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Ask Slashdot: Are Progressive Glasses a Mistake For Computer Users?
An anonymous reader writes I'm a daily, all-day computer user and use two 19-inch monitors for my work. I'm at the age now where I need reading glasses, and my optometrist steered me to progressive lenses. I don't need any correction for distance, only reading. I'm trying very hard to get used to them, but I hate them. The focal point seems to be about 1 inch big, with everything around that blurry. Reading books on my iPad is a struggle; I have to turn my head side to side simply to keep the line of text in focus, and when I do that, the page warps and flow in a dizzying manner. I don't think reading should be like watching a tennis match. And using my two monitors at work? Hopeless and frustrating! Has anybody here who uses either very large or multiple computer monitors figured out how to comfortably use progressive glasses? Or are they simply inappropriate for this kind of use?
dont use it. Now pay my secretary
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
What did your optometrist say when you asked these questions?
Title.
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Just as you, on "expert" advice I got some progressives...hate them. The "sweet spot" is just too small.
I now have a pair just for screen work; much, much better.
Thinking of getting laser corrective surgery, then will need a pair just for close reading.
They are abhorrent for computer use.
Get what you need to be able to read the computer screen / tablet / reader, take em off when you don't need em.
I would suggest UVA/UVB filtration as well as polarization, that will make things easier to focus on for your work and reading pleasure.
I'm mainly near sighted, but had been using bifocals. That was very annoying when trying to see a monitor while standing higher than the monitor. Had to get new glasses a year ago so I went with progressives. The place I got them said I could return them within one month if I didn't like them. At first they were very annoying, but after a little over a week I got used to them and now they're great. They work fine for me with multiple monitors. But everyone is different and some people never can get used to them.
I sit in front of a computer pretty much from the moment I wake up to the moment I go back to bed and I've been wearing progressive lenses for about a year now. The correct for both close up and distance.
At first it was a major hassle as I found myself moving my head more and actively trying to find the correct 'sweet spot' for whatever I was looking at.
I really don't have a problem with them now, I thnk it took about a month for me not to notice the additional head movement.
It might be worth going back to your optometrist and check your glasses have been ground correctly - an eye test with your glasses on should suffice. Mistakes are not common but the can occur
Watch those corners
Get bifocals (or a 2nd pair, just for computer use). As you've discovered, progressives have a very small "sweet spot."
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
After about ten years of struggling with this I've settled on two 27" 1920p monitors, using broad but low +1.5 glasses that I can peer over when I glance at anything else in the room. I can actually work with the monitors without the glasses as long as Chrome is set to 125% zoom, but it's slightly more comfortable with the glasses, since I can then use the default fonts for virtually everything.
No. Well...maybe. Actually, yes. It really just depends.
I had all the same issues with progressive lenses. In addition to that, driving a car or riding a motorcycle became more difficult, even dangerous, as my peripheral vision was blurred to some extent. The distortion in the lenses also gave me headaches. I went back to regular glasses, and I have no intention of changing that until I'm so old that all I do is sit around and read books. If you're too close to your monitors, buy larger ones so you can push them back, and then all your problems are solved.
Let's make like a bird... and get the flock outta here.
Go to the drug store and get some $2.50 standard set in the minimum strength so that you can read the monitors. Try them out.
Every time I think about getting Lasik surgery or similar, I think of Bill Gates. He not only has all the money in the world to pay for the best doctor, but can also consult some of the world's top specialists to see whether it would make sense for someone with his lifestyle. And so far, it hasn't.
They are a dollar at the dollar stores. You can get multiple magnifications for different times of the day, as your vision changes.
And they also don't work for me. Next time I'll be getting two pairs of glasses.
I suspect you have a very high correction. My corrections are +1.50 and +1.75 or thereabouts, and I have had progressive lenses for years. They work fine without the problems you describe. My wife, however, has corrections of around +8.0 in both eyes and could never make a go of progressive lenses for the reasons you state. Eventually, she decided on Lasik surgery, which has unfortunately not really gone well -- we're over six months out from the initial surgery and she still needs glasses. She's one of the 1% or so for whom it does not work on the first try.
Good luck.
Dog is my co-pilot.
So you're asking us how to use the worst available tool for a task... better?
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
I have a pair of bifocals (non-progressive, as I don't wear them often). My opthamologist recommended normal bifocals over progressives as I usually wear contacts (only need glasses for reading). He said that the progressives take quite a while to get used to.
I use a single-prescription pair of reader glasses (-1.5) for computer work -- and they are less than what I use for reading books and newspapers (-2.0) as I usually sit further from the monitor than I hold printed material for reading. My opthamologist recommended the cheap ones from the drug store as opposed to a custom made pair. He said that's what he generally recommends unless someone has a dramatic difference between eyes.
When I got my progressives I was put in front of a machine that analyzed the way I look at things, some people apparently move their eyes and heads in different proportions - the machine put up various targets at the periphery of my vision and used cameras to look at my eye and head movements which was then factored into my prescription. These glasses are the best I've ever owned and I use a computer with multiple large monitors every day. I'd say you need a different progressive lenses with a wider field of view since it looks like you want to move your eyes and not your head in such a situation - you might also try sitting further away from your monitors (you probably already tried that though)
Just my own experience - love my progressive lenses !
I went to progressive lenses a couple of years ago when it became obvious it was either that, multiple glasses for different tasks, or bi-focals. I liked them right off, and have had no issues. However, I've also known people who had immense problems with them, and never got used to them in any type of task.
So, if after a week or so of using them they frustrate you more than help, then accept the fact and move on to (probably) bi-focals. Which have their own issues, of course.
BS - San Diego
I feel your pain. I wear progressives, and for my first pair, the optimal focal area was ridiculously small just as you describe. A couple of years ago I went to a new optometrist and explained that I wanted glasses that had a more natural feel for close viewing. That 'spot' effect isn't there, and I love them.
I had a similar problem with bifocals. My optometrists and I settled on a pair of glasses for working on my desktop computer which were corrected to three feet, my usual distance from my monitor. I find they are also useful for reading off paper, too.
See your doctor for a single-vision prescription for the distance from which you use your monitor.
Progressives are horrible for computers. I asked my optician for a pair of glasses for computer work that I keep them under my monitor. It is so much better.
You can get reading glasses for less than twenty dollars that will work much better for computer work. I tried progressive glasses and had the same problems, after I lost the progressive glasses I grabbed a pair of reading glasses and it was so much better that I couldn't bring myself to replace the progressive glasses. When they start to show wear I replace them with another pair of reading glasses.
While I do like the progressives for driving because they give me good dash focus again I found the same issue you at my 8 foot wide 2 host desktop. Fortunately for me the solution is simple as I am near-sighted and I can/do continue to work without glasses. The aperture of progressive lenses does cause a much more pronounced physical movement track to be required and for me that was very noticeable and very annoying. The non-progressive bifocals had a much wider horizontal aperture.
Get a pair of fixed-vision readers for computer/desk work. Measure your distance to your monitor and your optometrist can give you a prescription.
dont use it. Now pay my secretary
Bingo, parent poster has got it exactly right.
I've worn coke-bottle glasses since I was old enough to have them. They've don't work for reading or computer work for more or less the same the reasons the article poster listed so I never wear them for either and have really not felt the lack. Every optometrist or opthamologist Ive been to (and let me tell you, I've seen more than a few) has basically said "Go with whatever works for you." so no pressure there either.
I would suggest UVA/UVB filtration as well as polarization
Polarized lenses often don't play well with LCDs.
I've been through this. Progressives are terrible for computer use. Just stick to regular reading glasses for the computer while using progressives for everything else.
I've heard that some new (very expensive) progressives have exceptionally large reading zones but I'm so comfortable using traditional reading glasses that I haven't bothered.
Progressive lenses differ considerably between the cheap ones and the really good ones. I have 2 pairs, one for distance/reading and one for computer/reading. The computer ones are great, and I use either a single 30" monitor or a pair of 27" ones, so especially in the latter case, I'm pushing it much more than you. Back to my original point - my distance ones are some brand I can't remember and although I've got used to them, the area in focus is still too narrow for my liking. My computer ones are Nikon and they are wonderful, with a much wider focus area, but they cost almost double what the other pair did. I figured it was worth it since I spend 8+ hours/day looking at the computer screen. YMMV.
I wear them all of the time and have not a problem with using them with multiple or single monitor computers. The first time I ever put them on there was about 30 seconds of disorientation until I go used to them. You also need to be sure to use the right frames.
However there are people where I work who can not wear any type of bifocals so they use 2 different glasses. They have tried progressive and traditional bifocals in various combinations of frames but still are unable to use them.
That is why I have single vision computer glasses and single vision reading glasses in addition to my progressive lenses. When at work with my dual monitor setup, I use the computer pair, and just exchange for my progressives when I need to read or move about the building. At home when I read an ebook reader or other reading material for more than a few minutes, I will use the reading pair. If I am using my laptop on my lap, I frequently dispense with glasses all together. Progressive lenses do take a bit of time to get used to them, but I always thought my first pair was off somehow. I absolutely love my Maui Jim wrap around progressive sunglasses, they do a great job, I think they are easier to use than my non-sunglasses progressive pair.
dont use it. Now pay my secretary
Really. If you only need glasses for reading, then get a $2 pair of reading glasses and only use them when you read.
More generally, if your glasses are not helpful when using a computer, then, while using a computer, TAKE THEM OFF.
I'm not a big fan of progressives either. Got a couple pairs last year, but as I type this I'm wearing my old glasses, I find they're better for computer work.
Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
Do what I did, learn to adapt to reading out of focus, then get annoyed and get lasered.
But really, learning to read out of focus will help you by stopping you having to move your eyes as much, or keeping your iris in focus as much, which are two of the reasons a lot of people end up needing glasses despite having generally perfect vision. You exercise the muscles controlling the eyes and iris to the point where they increase in size just a tiny bit, but enough to screw your focus up hard.
I used to read a lot of stuff, all of a sudden. And in that time, my eyesight got considerably worse where I would have normally needed glasses.
Then one day in school, I was reading some stuff out of focus for fun, then thought, "hey, maybe I should learn to do this and see if it works!"
Turns out it did. 5 years later, I can read quite a bit without even having to move my eye.
The only issues I have are reading some odd handwritten texts, as you'd guess.
That is only because I haven't practised much with those styles, mainly just clean fonts like you'd see on a computer or print.
That wasn't the only thing I discovered. I realized that my general vision improved as well since I wasn't moving my eyes as much as I used to, or being constantly in-focus.
The system works! Huzzah!
...I was prescribed glasses for being short-sighted. After a few months of wearing these, I found my eyesight got worse and worse so I stopped wearing them.
I sort of trained myself to get around it* - and here I am now with still the same short-sightedness (usually first thing in the morning after getting up, or in bright sunshine on the street). But my eyes haven't got any worse since.
Try not to wear glasses but compensate - otherwise your glasses compensates your eyes and they will get lazy - and your eyes will end up dependant on them.
*I don't know how - I just sort of did.
See, this right here is why I don't recommend people go to optometrists at all. I have been wearing glasses since I was five and have always gone to an opthamologist and not an optometrist. Opthamologists have a lot more schooling (they are M.D.s with Ph.D.s) and can actually do eye surgery where most optometrists seem to have taken a six week course somewhere on how to operate the machinery along with some basic optic principles, and then get turned loose on the public. I went to one once, when I moved from California to Virginia and hadn't found a good opthamologist. The only reason I went was because I broke my glasses and had to get the prescription updated as I lost that, too. Never again!
I would say to find a highly rated opthamologist in your area and go see them. Have them do a full evaluation and make sure to mention all your issues. Basically, have a real eye doctor not some shopping mall quack trying to sell glasses for his suppliers.
Being shortsighted, I simply leave my glasses off when doing close work. I have a prescription for the distance I use monitors - - arm's length which works just fine when indoors.
My glasses with full correction I use outdoors, driving, flying, hiking etc.
So far I don't need bifocals to see outside and read the instrument panel.
Progressive and multifocal lenses expose users to an increased fall hazard.
An optometrist recommended corrective lenses for me as well to deal with slight astigmatism, and I gave it a shot for about 10 weeks before stopping it because it just never got comfortable. I've noticed that frequently putting them on/off causes a hint of a lingering headache, but I'm guessing that could be due to my eyes/brain trying to re-focus constantly.
These days, I've just made font sizes larger in the primary programs I use â" Terminal, IDE, mail, web browser, etc. That's made things much easier to read by taking much less effort. I've made a similar change on my mobile devices (laptop, phone). I figure every bit helps in reducing/slowing down the degradation of vision.
My eyes are kind of the reverse of yours, I don't need anything for something as close as an iPad or a book, but need help for things beyond that. I have a set of single prescription glasses that I use for normal everyday things like walking around and driving. I have a set that I use for lectures where I want to look at the lecturer and then down to a book or my notes, etc. - for me these have my distance prescription for far and are just plain glass in the lower half. I also have a set that I use with computers which have a modified script suited for the monitor distance and nothing in the lower half so that I can look back and forth between paper and screen, etc. Its kind of a pain switching glasses all the time but I found it works for me FAR better than just having a single pair of progressives.
I have worn glasses all my life. However, now that I am about to turn 40, I started having trouble reading even with them and, like you, had to start wearing progressive lenses about 6 months ago.
What I would first recommend is that you give it some time. It took many weeks for my brain to get used to the warping: now I don't see it anymore except if I am concentrating on it. I have had many pairs on glasses over the years, and I know that every time you get a new one, you brain needs a bit of time to adjust for it. The transition to progressive lenses, however, was the one that took the most time. With regard to the limited field of view and the need to constantly move my head, it still bothers me, but I don't need to think about it anymore: my head now moves automatically.
You should also talk to your optometrist about the possibility of glasses specialized for reading and computer work. Such glasses have two regions with a fairly sharp transition between them and are adjusted such that the upper part allows you to read on a computer screen about 2-3 feet in front of you, while the lower part allows you to read in a book (and possibly a tablet or e-reader) about 1-2 feet in front of you.
Good luck!
Just get a couple ludicrously large monitors and increase the font size.
My wife tried them, did her best, then gave up. She now has dedicated reading glasses. I tried them by accident, as the glasses place sold them to me without telling me. I could not even walk around wearing them. I had to get them made three, complaining about the distortion, before we figured out that they sold me the wrong thing. Ick. I won't go there.
AC author should go to his nearest CVS (or rite-aid or whatever) and pick up a cheap pair of reading glasses to try. Hell, you can find some at your local $0.99 store. Test them out for reading.
I opted for a pair of Birth Control Glasses (as my wife calls them). They basically look like 'Santa' or 'Ben Franklin' glasses. Little half-sized rectangular lenses that sit at the tip of my nose most of the time. I just look over them for EVERYTHING except reading. When I sit down to work or read a book I push them back up to the bridge of my nose and read comfortably. They ran me something like $4. For "events", I have a normal looking pair of bi-focal glasses (not progressive). They are just clear glass on top and 1.25 mag on the bottom (those I spent ~$40 -- they are also transition lenses). They look decent for weddings and parties where I wont embarrass my wife (heh).
The reason why *I* opted for this is because I HATE taking glasses on/off all the time. This works for me. You might find that glasses with some type of string or cord that hangs at your neck works for you. Or glasses you hang on your collar when you aren't reading/working works for you. The point is that there are cheap alternatives and it's easy to test.
I've also tried progressives and don't have a problem with them -- you just need to learn to use your neck in place of your eye muscles. Tilt replaces eye focus. I prefer my little glasses right now, but I may move to progressives eventually.
Can you or someone elaborate on the differences between 'coke-bottle glasses', progressive glasses and bifocals? I'm not a glasses-wearer while my significant other is, but her response to this question was, 'I don't know, I just wear glasses' so no help there.
I have the same problem as the OP with age related astigmatism and my optometrist suggested progressive lenses. One thing my optometrist was clear to point out was the limitations of the cheaper progressive lenses, where the area in focus was narrow. More expensive lenses offered a much wider field of view, which is what I purchased, but they weren't cheap at $800. The only downside to the lenses I bought was significant barrel distortion on the extreme edge of the lens.
For general use I love my progressives as I can drive and read with the same pair of glasses. I do keep several pairs of general reading glasses around for reading and computer use.
This site has a great comparison, at least for Nikon lenses:
http://www.nikoneyes.com/produ...
The standard recommendation to reduce eye fatigue when using a computer screen is to stare off into the distance every so often. By using reading glasses, and with the right diopter, you can let your eyes focus as if looking into the distance while still focusing on your screen.
This has notably reduced eye fatigue for me.
If you wear contacts or don't need any correction, I recommend getting +1.5 diopter reading glasses if you sit a couple feet from your monitor, and less if you sit further. To test it out, go to a drugstore, pick some text that is the same distance as your monitor. Let your eyes relax as if staring off in the distance, and pick the diopter which gives the sharpest text
If you have glasses already, you can order a new pair and add 1.5 to your existing prescription. You can order online without a prescription (I used Zenni optical)
I've been near-sided all my life, and as I get older my vision has slowly become even more near-sided. I've tried progressives but frankly my prescription is already strong enough that I have to go with plastic multi-layered lens and the distortion at the edges is noticeable with just the normal lenses. Progressives? Total fail.
What I do instead is simply ask my doctor to soften the prescription a bit. So my distance viewing isn't quite as good (and I couldn't read small text on a T.V. screen from 10 feet away either)... but my viewing of a computer screen is still in very good focus and, most importantly, I do get any eye strain.
And I'm looking at a screen 60+ hours a week (and have been since I was 14).
-Matt
If progressives don't work, don't use them. They're not for everybody.
