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Help with Bifocals (1 Viewer)

lifevoyager

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Just got glasses for the first time.....was just tired of wearing readers...and the old on and off ...on and off....deal...which was happening a lot.
Went to Walmart.
Got my glasses.....
Felt crazy.....felt sick....got better......thought it was just a matter of getting used to the glasses....they say "Your brain has to adjust"
Well.......all I could read was the center........everything else in the lower part of the glasses was blury...turning my eyes to read did not work anymore......Walmart told me I have to learn to turn my head to read !!! Let my eyes follow my nose !
Then They showed me the chart to explain it to me....
There were 3 ranges on the chart (fields of vision) depending on what you pay for ! I had the "Least"
Needless to say....I spent an extra $150 for the "Best" and am now waiting for them to come in....
What a mess !!!
 

TonyD

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And Fred still hasn't come back.
Anyway a warm welcome to Home Theater Forum JR, hope you enjoy your stay.
I'm still using my bi-focals what about you Mike. What did you do?
 

ChristopherG

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I lost both pairs of my progressives and have been doing without for about a year....doh! Getting ready to go back to eye doc to wade back in but am going to get the single vision route for my TV watching.

I would be interested to hear JRs assessment of Wallymart for glasses. My vision plan changed and it doesn't cover my old Dr. andfrankly WM would be more convenient...maybe.
 

dmiller68

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It was tough for about a week for me but finally got use to them. Almost killed myself a couple times walking down stairs until I learned to move my head.
 

Mike Frezon

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TonyD said:
I'm still using my bi-focals what about you Mike. What did you do?
I stuck with those progressives I got a couple of years ago.

Of course, my vision insurance through work allows me new glasses every two years...and this week I am eligible to go through the entire maddening process all over again!

I think I'll probably do the same premium progressive lenses (well worth the premium cost) and spend some extra effort to get frames I really want.
 

Scott Merryfield

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I have been using progressive bifocals for probably 7-8 years now, and am on my third prescription. I did not have any issues getting used to them. My first pair were actually the first pair of glasses I ever needed.
The last two pair were also Transition lenses, and I added a 2nd pair of Transitions for distance-only this time for when I play golf -- the ball was starting to get a little blurry and I was having issues reading greens. I didn't want bifocals to potentially mess up my head position while playing. I have enough issues with fighting bad habits in my swing. :laugh:
 

Stan

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May have answered this thread earlier, but I hate, absolutely hate bifocals. Headaches, dizziness, just plain annoying. I'll never wear them.
I bought a pair of glasses for close up and one for far away vision and switch when needed, which really doesn't happen that often.
Luckily I only use reading glasses when doing real close up work. My laptop is now about 18 inches from my face and it's perfectly clear. But studying and doing math problems, etc., I need reading glasses.
The only time I use my "regular" glasses is occasionally in class when I can't focus on the whiteboard. Other than that I just switch pairs when needed.
I only tried bifocals for about ten hours, but just couldn't keep it up. Don't really need them when driving, but when I tried to focus on the speedometer, it took 5-10 seconds, so I gave up and went back to normal vision, which was perfectly clear. The trememdous difference when focusing far away to close up was almost impossible
Surprising after about four years, my vision is improving. I couldn't read the volume and other settings on my sound system, but the past 5-6 months I've been able to. No explanation, no moving of equipment or where I sit, I can now read what used to be a fuzzy blur. Maybe not wearing glasses and forcing my own eyes to focus has worked in some strange way.
 

Mike Frezon

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Originally Posted by Stan /t/259537/help-with-bifocals/60#post_3923320
I bought a pair of glasses for close up and one for far away vision and switch when needed..

Stan: You might consider progressive lenses over standard "hard line" bifocals. Some people find them to be a much better fit for them. ...but if your vision is getting BETTER! Lucky dog.

I need glasses for both distance and reading and switching on and off would be impossible for me. I have found that progressives have improved to the point where they are pretty good...but I pay extra for the "better" Varilux lenses which have a much wider peripheral field of vision. Otherwise, I was pretty frustrated by the fact that I pretty much had to "point my nose" at whatever I wanted to see. The limitation of having blurry vision off to the sides really sucks when sitting in a movie theater....or at a concert and you can't see the entire screen (or stage) without moving your head to focus on a particular item. And, for whatever reason, I am especially sensitive to (aware of) my peripheral vision.

