OT: Bifocals, trifocals, varilux, shmarilux

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I gave them a couple of weeks several years ago and felt quite ill. Everytime I moved it was as if the ground were heaving up to meet me. No surprises when I took them back and the man said that there is a percentage of people who cannot adjust to them.

I prefer what they call the 'slab off' type here. The glasses with the bi or tri focal insert. Maybe not so great to look at but at least they give you a larger area of corrected vision to see through. Then again, I rarely wear them, I've been wearing contacts for nearly

Until my last prescription, I had lenses for 15 years that were delineated (bifocal, trifocal, distance). Then I decided to get "modern" and while I did adapt to the varilux lenses, I have found them unsatisfactory for the reason you stated: reduced field of corrected vision. I will not get the blended lenses again. With varilux, the best vision is straight ahead; everything else is not in focus. The reduced in-focus area, in my opinion, is a safety hazard for driving and other activities. With separate lenses you can look out of the corner of the lense and still get an object that is in focus. I don't think many give much thought to the safety issue.

Kathy

Changing it back to OT, but yes, this was also a secondary problem. Actually, I found the whole idea very hard to see through. When I look at a book and only three words at a time are in focus, and when I go through sentences in the book the entire book goes back and forth on the bias (that's the best I can describe it). I literally got seasick. So, now I ordered bifocals and though they'll have a line, it will be so hard to see it won't matter.

Now, the safety issue...while driv>Until my last prescription, I had lenses for 15 years that were delineated

Thanks V - I`ve heard the same from several friends who`ve tried them and it`s just reinforced my conviction that I`ll stick with bi-focals - and invest in a mid distance pair for the computer, just like I did when at work. I`ll wait until I`ve had the catracts done, though - glasses are too darned expensive to change too often! In any case I may not need them then.

Pat P

I've been wearing progressives for 4 years and I love them. I know a few people who have not been able to wear them, but most of my friends are doing fine with them.

Lynn

Pat P wrote:

And I have worn them since 1986! It was VERY hard to get used to them initially, but after a month of perseverance, it was great. One problem sometimes lies with the optician, who doesn't mark the lenses correctly.

One time I had to go and have them replaced three times because the close-up phase was too high up on the lens. It ws at their cost, and the last time I will go to LensCrafters.

Now, I just make a practice of never changing from the old to new glasses during the day. I take off the old ones at night (and put them in drawer for back-up), and in the morning, put on the new ones.

Gillian

lrdavis wrote:

My Dad went from never wearing glasses to needing bi-focals a few years back when they figured out he has diabetes. He never adjusted so he got two single-vision glasses. He keeps one prescription at the computer and has the other prescription in the car.

I imagine that our equivalent of Lenscrafters is Vision Express and others of that ilk. I have heard so many tales of disappointment about these types of company (including my daughter`s experience which only confirmed a long held suspicion) that we only go to a long trusted private optician. In fact, when our doctor asked who we went to - his comment was that we`d be absolutely fine with him (the optician). We have been fine, too! More expensive that "Vision Express" etc., but he misses no detail and we have never had any complaints at all - after a good 25 years.

Pat P

I remember that they took a couple of days to get used to them, and you always have to be careful on "strange" stairs, as you tend to either miss the last one - or see two, if you happen to be looking through the dividing line!

Pat P

Well, the glasses I have now are suddenly too weak for reading and my prescription for close up changed. These, however, work fine for the laptop which is about an arms length from my eyes. So, I can switch between them and use these for painting cabinets, etc.

What the hell happens when our bodies turn the half century? Geesh. NOW, I don't know if I said anything here, but the Infergen I'll be starting in several weeks can cause blindness. It's temporary and goes away when treatment ends, but this is ME we're talking about. Queen of all possible side effects! LOL