# Vision, Age, and Glasses (or contacts) + POLL :D



## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Ok

So I should not futz when tired. But I did, and as a result I broke a wire. No biggie right? Well, the wire I broke is 50 or so gauge. Still no biggie right? Well for me it is. I can't see the wire at all. I can see it on the bobbin sure (looks like a red piece of flat copper actually, I can feel the texture of wire with my finger), but the wire leaving the bobbin forget it. So, I went and bought a pair of reading glasses +2.00 strength. Then I could see the wire! I also found out all those surface mount little bits have writing on them OMG! I can also now read the text on caps and transistors without my eyes watering!

I was thinking while reading a book; I put my hand over one eye, and the book against my face and moved it from my face till the text became clear, did that with the other eye too. Should there be 4 inches difference between eyes :O I think I may need glasses, a funky pair of glasses even :O

So, here is the age/glasses poll. I wear sun glasses with cable temples, otherwise glasses fall off my face. But now it looks like there will be "yes" when asked on my Drivers if I wear glasses to see too.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2010)

Gimpy right eye. Born with it. Surgery at 5 kept me away from glasses until last year. Was getting severe migraines at work. Eye doc gave me a prescription for just my right eye: problem solved. I can't really work at a computer without them now.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

I had a good friend up north that had one badly messed up eye. The dr's apparently damaged it when he was delivered. When I was a little guy, one of my best friends, David, had a lazy eye. He had to wear a patch for a while to help it. Today he is a professor at a university LOL


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I went for a period of about 2 years pretending that my vision was fine, boy was I wrong. I got glasses


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

At 49 my vision is pretty good, until I get close to something. Like reading the Forums or newspaper. Then I use a pair of those drug store reading glasses. Not very strong, but I always leave them behind when I need them. For really fine work, you need a pair of these:










A fixed lens, another lens that flips down behind them, and the loupe. I got mine at Forest City Surplus, or maybe KW surplus (another affliction of age...memory) for about 8 or 9 dollars.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Started wearing them for reading in my 40's. I buy them at the dollar store, and presently have some 20 odd pair in various strengths to suit the medium. Low strength for reading the screen. Somewhat higher for reading the paper and magazines. And extra strong for reading part numbers on chips and transistors, and ingredients on the side of medicine bottles and frozen food packages. Don't need them for playing, watching TV or driving, just for text and finer electronic work.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Owned a pair of glasses from my late 20's, didn't wear them hardly ever. In my mid 30's got another pair, just for driving. Since late 30's I wear them all the time except reading or close up work, and optdoc told me it's bifocals next time, could even have been last time. Was told at one point that sugery like Lasik is not an option due to some wierd deformity of an eyeball, not sure if there's anything new on that front but probably won't explore as glasses don't really bother me. Never, ever getting contacts.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Bifocals and reading glasses here. Basically between the two I have 3 distances covered. I'm pretty far-sighted, meaning I can actually see things far away unassisted, but I have a lot of trouble with things up close. Started having issues in my 30s. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I went for a period of about 2 years pretending that my vision was fine, boy was I wrong. I got glasses


LOL! I'm kinda going through that now. Only I have worn glasses (contacts) since I was 14 or so. now I find that I cannot read anything on a cd case or DVD case. pisses me off. So, if I know I"m going to the movie store I check online for the new releases as I can't ever determine a story line and renting a movie based on the the actors can be a really BIG mistake!! I'm only 43!!! Thus far that is the only thing that sucks about aging so I'm very lucky.


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## brimc76 (Feb 14, 2008)

I've been wearing glasses since I was in grade 7 - couldn't see the board. I tried contacts for a couple of years but it was just too much fuss for me so i went back to glasses. Then 12 years ago I got a job in a surveillance centre monitoring networks from coast to coast so that meant reading manuals, watching 3 20" split screen monitors on my desk and 4 - 8ft x8ft projection screens with a map of Canada on the wall. It wasn't long before I needed "progressive" bifocals. I don't work in that kind of environment now and I don't use glasses to read so a couple of years ago I went back to just distance glasses. Sometimes it's a pain but for most things it's much better. I find I really just need distance and computer screen now, but try and get it.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I got lucky. I'm 30 and never needed glasses and don't yet. I think I'm only 1 of 2 people in my immediate friend group who don't wear glasses. It's kinda scary to think how ubiquitous glasses have become.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Cataracts - lens implants. Didn't need glasses for the first time after 48 years. I can read the paper without them, but it's a little better with dollar store reading glasses.