I bit the bullet last time I got new glasses and got progressives. My requirement was well-defined: I'm near-sighted, wear glasses when I need them (driving, flying) but with age I was experiencing eyestrain trying to read charts during flights, particularly at night. At first I found I was moving my head around a lot to find the sweet spot, but now that I've figured that out, I'm fine.
I don't use glasses for computer stuff. Set the monitor distance and resolution right, and wipe the nose prints off every now and then. :-)
...laura
I love my progressives. When I used to have dual monitors they were near a window which I used to look out of often, switching from close to far vision. I remember the wavy distortion and the slight feeling of disorientation when i first went progressive (especially when walking), but it didn't last very long for me, and I loved the option of distance clarity too much to give it up. Single vision lenses are definitely clearer, with a larger field of vision, for reading. I have reading glasses, but I find I rarely use them... I can't be bothered. I prefer the flexibility of the progressives, despite their quirks and limitations, and have just grown used to moving my head up and down to get the clarity where I want it. I don't even think about it anymore.
Different people have different priorities and different tolerances, but I can say that for myself I have gotten entirely used to progressives and prefer them.
When my ophthalmologist suggested progressives instead of my usual trifocals, I tried them. Major fail, same sort of things that you're experiencing. My ophthalmologist advised me that the opticians I used (not associated with ophthalmologist's practice) guarantee the progressives. I told the opticians that they weren't working, and the opticians cheerfully made a set of trifocals at no charge. You didn't say how long you've had these progressives, though. If it's been more than a month or two, you might get a different answer.
Progressive lenses take a bit of time to get used to (about a month for me). Last time around I got a "special" pair of progressive lenses that were supposed to be designed for computer use. They were worthless. Had a very small focal point just like the OP. Took them back and get my old type of progressive lens. They are a special type where the prescription is split between the front and back of the lens. I guess normally the prescription is just ground into the back of the lens, but by splitting it makes it better. I have a bad astigmatism so getting a cheap pair of reading glasses is not an option.
I did pick up a single focus +1.25 glasses from Zenni and now use those for computer work. They have a Much larger field of view than the progressive lenses and I just switch glasses based on what I'm doing.
With proper, prescription lenses, the lenses are designed to accommodate your eyes. That means you may have a +0 (non-corrective) and a +0.25 or a +1.75 and +1.25. Interpupiary distance is also important: poorly-centered lenses are the cause of painful headaches. All in all, prescription lenses, even prescription reading glasses, are vastly superior to off-the-shelf bifocals.
I got transition lenses in a single-focus design, and I hate them. They're fantastic, except when they get dirty every 5 minutes, get a burrito shoved into them (they're further from my face than my eyes are), or cause my eyes to water. I plan to have contact lenses fitted; this will be more annoying at first, but will have the incredible advantage of being cleaned every 11 seconds, as well as providing a larger field of view. Silicone soft lenses transmit enough oxygen to safely use them for 30 days straight, rather than removing them at night time; I can elect to remove them at night if desired, but I'll still minimize the risk of complications by providing oxygen permeability similar to not having lenses.
Optometry is hard. Some of us are decisionary maximizers, so it's hard even being the patient!
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Progressive is just a BIG compromise.
This is what I do. I am still relatively young, but I have an astigmatism (I need a cylindrical correction in both of my eyes, simple reading glasses don't work for me).. I have one set for normal use to see clearly at a distance, and another set that just corrects for the astigmatism for reading & computer use. This is much easier on my eyes for long coding sessions. I highly recommend getting the AR (anti-reflective) coating for both sets of glasses. Monitor glare is pretty noticeable otherwise.
Two sets of glasses keeps you from needing to compromise on your vision.
>More generally, if your glasses are not helpful when using a computer, then, while using a computer, TAKE THEM OFF.
How does that make sense for a farsighted person like OP?
For those of us fortunate enough to be near-sighted, we already take our glasses off for close work.
Progressive lenses never worked for me for prolonged use on a computer. I wear the highest priced ones with maximum horizontal field of view but even these have their widest and narrowest field of view at maximum and minimum range. The horizontal FOV is narrower at intermediate range which is the range of computer monitors. There is also the need to tilt your head up and down to set the focus for the range of the monitors, which may cause you to hold your head at an uncomfortable angle and may not make the view of the monitors sharp all the way from top to bottom. This quickly gave me a sore neck. The net result is that progressives give you a fairly small sharply focused spot and you have to move your head to move it around the screen(s).
Your best option is to have another pair of single focus glasses (i.e. non-bifocal) made for computer use and tell the optometrist to make their sharpest focus at the distance of your monitors. Being single focus these will be considerably less expensive than progressives.
A small disadvantage of single focus lenses is that you have to switch back and forth to your other glasses for normal use but if you keep the computer glasses near your computer this is not too inconvenient. You may also find that the single focus glasses don't work too badly for general working around an office and you only need to switch to the progressives for something like driving or TV watching.
I'm short sighted and sit in front of Two or three 24in screens 5+ days a week.
I have three zone varifocal glasses with the bottom part for reading. When using the multi screens, I take the glasses off.
I wear them when using my Tablet/Laptop and the TV is on at the same time.
I tried contact lenses but gave up. I only use them while driving for long distances.
The essence is, just do what works and you feel comfortable with.
I moved to progressives this year and also a dedicated set of glasses for my monitors. To be honest I was really annoyed with cost, but my headaches are minimized and it's easier to work. Yeah, I'm always reaching for my other glasses to do non computer stuff, but that habit set in quickly and I'm happier now.
I wear progressives as well and they are terrible for computer use. I have to tilt my head way back to focus on that little sliver at the bottom of the lens - and then move my head from side to side across the screen. After about an hour of that I was getting a stiff neck. So now I have two pair. One pair of progressives for everyday use and a second pair that are focused for about arms length that I use for the computer.
It's a bit of a hassle changing them back and forth but it's better than what it was before.
I have progressives for every day use. My eyes have gotten bad enough that I can't read my car's dash insturments without them.
I spend 10+ hours a day in front of a computer and if I do that in progressives I end up with a very sore neck. So I told my optometrist I needed a prescription for "computer glasses". These are single focus with astigmatism correction but not quite the full strength of a reading correction. This of course makes them useless for just about everything else.
How do your glasses get a burrito shoved into them? Are you a dad?
I could not get used to them, so I went back to regular lenses.
It sounds like you may need regular glasses just to wear for close work.
For those of us who are near-sighted, we just need to wear glasses when driving or watching TV, and take them off for close work. I suspect you could do the opposite. If not, maybe you need two sets of glasses, one for close work, and another to see clearly at a distance.
More generally, if your glasses are not helpful when using a computer, then, while using a computer, TAKE THEM OFF.
You said that wrong . It should be:
More generally, if your glasses are not helpful when using a computer, then, while using a computer, . . .
TAKE THEM OFF.
YEEEEAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
I got progressives 20 years ago and it has taken some learning to get best use. Here are alternatives:
1. Get simple, fixed focus lenses for screen work. This is the absolute best vision quality.
2. The big tip: Forget about stylish narrow lenses. They don't have enough vertical space for progressives to work well.
3. The really big tip: Make sure that your optician doesn't set your normal vision spot too low on the lens. That crams all the progression in the bottom third of the lens. My normally head position is slightly "chin up". I make sure I'm looking at the optician slightly "chin down" has he places the mark on the lens for normal vision.
Presbyopia is hell.
I had progressive trifocals for a while. I kept them for a couple years...you get used to them. But, the last time I got a new prescription, I told my doctor that I didn't really think I needed them. He agreed. I'm back to normal lenses, and saved a bunch of money.
The correct answer is 42.
Like you, I used a pair of progressive glasses and hated them. When it came time to replace them, I got the optometrist to write out three prescriptions:
1. Distance use as in driving or moving about.
2. Medium-distance for computer displays
3. In close for reading and reading only.
Three single-vision glasses have proved far better than those progressive lenses. If money is tight, look into buying them online.
I LIVE in the bottom half of my bi-focals!!! I was not warned ahead of time about the distortion when I was sold progressives, and returned them within 24 hours!!! I was led to believe that the progression was all the way across, not circular.
I am very happy living with tri-focals.
I'm lucky enough to still have great eyesight at age 42 (still use the good old-fashioned 6x13 aka "fixed" font in my xterms on my 108 dpi monitor).
However, my mother got progressives at one point, and wore them for a very short time before replacing them. She plays church organ, and has to be able to see music, keys, stops, and (optionally) the choir director. Different organs have different numbers of keyboards (called manuals), and with more manuals, the music stand just gets farther up and farther away. She has different pairs of glasses for 2, 3, or 4 manual organs. She tried progressives, but they were terribly distracting; she also tried traditional bifocals, but they didn't really work either.
It will only get worse as you age. There is a seperate prescription for computer use, different from the single lens correction or the progressive correction for ordinary use. You may be best with a single lens with the computer prescription if you only wear the glasses at the computer, or bifocals with the computer correction. The reading correction is not appropriate for computer use. Find an optometrist who knows what computer glasses are! Computer glasses are a progressive lens designed for interior use. They use different lens than standard progressive lens. They are adjusted with less near correction than reading with a focal point appropriate for computer use ( not always best for laptops ), and less distance correction than normal, but where it comfortable to see people accross a conference room table. The same type of glasses are used by indoor machine operators as they age. From your description you may be best off with sinlge lens or bifocals adjusted for computer use, not the special progressive lens used computer glasses. You do not want to use a reading prescription for computers.
I just got my first glasses in August. I was initially advised that progressive glasses should work well for me by the store manager. Later when I talked to a tech about it, he advised that progressive glasses are a bad idea for anyone how is wearing glasses for the first time. So, I almost made the same mistake you did. It seems a really bad idea for someone who only needs one step of lens. I needed both near and far correction.
Progressives are useful as a mediocre one-size-fits all solution. If you are doing a lot of computer work, get a set of glasses specifically for that. If you can get away with just reading glasses, then get a single focus lens and take the bloody things off when you don't need them.
Coke-bottes: think lenses generally used by far-sighted people who need glasses to see in focus up close.
Bi-focals: have a half-circle shaped area in the bottom of each lens at a different power (for reading) while the rest of the lens is set for regular viewing
Progressive: has the regular lens gradually change to reading power so you don't have the tell-tale line (and power jump) associated with bi-focals.
I refuse to sign
If you can see properly when not reading then get large monitors (47 inch or bigger TVs) and put them 5 feet plus away from you. You won't need your reading glasses to see these and can work with them all day. Get real reading glasses (they're cheap) for when you do read.
I got a pair of bifocals a couple of years ago. I got really tired of tilting my head back to look at my monitors. When working on my big monitors, I just wear an old pair of glasses that doesn't correct me as much as my current pair, and that seems to do the job. Next time around, I will get a pair in just the reading prescription that is just for computer work.
I have progressive lenses and work on computers all day long. But my first pair were horrible! When I complained to my optometrist, he asked me to demonstrate where I held my book/phone for reading. He explained that my distance was not average, but that he could adjust the focal length to fit. The second pair of lenses was much better.
Remember Knarfling's Universal Law of Individuality. "No one else is me!" Your optometrist usually makes a good guess at making your glasses fit your eyesight, but he is not you and cannot see what you see.
Some people never get used to progressive lenses. Some people cannot live comfortably without them. Only you are you, and only you will know if progressive lenses will work for you. But if you never tell your optometrist about the problem, there is no way he or she can fix it! When you do go back in to explain the issue, be prepared to demonstrate the distance from your eyes to your reading material. It will make a difference.
Great civilizations have lived and died on false theories. Don't mess up mine with a few facts.
I am 48 years old, using three monitors at work and home. At work, two 22" 1920x1080 and one 17" 1280x1024 all side by side; at home, one 32" 1920x1080 and two 23" 1920x1080 with the two smaller stacked beside the one larger. I have gone through presbyopia solution experimentation over the last 3-4 years. I found bifocals to be a problem due to the harsh difference between the two scrips. Multi-focal contact lenses worked well for about one year. But the add eventually increased and I have not been able to make new multi-focal lenses work well since. This is through trying several different combinations of lens powers in each eye; previously a modified mono-vision worked well with multifocals in each eye and the distance power differing in each eye. My first attempt with progressives was not enjoyable. But after i discovered the Varilux S lenses I finally found a solution that works perfectly for my needs involving 10+ hours per day in front of the computer. They are not cheap. However, they are worth every penny in my book! You mention the only correction you require is for reading. My suspicion is another commenter's suggestion of relatively inexpensive "coomputer-distance" reading glasses that can be looked over when necessary may be a viable alternative for you if the strength you require is low enough. And if not, I think I would still try a prescription pair used in the same manner before I would pay the cost of the Varilux lenses. But for the people who cannot find a solution after extensive experimentation, I highly recommend the Varilux S progressives.
My optometrist steered me to bifocal contact lenses. I need to wear glasses for distance but as I got older those same contacts caused me problems when trying to use computer monitors. Bifocal contacts fixed the issue. Most have a center used for distance and an outer ring used for closer work. Because they are shaped like a target there is no line or lines as with glasses where you have an upper area for distance progressing to a lower area for reading.
Get a pair of glasses just for your monitor distance. Problem solved.
I have progressives and don't mind them after getting used to them. I actually read better with no glasses, but if I have my arm about halfway extended, then things start getting fuzzy. I use my glasses for long distance and for looking at the monitor since it is about 2 feet away, anything closer (reading distance) I take off the glasses.
I told the optometrist to give me reading glasses with a two foot focal point instead of a one foot focal point. I'm using them now as I type this and have been very happy with the results. PCs are great, tablets are great, phones are great. I take them off to drive.
I guess I'm lucky. I have single-vision glasses that correct for all distances.
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I don't have especially poor eye sight. I have worn glasses since I was a small child. But my prescription hasn't changed since I was 8. My eyes aren't that bad and these glasses are just part of my face at this point.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
Interesting, thank you. Based on your description I'm not entirely sure what my wife uses as she is near sighted, as in she can read a book with or without glasses but she cannot legally drive and cannot see the signs. I'm going to assume that 'coke-bottles' also work for near-sighted people as well in the reverse of your explanation.
In my case they put the focal point for reading to low, as a result (and lack of finances) of having to tilt my head up and back to read, I've a neck that goes snap, crackle and pop....
I went to progressives a few years back when I could no longer focus up close while wearing my regular glasses (slightly nearsighted). They sucked. I went back to my regular distance glasses and just took them off when I needed to read something. Eventually my eyes reached the point where the dashboard was just a bit too fuzzy with my glasses on, so I went with plain hard-line bifocals. Work great, and I don't care what they look like. ("What's so damn wrong about not having died yet?" Now get off my lawn.)
I still take them off when using a computer, my 30" monitor takes up most of my field of view.
(I used to wear contacts -- still do sometimes, and use reading glasses with them if I need to read. I once tried progressive contact lenses ... they were horrible! I dunno if they were just mis-sized or it's something about the curvature, but I had a hell of a time trying to take them out. Not fun.)
I had the exact same experience as yours with my first set of bifocals. What solved my issues with it is getting what's called a computer grind on the lens. This type of grind widens the peripheral view while sacrificing a bit for reading paper based documents. Since I don't do anywhere as much book reading as I do computer, this was the perfect tradeoff.
The computer grind in the industry is well understood and not the exact technical term they use, but it helps them understand the type of lens grind your looking for.
Hope this helps a bit...
Your wife calls wire frames BCD's?
BCD's or BCG's are not wire frames by any stretch, See here .
Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
Do they have a built in "name-your-price" tool, or just find you the best rates on your car insurance?
Alternatively, like rose-tinted glasses for liberals
The hardest part with progressives is that you cant try a bunch out without a long drawn out process. I've had to do trial and error over the years. Each brand makes different types and different types of "channel" widths. The average person is usually happy with the run of the mill cheapo ones, but if your serious about your work and your vision you have to start looking deeper into what's available.
In 2014 I got new glasses and tried the Hoya Harmony which are designed for closer up viewing. They were incredible for computer monitor work, but distance viewing was somewhat less clear. I switched to the Hoya Summit IQ which have correction on both the font and back side of the lens allowing a wide channel. Close up viewing on a monitor is not quite as good as the Harmony, but overall they are the most incredible progressive's I've had yet. No need for side to side head movement when reading abook. and while the very edge is not 100% clear I can read a poster or sign out of the corner of my eye. Expect to pay around $500, as they are not cheap. Also , the Summit IQ is not the top of the line for Hoya. They can custom make you a prescription based upon your activities.
Note - I don't work for nor was I paid by Hoya, but they seem a step above the Ovation and Sola, etc. lenses I've used in years past. There may be other brands that offer equal customization of channel and use, but I've found they wont be immediately offered up by your optometrist.
TAKE
THEM
OFF
Coincidentally, the same eye chart as seen in Naughty Optometrists 4.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
You're looking up toward the monitor and down for close distance reading. The best combination I've found is mid-range for the main part of the lens and a small bifocal or progressive part at the bottom for reading.
For strictly reading get a pair of grocery store reading glasses, no need to pay an optometrist for that. Actually you might get by with a lower diopter correction from the grocery store for computer use as well, but then you need to keep changing glasses for reading.
And one last comment. If you ever think you have a problem with your eyes, go straight to an ophthalmologist. Don't waste any time on an optometrist; eye problems can develop and become serious in just a few days.
What works for me: Separate pair for computer and reading (bifocal with most of lens right for computer distance and sliver bottom for reading. I have a second pair that is for distance and I take all glasses off for reading. I'm nearsighted for distance and less so for computer distance. I don't need readers but may eventually.
I guess I'm lucky. I have single-vision glasses that correct for all distances.
