Glasses - Yay or Nay?

matt25

Hi,

While in the car a few days ago my friend and I were looking at signs and I couldn't believe all he could read that I couldn't, and this led me to wonder how good is my eyesight.

I was off work this evening so I decided to go get my eyes checked and it turns out that I am slightly short sighted. My prescription reads: -0.75, -0.25, 90 for each eye. (I know this sounds weird but I am shocked.) The optician said it is up to me whether or not I get glasses. I tried on lots of pairs, my face looks totally different with glasses. I kinda like the look, but not sure. I'm trying to decide whether or not to get them.

Has anyone got a similiar prescription? and if so do you feel they help much and how often do you wear them?

Saint_Mel

My eyesight was only very slightly out when I first got glasses.
I passed the driving license exam for not needing glasses but I found
my vision was still a bit off so I wear them when I'm driving. Also wear
them for reading and working at computer.

Over the past few months though my eyesight seems to be getting
more blurred and I usually wear them the whole time now.

Drift

When I was younger I had mild short sightedness like yours and I didn't fancy the whole idea of glasses but I got them anyway just in case. I later found that it was a lot safer to drive with them on than without them (regardless of what the optician says) especially when overtaking. At this time of the year people don't always have their lights on when at dawn and dusk and its a lot easier to see them coming with glasses on.

My eyesight has got a bit worse since and nowadays I use the glasses for driving, presentations/lectures, small television sets and sometimes at the cinema.

My advice would be to get the glasses anyway, just in case, you don't HAVE to wear them. But please check them out for driving, spotting something small and distant could save your life and other peoples.

Catari Jaguar

Get contacts? -0.75? grr. I'm -4.75! So blind... I get more attention with glasses. Those weird librarian/naughty secretary lame fantasies guys have or something.:rolleyes:

vorbis

if you don't like the look, what about contact lenses?

polly oliver

Don't get contacts. If your eyesight isn't that bad its not worth it for the short space of time each day you'll have to use glasses.

Crucifix

I know a few people at 0.75 who have glasses for occasionally use, lectures and so on...but I wouldn't say you're in desperate need.

Gazza22

I have contacts 2 years now. I was told about 3 years ago that i should get glasses for reading, class ect

I wore them for a few months to get my eyes ready for contacts. I hated them, but thats just the type of person i am. I feel a bit insecure with them! I couldn't live without my contacts, especially in college.

I went from a -1.75 to a -2.50 in the past 2 years....worrying? The optician doesn't seem to think so though.

Crucifix

Gazza22 wrote:

I have contacts 2 years now. I was told about 3 years ago that i should get glasses for reading, class etc

I wore them for a few months to get my eyes ready for contacts. I hated them, but thats just the type of person i am. I feel a bit insecure with them! I couldn't live without my contacts, especially in college.

I went from a -1.75 to a -2.50 in the past 2 years....worrying? The optician doesn't seem to think so though.

I jumped up one dioptre in both eyes in a year. If you're relatively young I wouldn't worry about it.

Gazza22

Crucifix wrote:

I jumped up one dioptre in both eyes in a year. If you're relatively young I wouldn't worry about it.

Oh, yea my optician said that to me, not to worry because i am young and my eye's will continue to change for awhile and then start to settle on a prescription.

Talliesin

Glasses are hot. Go for them! (But get a nice pair).

Carrigart Exile

Lil Kitten wrote:

Get contacts? -0.75? grr. I'm -4.75! So blind... I get more attention with glasses. Those weird librarian/naughty secretary lame fantasies guys have or something.:rolleyes:

Oh stop it kitten you're getting me going:)

chamlis

If you have a fairly round face then square angled glasses can even things out nicely. I'm sure it works the other way too.

Misticles

go to specsavers!!! theyve lotsa cool glasses!! designers and all!! 2 for 1, cant go wrong!

Red Hand

I've being wearing glasses since sixth year in school.

