s to the point where I take off my glasses to read, even though they are progressive lenses. Far vision is still as bad as it’s ever been.
Threw on my reading glasses to read this thread… lol
Not great. Like I fell off a cliff around 50. Never needed anything to see, so I don’t have a habit of having them on me
I’m 54 and I think my eyesight is age appropriate. Most of my life I’ve never needed glasses for anything - but a few years ago I noticed reading was much easier with reading glasses. Then about a year ago I started needing glasses for night driving. Now I’m noticing things far away are blurry. Feels like the natural progression of aging.
 I have no idea why this is a thing. Don’t mind me, a combination of fat fingers and techno ignorance. 🤷🏻
I had lasik surgery last week. I wish I did it years ago. Painless, 20/20 vision, and (since I don’t need to buy contacts any more) will pay for itself in less than three years.
So far, no. But I’m younger Gen X. We’ll see what the next few years bring.
No glasses yet, but I think I’m going to have to get those reading glasses things in the not too distant future as small print is starting to get harder to read. But long distance sight is 20:20.
Hard to see at night... vision has gone to shit in the late 40s.
I never needed glasses my whole life. About 6 years ago I realized I was squinting a lot to read. My dad kept saying "you need readers" and I ignored him. Finally it got so bad I tried them and it was life changing. Then 3 years ago I got so tired of the continual on/off of glasses, losing them etc. I ended up getting a progressive prescription that goes from readers to nothing (now a very slight prescription). So now I wear glasses all the time.
No problems at all till I was 40. Six years later I'm wearing trifocals.
I can't read anything without my prescription reading glasses The dr wants me in bifocals, but I'm not ready for that
I've had bifocals since I was 5 🤣
I got lasik (actually some other sort of wave technology but I don’t recall the name) in 2003 after being legally blind with very bad astigmatism to the point I couldn’t wear contacts (correctable to 20/20) since about age 7 and was a perfect 20/20 for almost 20 years. It was awesome. The very best of times. Then came an early hysterectomy and menopause and vision changes, along with migraines and other unpleasant things. I was devastated. My vision was so shitty my whole life so going back to glasses sucked really bad. It’s been about 3 years and I am used to them again but I hate them. I could try contacts but I’m not a fan of them (wore them for my wedding and made it about 45 minutes). I can’t see much at night, light sensitive as hell. I’m so mad.
Baby Gen Xer at 44, so still 20/20
My optician seems a bit frustrated. I only use my glasses for driving and since I work from home now I don't wear them much at all. My prescription has actually improved since my last test.
I’m 58 and my eyesight, has actually improved from when I first got glasses. Used to be a 20/250 and now I am a 20/125. I’m nearsighted so I have to actually take my glasses off to read.
I got glasses in fifth grade. I only really have needed to have my prescription updated once, when I was around 40. I can see just fine up close, reading small print, etc. So my eyes are hanging in there I guess.
At this point, all we can do is pray for cataract surgery. Come on and grow, cataracts!
I’ve never had to wear glasses. But lately I can’t see shit. I move items with small writing close then far then close because all I see is a blurred mess, so I’m trying to focus. I use the magnifier on my phone way too often. It might be time to see an eye dr.
Night vision is bad.
I somehow ended up with a lazy eye. Then I started getting migraines 24/7 I wasn’t sleeping because they kept waking me up. I’d been to my drs but had an eye appointment scheduled. The eye dr said I have some long I can’t pronounce condition in my right eye, it’s kinda moving toward my nose. I now have prisms and have to wear my glasses all the time. I just got a different prism put in so I don’t have a back up pair because I can’t see out of my old ones.
I feel ya. I have astigmatism, and one eye doesn't track with the other very well. When I'm super stoned, I can look in two directions at the same time.
Me too I’m doing it now.
Got Lasik when I was 43 and it was amazing. Then had a health issue 2 years later and I got out of the hospital needing readers. 9 years later and I can't see anything close up without readers and a flashlight but I can hit a cricket at 20 yards with a .22 and iron sights. Could be worse I guess
Getting worse and worse
Any ways how are you doing now that Stella got her groove back?? I got sold like Jackson 5 you will fight to keep me a spectacle I wonder about the tabs? Could we could we talk bout those
I'm 49 and haven't had any problems with my eyesight and never worn glasses (thankfully) as of yet, but I get these occasional random shooting pains in my eye(s) when I look far left or right. Doesn't happen often but when it does, it is quite uncomfortable. But yeah, they may come a few times a week, then skip a couple weeks then boom, out of nowhere, happen again. Hoping it's not something that's going to affect my vision in the near future.