That was my case too, until, *GASP*, my eyes got older along with the rest of my body. :-) Even though I had successful LASIK surgery done to correct almost -6 diopter near sightedness, I eventually needed slight astigmatism and reading corrections after about 8 years of glasses-free freedom.
It took me a while to get use to them, about 6 weeks. Then when it was time for new glasses I tried going without them. Didn't make it to the car before I realized how much I needed them. Luckily they only charged me the different to get them again.
Don't use progressives or bi-focals. Do this:
Take a tape measure and measure the exact distance to your monitors when working.
Go to an optometrist and get a written prescription for that exact distance (bring the tape measure with you*) including the "PD", pupillary distance, at that range. Do not buy the glasses from them.
Go to Zenni Optical ...and order some $6.95, single vision prescription glasses from them that fit your PD size.
http://www.zennioptical.com/u6...
Add the standard anti-reflective coating for $4.95
For about $12 you have custom computer glasses.
* Yes, I actually do this. And, yes; I'm a nerd.
I've got both. For a while, I was able to deal with just taking off my distance vision glasses (about -2.5 diopters), but the focus was too close, so I got reading glasses set up for the distance to the monitor (about 60cm - 2 ft).
But there is a problem:if you're in a meeting, you need to be able to see the whiteboard/screen AND look at your laptop, and putting on/taking off your glasses, or peering over the top, etc. just doesn't work. Likewise, the reading glasses don't give a in-focus image of the whiteboard/projection screen.
So, progressives.
They are VERY weird at first. It took me about 2 weeks before I wasn't disoriented because of the apparent visual field warpage. And, as you note, they are incompatible with using multiple monitors, etc. However, for instance, the dashboard instruments in the car are in focus now. And I don't have to take my glasses off to read labels in the supermarket, or my boarding pass, or all of a multitude of "small field of view reading" tasks.
So, you need both: progressives are what you need in the conference room, etc.; reading glasses are what you need to work on your multi-monitor thing.
What I don't really understand is why you can only by +diopter corrections over the counter, since what I really need is about -1. One could get Lasik or equivalent and shift everything, then go with conventional cheap reading glasses, half frames, etc.
BTW, the other problem with progressives (aside from their cost) is that you need bigger frames (vertically) to make room for the ramp.
You could also look into straight bifocals, but for your multi-monitor setup, I suspect that wouldn't work.
I have separate readers I bough online from eyebobs. They work great for reading and in front of computer.
I've been using glasses for 40 years now (myopia) and staring at computer screens for 30, and everything went fine.
Three years ago presbyopia arose, and I took a pair of progressive lenses.
Learn to move your head, not your eyes.
Basically, re-train yourself.
Mastering the English language is fucking easy: all you have to do is to put an f* word in every fucking sentence.
I should have said that coke-bottles are the ones that make peoples eyes look big from the other side (ie, make the wearer's eyes look big when you're not the wearer).
I should have also included
Normal: what we consider normal glasses are those for near-sighted people who need them to see far away. These are thinner than coke-bottles and don't have the bug-eyed affect.
I refuse to sign
Been doing this for 10 + years.
Regular Progressive Lenses have very little width in the mid-vision which is used for computer screen viewing. Wide Corridor Progressive Lenses have a much wider view area in mid-vision.
Talk to your optometrist. Some lens brands to ask about: Definity by Essilor and Unique Digital by Kodak. Also get anti glare coating.
Wide Corridor Progressive Lenses are expensive, but worth it, if you are using computers for a living.
I have progressives for driving and everything else. I also have prescription sunglasses for driving. But for computer work, I have a readers with the focal distance set at about 3-4 feet, tool distance. To be clear that is *not* reading distance. It's the distnace of your laptop or desktop. I also use these when I'm working with tools. But there are many choices out there, depending on your wallet. Single vision butt ugly prescription readers are CHEAP. Be certain that they are good and ugly so that you only use them for said purpose. If you have slightly more cash, you can get Seiko PCWide Trivex. Basically progressive exists because the lense makers can pretty much infinitely vary their lenses. Progressives are two or three lenses in one. But you can also optimize for other criteria. These are called free-form lenses and for a few dollars more you can get lenses optimized to you as well such as Seiko Individual. You will have to educate yourself on this. Your optician may not know or have the time to explain. But to be blunt about your question, no way in hell would I work with progressives.
Yeah, but contact lenses won't work for close-up stuff. Contacts are for when your eyes are the wrong shape; the reason older people can't read well is because their intraocular lenses are no longer flexible and they can't focus on close-up things. Contacts won't help with that; if you put contacts in to correct that, you won't be able to see anything farther than arms' reach. And unlike bifocals/progressive-lens glasses, you can't really orient contacts so that a region with different correction is at the bottom.
I also work with 2 x 22" monitors ALL DAY and found the working zone of the progressives difficult with which to work. ( A little nomenclature: progressives are lenses which have a distance prescription at the top and gradually transition to a reading prescription at the bottom, without visible lines on the lenses. Bi- or tri-focals do the same thing but in 2-3 visible bands).
My solution was to measure the average distance to the monitors and found, in my case, it to be about 30". I then took that requirement to my optometrist and asked for a prescription (for Costco opticians) based on this required working distance. I had to have them add a small zone at the bottom of the lenses since I couldn't read my watch or phone!! They work great and have reduced the eye strain greatly.
Other responses have suggested over the counter reading lenses. These may work as long as you can read "the fine print" on the chart at the store at the working distance you measured at home.
Hope this helps.
WTF?
This is probably the WORST place to find medical advice!
It's a site filled w/ hipsters and trolls!
LOL
Seriously good laugh tho.
Your optometrist simply steered you toward his highest profit. Not to worry. Take them back, tell him/her that progressive lenses don't work for you. My guy took his progressives back and made me a pair of standard lenses "no charge" (except that the standard lenses cost less than progressive lenses, and no, he didn't refund the difference, but at least I wasn't stuck with lenses I couldn't use, and at least I didn't have to threaten him with bad online reviews).
I'm using standard glasses set to work well at 60cm. Perfect for computer use. Can't really use them for reading a book. I've got another set of glasses for reading. The joy of this is that you can hold your head still and use your eyes to look back and forth. So no swinging distortions, no odd "strip down the middle" effects, none of that.
The other thing -- get the lenses coated, both sides, with an anti-reflective coating. Well worth the cost, especially when you are spending your time looking directly at a light source.
When I got a pair of progressive lenses, I encountered similar problems. I explained the issues to my optometrist and he used some extra lenses to work with me to pick out the parts of the lenses that I found difficult or impossible to use. The short answer was that the corrective in the lower and outer portions of the lenses was (were?) not as strong as it should have been, which narrowed the in-focus field, and led to the "tennis match" reading style. With the lenses replaced, I can read across a page without swinging my head. It still doesn't cover dual monitors, but that is due to the glasses not being wide enough. Note: I keep one large monitor directly in front of me and a smaller second off to the side.
That sounds like a problem I'll have later, and not the problem I have now.
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And unlike bifocals/progressive-lens glasses, you can't really orient contacts so that a region with different correction is at the bottom.
I don't use them specifically and couldn't tell the OP if they would help their specific situation, but there are bifocal contacts on the market now. I do use toric astigmatism lenses in one eye which are similar, they're designed in a way that causes them to settle into a certain "up" and "down" orientation when installed.
This
She calls them that because of the WAY a wear them. They actually look fairly decent when they sit normally and as designed. But when they sit on the tip of my nose and I'm looking over them, not so much.
I'm in the same boat as you. My Optometrist told me to hold off moving to transitional lenses as long as possible since there is a huge learning curve for using them and I will be unhappy with them for a long time. She said I would eventually get used to them though. I guess you can adapt to anything given enough time.
Wrong - they now make multifocal contacts that can correct for reading, I've been using them for about 6 months now and they work fairly well (not quite as good as using a pair of reading glasses).
Tried them, hated them, set them aside. Could not even maintain focus across a single line of newspaper column. If simple fixed readers work, just use a 15 dollar pair from the drug store. I have found drug store glasses vary quite a bit in quality though so shop around.
That said, complain to the optometrist, they may be able to remake the lenses with a physically larger reading area. They might not charge you for it if you are truly dissatisfied with what you got.
And unlike bifocals/progressive-lens glasses, you can't really orient contacts so that a region with different correction is at the bottom.
My wife has contacts that are just that. When she puts them on she has to find the bottom and orient them accordingly.
Look at what happened here: You needed new glasses, your doctor suggests progressives, which you try and don't like. Then, instead of approaching your doctor about the issue, you post on /. instead. Maybe you're just looking for a second opinion, but it sounds like you're not comfortable talking to your doctor. You should find a doctor that you can bring up these issues with. Also, your doctor should have asked you about what you do all day (reading the iPad, using your computer) and offered you choices based off of your health and habits, not just your health alone. Just my two cents.
*Needs adaptive lenses from the Herbert's books, controlled by the electrical impulses from the nerves connecting to the eye muscles, ASAP*
I always figured coke-bottle referred to lens thickness.
Pre-PRK, I had horrible near-sightedness (-7.50 or so), and referred to my glasses as "coke bottle" due to the thickness. As in "as thick as if they were cut from a coke bottle".
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
I won't even use bifocals. Instead I have two pair of glasses, one for the computer, one I would use for driving. (I'm near sighted enough that I just take off my glasses to read.)
The computer is a fixed distance from your eye. You want a single lense fixed at that distance. For other purposes, perhaps a progressive lens might be the best choice, it would depend on you, what you do, and what your eyes are like.
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
I haven't read any of the other comments yet so as to not prejudge.
I too have this problem. I believe progressive bifocal lenses were intended for reading old fashioned paper books. Line by line; and short lines typically. Using a computer screen is entirely different, particularly if you have multiple screens.
I have multiple pairs of glasses. I have one pair for "normal" use. I use them mostly for driving and movies. I have multiple pair of "reading" glasses. I keep one pair at home and one pair at work. True reading glasses don't focus quite right; they're intended for holding a book at something less than arm's length. A large computer screen is probably further away than that, so I've had my eye doctor adjust the focal length to be just a bit outside "reading" distance.
I tired bifocals once but never could get used to them. They just didn't suit my day to day use. I used to be a technical writer, and am now a compliance specialist, but still spend most of my day staring at a computer screen.
let's be clear about a couple of things. one: our vision is designed by natural evolution, and staring continuously at objects only 0.5 to 1 metre away is not part of nature's remit. two: our vision *does not* deteriorate with age, it deteriorates with *misuse* or more specifically *lack* of use: more specifically *lack of training*. eyes have *muscles*. fail to train those muscles and guess what happens?
there is a guy who decided he did not want to be enlisted in the vietnam draft, so two weeks prior to the eye exam he borrowed some glasses from a friend who had terrible vision. the deterioration in his vision as a result was so poor that he failed the eye exam, and so was ineligible for the draft.
now, afterwards, he reasoned that if it took only two weeks to turn his vision so disastrously badly wrong, it would, logically, be perfectly reasonable to attempt some eye exercises to get his formerly perfect vision back. the result: after some experimentation with some exercises, he got his perfect vision back.
now aged over 70 years old this person - who has written a book about the exercises that keep your eyes healthy - has twenty FORTY vision.
why am i mentioning this?
because aged 10 i was given prescription glasses. i had discovered computers a few years beforehand and had begun to spend significant hours in front of computers. every few years, as required and advised, i returned to the opticians. my eyes - EVERY TIME I RETURNED - were described to be "worse than before".
so aged 10 i had something like - 0.5 diopters, but by aged 36 i had -4.0 in one eye, -3.5 in the other and an astigmatism on top of that of -1. i spent $USD 1,000 on two pairs of glasses: one was +1 diopters less than the other. driving to holland, in the dark, i wore the "distance" glasses for 15 minutes and got such a massive headache from them that i had to wear the "reading" glasses.
so that was 2005. i realised that, after being told by opticians at the time "oh, people who are short-sighted are used to seeing perfectly at long distance so we give them an extra -0.25 just to help", that the problem was that i was being given glasses each and every single time that were too strong, but not only that, that i was having my vision "corrected" to distance, was then looking at objects only 0.5 to 1.0 metres away and my eyes were AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTING.
at some point i then made the stupid mistake of getting a 24in iMac. huge wide screen, i thought it was fantastic. except that over the next three years using it, because i was sitting (unavoidably) close to it, my eyes trained themselves to deal with the wide angle... by going *prism*.
now when i look rapidly to the left or right at any object a distance further away than 2 metres, i CANNOT FOCUS ON IT. i see double for a good couple of seconds. in the dark, lights over two metres away i cannot bring into focus at all. however if the object is only 0.5 to 1 metre away, i am able to *really rapidly* flick my eyes backwards and forwards, focussing successfully within fractions of a second, absorbing the information on-screen.
in other words, guess what? my eyes *keep adjusting* to the conditions that i put them through.
now i have stopped getting prescription glasses entirely: i am absolutely fed up with the ignorant optician industry screwing up my vision. if i go to an optician, they think they know better and they damn well don't. they tell you that your eyes deteriorate with age, but that is absolute rubbish: the muscles around your eyes are just like any other muscle: they need *exercise*.
so that's what this old guy advocates: eye exercise. several times a day, stop what you are doing and look in the distance for 8 to 10 minutes. if you want to get rid of short-sightedness, pick two objects, one just at the edge of your "blurry" vision and one just inside it. look at the first, look at the second, look at the first, look at the second - focus on each as you do so. then, move the two objects (your t
I started life with coke-bottle glasses, and then got contact lenses right after high school. Now fifty years later, I have just stepped up to implanted lenses. These give me crisp distance vision again, and the Milky Way at night, with no more obscuring glare rays coming out of oncoming headlights. We're a Dark Sky Community, and I can now see M31 naked eye, which I never could reach before.
But implants are fixed focus, so I have to pay close attention to near-diatance correction. I bought Walgreens readers for the computer/reading distance and another pair for the "TV distance" of ten feet or so. This combination gives me a large focus area in both modes at very low cost.
While we're discussing glasses, let me rant:
*** Never shop at Lenscrafters or other big chain shops ***
The reason is that they all have the same parent company (Luxottica), and this monopoly will gladly charge you over $300 for the simplest lenses.
There's hardly ever a reason to pay more than $300 for a pair of glasses. When Lenscrafters was telling me I should pay over $500 for a set of glasses, I went to an independent optician and found a great set of glasses for $120.
Sure, I should break this down into the frame cost vs. the lens cost. For frames, pay whatever you want. You can find basic frames for $20 or designer frames for $200 or more.
Lenses can start at around $30 (a pair) or so and go up from there, depending upon the options. With the lightest materials and all the fancy coatings (including light-sensitive shading), you can go up to perhaps $200 or so.
Don't give your money (or even your insurance company's money) to the monopolist.
I agree with this. My solution to lazy eyes years ago was to keep the old pair as my reading glasses. This stopped the issue of my prescription needing to get stronger each time.
After being pressured into trying progressives, it took all of about 2 hours to return them.... The reasons included:
- chromatic aberration -- the driver in the car to my left was not a bearded guy; it was a woman!
Blues and reds separate as with a prism -- this is a lens material issue (glass, acrylic, polycarbonate,...) -- can cause center text to be clear while showing red/blue double-text at the edges.
- could not see the entire screen clearly -- used a dry-erase marker to draw circles on the lenses outlining the areas of clear text -- Surprise! I was looking through 1/4"-3/8" holes.
Other issues:
- many (most?) "reading" prescriptions are written for 16" focal distance -- you have to ask for _your_ preferred distance; mine is arms' length (32")
- curvature -- many reading glasses are provided with a different curvature than distance glasses -- it they feel like they are sucking your eyes out of their sockets; get a flatter lens.
- astigmatism (football shaped cornea) -- ensure this is included in your prescription AND make sure the lenses match the prescribed angles when you pick them up.
After 51 years wearing glasses, found more issues; but the above are the main ones for computer work.
1. driving and long distance, like TV across the room.
2. Near distance, like Computer monitor, stuff on the table I am eating.
3. Reading, 1-2 feet. I use this for reading or working in detailed model assembly.
The long distance makes a big difference when driving at night. Otherwise, change is not required all the time, I can adjust close enough for a bit with any set.
I never could get used to head bob, and pointing my nose at the ceiling to read text on a monitor was crap for dignity.
Try a few options, and look for cheap prescription glasses from China. (You can get 3 pairs vs one at the local Dr's office)
Mclae.
Wow, weird. I would have thought, being circular, that contacts couldn't have an orientation.
So you have to manually orient them, and hope they stay that way throughout the day? That sounds like a PITA.
Thanks for the elaboration, so there's basically four different styles of glasses? Is there another 'professional' or 'official' name for normal glasses or they're basically just 'glasses' and we refer to everything else with those names? I expect there's probably a more professional name than 'coke bottle'.
Drug-store reading glasses only work if you have nothing but identical far-sightedness or near-sightedness in both eyes.
I am over 50 and have always had astigmatism, and deal with the lingering and ever-changing effects of a shingles scar on one cornea, so my glasses are anything by simple.
My computer glasses solution is to have one pair of trifocals for general use, and a pair of bifocals ground to give a general view of the computer screen, with a close-up along the bottom for looking at the gizmos I'm designing circuit boards for when I'm on the computer. It works pretty well, other than the inconvenience of having to change glasses a lot.
The determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language.
Reading glasses, those off-the-shelf from a rack with a positive prescription, are not for those that need prescription glasses. They are for older individuals who still can focus at distance, but who have lost the muscles and lens plasticity to focus their eyes on closer objects.
The eye becomes able to focus on a smaller range of distances in older age, and for a person with good vision who has not needed prescription glasses, this might mean they can focus from infinity to 100 cm instead of infinity to 10 cm of their youth, making reading a book difficult.