Make sure you get a good pair starting off-by good, I mean that they sit on your nose comfortably.

Contacts can be a bit fiddly to be honest and I personally do not think they are worth the effort to be putting them in and taking them out every day. Forgetting to take them out at night results in you having quite red eyes in the morning.

However, they are relatively cheap. You can get 30 daily disposable pairs for about 30 euros in some opticians.

Faith

I wear glasses, and I them. They're thick, square, dark purple frames. They make me stand out and people always comment on them.

I wear contacts too, but only on special occasions.

Black Swan

I still have grand vision, but I've seen some people who actually look more attractive in the right kind of eye wear. Others might consider contacts.

LegacyUser

'About 2/3 months ago I called in to specsavers because I was on the medical card and thought I might as well make use of it for the short time I have it.

I got my eyes tested and it turned out, to my surprise, I needed glasses. I was shocked. I never had headaches or felt extra tired etc. and I stare at a computer screen for a minimum of 6 hours a day. It turns out that I have astigmatism with the left eye -1.5 and the right eye -2.5. Apparently the left eye is compensating for my right eye and that is why I dont notice.

It is very very weird to have to choose glasses when you never wore them before. Every pair looks very strange. I bought 2 pairs (2 for 1). Tried wearing them for a while and found I was very flustered trying to drive with them on. This might sound strange but everything seemed too clear. It was like I could not concentrate or focus on the road because too much around me was in focus - I don't know how many accidents I nearly had driving. When I used the computer, the screen looked greyer than normal - I swore I could pick out the edge each pixel on the screen. It was hard to work with them. I could not focus on TV. When I took them off it took a while for my eyes to re-adjust. I don't want to be dependant on glasses like that especially when they felt so strange. So I stopped wearing them. A waste of 200 euro.

The funny thing is, I still think I can see better without them.

The difference is I can read signs even from a far distance just as good as anyone I have met but yet when I was in front of the Snellen eye chart I could only read half of it with my right eye. Gonna get retested cos I think it was cos I just woke up before the appointment.'

dade

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote:

I've being wearing glasses since sixth year in school.

Make sure you get a good pair starting off-by good, I mean that they sit on your nose comfortably.

Contacts can be a bit fiddly to be honest and I personally do not think they are worth the effort to be putting them in and taking them out every day. Forgetting to take them out at night results in you having quite red eyes in the morning.

However, they are relatively cheap. You can get 30 daily disposable pairs for about 30 euros in some opticians.

or buy them online for cheaper.my prescription is identical in each eye so i just instead of having to buy two packs when i'm skint one will do til pay day. i get mine at getlenses.com they're based in blackrock and they are out by post in a day or 2. 90 pairs for €90

chamlis

hehehe I remember when I first got my glasses AGES ago.
I had been compensating for years without them, though I can really see feck all. So I was identifying people in the distance by their build and the way they walked. I was quite good at it too.

Then I got the glasses I realised how ugly most people actually are!
The casual 'air-brushed' effect was gone any time I wore them.

seamus

hmmmm wrote:

I never had headaches or felt extra tired etc. and I stare at a computer screen for a minimum of 6 hours a day.

Most people don't get headaches or tiredness, even without their glasses.

I was probably really bad (now that I look at it) when I was around 10/12, but the idea of having poor sight doesn't cross your mind - when it's what you're used to, you don't think the world looks any different.

-0.75 and -.25 isn't that bad at all. Certainly, you should be well able to watch TV and do most things without glasses. My eyes dropped a point (?) in the last two years, and I got my contacts changed, but never bothered changing my glasses. It got to the point where although my glasses were adequate for everyday use, they were bordering on dangerous when driving (particularly at night). If I wasn't wearing contacts for most of the rest of the time, I probably wouldn't have noticed the one point difference however.

Kolodny

matt25 wrote:

Has anyone got a similiar prescription? and if so do you feel they help much and how often do you wear them?

