Short sighted/long sighted

[237SJ]

I am - 6 short sighted. I am now becoming long sighted as well. I worked with a colleague recently who has the same problem and he said his glasses have one lens for the short sight and the other is for the long sight. Apparently the brain learns how to process the images and deal with them. I`d never heard of this before. Does it work and can it be done with contact lenses?

[Sqad]

York 310....will give you the best answer on this topic.

[bibblebub]

Have you considered varifocal lens glasses or multifocal contact lenses?

[237SJ]

bibblebub I`ve been put off varifocal contact lenses because I would imagine they would make me feel quite sick. Maybe I`ll see if I can get a free trial sometime.

[Mosaic]

Yes, this is an approach often tried by opticians - and also often with contact lenses / laser surgery. Everyone has a 'lead' eye and this one is corrected for distance vision, with the other eye being corrected for reading vision.
Bifocal specs or the much more expensive varifocals are also useful, but if your prescription changes quickly you're left with an expensive but defunt pair of specs.
Another option is to wear contact lenses - the daily disposables are excellent nowadays - and get a simple pair of reading glasses.

[237SJ]

Mosaic, I do wear contact lenses. I only wear glasses around the house when I`m not going out. My glasses prescription is very slightly stronger than my lens prescription and when I switch between the two, I feel queasy for a few minutes which is why I`m surprised the shortsight/longsight lens situation works.

[woofgang]

not a specialist but I too have one shortsighted eye (not nearly as bad as yours) and always have had. With middle aged degeneration, I started to need glasses to drive (can't do the numberplate) but I do everything else without corrected vision. My optician reckons that my brain learned to to the one eye for distance one eye for closework thing all on its own.

[Bambiagain]

I inherited my parents' eyesight - my mother was very short-sighted, my father was normal until middle age, when he started to get long-sighted. My left eye is my mother's, my right is my father's. This makes life very awkward as, now I am, er shall I say middle-aged, I need glasses to drive, different glasses for the computer and I read with just my left eye (saving the cost of a third pair). The two eyes can't focus together as they used to. I was persuaded into varifocals by an optician and I felt ill wearing them. Then another told me I shouldn't even try as my eyes would never cope with them. One contact lens has been suggested, but this would mean glasses for computer, glasses for reading and a spare pair for driving when not wearing the lens. I find two pairs of specs quite enough. Oh how I envy those with matching vision in both eyes.

[36TEAK36]

I had my eyes tested a couple of weeks ago. I have been wearing -4 Contact lenses for years, but have recently noticed that I am struggling to read close up. My optician told me I am getting long sighted as well, and has changed my contact lens prescription so that my weaker left eye will now have a different strength lens.I had never heard of this before either, but apparently it is fairly common in middle age.

[york310]

This simple method to correct your distance prescription and this new onset of presbyopia (not long rightness) is termed monovision. It is a commonly used by optometrists and contact lens practitioners and request on your brain using your dominant eye for distance and your non dominant eye to read.

Whether this is the best solution for you is difficult to determine as it may depend on what demand you have on your vision such as lots of vdu work , or driving or fine detail close work. To correct distance and near vision together will have an element of a compromise but if it is a suitable one then you will be happy that you aren't having to put readers over your lenses. multifocal le.sea will have a similar compromise due to their design.

[york310]

Silly autotext on phone - was presbyopia not long sightedness. & multifocal lenses.

Thanks for the compliment sqad

[237SJ]

Thanks for your answer york. Since I posted that question I have had a friend come to visit who tried the one lens for short, one lens for long site with her contacts and she said it didn`t work for her. Luckily for me I don`t do much close work in my job so I suppose I`ll stick with the contacts and reading glasses.
I`d be interested to know what you think of lasering though!

[Mosaic]

The thing about laser surgery at present is that it can only correct simple problems eg relatively mild short-sightedness. As the eye ages, and you get presbyopia ie need reading specs, then you're still going to need reading specs and over time, your distance vision may deteriorate anyway. So you pay a shed load of money and get back to square one.
I'm sure there are millions of people who are happy with their lasered eyes - personally, I think in 20 years time it will routine and much better, but is a bot over-promoted at present. You can afford an awful lot of specs and lenses for the cost of surgery, and you can get your money back if they don't work. But burning layers off your eye....not going to be any comebacks if it's a botch job.

[237SJ]

I agree mosaic, although I do have a colleague who was -9 short sighted and had laser treatment. I`m not prepared to take any risks with my eyes which is why I`ll be stuck with contact lenses for life, I guess.

[Mosaic]

There are worse things. And you can always experiment with colours ...or cat's eyes...just to scare the kids.

[york310]

As a - 6 myself, and a longtime contact lens wearer, I have the same options regarding refractive surgery and have actually been offered it at no cost. I have no issues with my lenses (touch wood) and am happier to wait for now.

[lauragig]

I think you should speak to your local optician as they are the glasses/ lenses experts and will give you good advice as everyone's eyes needs are different it depends on whats best for your eyes as to which glasses or contact lens they recommend. I would look online for the contact lenses or glasses they recommend as theres more choice and you'll get a better deal on glasses. I'd also invest in a <a href="http://www.glassescasesuk.com">glasses case</a> to protect your glasses. Media URL: http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yt4sy6KknQ
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