The majority of those needing prescription glasses are myopic, or short-sighted, meaning that they can focus well on close objects, but cannot bring far objects into focus with their eye's lens. They will never be able to see far objects such as the stars clearly without optical correction. Unfortunately, after correcting the vision with prescription glasses, the same problem also occurs in older age, individuals can no longer bring closer objects into focus while wearing prescription glasses.
Simply taking the glasses off allows for seeing close objects again, but is suboptimal. First, the prescription glasses likely also correct for astigmatism, another type of distortion in the eye's lens or shape. Secondly, uncorrected vision in people that are quite myopic, such as myself at over -4, means that I can read a book when held a bit closer than would seem normal, but cannot focus on 2x24" monitors when they are 0.5m away, computer monitors are too far away to see. I would travel the world in a bubble where only things 15" or closer can be seen without glasses.
When the eye's lens becomes less plastic in older age, this may mean that the 0.5m monitor can neither be seen cleary with traditional prescription glasses or without correction. A second pair of glasses could be tuned for things 0.5m-5m away
The problem with bifocals and progressive lenses is that they assume you are looking down to see close objects. For those that do close-up work, from SMD soldering repair to dentistry as well as individuals working in front of monitors, they are not a good solution, as the work is directly in front of the eyes.
One practical solution for computer work is 40" 1080p monitors at a farther distance. This takes research when subsituting a television, because many HDTVs that one might try to use at 1920x1080 do not have clear 1 to 1 pixels as advertised, even with digital input.
They are weighted, so under normal use they properly orient themselves.
Let Microsoft know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship
Progressives or vari-focals as they are known in the UK are generally no good for computer work. Im suprised that your optometrist suggested progressives if you specified that you also do computer work. My optometrist recommended progressives to fix my long distance and general reading issues and a separate prescription for another set of fixed focal lenses for monitor work. The progressives are great and are also fine for tablet use when im using my Nexus 7, but are terrible for the PC monitor so I switch to my fixed focal pair which work great.
Coke bottle glasses are referring to the thickness of the glass lenses when viewed from the edge, they looked quite a lot like the thick bottoms of the classic greenish glass Coca-Cola bottles before Coke moved to the plastic containers. Polycarbonate has severely reduced the thickness of lenses so it's rare to truly see those inch-thick (25.4 mm for you Euro folk) monstrosities nowadays. As to progressives (really just bifocals without the dividing line) and computer screens, I've had to suffer the indignity of age and have worn them for nearly a decade. Still bobbing and weaving to find the best focal position, but that's not really a major issue, there are other worse things in life.
Have a Day!
BCGs were popularized by the massive, rugged glasses issued for free in the military, but, by definition, they're any glasses that will ensure that nobody will want to procreate with you. BCGs come in many styles, but they're all incredibly ugly.
Totally agree. I also happen to have been in the OP's position.
I too went down the progressives route when I had began to have more trouble reading. They were great for books where the near focus area was well designed, but for computer use all they do is give a clearer view of the keyboard.
Now I have reading glasses and regular glasses. If I have a long day at the screen, I'll be wearing my reading glasses. I can still use them during breaks as there's not a a great difference in my reading and far-sighted prescription, but the difference for screen work is very noticeable and helpful.
OMG, trifocals?! Please tell me that's not something that is in my future...
"My opinions are my own, and I've got *lots* of them!"
Computer Glasses, are a form of progressives designed for use with computers. Normal progressives have have a very narrow corridor at computer screen distance which makes you move your head rather than yours eyes to look at a large screen. Computer glasses have a wide corridor at screen reading distance. Some computer glasses have both a narrow corridor at infinity, and at reading distance, but most computer glasses only have screen distance and reading distance. Normally the top of the lens is set to view at your screen distance and the bottom is set to your reading distance, and they don't work for driving. I am naturally nearsighted so I don't need glasses to read, so I wear a pair of computer glasses with the top set to infinity and the bottom set to my computer screen distance.
The problem with bifocals and progressive lenses is that they assume you are looking down to see close objects...
I wear progressive lenses and they work very, very well with my laptop + external monitor setup. The key is properly positioning the monitors. Yes, the monitor needs to be lower than you may have positioned it prior to needing reading glasses; but, it's really not a problem to position the laptop and external monitor to accommodate this.
FWIW, I have no problems with progressive lenses. Don't have a significant distance correction, but have astigmatism as well as middle-age/can't read correction. With these two corrections, I can bend straight lines all over the place if I don't keep my head vertical but I don't usually go out of plumb.
Tried computer glasses once (reverse progressive) and found them QUITE disorienting. Went back. I've got buddies with both trifocals and progressives - each have adapted to whatever they're using. Perhaps it's a near-sighted/non-near-sighted thing as my wife's not fond of the things. But her vision's gotten better over the last 10 years :-).
I use progressives for computer work and they work great for me. I move my head slightly to keep things in focus, which has become second nature to me. I had something of a head start in that before progressives I got by with monovision, where the non-dominant eye is under-corrected for close vision and the brain adjusts. (No glasses or contacts; it was done via surgery.) That took fully a couple of months to get used to, including mild headaches. But I enjoyed over ten years with no glasses or contacts at all, and my brain got used to adapting. (The surgery corrected 17 diopters (!) of near-sightedness, so no glasses or contacts was life changing; i.e., I was highly motivated to put up with a couple of months of mild headaches.)
As I got older I got more farsighted and it got more difficult to focus on a monitor, a book I was reading, etc.
I tried progressive and bifocals and they were terrible.
I ended up just getting reading glasses that were the same magnification value all over, and they worked by far the best. I got straps for them so I could put them on my forehead or down my nose to look over them when needed. It's nowhere near as good as when my eyes were sharper than average, as when I was younger, but the best I've been able to find.
Also do not get the lenses that are meant to make thick lenses appear thinner. Part of what they do is grind them thinner at the edges. This changes the refraction at the edges and makes them only useful in the centers of the lenses. Trashes your peripheral vision.
What I did was just ask my optometrist for computer glasses. The prescription focuses at exactly the length of my outstretched arm. I bought two sets, one in my office at home and one at my work. You do not need super high end lenses as these glasses never travel. If you do not like switching glasses, well get used to it, once it becomes habit you do not even notice it.
This to me is the best approach. I have 6 monitors across my desk all at the distance of my outstretched arm. The nice big field of vision of single prescription glasses make it possible to switch easily between them with no eye strain. It is best approach I've seen. I've converted a lot of people at work and they all like it better. Big props out to the guy at work who suggested it to me all those years ago...
A good optician (NOT an optometrist or ophthalmologist - doctors don't do lens design, they're doctors) should be able to ask you some questions about your work environment and habits and recommend a lens (and frame) that fits your needs. There's many, many designs of progressive lenses that have different characteristics... different fitting heights, different channel widths, and so on. There's also no need to progress between your distance and reading correction. If you need something for intermediate (far) and intermediate (closer), this is an option. And surgery doesn't do a damn thing for presbyopia... if your arms are suddenly too short to read comfortably, congratulations, you're past the age that near vision is a factor in breeding successfully. And while you're there, pay for the anti-reflective coating. It's so freaking worth it if you're staring at a screen all day.
Since you're on /., you probably will care to understand the Minkwitz relationship:
deltaA/deltaX = 2 × deltaM/deltaY
where A is the astigmatism created by the lens, M is the power of the correction provided by the lens, and X and Y are the usual coordinates. Thus progressive lenses always get blurry in direct proportion to the difference between your near and far correction, and in inverse proportion to the vertical distance between the near and far sweet spots.
In practice, some advanced techniques such as grinding both sides of the lens and applying wavefront or raytracing optical simulations can make the problem less noticeable (mainly by moving the worst areas from one spot to another). Some brands of lenses are better than others, and some labs do a better job of making them than others. If you go for progressive ("PAL") lenses, ask to see the "occupational" lenses from several different manufacturers. Learn how to see the "invisible" manufacturing codes printed on your lenses.
My solution at the moment: fixed-distance computer glasses, plus Hoya Summit iQ PAL lenses adjusted to increase the size of the reading zone a bit.
I suffer from 'accommodation syndrome', both near- and far-sighted. Joy. I've never had a pair of progressives cost less than $600, and my current set cost $850+. Rimless for the first time.
1. Get the very best technology lenses you can. There are big differe the lensesnces. My current lenses are just OK, but the first set with this shop were painful. Keystoning, headaches, and not the right correction. The shop re-did them no charge. Still some keystoning. It's the lens tech. I will not allow my shop to tell me they are 'the best' again. I'll ask for the specific brand and type. I liked Nikon and Varilux. Kodak not so much, the Hoya lenses I now have are a little disappointing.
2. Get the AR coating. Yes, it's worth it, especially in office.
3. See opthalmologist at least once every two years. I'm very confident in my optometrist, but the M.D. is likely to have a different interest in your refraction. Especially one that doesn't have a frame shop.
4. Ask about the channel depth between your near and distance vision spaces in your lenses. If this is narrow, you will complain.
I'm getting ready to trial single-vision lenses for computer use. And other users have recommendations?
deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
I've been using progressives for a few years now, and don't really have any issues. For reading, I tend to keep my iPad and books up close, and my glasses on the nightstand, but for day-to-day, work, haven't noticed any specific problems. I did upgrade to dual 27-inch monitors a few months ago, but was using a single 21 for years before that. I do have to keep my head moving a bit as I scan up and down a page, but otherwise...
" Reading books on my iPad"
Fuck off! You read your DRM infested iDiot Pad and it's not a book!
The coke-bottle tickness for glasses can now be much reduced by using high-densidy (and now even ultra-high-density) glass/plastics which have a (much) higher than normal refraction index, The higher refraction index means that you don't need as sharp a curve (and, thus thickness) to achieve the needed focus correction.
A you get older, your ability to change focus for various distances reduces, and so multi-focal lenses start to become valuable. When you first get them, they suck, but as your focus ability declines, they can become more useful. Bifocals (and, similarly progressives) are meant to give you easy access to reading at short (book) distances. Progressive lenses have two advantages over regular bi/tri focals:
The problem with progressive is that (as pointed out), they have a smaller sharp-focus field, at any distance, and they take more getting used to. (once you get used to them, they are, actually, pretty useful for a lot of things)
One problem for computer users is that -- especially for desktop uses, we often are reading at mid distances -- neither far focus nor book distances. This is outside the historical "Best Practice" for the optometric profession. The first time my mom 'surprised' me with progressive lenses, we had a long talk about how my distances were not 'normal'.
What I would suggest doing is talking to your optometrist about the standard distances you encounter at work. (use a tape measure and actually MEASURE the distances), then come up with a bifocal pair for those> distances... having some hard numbers will also make it a bit easier for your optometrist to determine whether multi-focal lenses are even a good idea. This would probably also mean talking to a real optometrist, and not just an optician (essentially just an optical technician).
The probable best result (my guess) would be two pairs of glasses -- one set for work distances, and another set for 'normal' uses. If you go that path, you might want consider avoiding the 'pretty' stuff for the 'work' pair (i.e. don't bother with really high density glass, or anti-reflection coatings) It'll make the second pair that much cheaper.
OS Software is like love: The best way to make it grow is to give it away.
Exactly. Ask your optometrist for one Rx optimized for computer monitor use, and another Rx for general use. Or, take your existing Rx and add +0.50 or +1.00 diopter to each eye to make a pair of computer goggles. Vision-correction is an approximation anyway.
"They are for older individuals who still can focus at distance, but who have lost the muscles and lens plasticity to focus their eyes on closer objects."
I made certain assumptions which I believe to be valid based on the original author of the article.
From the AC author: "I'm at the age now where I need reading glasses,"
My assumption is that he is "an older individual" and understands why he needs reading glasses. Further, I am an "older individual (47 in my case)" and I understand why I need reading glasses. I provided my solution for his/her consideration.
"One practical solution for computer work is 40" 1080p monitors at a farther distance."
You have an odd definition of 'practical'. Not many people have a desk or work space where they can position a 40" monitor far enough a way that they can focus with presbyopia -- particularly if they are at a +1.75 or more. I'll agree with you that it is 'one solution' but I would argue about how practical it is.
Thanks for the elaboration, so there's basically four different styles of glasses? Is there another 'professional' or 'official' name for normal glasses or they're basically just 'glasses' and we refer to everything else with those names? I expect there's probably a more professional name than 'coke bottle'.
"Coke Bottle" is a pejorative term referring to the lensing effect on the persons eyes in order to correct their vision. The most common reason, historically, for "Coke Bottle" lenses was cataract surgery to remove the lens of the eye, before we had the ability to replace the lens. Mostly they are provided to very small children these days, when cataracts occur earlier, and general replacement of the lens is contraindicated.
The generic professional term for all non-vanity based glasses is "corrective lenses".
There are various lenses for various conditions:
- "myopia" is near-sghtedness
- "presbyopia" is far-sightedness, and if age related, is usually corrected by over the counter "readers" or "reading glasses"
- "macular degeneration" can be age related, or caused by a number of other conditions, such as diabetes, and results in damage from the center of the retina outwards; special glasses can "work around" the problem by focussing all light as a ring around the retina outside the area of damage, and depend on the ability of the brain to reintegrate it into a normal field of view.
- "Keratoconus" is a cone shaped cornea that will prevent a full field of view, since light no longer focusses un the retina; unlike macular degeneration, there is no retina damage, and this is fully correctable with special lenses.
Generally, if you care about thee things, or just find them interesting, you can always stop by a not-very-busy Len Crafters or other similar store, and chat up their optometrist or opthamologist, or just read about them on the net.
Progressive lenses are not perfect but don't judge them until after several weeks. Your brain will adapt to the warped optics and to moving your head to get things into focus. But do buy special glasses for your computer use and for book/iPad reading. You will love the flexibility your progressive lenses offer, eventually, and they work fine if need be both for computer use and reading, but it is definitely worth investing in having the best viewing experience and minimum eye strain for these important special cases.
Have a pair of glasses made for your PC only. I leave mine on t5he keyboard when away from the PC as they are worthless for other wear. Also have an eye doctor check you for dry eyes. You will need the expensive eye drops that are about ten bucks for a tiny bottle and not store brands which are universally of an acid PH and not really safe for long term use.
You will eventually get used to the pain of bifocals especially noline OR
Find out the strength of your reading RX.
Divide by 2
Try that strength from the dollar store
John Stuckey, Licensed Optician
West Milton Optical
"I am over 50 and have always had astigmatism, and deal with the lingering and ever-changing effects of a shingles scar on one cornea, so my glasses are anything by simple. "
I got lucky. My eyes were originally astigmatic (and at 90 degree axis difference per eye) but for some reason they magically went normal around my 30th birthday. Further, I was slightly nearsighted in one eye and slightly far sighted in the other. Again, they magically changed around my 30th birthday. One of my retinas does sport a scar from looking at a solar eclipse back in the 70's (I was a stupid 5th grader) -- not much I can do about that.
Then around my 40-something year, my arms stared to grow short... My solution is a single, short lens pair of glasses that sit on the tip of my nose which I push up for "normal use" when sitting in front of a computer or reading a book. My guess is I'll be moving on the progressives or bi/tri focals eventually, but for now, this works very well for me.
Progressive lenses are like any compromise: Valuable to some, wrong for most. I liken them to the "flying car:" Equally incompetent on the road as in the air.
First of all, most commenters here ignored the issues of astigmatism, etc. (the distortion of the image on the retina due to other vision issues, exhibiting fuzziness), assuming that all you need is a change in the "strength" of the lens. Proper vision correction requires that the lenses compensate for all abnormalities in your particular vision ability, to the extent possible. Your lens prescription must also have to be updated periodically to deal with inevitable changes in eyes accumulated due to aging.
At 73, I have had cataract surgery in both eyes. The effect of that is that I have a fixed, permanent lens in each eye, focused on infinity. That means I can legally drive without lenses (my uncorrected vision is a permanent 20/30 or so). However, I do need lenses for reading, and for using my monitor(s). What's interesting is that the ideal focal length for reading (for me) is about 18", but I sit 24" from the plane of the monitor at my desk (measure yours to get the precise numbers to the nearest 1/2"). So, one pair of lenses is inadequate. So, I have one for each focal length. I've intentionally chosen one pair with wire rims, and the other in black plastic, so I can tell from across the room which pair is where (but, most of the time, one's on my face, and the other pair is lying on my desk).
I have successfully fought the "just buy one pair" mania of some vision "professionals," which are sometimes promoted so they can sell you a dramatically more expensive pair of lenses. I prefer the two-pair approach, and have been using it for more than a decade without a change in Rx. I hope my experience helps you.
One last caveat: Since I'm advocating for fixed-focus lenses, you need to also change your habits: You must avoid staring at the monitor for long periods. By changing your focus from monitor, to desktop, to whiteboard, to doorway, you will keep your eyes from becoming too dry or the muscles from losing elasticity. For example, I leave my reading (or computer) glasses on while walking about the office or at home, so I am forced to keep changing focus from time-to-time. Like other muscles, those in your eye need a regular workout.
I tried progressive lenses, but the field of view was way too small. There is nothing wrong with having more than one pair of glasses.
For those who don't know, many people have different prescriptions for the right and left eyes, so cheap reading glasses don't always work, plus the quality is not high enough for a long day at work.
I have been near sighted since early grade school, needing pretty strong correction. I have probably used more than 100 prescription glasses over the years, including various bifocals and progressives.
I did okay with my first pair of bifocals, from about age 40 to 45. I was building custom computer systems and repairs, so a mix of close-up bench work and general vision.