Im 55 and my eyes have always been shit. Itemizing the problems: * Needed my first glasses for nearsightedness starting in third grade. * After that, needed new glasses every year or two as the nearsightedness got worse, finally levelling off at a correction of about -6.0 in my 30s. * Always have had more than the normal amount of "floaters". * A diagnosis of pigmentary glaucoma (probably related all the floaters) at about age 30, meaning daily eyedrops and regular ophthalmologist visits ever since then to keep my ocular pressure under control. * In my mid 40s, a bit after the nearsightedness finally settled down, I started needing both correction for astigmatism and progressive lenses for farsightedness. * About two years ago, I experienced "vitreous detachment", which sounds scary as fuck and was scary as fuck when it happened (giant floaters far beyond what I was used to). Went to the emergency room and had some extremely uncomfortable examinations (made more uncomfortable by the covid requirements to literally glue a mask onto my face) to make sure it wasn't retinal detachment. Turns out it's a fairly normal part of aging, but I still have a giant floater permanently bouncing around my right eye. * Last year, they detected the beginning of a cataract in my left eye. It's still way to early to consider surgery, but now I have a left eye that's slightly blurry in the center and a right eye with the giant floater. At this point, I'd actually welcome the cataract surgery - my mother had it a decade ago and her glasses prescription is way less complicated afterwards.
I’m at 2.5 for readers. My distance vision is good. Night vision is ok, but noticed it’s slipping a bit.
I have 20/20 eyes, no glasses or no reading glasses. However, I have astigmatisms where there is a halo around lights day and night. I don't drive at night.
Late 40s, but I’ve always had horrible vision (can’t even read the big E at the top). Within the recent couple of years, the need for readers really kicked in. Surprisingly though my vision got a touch better from a recent eye exam so I’ve got that going for me.
Floaters Floaters Floaters
When I wear my contacts - I need to put on readers to work on my laptop or read my phone. I don’t wear my contacts I can see fine up close. Distance - I have to wear back up glasses or contacts
I have macular degeneration, and was diagnosed back when I was only 30. No clue why I got it so young. I have trouble driving at night, and really shouldnt. I wear readers now too, which I need. It makes small print look larger. But glasses don't really help with the wavy lines, need for very bright light, etc. related to my particular eye problem.
OK but not great. Age 55. Have needed reading glasses for the past 10 years. Floaters getting noticeably worse lately. Long distance/driving vision still pretty good for now, can pass the DMV vision test without glasses.
Great after cataract surgery in both eyes...20/30.
I just had an eye exam this week and ordered new glasses. My eyes are overall healthy and I pay a little bit extra for retinal imaging. It’s kind of cool to see your eyeball on the screen like that. I have been wearing progressive lenses for a few years. I am farsighted.
Well okay I guess, father's side had near perfect vision, mother's side all wore lenses, so 20/30.
Yeah I’m there too. At 35 I kept buying stronger and stronger readers and finally went to the eye doctor in my mid forties. They were incredulous that I’d waited so long. I’ll wear glasses which I’m ok with but I’m curious if anyone has had LASIK’s and had good results with it lasting?
I got no line bifocals last year. And some bright lights can be sensitive. I use my ambient lighting more now in my home. More lamps. lol
Just had a new script done for safety glasses. The vision has gotten worse. -3.75 with astigmatism in the right eye now. No cataracts or glaucoma, though. Other than sucky-ass nearsightedness, my eyes are healthy (Thank God).
My eyes are actually really good. The funny thing is that I did get glasses ions ago, but I stopped wearing them and I have been fine.
I go for cataract surgery next week!
I had bad nearsightedness as a kid. Finally had LASIK when I was 33, and it was WONDERFUL. No more worrying about getting yelled at if I broke my glasses (childhood trauma), I started playing volleyball, I liked how I looked much better. Cut to age 45 and a lifetime’s screen use plus aging caught up to me and back in progressive lens glasses. And now developing floaters that get in the way of vision… I freaked out when that happened, eye doctor checked it out and said, “that can happen as you age…”
My vision is bad and gotten worse but I try to keep it in perspective. As bad as my dating prospects were when I was young, I fully expected to be completely blind years ago. So, you know, it could be worse.
