what can you tell me about BIFOCALS?

[imgoingtodisney]

Just came from eye doc. Had glucoma test (man is it bright!) and eye checkup. Doc is suggesting bifocals.
There are different types of lens to buy. More expensive has less gradual of a change. Cheapest have the line where prescription changes. Do you have any suggestions on which to get? If you have the gradual, is this your first pair? Did you have the others and hate them? If you have the least expensive do you really notice that line? thanks

 

[C.Ann]

I have the least expensive and have no problems with them at all.. I'm just so happy to be able to SEE again!

I think it took me all of an hour or two to adjust to them..

 

[Gail T AGAIN]

I couldnt do bifocals so I went to just on perscription.

 

[Towncrier]

I have Varilux Panamic lenses that I wear most of the time. I also purchased some "computer" glasses (also called piano glasses) so that I don't have to tilt my head to see my computer monitor.

I've had progressive lens bifocals since 1997. I could not see without them today.

BTW - The panamic lenses have a wider reading area. My original progressives did not and they were not good for reading (for me).

 

[doxdogy]

I tried the progressive and they just didn't work for me. I have had the line bifocals for years and it was an easy adjustment.

 

[mickeyfan1]

I have the standard "lined" type and have had them for about 4 or 5 years. Yes, you can see the little "reader" but it's no big deal. Last year I went to the no line "progressives". They do take some adjusting, for me it was about one entire day. But I like them much better for the type of work I do. I, like many people, use a computer at my desk. I found that it was too far away for the reaing part of my standard bifocals, and to close for the distance part. With the progressives, I have an area inbetween the far and near, and I can see my screen without having to take off my glasses. Yes, progressives are more expensive, but I have vision care, and it covers a lot of the cost. If the dr is suggesting bifocals, either one will cause an adjustment on your part, looking through the reader at the floor as you walk can be dizzying till you get used to it. The reason I had to adjust to the progressives is that the corrective lens is ground like an hour glass shape, the distance is wide at the top, then as it gets stronger, the area narrows, and then the reader is wide again at the bottom. I had the most trouble "looking" through the sides of my lenses, as usual, and the image was blurry. Now I have no problems.

The real plus to progressives is that no one knows you are suffering from that old age disease, short arms. Anyone who has to wear reading glasses should understand what I mean!

 

[BethR]

Originally posted by mickeyfan1
The real plus to progressives is that no one knows you are suffering from that old age disease, short arms. Anyone who has to wear reading glasses should understand what I mean!

*I* understand. I have a prescription for bifocals sitting in my purse right now. And as each day passes I know that I need them more and more. But vanity has kept me from getting the "B" word.
Here is a woman who thinks nothing of going out without make-up, without her hair done, and (maybe sometimes) food on her clothes. But there sure is SOMETHING that is keeping me from getting those BIFOCALS...

 

[d.kurz]

I have progressives and like them. It's hard to see peripherally, though. But I bet that's true with the line bifocals, too. I'm just grateful that when I turn my head I CAN see. I don't really NEED the distance correction, and I think driving is better without the glasses, mostly because of the peripheral vision.

 

[pumba]

eleven year old grandson has bifocals.....he said gramma they are progressive lens........he had no problems at all adjusting to them....he can see and no more headaches from adjusting to board to books......if an eleven year old can do it ......so can you

 

[Eeyore2U]

I have Varilux Progressive bifocals with all the bells and whistles. I am wearing Focus Progressive Contact Lenses. I LOVE them. I work at a computer all day long and have no problems. There are other bifocal contacts out there but I love what I have.

 

[RaySharpton]

I have trifocal glasses. When I used bifocals, I didn't like the cut out section in the lenses either, just because of the way they looked.

I tried progressive type bifocal lenses, and I could never get used to that "hour-glass-shaped-prescription" lense.

They told me that anything that was outside the "hour-glass-shaped-prescription" was just plain nonprescription glass.

They told me that I needed to turn my head to the area that I was looking at. So if I was reading,to turn my head and not my eyes.

I just couldn't do this at work. So I ordered what they call straight lined or professional prescription that are cut from one end of the lense to the other.

I think that panoramic-type progressive lense that Towncrier talked about sounds really neat.

Good luck.

 

[BethR]

I think that you must have to have some experience with bifocals to have a real understanding of what some of you are talking about.

Makes a bit nervous about getting them. But I realize that I will have to soon...

 

[Dan Murphy]

My first glasses, at about age 42, were bifocals, though I could have used trifocals then. Since then, each time for new glasses, about every three years, they have been trifocals. Love them, I can see. I do have non-glare coating on surface, helps a lot. My sunglasses are polarized bifocal, non-glare coated also.

 

[mamajoan]

I have worn glasses since I was 4 years old. At 40 I got my first pair of progressive bifocals.. at 44 I got my next pair.. The second pair had a huge increase in prescription. It took 2-3 weeks for me to become accustomed to using the 2nd pair.

My only advice is to go to a professional who knows exactly how to fit bifocals. You should not have to move your head up and down to use your bifocals.. only shift your eyes. I almost lost my mind at Lenscrafters with a optical lady who did not know her head from her behind when it came to bifocals. I finally asked for the manager and the optometrist.. he straightened her out right away.

I am happy with my bifocals.. I can read the newspaper again!

Good Luck!
joan

 

[oldkicker]

I'm on my second pair of progressives and my first pair were the first glasses I wore.

It was a very odd feeling when I first wore them and it did take a bit of adjusting, but I was fine with them in a day or so.

I too work at a computer all day and the progressives are wonderful. It makes it easy to switch from monitor to written material and to see from varying distances from the monitor.

Good luck and I hope your glasses work well for you!

You too, Beth!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Why did I open this thread? I've been telling myself that I really need to go get checked for new lenses. And bifoculs come to mind. My glasses are okay for driving and for distance, but I can't read my books with them on! Welcome to the 40's.

 

[RaySharpton]

Now, I remember why my progressive bifocal lenses did not work for me.

The person marking the place where the prescription goes on the lenses was not very experienced, neither was I when it came to my needs.

Have a good idea of what and how you will be using your bifocals for and the type of frame and how the frame and lense will sit on your nose ect..

For me, I found that at work, I was having to bend my knees to see what I needed to see and this was very painful to me. So the next time, I explained what type of work that I did and what my problems were and they made the proper markings to raise the trifocal pars higher on the lense and they made sure that my frames would not slide down on my nose which causes the same problem.

Live and learn. But I still have a hard time focusing quickly enough when picking up instruments and trying to refocus on a tiny spot. Old age, I guess.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

thank you - I think Im leaning towards the progressive.
Just gotta rethink the wallet.

 

[goofy4tink]

My Dh and I both wear the progressive lenses. He can not read with his! He's been back to the optomitrist several times. Just can't get 'em right. I'm not crazy about mine. The area for close-up viewing is too small. Not sure what I'm going to do at this point. ANd I've had bifocals for over 25 years now!!! No, I'm not that old guys. Got them when I was 25 or so.

 

[Towncrier]

I had the same problem as your DH. That's why I switched to the Varilux Panamic lenses. It seems to have helped a great deal in my case.

I did have problems initially with my most recent lenses. It turns out the that place where I ordered the glasses from wrote down the wrong intra-ocular distance, so the center of the lenses was not centered over my eyes. I could read fine whenever I closed either my left or right eye, but not when both eyes were open. I finally figured out what was wrong one morning when I bent my frames so that the lenses were closer together. I have Flexon frames that are very springy and, by pushing the lenses together, I could finally read. When I went back to the place that made the glasses, they discovered the error. The replacement lenses were perfect and I've been happy ever since getting them.