Between 45 and 50 I was doing more classroom and group support and the bifocals were not working well for this. I was having to do a lot of middle distance work as well as close up and far distance. The job required standing at the back of the room and scanning client/student computer screens where distances ranged from 4 feet to 30 feet. Shifting focus in those middle distances was very fatiguing, which made me grumpier than my usual lovely self, which did not win awards from the managers. Fatigue from eyestrain can develop without you being aware of it; you might have a kind-of, sort-of headache or you might just get more obnoxious without realizing what's happening.
Progressives worked well for me, after I deliberately set out to learn how to use them. Your neck gets more of a workout, since you need to tilt your head to bring things into focus. It takes a few days of deliberate practice to get the habit. It is not natural for humans, though I'm told that it is common in other species. Horses were mentioned. I never really looked into it. Once I learned how to use them they were a delight: I never before had such good vision at all distances.
I am now retired. I wear contact lenses set for distance vision and carry reading glasses with me. I still have progressives as a backup. The contacts are partly vanity: near-sighted eye glasses make the eyes look a little smaller than is natural, in a sort of reverse-cute ugliness. But mostly the contacts are better for photography and outdoor sports (I can wear proper hazard glasses when bicycling, etc).
TL,DR SUMMARY: Progressive lenses require doing some training to learn to position your head correctly for different distances. They are very much worth the effort if one is constantly having to shift between middle distance viewing as well as far and near. For photography, hiking, bicycling, kayaking, etc the best is contacts set to make one mildly far sighted, and carry reading glasses.
Will
I have had myopia since I was 12, and now have age-onset presbyopia aw well. I tried progressives for a week, then took them back and exchanged them for my normal ~-5.5 diopter prescription. Even for regular use just walking around, I found the weird distortions that varied drastically as I turned my head were just too obtrusive and disorienting. And I haven't been able to find contacts that don't make my eyes gum up and blur. But if I could wear contacts, I would have my optometrist prescribe them to under-correct for distance, so I could leave my glasses off for computer work and most casual situations. Then, for driving, or anything else that required good distance vision, I would have glasses with a small negative diopter value such that the combination of glasses and contacts would provide the necessary distance correction.
The more normal approach would be to have contacts to fully correct for distance and have reading glasses. But during the short time I wore contacts, I'd get panicky when I couldn't lay hands on my readers and was unable to see well up close, whereas being unable to see well at a distance bothers me much less. Now I just have two sets of glasses, and really need three sets. It sucks, but so far I've been unable to find a better solution.
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
dont use it. Now pay my secretary
Really. If you only need glasses for reading, then get a $2 pair of reading glasses and only use them when you read.
More generally, if your glasses are not helpful when using a computer, then, while using a computer, TAKE THEM OFF.
I am near-sighted and wear prescription eyeglasses when driving, watching television, and working at the computer but I cannot wear them while reading a book, reading the screen of my smartphone or tablet because I end up looking under my glasses to read these latter mediums. I would say this phenomena began at age 35. To the OP you have to find what works for you.
I hated my progressives at first, but after a week I grew to like them a lot. They don't replace readers or sunglasses unfortunately though.
My progressives are useless for a computer screen. I have to tilt my head back to see through the part of the lenses with the right correction and they are literally a pain in the neck.
I was also disappointed at first because I got transition lenses thinking that I could do away with my sunglasses. Transitions need UV light to darken and when I'm driving (the time I most need sunglasses) they do not darken.
That said, I like them now that I've gotten accustomed to them. They are good for using with a smartphone and tablet. They are especially good for me at night when driving, because I can more easily read the dashboard indicators. They are also great for all the times I'm not using a large computer screen or outdoors.
Greed is the root of all evil.
I wish I'd been smart enough to have figured this out during my teenage years. Got glasses at twelve for being barely nearsighted, but kept wearing them when doing up-close tasks like reading and using the computer. I think my eyes got lazy with the correction and I made my vision worse. In the last few years I've started taking them off when indoors when I'm going to work on an arms-length task and I've found that my distance vision seems to also be improving a bit.
In really bright light I can see further without my glasses than in dim light, and I'm starting to wonder if I could pass a driving eye exam without my glasses. Haven't had a whole lot of desire to try, but it would be nice, in case I break or lose my glasses and need to get home without them.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
They are a vast improvement over traditional ground progressives. And you might ask about "Office Progressives". Office Progressives are designed for working in an office, they are designed to work with a long distance of about 50 or so, and they have a much larger sweet spot that a non "Office" progressive due to the reduced range. So to recap, look for a "Digital, Office Progressive Lens". These lenses became available at Costco last yeart. My prescription at Costco was $160 for both lenses, and about $230 total for the entire lens/frame package. They are much nicer that the traditional progressives, I got a little larger frame to help with the sweet spot too.
I have 3
one set for computer distances - screen/keyboard
one set for reading and model work - close/very close
one set for general; like when I drive and pull over to read map - distance/reading
rest of the time none are needed
I have one toric lens contact for mild astigmatism. If I'm laying on my side for a while to work on the car or take a nap, my vision will be strange for a minute or so when I straighten up. They might not be the best choice for someone into extreme sports, figure skating with lots of high speed twirling, aerobatic pilots, etc.
Will
Just get your prescription and order online from Zenni Optical. Way cheaper than getting from a store.
If you disagree with me on social issues, then it's pretty clear that you are a narrow-minded bigot.
I had the exact same problem with progressive lenses and computer work. Finally, I talked to my optometrist, and she suggested I get a pair of plain old bifocals, with the main lens set for my monitor distance and the small inset portion optimized for slightly closer work. I got the glasses at a local Sam's Club, and I bought ugly frames, uncoated glass lenses, etc., and they work great.
I tried the cheap reading glasses route others have suggested, and I couldn't find any that were remotely (optically) comfortable in the store.
Contacts can work for close up stuff. They do have multifocal contacts, but they don't work with an up/down orientation like eyeglasses do (a crude approximation is to think of a dartboard). But all in all it's a serious pain having to live with any kind of eye correction and computers.
My eyes are such that I don't need reading glasses unless I wear distance correction, and I don't actually need distance correction for most things except where serious precision is required. Strange and annoying but true. By coincidence, my eyes are perfectly focused for looking at a computer screen with no correction at all. Which of course is a total irritant if I am wearing some kind of correction. I can't see properly with progressives because there's not enough "zero" space for me and the multifocal contacts are good but not precise. Great for distance, mostly sort of OK for reading. I usually wear the contacts when going out or something as opposed to at work though--they work best for situations where reading is minimal. Mostly I just keep my glasses handy for if I go into a presentation room or something where I really need to see perfectly at a distance. Otherwise I just live with it.
Best advice is to repeat what others have already said: if you don't need them to see the screen, don't wear them.
I have a very strong prescription: I'm very nearsighted, I have astigmatism in the weakest eye, and I have age-related farsightedness. I am a developer, and I wear progressives with no problem. The secret? I don't buy fashionable small frames. Buy old-people frames that are huge from top to bottom and side to side. Then the sweet spot is proportionally bigger. These frames can be hard to find, but be persistent. The small lenses in small frames simply won't work if you have a strong prescription.
The only manual that I've read from cover to cover when I decided to make a career of using computers was the one that came with the very first desktop PC I bought, how to set it up for daily use, and it had tips on ergonomic positioning and monitor height (angle maybe, and distance) to avoid RSA and vision problems later on.
It was well worth the 15 minutes, because many career changes later on, with each new computer I've remembered those tips and the optimal setup. BTW, GOML!
WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
I'm largely the same: I'm a bit near-sighted, but more so in one eye than the other (annoyingly, it's the dominant eye that's more near-sighted). I just don't bother with my contacts most of the time, unless I'm on a road trip or something where I really want the extra acuity. For computers, I have no problems at all uncorrected. However, I also do a lot of close-up work, and I've passed 40, so I'm starting to have some problems there where if I don't use reading glasses and do close-up work for too long, my eyes will get "stuck" and it'll take a while to be able to see distant things properly. So I keep a set of $1 reading glasses handy and use those, which seems to work OK. I am worried about how much worse this will get though.
Some of use have accommodation issues, which is one of the reasons that glasses are offered in a number of materials with different index of refraction.
My ophthalmologist routinely asks what my normal use distance is. As I use computers at my workstation, I can either arrange the workstation to accommodate the working distance of the glasses, or have a pair of glasses cut with the working distance I need.
This provider has a list of some of the many options that can be requested. eyeglasslensdirect-computer lenses disclaimer - I have not used this supplier, and have no opinion as to the quality of his product.
Glasses are like shoes, in that you may need to try several before you are completely happy with the fit.
The most practical solution for most persons is to get contacts that correct for distant vision, and use $10.00USD drugstore reading glasses for close up work. The readers are cheap enough that it makes sense to buy a couple of pair of different strengths: 1.50, 1.75, and 2.25 (jewelry work, etc).
Will
Polarized lenses often don't play well with LCDs.
Yes. Many types of displays are subject to it. LCDs and OLCD displays are always subject to it because of the way the crystals twist in a polarized way. Other display technologies have better or worse interaction with polarized light. A common intentional use of it are the polarized light 3D displays like the 3D IMAX movies.
I have polarized sunglasses in my car to help cut through glare and my frequently-dirty windshield. Sometimes they do not play well with display screens.
When I refuel the vehicle I need to take them off, since the display screens on the fuel station usually don't play well with polarized light. On many fueling station displays I can turn the glasses and make the display go from being clear to being fully invisible.
Many cell phones and tablets have screens that don't work with polarized lenses. Ideally if the screen is subject to polarization they are polarized at a 45 degree angle so both common orientations show the screen. Some screens are more subject to polarization than others, depending on the manufacturing details. But today, nearly all of their stronger-polarized screen result in some common angles that give a bright and clear display while the other orientation is completely invisible. YouTube example.
The same effect can happen on computer monitors depending on the details of the display.
Think twice about asking for polarized prescription lenses rather than as a clip. While they may be easier on your eyes when spending a day on the lake and more convenient than clipped-on polarizing sunglasses, they should not be your only pair.
//TODO: Think of witty sig statement
I recommend shark eye surgery.
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
I had progressive lenses and had the same trouble as the OP -- there was a very small area in which the lenses worked correctly for reading computer monitors. I spoke with my optometrist and found that, in addition to reading glasses and distance glasses, he also offers "computer glasses". I ordered a pair, and these work well for me.
Note that reading glasses and "computer glasses" may not be quite the same as the eye-to-book distance is likely different from the eye-to-computer-monitor distance.
I opted for a pair of Birth Control Glasses (as my wife calls them).
Do you really think the presence / absence affects your wife's decision to have sex with you?
Sorry... I couldn't resist.
toric astigmatism lenses
I tried them, but high-axis toric lenses cause motion blur. We tried under-correcting the astigmatism in my bad eye, but it was too frustrating and I eventually stopped using them. That was years ago though - do you know if there are motion blur issues today?
.: Semper Absurda
Toric lenses are thicker at the bottom so they are self-orienting. The thicker part is visible though, so the parent's wife probably just feels weird putting them in at any odd angle and seeing the brief re-orientation distortion. That distortion is the limiting factor for toric lenses - they cause motion blur at high levels of correction.
.: Semper Absurda
I want to know why he would program all day on 17" monitors? We don't even let secretaries use 17" monitors. Go get 27" 1920x1080. I'm currently using a 4k 27" at native resolutions and I'm in my mid 40's.
46137
I had the same issue - progressive lenses suck for reading or using a computer. Single vision reading or "computer" glasses work great. My optician (the guy who sells / makes eyeglasses) had the patience to grind a few trial lenses to get the focus distance correct. Focus distance = from my face to the computer screen. The first set, exactly per the ophthalmologist prescription did get everything in focus. Something was not quite right however, I felt a lot of eyestrain when using that set of lenses. Of course I had to pay for each set of trial lenses, but it was worth it. I used drugstore reading glasses when I was younger, and those worked fine at the time. As the years passed, my range of focus distance (accommodation) diminished, and off the shelf glasses just did not work any more. If you can find a set of drugstore "reading glasses" that get everything in focus and don't cause eyestrain, go for it. If you need a custom solution - pay the money to get it right. It is well worth it.
I had to go to bifocals many years ago, and like everyone else, I got the progressive lenses. I hated them! Constantly tilting my head to find the sweet spot drove me crazy, and the closer something was to me the harder it became. More recently, when reading or working at the keyboard (10-12 hours a day) I have taken to wearing a pair of old-fashioned bifocals, the "split-lens" kind your grandpa used to wear. The upper section is designed to focus at a little less than arm's length (for seeing my monitor) and the lower section focuses at a little over twelve inches from the tip of my nose (for reading books, etc). Works like a charm! And as an added bonus, instead of spending $250-$300 just for the progressive lenses, these "regular" bifocal lenses will run you only about $40 or so.
Progressive lenses are a general-purpose solution that enable you to see clearly in every day activities from 35cm and beyond. If you need a pair of glasses that you can use all day, progressive lenses are the way to go.
But, if you have special needs, like reading for a long time, or long computer usage (in fact, everything that needs a single focus distance for long periods), then you need single vision lenses for that task. You could get away with progressive lenses, but single vision glasses will be more comfortable.
P.S. I'm an ophthalmologist and this is what I recommend to my patients, depending on their unique needs.
I'm very similar. Progressives are great when generally doing life. However, when working at the computer, single vision lens are a must. Better yet, get you eye doctor to proscribe "office/computer" lens. The focal point for them are about 1 yard/meter, or about the length of your arm, which is where the computer screens should be sitting. Besides always having to move your head with progressives when reading the computer screen, when you do find the sweet focal spot, you'll find that you're having to tilt your head back slightly. After some time, you'll start having muscle aches in your neck ... not good. Go for 2 pairs of glasses, a bit of a hassle but well worth it. If your eye doctor gives you any hassle over this or doesn't seem familiar with computer lens, go somewhere else.
I have tried bifocals (traditional and progressives) and they pretty much suck.
Sadly my favorite glasses, SuperFocus, have gone out of business and it seems like they're not coming back.
So, I am looking forward to seeing what the Adlens people can do; this will probably be my next pair of glasses. Blog post with an Adlens review
Link to an overview of what Adlens does: https://www.adlens.com/our-technology/
With any luck I'll never use fixed lenses again; adjustables are just that nice.
My current SuperFocus glasses were kind of expensive ($700+), but I would buy them again in a heartbeat... they are just that awesome. It is hard to describe how nice it is to see all 3 of my computer monitors in sharp focus at the same time without having to maneuver my head to position the progressive's sweet spot. Or to watch television, or look at my ipad, or drive, all in sharp focus with a really easy adjustment to the glasses' slider.
Mine are 100 degrees axis, about the only defect I have is an occasional dim spot in my peripheral vision, and that became less noticeable after a few weeks. I haven't noticed anything I'd call motion blur, but that's just me.
This
I have used progressive lenses for 15 years with a different prescription for computer use. I presently have 4 monitors and the computer prescription works perfectly for me with 2 caveats. First, you do have to move your head more than you might otherwise. Second, I have to swap glasses to walk around or even talk to people without them looking blurry. My recommendation is to insist on high quality lenses; my favorite is the Varilux brand; cheap ones are crap and never work quite right. Also, take them to the doctor's office and have them checked to be sure they were made correctly if they seem wrong. Verilux lenses were the easiest to get used to in the shortest time. It does take time to get used to them; several weeks in the beginning; and when my Rx changes it takes a couple days to adjust to it. They are worth while and will work better than any alternative. Getting old sucks. Get used to it.
I should have said that coke-bottles are the ones that make peoples eyes look big from the other side (ie, make the wearer's eyes look big when you're not the wearer). I should have also included Normal: what we consider normal glasses are those for near-sighted people who need them to see far away. These are thinner than coke-bottles and don't have the bug-eyed affect.
Kinda like Milton's glasses in Office Space...
You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
What I recently got are called "Office Lenses" (sometimes called "Computer Lenses"). Essentially, they are progressives, but with only a 'medium' and 'near' focal range. So they are good at reading a computer monitor (medium distance) and something on paper (near distance). They are less than useless when seeing far, but they provide a wider area that is in focus when you are sitting at your desk.
They're fine. Stick with it.
I've worn glasses for very short sight for, literally, as long as I can remember - I was certainly wearing them when i started school at about 5. I'm now 60, and my accommodation (the ability of a single eye to pull focus) dropped off a cliff a decade or more ago. I've been wearing varifocals (as "progressives" are mostly known here in the UK) ever since. So I've been through a modest number of pairs. With regard to using them for extended periods in front of screens: I stopped working about 3 years ago, but prior to that I was a full-time software tester and programmer, so like you I spent my entire working week on (multi-screen) computers. And even right now I'm sitting in front of a pair of decent-sized screens at home, typing this. It's never given me the remotest problem; work at a sensible, ergonomic distance from the screen, and set your workplace up similarly - which you should be doing anyway - and they're perfectly fine.
The blunt fact, though, is that varifocals feel weird at first, and take a while to get used to, because your brain has to learn - both where to move your head in order for you to use them without thinking about it, and what sort of image it's going to get from the rest of the lens. The first pair are bad enough; changing from one pair to another, when that day comes, is often even worse, because they're rarely set to the *quite* the same measurements as your old ones (in fact an aunt of mine managed with her first pair fine, then gave up on them when she came to change). I've had pairs that were sweet and easy to use the first time I put them on; I've had others (including, in fact, the pair I'm wearing) that seemed horrendous (and, yes, in the case of the current pair, with a sharp focal zone so small I'd be hard pressed to find, if I bothered to stop and think about it - but which my unconscious brain has no trouble finding). When you get a difficult pair you can either give in and chuck them away, or stick with it and wait for your brain to get used to them - which it will after a few days, and at which point, frankly, you'll pretty much cease to even notice. I can't, personally, really afford to go chucking glasses away on a whim, so I've stuck with them all - and, every time, after those initial few days my brain has learned (a) where the sweet spot is for every length I use them at, (b) when everything to be in crisp focus, and when the areas just off the sweet zone are fine, (c) where my head needs to move to to find those, and (d) what other weird stuff it's going to be getting at the same time. Everything just happens, and I no longer obsess over how "bad" they are, or what my head is doing; the glasses work fine, and that's all I need.