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

At 42 I was told I need glasses and I have a glucoma, sheesh getting old sucks.
The DR tells me to come back after 1 year and I do, she tells me I need surgery and sets the date 4 months off.

Now I have bought my first pair, a second stylish pair and some sunglasses, thanks insurance.
My appointment comes up, and was told to read the chart 20/20 next eye 20/20 then she noticed I did not wear my glasses!
Doc does all the Glucoma test and see's nothing wrong!!

18 months of glasses, $1,200 spent all for nothing, the first doctor needs to get her eyes examined!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

so far (PTL) i have really good vision. i can see the hair on a gnat's butt if i'm not too tired. however, i have noticed that too much direct light or glare, and all that goes out the window.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

One category missing. "Just for Reading".

I don't need them for distance, in fact if I wear my glasses for driving I might as well be drunk.

For close up stuff like reading or computer work, if I forget my glasses at home, I might just as well drive home and get them because I'm useless at work without them.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Yes, you are right. There are "situational" use of glasses. Reading and driving and other tasks that you do need glasses for while in general life you can set them aside and not worry. I was trying to age range, get a yes/no, and to expand on glasses all at once LOL and 10 options made even that much tight. Biting off more that was chewable in this one poll LOL


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## brimc76 (Feb 14, 2008)

For an age range, my doctor told me a big change in eyesight happens around 45 years old. That, with the change in job, accounted for my switching over to a progressive lens.


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## dodgechargerfan (Mar 22, 2006)

Don't say yes on your license renewal unless you need them for driving. REALLY need them to drive. 

I need glasses for distance but I can drive fine without them as long as I don't have to read street name signs. 

But, I said that I need them to drive and now if I'm caught without them it's a big fine.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

when i started grade 3, after summer break, i found i couldnt see the blackboard. then i noticed i couldnt see peoples faces, or other objects that werent close.
terrified i was going blind, i figured it was best not to tell anyone. lol.
so all of a sudden i was a terrible student, as well as sitting up all night afraid i was going to have doctors cut my eyes open like i saw in these medical texts my mom had.
it was the end of grade 6 before anyone found out- and it was some psychologist who tricked me into telling her, after i spent a month with my desk in the school supply room so i wouldnt disrupt the rest of the class.
i got glasses, but refused to wear them until i was 13. started wearing them because i couldnt see my guitar when standing, or amp knobs, tripping over cables etc.

never needed glasses for seeing close up- i have to take them off to read anything. i definitely compensated through that time by devouring all kinds of books- just not the ones i was supposed to be reading. never failed a grade, but i learned very little in school itself. math was a mess because the teacher would be showing you how to solve things using the blackboard- i couldnt see that. im naturally pretty good at math, and the problems were easy to solve with some thought- but i had no idea how to "show my work" the way they wanted us to. since they didnt know i couldnt see what they were showing me, i looked like an idiot.

tried contacts for a while in my early twenties, but its too high maintenance for a man.
i do hate glasses, however i couldnt function without them-


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

25 here, and slowly noticing that I may need them in time. Sometimes I just take it as being tired, but the eyes don't focus as quickly as they used to... and sometimes they don't focus all that much at all. I hate it.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

I got my first pair of glasses when I was 8 years old. My nearsightedness got worse as the years went on until I was at about a -6.00 in both eyes. This past August I got LASIK done. If you're considering the surgery route all I can say is... don't. I'm going in next week for a second surgery to my right eye, and in about a month I'll have to go in and get a surgery on the left. I have something called "recurrent epithelial edema" in both eyes (Google it). This is something they can't tell that you have in the pre-screening for the LASIK surgery. In fact, they tend to really gloss over the risks or complications when you're getting a consultation. The second set of surgeries are not LASIK - They're going to use an excimer laser to vaporize both of the epithelial layers on the surface of my eyes over the cornea. The hope is that when it regrows, it will bond properly and fix the issues I'm having. If I'd have known what I know now, and that this would happen, and that it would mean 6 months of hell, I would not have gone ahead with the LASIK. 

