i need glasses and some advice

unwashed potato! · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:45

if there's big gaps in the title that's my keyboards fault not my eyes.

hoping this doesn't class as a medical thread.

i've been told i'm short sighted and could do with (but don't require) glasses. the lady mentioned she'd recommend at the least wearing them when driving and at the cinema, but i am ok without.

i've never had glasses before and possibly my concerns are silly but thought i'd at least ask. my main concern is would i notice how poor my normal vision is after wearing glasses regularly? i'm happy with my eye sight at the moment and don't want to make it seem bad in comparison.

if i don't get glasses soon, or do get them but rarely wear them, is there potential my sight could get worse because of not wearing them?

McBain · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:48

Yes you will realise how poor your eyesight is without glasses.

I was pretty much in the same boat as you, needed glasses for driving and things like the cinema, going onto the football etc. I never wore glasses for regular living and it never really bothered me day to day, up until recently when I thought enough is enough and had laser surgery.

I don't know whether not wearing glasses can make your eyes worse, I doubt it though, my prescription remained the same for a good 15 years and I rarely wore them.

VincentHanna · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:51

Yes, they would make you realise how your eyes should be.

There's nothing wrong with wearing glasses and your eyesight is more likely to get gradually worse.

I've worn glasses since I was a teenager and first needed them to read the blackboard in class.

In the last 5 years my sight has actually got slightly better as the eyes gradually correct. I think that's rare though.

Deleted User 234324 · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:52

I found out I needed glasses 4 years ago, never thought I had a problem with my eyes as my vision was fine. It wasn't until I actually got some that I realised just how poor my eyes were at viewing anything at a distance. My eye's aren't even that bad -1 for left and right with a slight astigmatism the right eye.

Anyway after wearing glasses I now no longer get headaches after driving or using a computer for several hours and my vision is crystal clear.

kaptainmarc · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:53

Fairly sure the answer is no said:
if there's big gaps in the title that's my keyboards fault not my eyes.

hoping this doesn't class as a medical thread.

i've been told i'm short sighted and could do with (but don't require) glasses. the lady mentioned she'd recommend at the least wearing them when driving and at the cinema, but i am ok without.

i've never had glasses before and possibly my concerns are silly but thought i'd at least ask. my main concern is would i notice how poor my normal vision is after wearing glasses regularly? i'm happy with my eye sight at the moment and don't want to make it seem bad in comparison.

if i don't get glasses soon, or do get them but rarely wear them, is there potential my sight could get worse because of not wearing them?

I had the exact same, didn't wear glasses noticed my eye sight deteriorate more.

you might be surprised how much you need glasses. just get a pair and wear them for driving better than driving in to someone

MadMossy said:
I found out I needed glasses 4 years ago, never thought I had a problem with my eyes as my vision was fine. It wasn't until I actually got some that I realised just how poor my eyes were at viewing anything at a distance. My eye's aren't even that bad -1 for left and right with a slight astigmatism the right eye.

Anyway after wearing glasses I now no longer get headaches after driving or using a computer for several hours and my vision is crystal clear.

I remember first trying mine on after being told my eyesight wasn't that bad. i had forgotten how HD the world can be

CSMonkeh · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:53

If you're straining/squinting to see afar then yeah that won't do your eyes any favours, and may also lead to headaches.
Legal distance when driving to see is 67ft/20.5m/5 car lengths (thanks google) so that'd be your barometer if its for driving.
TBH if its recommended, I don't see why not. Only to make your life easier....

VincentHanna · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:56

It's scary that people with short-sighted vision are only 'advised' to wear them for driving.

Should be compulsory really!

Biz.Kid09 · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:58

I got glasses about 18mths ago and as soon as i put them on it was like night and day (I probably needed them a lot sooner then i thought)

My eyesight is still more than good enough without them but i much prefer wearing them, especially for driving or on the PC etc.

McBain · 22 Mar 2016 at 10:59

VincentHanna said:
It's scary that people with short-sighted vision are only 'advised' to wear them for driving.

Should be compulsory really!

Absolutely.

The frightening thing is I was told I was on the borderline of needing to wear them and honestly my eyesight was ****. I never drove without them.