The brain is amazingly adaptable. Related to this - there's a well-known experiment, repeated many, many times, because it's so reliable and for the impression it makes on new students - in which the subject had prisms fitted to his eyes that inverted everything he saw. At first he could barely walk; yet after about 10 days his brain got so used to the input that he basically stopped even seeing things as being "upside down", and was able to get on with just about anything he could do before. Removing the prisms took a similar, but shorter, period of readjustment. (Google, say, "image inversion experiment" or "Erismann and Kohler" if you're sufficiently interested). Varifocals are like that. Stick with them, and let your brain learn.
transition lenses in a single-focus design, a[...]re fantastic, except when they [...] every 5 minutes, get a burrito shoved into them (they're further from my face than my eyes are),
Sounds like you have an upcoming problem, unaddressed by your analysis of the contact lenses. Those contact lenses are not going to be as effective at protecting you from.---...
Wait just a minute. Let's back that up a second. Just why are you in the regular habit of getting a burrito shoved into a collision course with your eyes?
I have 1x 27" and 1x30" monitor and have progressive lenses. Took me about 3 weeks to get used to them. I came from reading glasses but also needed distance correction, so swapping glasses was a pain. I have no issue with them.
I wasn't happy with the first pair, he dicked about and changed the prescription slightly, I was on the border apparently.. and the second set were better
The reason to have progressives is you always have them on and with yoi
I use tri-focals instead of progressive lenses due to the very small field of focused vision the progressive lenses provide. The Dr. Office described the difference in the two types of lenses for me before I went shopping.
If your eyesight is stable, perhaps you are a candidate for laser eye surgery. I have found eye surgery has reduced the thickness of the glasses I have to wear. I can read and work at a range from 'arms length' to 'right in front of my face'. And my distance vision is considerably less blurry, but I still need correction to read at a distance.
I like my tri-focal lenses because my computer and desk work uses the middle lens. That work is at about 'arms length'. I can use the lower portion of the lens for extreme, 'in the face', detail work. and as I look up from my video monitors the eyes raise slightly and I'm looking over the middle lens through the distance lens on top. I have more field of focused vision from left to right than I was told to expect with progressive lenses. And there are times I too am somewhat frustrated with my poor vision, I remove my glasses for my desk / computer / detail close up work.
With my tri-focals, the position on the nose, height, is important. When looking straight ahead and level you want the eye to look just slightly over the middle lens and through distance part of the lens.
Have you tried the dime store magnifier glasses? Some of these are mad in a way you are able to look down through them for close work and over them, comfortably, to use your natural distance vision. The field of focused vision might be greater for you.
Hope this helps!
I was born with excellent vision, and even flew high-performance aircraft without glasses. However, as a now 60 year old computer programmer (yep, we do exist) I tried progressives, and gave up on them. I ended up with neck-strain when looking at the monitor. It was a disaster. My optometrist gave me three prescriptions, for which I obtained three different pairs of glasses: 1 - short range (for reading books); 2 - medium (for reading computer monitors) which focuses at approximately at one cubit (1 arms-length); 3 - long distance (for TV and driving and everything else). It obviously cost me more, but I am very happy with these 3 pairs. Now if Google (or some other smart guys) could come up with self-focussing glasses, that would be cool.
I have 2 pair (1 at home, 1 at office) of single focus glasses optomized for the distance to a monitor. I wear them when sitting in front of one. The desk and keyboard are close enough to that distance for me to see them too. I switch to my tri-focals for reading papers or walking around. This has work well for years, esp. after I got the second pair and didn't forget to take them with me...
Optometry is hard. Some of us are decisionary maximizers, so it's hard even being the patient!
Could I, uh, get your WoW Paladin build info...
If you're just now starting down this path, be aware that your accommodation range is going to rapidly decrease. Over the span of 4-5 years, most people go from youth range (able to focus anywhere from 18" to infinity) to a range of about 1 diopter. You can tough it out for the first year or so. If you're nearsighted, pushing your glasses to the end of your nose, for instance, or peering over the tops.
But there will come a day when the lens in your eye just isn't stretchy enough, and you're going to be doing essentially fixed focus.
One thing that will help is that in brighter light, your pupil constricts which increases the depth of field, so you'll notice the problem most in dim light (reading menus in restaurants, for instance). If you're a "work in a dark cavelike office" person, you'll have more trouble than "work in a sunny office with lots of windows".
Had a similar problem.
Asked friends to recommend an optometrist who has real experience with progressives and aging eyes.
Got eyeglass prescription from said optometrist.
Problem went away with new glasses.
If you think there is not a human skill to writing an eyeglass prescription, think again.
Regarding some of the interesting rants in this thread:
My doctor knows that if I see well, I'll come back.
My doctor is not out to get me or screw me over.
My doctor knows more about how to solve my eye problems than I do (just like I know more about my technical specialty than he does).
If you can't trust your doctor, it's time for a new doctor.
RMS, you haven't been taking your happy pills again have you?
I love my progressive glasses for everything except computer use. I went back to my optometrist and got a pair of glass just for use with the screens -- they were cheap and work perfectly. Best of both worlds.
when it became clear that I needed bifocals, I asked the Dr about progressive lenses.He told me that I didn't want them. If I got them nothing would be in focus.
i have progressives and the only reason they work is because I had Cadillac insurance when I first started wearing them so my optometrist put me into a high end verilux physio lens. I found out that any of the options available to me now - with my not as good insurance - would result in unacceptable results because they would drastically reduce my focal view. I wound up paying out of pocket to get the high end lens again. I'm blind as a bat and tried the special computer only glasses. That experience resulted in me wanting to puke every time I looked away from the screen at something further away. I haven't had this problem with the progressives. But I pony up a LOT of cash for the high end stuff now. It's worth it to me. Otherwise I'd be switching glasses everytime I left my desk, read a book, watched tv, or attempted to read music on a music stand.
Getting single focus glasses just for my computer monitor was a huge improvement for me over my progressive trifocals. Much cheaper to buy, have extras now.
My second pair i made were bifocals (with lines). They were focused computer monitor, and then for reading when looking down. Even better because I can switch between monitor and paper quickly
Once I got properly fitted, I then discovered there are differences between brands of progressives. I ended up buying Varilux Physio 360. They had a much wider field of view than the more standard lens my doctor liked. (He is a smart guy, but old. He recommends the same lens that he is used to, which he first started wearing back in the 70's).
But even they were inadequate or computer/office use. The head has to tilt back too much. For office work, you want to buy a progressive specifically made for the office. They are often called "office lenses" Shamir makes a good one they call an "occupational lens". (http://www.shamirlens.com)
They cost a lot of money, but anyone who has spent the money will tell you it is worth it.
I've hit the post-40 age where I'm having some difficulty with focus on near objects. At my optometrist's suggestion I picked up some of the magnifier reading glasses. These work great for reading, but are terrible for the computer. My best guess is that they have some sort of focal distance which isn't working with my monitor distance. I've looked around online for some computer specific glasses with a longer focal distance, but haven't had any luck. :(
TomB
"You can't take the sky from me..."
On my second pair of progressive lens. my next set of glasses will be two sets. One progressive for regular use, and the other for use with computer. computer use is really slightly longer distance to reading and reading distance for manuals or paper on your desk. no need for long distance view like what would be needed to drive or see outside a window.
Yes. She refuses until I remove them. (heh).
After several years of trying computer glasses, prrogressives, reading glasses, etc., multifocal contact lenses were suggested. I was skeptical, since I had never worn contacts. Finally, a solution that worked. I can read my own monitors, look over someone's shoulder at their screen, read everything, and then drive, all with the same lenses. Multifocal contacts have concentric rings, so they don't need any special alignment.
I use multiple monitors at work and at home. I don't have as many issues at home as at work but I use three monitors (different resolutions) at work and only two at home.
I can get by with my progressive lenses but it is much better for me when I switch back to an older, single-focus lens even though the prescription is older.
Try getting the same resolution monitors, and try adjusting the distance between your monitors and yourself.
When I use my iPod, I take off my glasses completely.
Get used to it.
I disagree with #1, fixed focus lenses are only good if you are always the same distance from what you're reading. If you switch from screen to printed materials or if you switch between sitting up and leaning back while reading the screen you may have problems with fixed focus. #2 is excellent advice: "Forget about stylish narrow lenses. They don't have enough vertical space for progressives to work well." #3 is also important, but a good optometrist should make sure the normal vision spot is set up where you're comfortable.
I originally got full progressives but returned them after a week. My optometrist set me up with partial progressives, which allow me to focus from 18" to 6'. This is ideal for reading computer screens. I take them off and put them back on a bit when I'm alternating between reading something and talking to someone, but this hasn't been a problem.
Yeah, this can really depend on the manufacturer. I have serious astigmatism, but the toric lenses my eye doctor prefers don't work well with me. One will be in focus, I'll blink, now it's the other one and the first one is rotated. Or they'll both go out. I think they need to work more on the toric lenses, personally. I instead hope to get PRK or LASIK here in a year or two.
I've never been nearsighted, but I've now needed reading glasses for a decade due to age. Some astigmatism, plus slightly different magnifications for one eye than the other. What works well for me is to have my optometrist prescribe one set of glasses for computer use (with the focus distance set for computer distance, which is longer than the book-reading distance that standard reading glasses focus on), and a combination of drugstore glasses and older computer glasses scattered around the house and car, and a couple of special pairs (like the reading-lens safety glasses and the extra-strength readers for close work.)
So there are computer glasses at home and work that (almost) never leave their desks, and general-purpose reading glasses elsewhere. Most of them come from Zenni Optical, who make decent glasses really cheap ($10-20 for boring frames, unless you need progressives.) The catch with them is that you do need to know the pupillary distance, which your optometrist won't always write down unless you specifically ask, and that measurement depends on the focus distance (so computer glasses will be different than book-reading glasses or distance glasses.)
I also have a few of those skinny drug-store glasses that come in tubes, so you can leave one in the laptop bag or jacket pocket and it won't get squashed. Not perfect, but good enough for short periods of reading, or for restaurant menus.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
And progressive lenses for everything else.
Not a solution for everyone, perhaps, but they work for me.
"My strength is as the strength of ten men, for I am wired to the eyeballs on espresso."
Same as the O.P., my eye professionals steered me to progressives. Absolutely hated them, and ended up returning them to Costco (full refund) and getting bifocals instead. MUCH MUCH MUCH better.
Prescription glasses can be bought very cheaply at Zenni Optical. Get a couple of pairs and try them.
The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
People vary in their adaptation to progressive lenses. My brother hated them for a month, then reversed his opinion. It only took a walk across the parking lot of the optometrist for me to adapt to progressive lenses, no problems since. I spend a lot of time using a screen, and have no difficulties.
In brighter light, your pupils constrict, resulting in a deeper field of vision. It's an optical affect well known in photography. This is why one squints to help bring something blurry in focus.
I've only heard great things from people who have had the laser eye surgery, and that's great. But it's not for me.
* I have something of a fetish for people with glasses. I don't know why, since I'm not into any other kind of "jewelry" functional or not, but anyone wearing glasses (with the exception of the big bug-eyed fashion sunglasses that sometimes go into style) is an instant turn-on. I realized this when I became pretty distraught when my wife decided to have the LASIK procedure done. ... though it might also have been because she made this decision suddenly and we had to pay for it all out of pocket immediately, when if she had just planned it a month or two sooner we could have set up an HSA account to pay for it pre-tax.
* Watching her go under the knife for the procedure was unbearable (yes, they use knives and clamps directly on your eyelids and eyeballs... the lasers just swoop in briefly to reshape your cornea before they glue your eye back together). I am not at all squeamish when it comes to blood and guts and pain tolerance with other medical stuff, but something about knives and clamps on a conscious human eyeball for several minutes is just... just...
* They did mention that it would affect her night vision. And she yells at me about being nearly blind while driving around country roads at night. I think she was like this before too, but it could only be worse now. I like being able to drive around at night, and do some amateur astronomy, and stuff like that.
* I'm super-nearsighted (-4.5 or so), but I still like to do a lot of detailed work with my naked eye. Being able to take my glasses off and look at a computer part or a scale model or a family member up close feels like having super-human vision powers in comparison. I don't really want to be able to give up that ability to examine something up close with the naked eye.
* Conversely, there are times when stuff around me is happening, and it's stressful and I can just whip my glasses off and put everything into soft focus, sort of like Zaphod Beeblebrox's anti-stress sunglasses. OK, I'm stretching here, but (takes off ocular implants) deal with it.
Sure, there are those moments of frustration when I can't find my glasses, or I step on them, or they fall apart while I'm trying to drive or fly or scuba dive. Maybe I'll try contacts someday. But I mostly just feel like glasses are a part of me now, and probably only moreso once ocular projector HUDs become more prevalent.
Your setup sounds exactly like my "development" machines. Two 23" monitors. I usually have an IDE on the left panel, and a code editor on the right. I tried various combinations of bi-focals, progressives, etc. Nothing worked. My eyes are fully scanning both monitors at any given time and so having to tilt my head around to read different parts of the monitor just didn't work for me. I ended up having a special set of "computer" glasses made that had their "zero" point set at 26" (vs the 14-16" that most reading glasses shoot for). It means I can still read paperwork in front of me on my desktop (as long as the font is not too small) but I do have problems reading my data model that is hanging on the wall behind and to the left of my monitors (I have to lean forward to see that very well). I worry that as my eyes continue to get weaker as I get older that I will no longer be able to read the paperwork on my desk without having to change glasses to a true "reading" pair, but maybe I will be retired by then... lol.
I have had progressive glasses for more years than I care to think about. But I am near sighted so can read without them. My first glasses had small bifocals in the inside bottom corner and that worked when everything you needed to see was either near (reading distance) or far away. The problem is a computer screen is in between and what progressive lens do is give a smooth transition between near and far, so for any distance you can look though some part of your glasses and have it in focus.
If you only need reading glasses and can see the monitor without your glasses then maybe you can skip them when using the computer, but if you need them to view the monitor but not distances greater then talk with your optometrist and get a prescription that uses the top part for a monitor and then decide if you want a lower corner for reading or not.
I've been wearing RGP contacts for 35 years, and only in the last year as I turned 50 has computer work become difficult. When I refresh again in six months I'm going to seriously consider a pair with acuity at 24", and a pair for general use, as RGPs are stupidly easy to fit and remove. Or possibly combine general use with prescription glasses in conjunction.
There is likely a significant portion of people now who have never seen a glass coke bottle and do not realize how thing the bases of them were. Likely from the time they were born, coke has been served to them from a cup or plastic bottle.
I dunno if this will give an idea or not about the thickness of them.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/...
Perhaps this one helps.
http://www.antiquebottles.com/...
Of course they can simply do a google image search for those as well as for coke bottle glasses to see the resemblances.
I was in the same boat. I am severely near-sited late 40's.
Doc prescribed progressive bifocals, then later switched me to "computer" glasses, which were basically monovision with a focal point at arm's length.
I soon realized that I always forgot to switch glasses when I got up from my desk. This year I just have plain "computer" monovosion glasses and skipped the expensive progressive bifocals.
I do have a distance monovision prescription which I'll probably fill this summer with sunglasses.
I think progressives and bi-focals just don't work for computer users. Docs prescribe them out of habit.
--- If it's worth doing, it's worth doing in Perl!
The bifocals I have use a correction of about 0.75 diopters for the left eye and ~2 for the right in the bottom part of the lenses. What I find important is that for a desk top monitor the bottom of the monitor should be at the level of the table and not raised up. And that's for a desk top at about 28 inches from the floor. A lower desk might even be better. If I could get drug store reading glasses with these different corrections for my two eyes I'd use them but it seems they're only sold in the same magnification for both eyes. I guess they're good for folks with contact lenses with proper correction for distance sight. Of course, drug store glasses probably don't correct for astigmatism. One thing one needs to do when seeing an optometrist for a prescription is to first measure the distance from the bridge of your nose to the monitor you'll be using and make sure the correction can be used to read at that distance otherwise they usually correct for a shorter distance. It's a trivial check during the exam.
My wife has used progressive lenses on her "coke bottle" glasses (corrections for both eyes ~6 diopers!) and loves them. Her job involves using a computer all day. She claims there have been considerable improvements over the years in the width of progressive part of the lenses.
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell
Get them redone/Find a new doctor. I told my eye doctor that I was a computer guy and we designed a pair of glasses based on my needs. My eyes are even two different prescriptions and he was able to design them properly.
I have bi-focal computer glasses with small "peeker" lenses for reading up close in the largest lens size frames that were available (Costco). Basically you shrink and move the reading lenses down low so you can see the whole screen above the lens line comfortably. Of course, this makes them suck as pure reading distance glasses as you have small lenses and you only get a small band to read in, but it is good for glancing down at notes/text, etc. while using the computer. For pure reading, I have just have a pair of full reading glasses. I went from pure computer glasses to bi-focals because I got sick of constantly having to swap glasses.
I tried contacts once, but I couldn't get used to feeling wind in my eyes when I walked around. That's a tangent though, I have astigmatism and the contacts I got were designed to correct for that lack of roundness -- there was a top and bottom and when putting them in, I'd have to look for a tiny mark on the contact to correctly orient them. I had a ton of trouble sticking my finger in my as well -- so I quit after two months. I should say though, shortly after getting my contacts, I was ordering a latte when the barista, a complete stranger, looked at me and said -- "you have beautiful eyes." That has never happened to me while wearing glasses, and I do get the glare free lenses.