Friends don't let friends get LASIK.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I went for a period of about 2 years pretending that my vision was fine, boy was I wrong. I got glasses


Hehehe! I think many of us have gone through the same thing and finally had to give in.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Here is a cheap place for glasses. All you need is your prescription. We just bought 2 pairs for my wife with progressive lenses and one has the transition style lens that darkens in sunlight. The 2 pair cost us $120.00 including shipping. We have friends in St. John. NB that have been buying from Zenni for over four years now. I hope this saves y'all some money.

Zenni Optical - Eyeglasses, Prescription Glasses, Bifocal, Progressive Eyeglasses, Rimless Glasses


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## rhh7 (Mar 14, 2008)

I was extremely nearsighted all my life, wore thick glasses since early childhood. About 5 years ago, I started to develop cataracts, was totally unable to read with my right eye for almost two years. Finally got into surgery, had lens implants, and now I have 20-15 in my left eye, and 20-20 in my right eye. What an incredible gift to have good eyesight! Of course, I can not read at all any more, without my 2.0 reading glasses, which I got for $10 at the drugstore.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Well old thread but appropriate still. I went the other day got my eyes tested finally. What I noticed was the case, my eyes are both getting poor up-close, and one is poorer by about 4 inches than the other. Leaves letters with a halo because of the focus difference. I have "reading" glasses now, and according to the optidude my eyes are where statistically 40 year old white North American men are so for me all is "as it should be"  which is good news!! One thing I noticed so far, when I sit in bed and read for the longest time I was closing one eye while reading without even thinking I was doing so and now I know it, and know why I was doing it. With the glasses on, both eyes simply stay open.


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

keeperofthegood said:


> Well old thread but appropriate still. I went the other day got my eyes tested finally. What I noticed was the case, my eyes are both getting poor up-close, and one is poorer by about 4 inches than the other. Leaves letters with a halo because of the focus difference. I have "reading" glasses now, and according to the optidude my eyes are where statistically 40 year old white North American men are so for me all is "as it should be"  which is good news!! One thing I noticed so far, when I sit in bed and read for the longest time I was closing one eye while reading without even thinking I was doing so and now I know it, and know why I was doing it. With the glasses on, both eyes simply stay open.


Actually that's what I'm after noticing my ownself, one eye is being favoured. I didn't realize it until a few weeks ago, when I hold my hand over one eye I see good and with the other it's a slight blur.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

I'm 56. Worn glasses for nearsightedness since high school. Used contacts for hockey, now use them for riding my Harley because I need good sunglasses to block the wind (and look cool). Can read fine with no glasses except now my computer monitor is in pergatory. Can't see it anymore with or without. I can't do the progressive thing. I've tried.

Now, I can take the eye thing, but this constant ringing in my ears is driving me nuts.


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## jimsz (Apr 17, 2009)

Had excellent eyesight most of my life and then the eyeballs starting changing shape and everything began to get fuzzy. Started to wear eyeglasses but just couldn't get used to them, then found out I was a good candidate for eye surgery and I went for it. Never regretted it so far and my vision is as it was before.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

My eyes suck but I suppose they could be worse.

I seem to have macular degeneration in my left which is not a good thing. With bifocals I survive, but without them and using only my left eye I have a hard time recognizing my wife from a few feet away.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

I wear glasses most of the time now. I tend go back and forth between contacts and glasses.

sometimes i'll go a year with contacts and sometimes I'll go a year with glasses and switch it all up again.

I find my vision is better with glasses. I prefer contacts in the summer when I'm out and about at the lake or park, mostly because i like to wear sunglasses so i can creep on the ladies. I also usually pop my contacts in if I'm going out for a ride. the glasses don't feel so great in a helmet.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Been wearing em since I was 4 years old. Got some progressive lenses a few years ago and while they took a bit to get used to, they changed my life.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Milkman said:


> With bifocals I survive, but without them and using only my left eye I have a hard time recognizing my wife from a few feet away.


 That could be dangerous...


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