My prescription is pretty much the same as yours and I only wear my glasses if I'm driving or reading for a prolonged period. They've definitely made a difference - my eyes are less tired these days. At the moment some of my friends wouldn't even know that I ever wear glasses at all, but if I end up having to wear them more in the future it wouldn't really bother me tbh. If you get a pair that really suits you it'll give you a whole new 'look' to experiment with

DilbertPartII

glasses are great! they even look kinda sexy to some who wears them.:D i myself wear one.;)

Drift

chamlis wrote:

Then I got the glasses I realised how ugly most people actually are!
The casual 'air-brushed' effect was gone any time I wore them.

When I got them I realised how ugly I really am :rolleyes: I look in the mirror and thought who the hell is that guy with all the blemishes ........ I want the air brushed effect back LOL

megadodge

Personally I hate everything about glasses.
I particularly hate the way they look.
I hate the way they steam up when you drink tea.
I hate the fact that they are a crutch.
I hate the fact that the more you use them the worse your eyesight gets.

I used to wear contacts until I saved up enough money to get the laser treatment done.

Without doubt the best thing I ever spent money on. EVER !!
11 years on and loving it.

Glasses suck !!

kayos

megadodge wrote:

Personally I hate everything about glasses.
I particularly hate the way they look.
I hate the way they steam up when you drink tea.
I hate the fact that they are a crutch.
I hate the fact that the more you use them the worse your eyesight gets.

I used to wear contacts until I saved up enough money to get the laser treatment done.

Without doubt the best thing I ever spent money on. EVER !!
11 years on and loving it.

Glasses suck !!

On the flip side I like wearing my glasses they are just part of me now. Have thought about the laser and contacts side of things but at the end of the day I feel more myself when I am wearing my glasses.

Oral Slang

I've been wearing glasses about 5 years now. Had been planning to get laser surgery next year but then decided that as I don't wear my glasses all of the time, so not sure if its worth the expense & also as its still relatively new the long term effects aren't known.

Hoping to get contacts in the next few weeks as I don't really like wearing glasses, especially out at night, which is one time I generally need them as I can't see very well in dimly lit places. Although as other said previously, while I don't like them that much, a lot of people say they look quite sexy etc., so it's obviously different strokes!

delos

Been wearing glasses for more than 25 years now. My eyesight is much worse than yours (I can't read what I'm typing without them) so I wear them all the time. Even for occasional use get a decent pair. I'd recommend getting plastic ultralight lenses in as small a frame as you can get away with. The flexible metal frames are excellent but a bit pricey. The idea is to keep the weight of the glasses as low as possible so you soon forget that they are there.

If you see a two for the price of one offer try and get a second pair as prescription polarised sunglasses. The clip on sunglasses will destroy your lenses. Make sure that the tint in the sunglasses is light enough so that you can comfortably read indoors wearing them - that way you don't need to take two pairs out with you. You will find that the light tinted glasses are especially useful for driving in both the summer and times like this when the sun is low in the sky. They are also handy for looking into rivers if you are into fishing...Glasses, where would you be without them :cool:

projectmayhem

only wear them when watching tv or in the cinema (on dates i just refer to them as shades, or sex magnets...*cough*), but they do make a lot of people look far more attractive. but as was already pointed out, they make you loose that airbrushed filter that bad eyesight brings

Overheal

I dont pretend to wear glasses but I find that when someone wears the right pair they look much cooler than without them.

CuLT

I had the same dealio, only got glasses in September, not entirely sure what test means:

R: -0.25 -0.50 145
L: -0.25

Whatever it means, my right eye gives a bit of blurryvision for text at a moderate distance. The glasses-look can be pretty decent depending on what you go for, mine are slim, wanted them to cover the least amount of real-estate possible.

I only started thinking I might need glasses because I walk down a lot of long roads (with very blurry ends), at the end of which my eyes would be sore, and I'd get the odd headache.