What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
No, you don't have to manually orient them. From what I understand from when I used to wear them, they are either shaped so that they orient themselves properly or one part is slightly heavier or thicker so that they orient properly.
I'm at the age where my eyes are having difficulty at almost any distance. Progressives were not sufficient for me for workstation use for the same reasons as the OP described. I settled on a pair of "computer" glasses that were set to the distance that I like to be from my monitor and also correct my astigmatism issues. These are perfect for all day computer use. I have distance glasses that I keep in the car for driving, going to movies, and other events. Also, I have a special pair that I use for pistol shooting that are set to the distance to my front sight for my dominant eye and the non-dominant eye lense is set for distance; these "shooting glasses" have proved to be fantastic for pistol competitions and have greatly improved my overall efficency/accuracy. It is kind of a pain to have separate glasses for each activity, but the activity-specific correction is appropriate no matter how I have my head tilted and no matter how my eyes are pointed. Progressives may be a good general purpose solution for walking about town, but for long term specific use, nothing beats a set of single purpose glasses.
Single focus glasses are cheap. Buy a pair set up for monitor distances and wear those when working in front of a screen.
I have a pair at home, a pair at work. And another pair of single focus transitions for general use - which works, because the ones optimized for monitors just stay put.
Progressives aren't worth the effort - lousy for driving, lousy for reading, they possibly work for some people, anyone who doesn't need their eyesight to earn a living maybe ?.
I believe it's called an "aspheric lens". That's the lens that's flat on one side so your eyes don't appear warped to everyone else. Also, if they're not progressive or bifocals, they're called "single vision".
Not that this wasn't entirely predictable.
Where did you get the implants done at? How was the procedure (painful, long recovery, etc.?). I think I'd LOVE to get implants, then purchase glasses for reading as necessary!
I found that there are 3 different types of progressive lenses - at least there here in OZ. The more money you spend the wider the reading area is. My first pair had the narrow in focus strip down the middle and warped out of focus view to the sides. They spent more time on the table than on my eyes. Both my eyes have the same prescription so I invested in some cheap reading glasses for computer and tablet.
I use 2 24" monitors and discovered that as my eyes aged, single vision glasses that were starting to blur at normal reading range worked well at the extra distance I sat back from the monitors.
I still use single vision glasses when using the computer but now have a pair of the up market progressives that work well for general use allow allow me to read the screens of the various devices I use outdoors without head waving.
I have been wearing progressives now for over 2 years. 2 21" monitors at work, a 24" one at home. Don't even realize I have progressives on. About the only time I do is when I have to fit my head in to a rack to read off a serial number of a server... but I don't do that anymore either. I use my phone to take photos. took me about 5 minutes (or less) to get used to them once I went from contact/readers to progressives.
"If you are on fire you can just stop, drop, and roll. If you fall into Lava you are just dead." - my 5yr old daughter
I need glasses for distance, where "distance" is anything more than 6 inches (15cm) or more from my eyes. Have done since 1973, so I do have some experience as a user.
I do not need progressive lenses for using my computer, but I wear progressives pretty much every waking moment simply because they are useful for other things. One thing I have found about progressives is that lens height makes a difference. I've had opticians tell me to get small lenses, particularly in terms of height, because they look better. But I've found that short progressive lenses suck big time. My latest pair of lenses is at least 50% taller than the previous pair and they are excellent. My reasoning is that progressives have multiple fields and if you cram them into a very small area, they cease to be useful for you, the user.
One other thing I did with the latest lenses - they are glass rather than plastic. Yes, they weigh more, and apparently they are banned in the USA, but the optical quality is much better than plastic. Won't happily get plastic lenses ever again.
I wanted to try full correction, but the doctor was so sure there would be blurring issues he wouldn't do it. Next time the opportunity arises, maybe I will just go for it.
.: Semper Absurda
I guess that also explains why some need glasses to drive at night, but not during the day...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
I had good luck with adjustable focus lenses. You push a slider to change the focus.
For details of the company I purchased from, search for Trufocal, or search for me, Claerbout,
either at Google or youtube.
- "presbyopia" is far-sightedness, and if age related, is usually corrected by over the counter "readers" or "reading glasses"
Not exactly. Far-sightedness is hyperopia. Presbyopia refers specifically to the loss of "focal accommodation" with age; if you have otherwise normal vision, this usually manifests itself as loss of the ability to focus on close objects.
I've been strongly myopic from childhood. Now, in my early 50s, presbyopia means that without glasses I can only focus on things about six to ten inches away from my eyes, instead of things from two to ten inches away. With glasses, I can still see normally to infinity, but I need bifocals to cover both far and near ranges -- unless I hold the target up close and peer under my glasses.
If you start out with hyperopia (far-sightedness), and presbyopia sets in, you may not be able to focus at any distance -- your nearest focus distance may be beyond infinity.
I got transition lenses ... they get dirty every 5 minutes, get a burrito shoved into them (they're further from my face than my eyes are), or cause my eyes to water.
Don't shove burrito into your eyes, and keep your eyes closer to your face! :-)
I had a similar issue, the best solution I found is to get "Executive Bifocals" these split the prescription 50/50 horizontally, this is fine for staring at two 24" screens, and I can still read through the bottom half, what's on my desk. The downside is you see a definite line in the lens, but that makes it easier to work out which part of your view will be in focus.
I had a ton of trouble sticking my finger in my as well -- so I quit after two months.
I used to wear contacts more frequently, back in college (I needed them to read the blackboard). I only started in college too, and it took a little while to get used to them. It does not come naturally. It was an extremely uncomfortable and unnatural feeling putting my finger in my eye and not reflexively closing it. I think it took me an hour to put it in (I only use one contact lens, in the right eye) the first time I did it.
Now, 20 years later, even though I rarely wear it, when I do, sticking my finger in my eye comes naturally, just like riding a bike. I can put in my lens in seconds now even if I haven't worn it in a month.
https://www.google.com/search?q=disable+auto+rotate
all auto rotate oses support disabling it. this doesn't help with the narrow field of bifocals but that was already covered by other readers. as to the pressure to get bifocals you should have suggested separate reading Rx glasses there is such a thing and it is easier and more useful than the +1 to +4 option at the local discount store. as it is possible to need 'negative' prescription and reading glasses which everyone else ignored.
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
I've been as high as -7.50 in both eyes. As my presbyopia develops, it's dropped to -7.00 / -6.50. My wife is higher still. Your long eyeball explanation is correct, though.
What you want to do is get a dedicated pair of glasses for sitting at the computer. And, don't let them give you any bull about, "We just have to measure you for distance and reading, and can calculate it from that". Get a tape measure (one of those cloth ones used by tailors works great) and measure how far away your screen is from your eyes is as your normally sit. Do this a bunch of times over a few days to make sure it's accurate. If you also use a laptop, measure that distance too (in whatever posture you normally use your laptop). You may find it's not the same as your desktop. It might help to enlist somebody to help you make these measurements.
Then, tell your eye doctor to measure your eyes for that distance. The standard machine they use can do that, they just don't like to do it because it takes more time. There's a calibrated rod that attaches to the phoropter (that's the Rube-Goldberg thing you look through with all the dials and lenses), and a card they can hang from that at any specified distance. It's called a near-point scale. The doctor should set that at whatever distance you measured for your workspace.
Next, make sure the doctor writes a specific prescription for this distance. Again, don't let them give you any crap about how the optician will figure it out from your distance and reading Rx's. All the optician will do is average them, which may be good, or it may not be. Insist they do it right. If your doctor isn't willing to take the time to do the exam right, vote with your feet. Many doctors won't want to do this because it takes more time, and time is money.
Then, have a set of full-vision glasses made up with that intermediate prescription. Use them. Keep them at your desk if that's more convenient than carrying two pairs of glasses around with you.
I found progressive lenses horrible. I went through a few attempts, and eventually settled on old-fashioned bifocals. The kind with the line in them. In addition to the full-vision intermediate lenses described above, I have a pair of bifocals made up for my exact use-case: being able to see the whiteboard or screen in a meeting, and still be able to work at my laptop. To do that, I have my distance Rx in the top, and my *intermediate* Rx in the bottom. I also had them drop the line between these a little, so I really have to look down to see through the lower part. And, the lower part is also a little wider than the standard area. It's exactly what I needed. The thing to realize is they can make up any combination of lenses to fit your exact need. Car mechanics often have bifocals made up with the near-vision lens on top (so they can see what they're doing when working under a car on a lift). It's called occupational lenses. If your optician isn't willing to work with you to make you exactly what you need, again, vote with your feet. PS, some vision plans will pay for occupational lenses above and beyond the regular benefits.
1. progressives, just for driving, mostly use them at night. I can see all the way down the road and I can read the dashboard instruments and operate my ham radio.
2. Ray-Ban frames with full single vision prescription - medium dark, polarized. absolutely great outside, daylight driving, sailing, in the desert, skiing, everything.
3. computer glasses. get a lighter prescription, so you can focus up to about 5 or 6 feet away. that way the eye muscles don't work so hard so a long day coding doesn't hurt at the end. get a red or rose tint - red light is easier for your eye to focus. monitors have a lot of blue light. really makes all the difference!
I wear very strong progressives with different script in each eye. I once had lens like you describe. I tried for a few days THEN I learned that they hadn't been made properly. The post above talking about inter-pupuilary distance is spot on. They have to be EXACT.
I would bet good money that the glasses you have had made up have the wrong inter-pupilary distance.
Assuming I'm right, your optomotrist should replace them at no cost.
I also got the latest and greatest photogrey lens with my last script but they made white people's skin look pink in the sun - the company making the lens withdrew them and I got free replacements.
work in progress
No, they orient themselves (gravity), so when you lay horizontally they get crosswise. When you stand up, they right themselves. Takes a couple of minutes though.
"Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it." - George Santayana
Firstly I assume you have the normal 40+ age related close focus problem. If so first by 10 pairs of $2 reading glasses and put them in every room of your home, your work desk and your jacket pockets. Only wear them when you need them.
If you need them to read your desktop computer monitor then you need to fixed the problem so you see your monitors without them. I'm 52 years old so I can see monitors clearly if they are about 60cm (2ft) away, or further. At that distance 19" is too small, and who would even consider acceptable 19" these days? In my case a 23" monitor is the smallest I would consider and I currently use a pair 24" monitors at home and work. If I find the minimum distance increases with age then I will simply get bigger monitors and place then further away. I can work a 8 hour day in front of the monitors with no ill effects with this set up, but more than 30 mins with reading glasses on a small screen, such as a tablet, and my eyes are definitely tired.
The key here is wearing glasses is bad idea if better set up can fix the problem. You need to be able to focus, unaided, on your monitor without effort if you want to be free of eye strain and related discomfort.
I've got one near-sighted eye and one far-sighted eye, and both are astigmatic. Wearing glasses really wasn't a choice for me. If I want to see clearly, I have to wear them.
I got progressive lenses when I got diagnosed with presbyopia at age 35 (seriously), and I got used to them, surprisingly, right away. Yes, they're slightly less convenient because the near focus area is toward the bottom of the lens, so you'll want your displays to be a little lower than you might be able to tolerate them if you don't have presbyopia.
One other option, if you need correction for nearer focus, is to get a pair of single-vision reading glasses (i.e. glasses that lack the progressive lens/bifocal feature and are geared to your near vision, sacrificing your distance vision). I got a pair, quite sure I'd need them for my computer work, and the reality is that I really don't. I do, however, find them to be indispensible in certain situations, most notably trying to watch televisions in economy class of aircraft - I no longer have to crane my neck!
Years ago - went to the Eye Doctor - Best advise he gave - use 1.0-1.25 reading glasses when on the computer and when you would like to read books, newspapers, magazines etc. use 2.0 reading glasses. Hope it works for you!
Coke bottle glasses...think Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys.
I’m going to be as brief as I can. I could write pages on this topic. Buying progressive lenses twice over a few years has been the worst retail experience of my life. The dispensers are like clothes salespeople and other retail stores: get the customer out the door as fast as possible. Unfortunately that didn’t suit my style and so I had to become my own expert. I won’t write generally but will try to address your specific problem.
I have scanned the earlier comments and didn’t see all that much that is useful to you. (Sorry, other posters, I said _scanned_.)
First: There are _hundreds_ of progressive lens designs, and probably thousands of patents. Most dispensers have found that they have a decent success rate with a particular design; for all I know, they might have a bulk rate from a manufacturer. If the lens does not suit you, take them back and ask for another design. Any respectable dispenser will tolerate this—they won’t love you, but they will tolerate it. On my first go-round, I had four different designs, but then the lab screwed up at least one or two.
Some designs are quite crappy. There has been a lot of progress in lens design in the last 10 years. Some lenses are still designed by an old buy who remembers Zernike polynomials and does his work with a pencil and paper. You don’t want these. Get a modern lens design known as digital progressive lenses, high definition, HD, or more commonly, free-form. These designs are made using a computer and divide the lens up into “pixels” where a performance goal is met subject to an overall cost function. The in-between-points are probably interpolated with a cubic spline. You see, the problem with lens design is, if you try to make it better in one place, it gets worse in another place. This is why it is an interesting design problem. The modern, free-form designs are _far_ better than the old designs. Some designs actually allow precise measurments to be made on your frame _before_ the lens is made; this information is sent to the lab and incorporated into the lens design, essentially a custom-made design. Shamir comes to mind, but there are others. At least one company has a slick jig for an iPad and an optical splitter that fits over the iPad’s camera so that even a monkey could set this up without screwing things up. (FYI, be prepared to deal with monkeys.) The free-form designs can trade off near, intermediate, and distance regions that you can select depending on your lifestyle. Many new free-form designs excel at getting a wide channel, which is to say, the intermediate, which is great for most computer work. Free-form designs are much better at getting the near vision wider. My current lens is a free-form design and it is _far_ better in both intermediate width and near width than my old conventionally designed lenses. (FWIW, my current lens is the best Seiko lens, and I recommend them.) And you will also find that there are “computer glasses” which you should consider; these have giant intermediate and near regions and pretty much punt on distance.
Many dispensers will bitch and moan if you get a short lens (frame); these became fashionable 10+ years ago and still are. That’s bullshit. They will try to put you in an “old fart” frame because they claim that it forces fewer compromises on the design. Then they will take your prescription and increase it so that it is more powerful at the bottom of the giant lens so that it is correct at the near vision region that you actually use. You simply can’t rotate your eyeballs far enough to see to the bottom edge of a giant lens.
Getting the frame adjusted (bent) is critical for progressives. The optical axis has to be aligned with the optical axis of your eyeballs. The lenses come from the lab with a fitting cross or dot on the lens. If you get your new lenses and do not see the fitting cross, your dispenser has removed it. Ask them to put it back on. They have a simple tool to do this. The
My left eye is my dominant eye, that naturally focuses on things at a distance.
My right eye naturally focuses on things nearby.
I have two different contact lenses in my two eyes, one for near and one for far.
Wow, it works for me. Totally naturally my eyes do the switch from near to far, I am surprised more people have not discovered this trick. The drawback is that you have to buy two pairs of contact lenses (4 lenses) in order to get the pair (2 lenses) that actually do the trick.
I went to my eye doctor with pictures of my computer set up at home. I also brought along measurements of the distance from my eyes to the screens at home.We then found the best prescription for me sitting at my desk and viewing my two 24 inch screens. I made up several pairs of single prescription glasses at Wal-Mart, at the time they were on sale($36 for a frame and lenses). I choose the cheapest frame, cheapest lenses and no coatings. They don't look pretty, but they fit my Nerd image. It has worked out great.
I'm in my mid 50's. I started wearing glasses at 8 years old due to "lazy eye". I made it to 44 before I was forced to wear bifocals. My dad had trouble with progressive bifocals, and I heard a lot of people having problems with them. Since I did a lot of work using a computer screen (volunteer 911 operator for over a dozen years) and personal use of a computer, I went with the standard "line" bifocals. Now, in my mid 50's, what works the best for me is I went to the expense of getting a mechanical swing arm, to mount the monitor. When I'm working with the computer, I keep the monitor around 12-14" away from my face and don't have to do the up down neck thing. Plus, to keep me from being "tunnel vision" focused on one spot, I move the monitor arm a few inches every so often to force my eyes to focus for a different focal length. For me anyway, I find the occurrence of headaches after a prolonged time, a lot less.
Presbyopia is a inability to change the focal point due to stiffness of the lens; this is typically age-related and is independent of near or far sightedness or atigmatism, these are related to the shape of the eyeball. For normal eyes it usually presents as as an inability to focus closely without discomfort, hence the association with farsightedness. True farsightedness is where distance vision requires positive correction ("magnification") for normal distance vision.
You don't want implants (aka intraoccular lens or IOL) until you get cataracts. The current tech removes your ability to focus (the so called multi focal is a turd) and also doesn't have a long life ( clouds/fogs up due uv exposure). My wife got cataracts at a young age and got IOL surgery and will probably need replacement in 10 years and the repeat surgery is less likely to result in the same final focal accuracy.
I have progressives and three displays and have no problem. When I get a new prescription, it takes a week or so to get used to them and calibrate where to look for a given distance, but after that it's all muscle memory and happens without thinking.
I ask because I first started with progressive lenses about five years ago. They helped me immediately with small print and the computer, but it took at least a month to get used to wearing them around and I was very conscious of tilting my head to get the angle right for distances. Sometime in the second month I stopped noticing (the head tilt must have become automatic) and they've been fine ever since. I wonder if you're experiencing something similar, just reversed.