I am now in the middle of the process of getting new glasses. I am currently optimistic that I am going to be quite pleased. Not only will I be getting another pair of "high end" Varilux progressives but they are going to be in what I consider to be an ideal frame. And my insurance is going to cover more of the bottom line than usual.

Good times!
 

Walter C

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Originally Posted by Stan /t/259537/help-with-bifocals/60#post_3923320
I bought a pair of glasses for close up and one for far away vision and switch when needed, which really doesn't happen that often.
Luckily I only use reading glasses when doing real close up work. My laptop is now about 18 inches from my face and it's perfectly clear. But studying and doing math problems, etc., I need reading glasses.
The only time I use my "regular" glasses is occasionally in class when I can't focus on the whiteboard. Other than that I just switch pairs when needed.

I'm glad to see I am not the only one who relies on 2 pair of glasses, with one for far away and the other for reading or using the computer. I thought I was crazy, switching between glasses when I had to, but relying on only one pair, would either make it hard to see far away, or hurt my eyes when using a computer. Also, I don't know how people can wear contacts comfortably and still use the computer, which was the main reason why I stopped wearing them completely a long time ago, as it was as uncomfortable as sleeping with them on.
 

Stan

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Mike Frezon said:
Stan:  You might consider progressive lenses over standard "hard line" bifocals.  Some people find them to be a much better fit for them.  ...but if your vision is getting BETTER!  Lucky dog.
I need glasses for both distance and reading and switching on and off would be impossible for me.  I have found that progressives have improved to the point where they are pretty good...but I pay extra for the "better" Varilux lenses which have a much wider peripheral field of vision.  Otherwise, I was pretty frustrated by the fact that I pretty much had to "point my nose" at whatever I wanted to see.  The limitation of having blurry vision off to the sides really sucks when sitting in a movie theater....or at a concert and you can't see the entire screen (or stage) without moving your head to focus on a particular item.  And, for whatever reason, I am especially sensitive to (aware of) my peripheral vision. 
I am now in the middle of the process of getting new glasses.  I am currently optimistic that I am going to be quite pleased.  Not only will I be getting another pair of "high end" Varilux progressives but they are going to be in what I consider to be an ideal frame.  And my insurance is going to cover more of the bottom line than usual. 
Good times!  :D
I'll take a look at these. Never did any research so just assumed they were simply bifocals without the line between sections. Glasses have improved a lot the past few years, maybe time to see what's out there now.
 

Stan

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Scott Merryfield said:
I have been using progressive bifocals for probably 7-8 years now, and am on my third prescription. I did not have any issues getting used to them. My first pair were actually the first pair of glasses I ever needed.
The last two pair were also Transition lenses, and I added a 2nd pair of Transitions for distance-only this time for when I play golf -- the ball was starting to get a little blurry and I was having issues reading greens. I didn't want bifocals to potentially mess up my head position while playing. I have enough issues with fighting bad habits in my swing. :laugh:
Lucky that you had good luck with the bifocals. I felt awful. Headaches, eye strain, and almost getting sick to my stomach from the side effects. I tried to adjust to them, but just got sicker, so they're gone and I'll never try again. It's a little annoying, switching from reading glasses to my prescription pair, but it's rare so I don't mind. One thing you mention is the head position. I hated tilting my neck, or actually removing my glasses to get something in focus so will do anything to avoid it. Thankfully my vision has been very stable for the past five years, so I'm used to my routine.
 

Stan

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TonyD said:
Varilux. I may look to these.
Have heard a lot of good things about the Varilux brand, might give them a try.
Are they special lenses you can get anywhere or do you have to go to a Varilux store to purchase them?
I bought my one good pair of glasses at Costco. That was several years ago and they are great. Still in very good shape because I only use them about two hours a week.. Do they carry the Varilux brand or is it some pricey proprietary brand that only goes to specialty (as in ridiculously expensive) stores?
 

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