Feek · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:02

If you've been told you should wear them for driving then you really shouldn't hesitate and should be in the glasses shop already. How would you feel if you had an accident because you didn't see something clearly?

Yes, I think you'll probably notice that your eyesight isn't perfect when you're not wearing glasses once it's been corrected.

I don't know whether not wearing glasses will make your eyesight worse. I don't want to speculate though because that would mean giving medical advice which of course we're not allowed to do and I remind everyone of the rules

Don't get caught in the "OMG, GLASSES ARE BAD" mindset.

It's not all like this:

Fourstar · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:02

I didn't need to start wearing glasses until my mid twenties and it took me years to get used to them. Initially I only wore them for driving. Later I started wearing daily disposable contacts for sport and the glasses more often. Eventually I got used to them and now think I look odd without them. That and I actually need them these days!

Yes, you'll notice a difference! I remember looking at trees in the distance and being amazed how what had been a fairly amorphous green suddenly became distinct leaves with sharply defined edges. Colour also seemed to be more vivid.

Do get them if only for driving. I was -0.5 and -0.25 when I first got glasses and it made a significant difference to clarity and reading signs.

Raumarik · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:04

I was told I only needed mine for reading (was 15 at the time), ended up wearing them all the time as I'd lose them otherwise at school. As it turns out my prescription hasn't changed in over 25 years as a result, my brother who was given glasses at the same age as I was now has a MUCH stronger prescription than me and he puts it down to him not wanting to wear glasses or contacts until he was in his late 20s when it simply wasn't an option to drive without them.

I'd say get the prescription, find your local optician who makes glasses (not vision express etc) and have a chat with them. I've got incredibly light glasses for less than £200 which in high street retailers would cost over 500.

Mr Badger · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:17

VincentHanna said:
It's scary that people with short-sighted vision are only 'advised' to wear them for driving.

Should be compulsory really!

^This.

A guy I once worked with couldn't read a (fairly large print) wall calendar that was on a pillar barely 2 metres from his desk and he refused to go to an optician to get glasses. Yet he drove a car to work every day...

Ryan-3 · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:27

Mr Badger said:
^This.

A guy I once worked with couldn't read a (fairly large print) wall calendar that was on a pillar barely 2 metres from his desk and he refused to go to an optician to get glasses. Yet he drove a car to work every day...

Annoys me how much of a danger some people are. I sometimes first thing/late at night have no glasses on, but everything is very blurred. Once you stick your glasses on you soon realise just how short sighted you really are.

It's all nonsense about them making your eyes worse. Squinting because you won't wear them, that damages them.

MooMoo444 · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:29

Wear them if you need them. Get contacts if you don't like frames. You aren't going do yourself any favors struggling with blurry vision.

dacads · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:32

Yeah can get contacts wear them during the day take them off in the evening, for glasses or no glasses depending on what you're doing and what you're comfortable with.

Alternative but expensive option is laser/lasik surgery or whatever it's called

but by sound of it you don't need that.

Brizzles · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:34

Fairly sure the answer is no said:
i'm happy with my eye sight at the moment and don't want to make it seem bad in comparison.

Problem is that your brain has adapted to any gradual changes in your eyesight, so you wouldn't know the difference.

I was happy with my eyesight, up untill i couldn't read the number plate required for my first driving test !

Got glasses then realised how poor my eyesight actually was.

The days of 'coke bottle lenses' are gone ( though 30 years ago when i had them they were pretty thick and heavy !! ) - Glasses are cool

Ryan-3 · 22 Mar 2016 at 12:59

People buy them with 20/20 so they can go for the 'geek' look. Whatever floats your boat I suppose.

My latest glasses have really thin lenses and I'm about +4.5 - which will be far worse than you OP.

SexyGreyFox · 22 Mar 2016 at 13:08

I have cheap £1 glasses everywhere in all different sizes.
These are the ones by my PC.
Of course this isn't your problem OP.

Duke · 22 Mar 2016 at 13:11

VincentHanna said:
I've worn glasses since I was a teenager and first needed them to read the blackboard in class.

In the last 5 years my sight has actually got slightly better as the eyes gradually correct. I think that's rare though.

Same sort of thing for me - worn since young and gradually got worse then levelled out from mid 20s and now improving again, gone from about 6 to 5 since last visit two years ago (32 now).