The best thing about wearing glasses is prescription sunglasses No more 20 euro sunglasses from River Island.

Overheal

Im doing a 4 year course in computing...youre actually starting to scare me with all this talk of eye strain: I spend 60% of my week in front of a Monitor.

CuLT

Overheal wrote:

Im doing a 4 year course in computing...youre actually starting to scare me with all this talk of eye strain: I spend 60% of my week in front of a Monitor.

Heh, I spend most of my waking hours in front of one, computing course and a desk-jockey part time job in front of a computer.

And then computer games at home, or films.

Overheal

Yeah...maybe I'll do schedule an eye-check with the Campus nurse....

tensecyclist

custom made glasses are fabulous. no problem with that. a bit uneasy at first but you'll get used to it.;)

event

megadodge wrote:

Personally I hate everything about glasses.
I particularly hate the way they look.
I hate the way they steam up when you drink tea.
I hate the fact that they are a crutch.
I hate the fact that the more you use them the worse your eyesight gets.

I used to wear contacts until I saved up enough money to get the laser treatment done.

Without doubt the best thing I ever spent money on. EVER !!
11 years on and loving it.

Glasses suck !!

what do you mean a crutch?

i cant believe people would spend that much money on unnecessary surgery

miamee

megadodge wrote:

I hate the way they steam up when you drink tea.

Do you put your whole head in the cup?? That has never happened to me!

megadodge wrote:

I hate the fact that the more you use them the worse your eyesight gets.

I don't think wearing glasses makes your eyesight worse, time does!

megadodge wrote:

I used to wear contacts until I saved up enough money to get the laser treatment done.

Bit scared of that myself as I've been advised by a specialist not to get it done (because of other eye problems I have had in the past) so I'm stuck with my specs...I've had them since I was 15 but have the rimless ones now...sure you can hardly see them! I'd feel weird without them now to be honest

megadodge

what do you mean a crutch?

I mean I needed them. I had to rely on them.
Not the sort of way I like to live my life.

i cant believe people would spend that much money on unnecessary surgery

Did you actually think before you wrote that sentence ?
Because I did when considering the surgery and it was a no-brainer !
If you factor in the costs of glasses, contacts, cleaning solutions, protein tablets, replacements, etc. the amount of money you save by getting laser surgery can hardly be measured (you can claim tax back). I can't remember exactly how many years I reckoned it would take for payback but I don't think it was anymore than 3-5, probably less.

And as for "unnecessary", what do you know about my life to suggest that?
If you actually think about it, that line of thought suggests people using glasses are doing something unnecessary also. You're in effect saying "if you have bad eyesight just put up with it and don't try to do anything to help yourself ". Do you have bad eyesight ?

I was (and still am) involved very heavily in sports and the advantage of good eyesight in sport cannot be over-estimated and has benefitted me enormously.

Do you put your whole head in the cup?? That has never happened to me!

Well it happened to me, along with steaming up during any physical exertion (eg. walking fast) and if outside when raining they're a complete disaster.

I don't think wearing glasses makes your eyesight worse, time does!

You may well be right and I have absolutely no scientific proof but I know I'm a long, long way from being the only person that thinks that way.

Bit scared of that myself as I've been advised by a specialist not to get it done

So was I, but the way I looked at it was why wouldn't she be against it - no more business from me !! That's her livlihood and if everybody with bad eyesight got laser treatment she'd be out of a job.
An earlier poster claimed it's still new and long-term effects are unknown. It has been used now for at least 25 years (conservative estimate) and there have been no negative long-term effects that I'm aware of. As I already said I got it done just over 11 years ago and from any angle you look at it I couldn't be happier. I know a number of others in the same situation who would agree wholeheartedly.