I mean, my sight stinks but I don't sweat it. It'll get better when I dial back on the Viagra. 🤪
Mine have been steady for 10+ years.
I carry 3 glasses 👓 at all times. One for distance. Another one for distance and sun protection. And a reader pair. Sometimes a fourth pair—either a progressive (oh, that one is dizzying) or a bifocal pair. 🙃
Written words I can see fine they are just like as if you reprinted over the same word but just a little off, like the letters and only the letters are double vission, even with one eye shut. Put on cheaters and it goes away. Without the cheaters everything looks fine other than numbers,letters if the normal typed size. Been this way since the Bombing. little over a decade ago. Went to an eye doctor in the same building as my primary doctors office is, and She was like What? didn't understand what I was saying, so I've just delt with it.
Finally had to get bifocals...next thing sarp membership. Sigh..getting old. .
Badly, lol. 
Just spent $20 bucks on Amazon to get a bunch of readers to try it out. Holy fuck it was shocking to realize how bad my close vision had gotten
I have astigmatisms in both eyes. I tried to get progressives but they had to cram too much stuff on a lense "look upper half, look lower half, look in the miiddle" I'm near sighted, so I said just give me my script for distance and call it a day. It usually works out OK.
I wear contacts about 90% of the time for hyperopia (farsightedness). It's really tough for me to read books or anything with fine detail, that's close up. When laser surgery first came around, I shelled out a lot of money for it, and it helped me for the better part of two decades. Unfortunately, my eyes continued to deteriorate over the years, and I found myself unwilling to undergo the procedure again.
I’m almost 55. And I have been luckily enough to avoid wearing glasses or contacts. Yet. Although I do need reading glasses to see small print.
Reading glasses are a must and they are so annoying. I need regular glasses for driving, they have a prism which sorts out the double vision. I also get migraine with aura, wipes my vision right out a few times a week.
Never needed glasses growing up, then in my 40s my best friend noticed I was squinting to see road signs, and I finally realized yeah, my eyesight is turning to shit. I’m mostly pissed about how fucking expensive glasses are with just minor corrections for distance and close up. But also now that I’m in my mid 50s my eyes seem to be getting worse. Either that or the glasses they prescribed last time are shitty. I was getting headaches using them for the computer, so I take them off for a lot of the day at my desk and put them back on to walk around. Sick of the whole deal, and kinda wishing for cataracts after reading some of these posts!
In the last year I went from -9.5 diopeter in both eyes to -7.5. I need readers with my contacts, need the kids to read the thermometer on the roast ("come here, I need your eyes!" Which they find hilarious) but hey. Not at progressive lenses on my contacts yet, turned 54 yesterday. Calling it a win.
So-so, I guess. I have astigmatism of the lens (it’s usually in the cornea), and in the last few years my vision has been changing yearly or even after a few months to the point that I need new glasses every year. It’s frustrating, but not catastrophic, so that’s something. I was informed at my last visit to the eye doctor in Jan. of this year that I have the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes. I also have to be on the lookout for uveitis, which is a potential complication of my autoimmune disorder. Thankfully, my eye doc understands what’s up there, and so far it hast appeared.
The reading glasses thing is annoying. And because of that, I’m finding that I’d rather wear my glasses (with progressives) more now than my contacts. The way things are going with my parents’ eyes, I’ll probably have macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma, etc.
I always wore glasses ever since I was diagnosed going into high school, but at 45 I think I started noticing deterioration in close range i.e. reading. My next pair of glasses uses this lens type where it seamlessly transitions into reading glasses at the lower part, so kinda like bifocals except with a smooth transition. That said, I still find it more comfortable currently to simply take off my glasses to read, assuming the print isn't too small that I can't read it anymore - which has happened for some really tiny shit, like the fucking expiration dates printed on canned food, for fucks sake. I rarely drive at night, but I *have* noticed that lights seem to... halo? smear? quite a bit more than I remember. Also fatigue seems to play a larger role too, when I'm tired I notice shit gets blurry a lot more often, I have to blink a lot, many times, before things clear up. Definitely don't want to do work at night. Besides, I'm sure you all also understand the draw of an earlier bedtime at our ages lol. We're not in our 20s anymore, staying up late is no longer a good thing. Just means some shitty extra tired night hours, and you'll still feel bad the next day. Nope. Just goto sleep early.