Are your eyeglasses trying to kill you?
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https://www.aarp.org/publications/bulletins/aarp-bulletin-october-2024/page12/
The danger lurking in bifocals and progressive lenses. I'm no longer at risk because of my cataract surgery permitting me to live without glass except for reading glasses, but I remember when I first got bifocals how I was misjudging my steps at stairs and curbs.
Big Al
I understand that problem. I had it with shelf tags on the top shelves in the supermarket.
I used to know a telephone company worker whose duties were primarily in the central exchanges. He had some bifocals with an extra small lense segment right at the top to let him read cable tags and equipment labels above his head.
Big Al
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A buddy of mine will flip his glasses over to work on something overhead.... I tried it, but mine won't balance well. I have a few pairs of clip-on magnifiers that help with this. Progressives actually helped my golf swing when I first got them to keep my head down and still!
I don't notice any issues on stairs anymore, I get my glasses from Zenni online - I bought one pair as a back-up and got lucky with a frame that hit everything in the sweet spot better than the glasses from Warby Parker. I guess I'm married to this frame from now on! Went with the faster transition lenses this time and am happy with that choice as well. -
The opposite problem crops up when I try to work on something like a ceiling electrical box. I can’t tip my head back far enough to focus on what I’m doing.
@Steve-Miller I replaced a couple of overhead fixtures in my house this year and was SO frustrated because I felt like I couldn’t see properly. I didn’t think about my progressives being the problem!
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When I was working I kept a special pair of glasses handy just for overhead work.
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For electricians. Of course it still has the problem outlined in the original article that @Big_Al posted.
Double D Flat Top 28
Presbyopic patients may have occupations that require accurate near vision above, as well as below, the eye level. If regular bifocals are prescribed, these patients must bend their necks back to an uncomfortable position in order to see in the near zone. Some examples of this are auto mechanics, carpenters, electricians, and painters.
The Double Segment can be ordered with both flat top segments in equal powers, or with the top segment’s power at approximately 62% of the power of the bottom segment.
Other specialty lenses described here:
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I couldn’t see well with any kind of glasses before my cataract surgery; I had 3 pairs of glasses depending on what I was doing, and had to keep switching all day long. Ugh. (I had a -13 correction, could see clearly 4 inches in front of my nose, but no further. I miss that super-power.)
Post-surgery, I still have 3 pairs, but I can actually see! One is Costco progressives, no correction, progressive down to readers. I have these so I don’t have to keep putting on/taking off readers all day long. These are my regular glasses now.
Costco multi-function for computer/piano, so I have a bigger field for mid-distance, and closeup. They can stay at home for specialized use.
A pair of cheap readers for reading phone or kindle in bed. Stronger than my regular glasses.
Because my vision was so bad before, I kind of ignore the “glasses trying to kill you” effect; I’m good at ignoring bad input!
I used to take pictures of things I couldn’t see, and then zoom in on my phone. When I had to start doing this in the airport to get my gate info, I knew it was time to have my cataract surgery. It was pretty ridiculous.
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I couldn’t see well with any kind of glasses before my cataract surgery; I had 3 pairs of glasses depending on what I was doing, and had to keep switching all day long. Ugh. (I had a -13 correction, could see clearly 4 inches in front of my nose, but no further. I miss that super-power.)
Post-surgery, I still have 3 pairs, but I can actually see! One is Costco progressives, no correction, progressive down to readers. I have these so I don’t have to keep putting on/taking off readers all day long. These are my regular glasses now.
Costco multi-function for computer/piano, so I have a bigger field for mid-distance, and closeup. They can stay at home for specialized use.
A pair of cheap readers for reading phone or kindle in bed. Stronger than my regular glasses.
Because my vision was so bad before, I kind of ignore the “glasses trying to kill you” effect; I’m good at ignoring bad input!
I used to take pictures of things I couldn’t see, and then zoom in on my phone. When I had to start doing this in the airport to get my gate info, I knew it was time to have my cataract surgery. It was pretty ridiculous.
@AdagioM said in Are your eyeglasses trying to kill you?:
I could see clearly 4 inches in front of my nose, but no further. I miss that super-power.
I was also very nearsighted before my cataract surgery and would resort to removing my glasses to see very small print or details at close distances. That trick doesn't work anymore with my vision corrected to near normal after surgery, but I still find myself trying to use it by reaching for nonexistent glasses.
Big Al
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@AdagioM said in Are your eyeglasses trying to kill you?:
I could see clearly 4 inches in front of my nose, but no further. I miss that super-power.
I was also very nearsighted before my cataract surgery and would resort to removing my glasses to see very small print or details at close distances. That trick doesn't work anymore with my vision corrected to near normal after surgery, but I still find myself trying to use it by reaching for nonexistent glasses.
Big Al
@Big_Al said in Are your eyeglasses trying to kill you?:
@AdagioM said in Are your eyeglasses trying to kill you?:
I could see clearly 4 inches in front of my nose, but no further. I miss that super-power.
I was also very nearsighted before my cataract surgery and would resort to removing my glasses to see very small print or details at close distances. That trick doesn't work anymore with my vision corrected to near normal after surgery, but I still find myself trying to use it by reaching for nonexistent glasses.
Big Al
It was quite an adjustment getting used to having distance vision instead of closeup vision! Everything is backwards.