And personally speaking, no matter how often the marketing gurus in SpecSavers etc. tell you so, glasses will never, ever, ever look cool !

event

megadodge wrote:

And as for "unnecessary", what do you know about my life to suggest that?
If you actually think about it, that line of thought suggests people using glasses are doing something unnecessary also. You're in effect saying "if you have bad eyesight just put up with it and don't try to do anything to help yourself ". Do you have bad eyesight ?

yes i do, i have glasses myself

megadodge wrote:

I was (and still am) involved very heavily in sports and the advantage of good eyesight in sport cannot be over-estimated and has benefitted me enormously.

i cant think of a sport where glasses or contacts cannot be used
(im not saying there isnt one, just i cant think of one)

megadodge wrote:

And personally speaking, no matter how often the marketing gurus in SpecSavers etc. tell you so, glasses will never, ever, ever look cool !

but again, thats in your opinion.
Glasses can make someone look far better and sexier, depends on the glasses used

miamee

megadodge wrote:

Well it happened to me, along with steaming up during any physical exertion (eg. walking fast) and if outside when raining they're a complete disaster.

You're right about rain...total disaster. As is opening the dishwasher when its still warm

megadodge wrote:

So was I, but the way I looked at it was why wouldn't she be against it - no more business from me !! That's her livlihood and if everybody with bad eyesight got laser treatment she'd be out of a job.

It wasn't an optician who advised me against it, it was a specialist in a hospital I attend for other 'eye stuff' so he had nothing to gain/lose by me getting surgery or contacts but was advised against both.

I guess glasses aren't for everyone & if I woke up tomorrow with 20/20 vision I certainly don't think I'd miss them either!

megadodge

yes i do, i have glasses myself

So, judging by your comment earlier, your helping to improve your vision is "unnecessary".

i cant think of a sport where glasses or contacts cannot be used

Boxing, which surprise, surprise is one of my sports.

And the reason I got contacts in the first place was for football and no doubt they were a huge improvement on not being able to see the ball more than 20-30 yards away, but in the very first game I played with them one of them was knocked up in my eye meaning one good and one bad eye making judgement even worse than having nothing in. Put it back into place, but that problem happened fairly regularly and was the cause of conceding a very important goal in a big match once. And the age old problem of getting dirt/dust on the contact and having to abandon everything until it's removed doesn't suit a defender either.

Put simply, I hated having bad eyesight. There are far too many disadvantages and I wasn't prepared to put up with them. My reaction to any problem is to get rid of it, not learn how to tolerate it.

Glasses can make someone look far better and sexier, depends on the glasses used

Again, we'll have to agree to disagree, especially with those awful thick rimmed yokes doing the rounds at the moment, although I will concede there was an old flame of mine that I always preferred with her glasses, but she always stands out as she was the exception.

event

megadodge wrote:

So, judging by your comment earlier, your helping to improve your vision is "unnecessary".

i dont see it as necessary, my glasses do their job just fine

megadodge wrote:

Boxing, which surprise, surprise is one of my sports.

fair point, hadnt thought of boxing

megadodge wrote:

And the reason I got contacts in the first place was for football and no doubt they were a huge improvement on not being able to see the ball more than 20-30 yards away, but in the very first game I played with them one of them was knocked up in my eye meaning one good and one bad eye making judgement even worse than having nothing in. Put it back into place, but that problem happened fairly regularly and was the cause of conceding a very important goal in a big match once. And the age old problem of getting dirt/dust on the contact and having to abandon everything until it's removed doesn't suit a defender either.

ive never had a problem myself without glasses playing football, if i had i could get sports glasses

megadodge wrote:

Again, we'll have to agree to disagree, especially with those awful thick rimmed yokes doing the rounds at the moment, although I will concede there was an old flame of mine that I always preferred with her glasses, but she always stands out as she was the exception.

well i agree with the big thick rimmed glasses, they are just silly

uniquechic

Lil Kitten wrote:

Those weird librarian/naughty secretary lame fantasies guys have or something.:rolleyes:

wish lads near me had them! I think the old saying 'Boys dont make passes at girls wearing glasses' is tru ein my case