For what it's worth, I use two 24" monitors at work and have no problems.
I ask about seperate lenses for use at the computer, and was told it was easy. ...)
I have a pair of single correction glases just for computer use. Works just fine.
You can spend as little or as much as you want.
I got cheap frames (that fit) plastic lenses, and no frills (coatings , etc
The whole screen is in focus and no stiff neck.
I am considering getting a pair with a bifocal in them for close reading of material in front of the monitor.
You can get all kinds of configurations, think bifocal in the top, for electricians or pilots.
Consider trying monovision. About three out of four people can tolerate having different correction for their left and right eyes (using contacts, not glasses). If you don't need glasses at all for reading, or not at all for distance vision, you may get by with only one contact lens as I do. There are very few disadvantages; mostly, as you lose more focusing ability, you may end up with a middle range (say, 5-10 feet distance) where you cannot focus clearly in low light. Also for the first few weeks you may see halos around bright lights at night because your brain hasn't learned to fully ignore the eye that is not in focus. That tends to go away eventually.
There is no sense of "switching" from one eye to the other. You just see clearly both near and far.
It even works with Lasik, though it is important to be very sure that you are not in the 25% who cannot tolerate monovision first.
strange as this sounds, more closeup work makes your eyes get bigger. That is why we bookworms tend to get nearsighted.
Silicone soft lenses transmit enough oxygen to safely use them for 30 days straight, rather than removing them at night time; I can elect to remove them at night if desired, but I'll still minimize the risk of complications by providing oxygen permeability similar to not having lenses.
Yeah, no thank you. "Safe to use for 30 days straight" is a mistake. You are recommending about the most dangerous contact lens option for people and saying it is safe. Even the aforementioned extended wear contacts the risk of eye infection increases and 30 days is the maximum that *some* people's eyes can tolerate with some types of extended wear lenses. In general, no it is not safe to sleep in contacts. Don't do it, that's contact lens abuse and if you play with fire long enough you're going to get burned.
I promise that you will want to go without an eye infection, ulcer, and needing corneal transplants. I have seen far too many terrible contact lens abuse ulcers. In light of the increased risk of infection FDA recommends no more than 7 days of use even with those that claim they can be safely worn for 30 days. Extended wear even with soft aero gel CL has a 10-15x increased risk of corneal ulcer over daily wear.
Here. Read up a bit from the AAO for a brief introduction on contact lens care if you are considering getting fitted and especially if you had your head filled with the notion that extended wear is safe.
http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/glasses-contacts-lasik/contact-lens-care.cfm
Why can't they make special monitors or add-on screens with "ribbed" lenses that correct for fogey-vision?
Table-ized A.I.
Bifocal and trifocal lenses were (and are )intended for situations where the eye is frequently shifting from near to far focal distances; the near focal range is at the bottom because, usually, the closer things are, the lower in your field of view they are likely to be. (Yeah, I know; "Tell me something obvious now.") Progressive lenses take this one better, in that they have a smooth change of focus as your eyes rotate up or down, rather than a step shift.
But in looking at a computer monitor, the whole view field is at a single distance, or at least nearly so; also, at least half of what you see is at or above the middle of your field of view, right where bifocals and trifocals go to "long distance" focus, so you find yourself tipping your head back to get the near focus, and your neck gets real tired, real fast. Best bet? Measure how far your monitor is from your eyes, in normal position, and tell your optometrist you want single-focus reading glasses adjusted for that distance, and don't let him (or her, as the case might be) talk you out of it. They'll cost less and work much better for you than progressive lenses -- but only in this limited case. So, once you have them, use them ONLY when working at your computer.
They're a bit spendy... but if you can find an optometrist that can fit you for Ipseo progressives (made by Varilux), you won't encounter most of the problems you're experiencing (the distortion area on your peripheral vision is minimal, and very easy to ignore over time).
Also as one of the other posters said, make sure you get lenses that have plenty of vertical height; slim stylish lenses don't give you enough area on the reading part of your lense to do any good.
At age ~45 I finally gave in to glasses. The optometrist told me that I had chosen an appropriate set of readers for my condition. Since my employer would pay for them, I went for prescription bifocals. I tried progressives at first, but found (as you did) that the field of vision was not sufficient to see one monitor clearly, let alone two. Within a few days I went back to the eyeglass store and told them to heck with vanity, give me the ones with the lines. Those worked well.
Fast forward 10 years: I seem to need a stronger lens these days, and no longer have vision benefits. I just buy readers of the least strength that feels usable at the cheap stuff store, and take them off or look over them when I need to see far away. The frames are not as well constructed as the prescription glasses were, but at 99 cents per pair at my local hardware store I don't cry when a cheap set gets scratched, broken, or lost. And if I need to do close-up work such as soldering, I put on 2 pair at once.
...there are a number of progressive lenses designed specifically for computer work. These have a larger center sweet spot focused at "monitor distance." My optometrist also taught me an additional trick: If you limit the focal range so infinity is not included, progressive lenses work even better for computer work. These are designed specifically for indoor "office" work. You'd wear another, less expensive, single prescription "distance" glasses for driving, etc. (keep them in your glove compartment).
My optician cautioned me to avoid progressives, given the amount of computer work I do. So I have two pairs of glasses. The first are bi-focals, with primary lens area focus from about 4 feet to infinity, and a thin bifocal section for up close, such as reading a menu, book, or phone screen. The bifical section is only 6.5 mm high, custom cut for me. It took a week or two for my brain to get used to the bifocal section. The second pair is optimized for computer screens, in focus from about 18 inches to about 5 feet. This arrangement works great. I also use f.lux to drop blue output after sunset- that has been very benefical for reducing eye strain and improving sleep.
I've had similar issues with progressive lens. I've been wearing progressives over the past 5-6 years. Over that time my distance vision has improved to almost perfect but my reading vision has degraded. My neck was killing me after long computer sessions. Last year I upgraded from 2 19" monitors to 2 24" monitors which made it worse because I had to tilt and pan my head even more to read the larger screen area through the tiny reading area of my progressive lenses. The best solution I found was to get a pair of glasses with single-vision lenses that I use with desktop computers. I measured from the tip of my nose to the screens and had the lenses made for reading at that distance. BTW, the progressives work great for laptop, smartphone and tablet use.
I don't like progressive glasses, or any glasses for that matter. I love my multifocal contact lenses, Typical multifocals have five focal lengths, and you can't even see where each ring is, your eyes just naturally move to where the text is clear. There is no going back to glasses for me!
Optometrist here. Considering you have two monitors and spend extensive amounts of time on the computer progressives are not a good option for you. A good single vision pair of glasses set at the focal length for your computer monitor's distance is the best option. I would suggest you return to your optometrist and request a prescription set for your computer distance specifically. I would also recommend that you make some kind of note or measurement (eg with the length of your arm) as to how far your screen is so that he can test the prescription for you at that distance in office.
Not correct. You can do either monovision (one contact in one eye for reading, the other for distance). There are also new contacts that are progressive that are amazing. The new type came out earlier this year. I've used them and it's astonishing how you can look at something and read it and then look out and have normal distance vision. And no learning curve, you eyes somehow figure it out.
After a few years with progressives I gave up trying to make them work and asked for a pair of glasses specially for computer use. I should have done it right from the start. Progressives are good for every day stuff but they are truly rubbish for long periods using a computer.
There are multifocal contacts that are available these days. A multifocal contact has different optical zones that focus a bit differently. For instance a distance center design would have distance in the center zone and then intermediate and near zones moving towards the outside of the lens. A near center design would be of course would have near in the center and then intermediate and distance zones moving outward. Some companies only make distance center designs while others center near but a few will also offer both distance and near center designs in which you would usually place the distance center design in the dominant eye and the near center lens in the non dominant eye. The idea is to get good distance, intermediate, and near vision. Binocularly the goal is to have at least 20/20 vision for distance and near.
Because different companies produce different multifocal designs with different fitting philosophies, it can be tricky finding a doctor who is knowledgeable about fitting a lens that will work for you. Getting multifocals to work right can take more chair time than plain spheres or torics. Since time is money for a lot of eye doctors, there are a number who will refuse to fit these and/or give you a bunch of excuses why they won't work. Multifocal torics are available which help with both presbyopia and astigmatism but those will of course be the trickiest of all to fit as well as being pricey. I know of one brand on the market that is a back surface toric with a front surface multifocal. This can often successfully give presbyopia patients with astigmatism the ability to have good distance, intermediate and near vision.
Another thing to keep in mind is there are stepped multifocal designs as well as aspheric "progressive" multifocal designs. Stepped designs will have set prescriptions for each optical zone of the eye where a progressive design will be a gradual change in prescription going out from the center zone. I personally feel progressive multifocal designs are superior and give better results. Also having the option to have both distance and near center designs can allow more patients with higher add powers to be successfully fit.
Do you mean you have a high cylinder? Do you know what brand contact you used? Lenses can rotate due to eye movement so sometimes getting a stable fit can be tricky. A back surface toric will usually stabalize fairly well since the cylinder on the lens is on the back surface and should lock into place with the cylinder on your cornea. There are also different prism ballast designs so it may be worth trying a few different brands. Also, if the cylinder is very high you will have to get a custom lens to get the best correction since most manufacturers won't keep an inventory of very high cylinder lenses.
I'm not sure undercorrecting the astigmatism in your eye would help much. It could be that you have more lenticular astigmatism and not as much corneal astigmatism. In that case, it's possible that lowering the cylinder on the lens to match more closely what's on the cornea might help with stability. Corneal astigmatism is more common however.
Another important thing to consider is the base curve of the lens. Tightening up the base curve may help reduce movement of the lens but if it's too tight, the lens may vault the cornea giving poor results. Best that the doctor consult with the manufacturer on what the best base curve to use for your eye is.
But a contact lens is stuck to your eye when you look down, doesn't the lens remain in the same spot relative to your eyeball? Or do you just have to keep the close-up stuff in the lower part of your vision frame?
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Progressive lenses take time to get used to. The first day I had mine I had a crunching headache. I couldn't focus properly on any thing. It took about 3 weeks to be able to use them well. Now I wouldn't be without them. The only downside, mentioned elsewhere, is that the close focus zone is in the wrong place when you are doing close up work like soldering.
Got a normal pair of bifocals, and two matched pairs cut for the distance and angle to the instrument panel for near vision and the rest distant. Have met several helo pilots with trifocals cut far to see out the kick windows. Go talk to a good optometrist.
No his hobby is insulting Mexican waiters.
Try these on.
Progressive lenses sound like an expensive non solution.
Get yourself a pair of glasses that are suitable for viewing your monitor and your immediate workspace. I am short-sighted and wear a distance prescription and carry my working glasses with me. I use no glasses when reading or doing close-up work and switch to my working glasses when I'm on a monitor.
I tried varifocal / progressive lenses and it's like seeing the world through a fishbowl. It is a pain having two sets of glasses plus slip-on sunglasses, but at least I can see without having to move my head like an out of control marionette.
Just get uni focal glasses corrected for 0,5 to 1,0 meter. Thats' 1.5 to 3.0 feet. You will love them. BTW: I'm myopic since my 12 years.
I would recommend computer glasses. That way the entire lense is focused for the monitors and you dont have to do any additional head movements to work around a smaller focal area.
I needed new glassew for bothncloae and distance, and I got progressive lenses the day before starting a week-long course, and hated them. Aside from having to turn my head to read a monitor, i couldn't read a standard page of text without moving myhead side to side for each line of text.
The lack of focus on everything to either side of the focal point was also frustrating. I am used to looking to the side by moving my eyes, not my head.
Switching to bifocals with a wide close focus area was much better, at least for me.
Simply get normal single focal spectacles. I use it to work on computers and read all the time.
Simple.
Some 18 months ago, I started to have problems reading, especially in darker environments. Reading the menu in some restaurants was getting real hard.
My ophtalmologist proposed to try two different contact lenses (I use contact lenses for many years already). One lens, for my left eye, would have optimal focus at short distances. The other lens, for my right eye, would have optimal focus for long distances.
My ophtalmologist told me that some people love this setup while others just get nausea, so I could try them for a month. If I decided they were not for me, I could replace them with ordinary contact lenses at no cost (but then I would of course need reading glasses). If I liked them, I could keep them.
I kept them. I love them.
My brain automatically uses the eye that's most suited for the distance I'm focusing at. So now, reading from the computer screen, I use my left eye. If I close my left eye and use my right eye to look at the screen, things get a bit blurry.
Similar for long distances. When driving, my brain automatically uses the right eye, so I can see traffic and traffic signs in good focus. If I close my right eye while driving, things get blurry.
This all happens totally automatically. I do not have to spend any effort.
Estimating speeds and distances is still possible. I have no problems catching a ball thrown toward me, and I can still estimate the locations and speeds of cars, cyclists and pedestrians while driving. It seems 3D vision still works when one image is sharp while the other one is blurry.
I use contact lenses, but my ophtalmologist told me this setup works with (single focus) glasses too.
I suggest you propose this setup to your ophtalmologist and see what (s)he says.
I am a manager of an optical. I see this issue all the time. For most people regular progressives will never work for anything other than casual computer work. For power users, you need to ask for a computer progressive RX. This is intermediate top, reading bottom. If your doctor does it right, you can wear them all day when indoors. There will also be less crank in your neck.
I have exactly the same problem that you have, and it started the same way. At first, I found that the best solution for me was to just use some reading glasses, and that was fine for a while, but with my work, I constantly have to go from reading items on my desk back to the monitors a little further out. As a result, the regular reading glasses weren't quite getting it done. I was using regular progressives around the house, so I tried using those, but I struggled. At that point my optometrist suggested that I try a medium range or short range progressive for the computer work. I started with the medium range and found that to be not much better than the long range. I then swapped those out for the short range progressives, and those are much better. They are also sometimes called office lenses because they have a wider field of view at shorter ranges. Also, make sure you get a digital lens. They will be custom set for your eyes. Finally, the best manufacturers for these kinds of lenses are Zeiss, Hoya and Shamir.
For what it is worth, my optometrist is also my wife, so I spent a lot of time with her and her staff trying to find the optimal solution. I'd rather be 18, but this will have to do.
I have the same problem. After going back to the opticians a few times, the solution I ended with was progressives that are great for long and middle distance (so good for driving and using the screen) but no use for reading or close-up work. For close-up I take my glasses off and hold the book/work a bit closer than I would have to with properly corrected vision.
Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
I'm 65 years old and have been wearing progressive lenses for about 15 years. Uncorrected, I'm roughly 20-200 in both eyes with astigmatism in my right eye. In 1998 I began a CS PhD program and worked in IT until about 5 years ago. I've consistently used larger (20" - 24") multiple monitor setups for the entire time I've had my progressives. I couldn't be happier. With the exception of doing fine detail work (like proofing printed circuit boards) my glasses are wonderful for everything from reading to driving and especially computer use. My doctor had warned me to allow a few weeks to get used to moving my eyes relative to the lenses rather than tilting my head, but with a half a day I was sold.
Now an opinion. Because my eyes are important to me (and I assume yours are to you as well) I strongly recommend seeing an Ophthalmologist for eye exams and prescriptions. Most optometrists can competently get you glasses, but an eye surgeon can assess the state of health of your eyes and treat issues if they arise. Maybe a little more expensive if you don't have insurance, but the peace of mind is priceless.
I was in the exact same situation and fixed the issue by getting a very wide version of progressives... (in my case the Shamir Workplace lens) http://www.shamirlens.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=16542:shamir-computer-workspace&Itemid=253
These worked for me...
I have a large clunky pair of glasses that are focused to the reading distance of my 2 large screens (1920x1200), 23" the screens are angled to keep distane the same, this works pretty well till I lean back and slouch. After the first set, I had them made with lined bifocal to read with and I'm very pleased with the results.
Remember 1/object_distance + 1/image_distance = 1/focal_length ?
If you have your screen at R meters away, add (1/R) to your lens strength in diopters. Diopters are 1.0/focal_length in meters. That will give you the same comfortable image_distance at your eye when looking at your screen.
Suppose you have your monitor 0.5 of a meter away, and you use -5.0 diopter glasses because you are short-sighted. You add (1/0.5) = 2.0 to -5.0 diopters and get -3.0 diopters. The person who had -5.0 diopters and used -3.5 diopter lenses for computing work probably uses a screen 2/3 meters away. If you are short-sighted, the diopter values should get smaller in magnitude; if you are long-sighted, the diopter value will get bigger.
Add 2 diopters if your screen is 50 cm away.
Add 1.5 if your screen is 67 cm away.
Add 1 if your screen is 1m away (a bit far, but maybe you have a big monitor)
Hot damn, that school physics is actually good for something! Too bad they had to black out the lab to show us, and we all fell asleep. Now, all I need is some frictionless pulleys and massless string...
Wow, thanks for the info.
However, it really sounds like this whole thing is a recipe for a big headache, unless you're able to train your brain to accept visual input in this new way (and to use your eye and neck muscles accordingly). At least with reading glasses, it's simple: if I'm looking at something far away, I just take them off. Having different focus zones for different eyes sounds like hell (the one where you're putting distance-center in one eye and near-center in the other).
I had the same problem when I first got mine. I didn't wear them for almost a year. My optometrist convinced me to try them again, and within a few months I didn't even notice them. I have dual monitors at work and home, and while I do have to turn my head a bit, it's not that bad.
I think it takes a while for the brain to 'rewire' itself. At first, I really noticed the warping as I turned my head. Now, I hardly notice it at all. Twenty years ago, I lost sight in a small portion of my peripheral vision in my left eye, due to some type of blood issue in the eye. At first, it was very annoying because there was nothing in that area of my vision. It wasn't black, there was nothing there. I couldn't see my finger if I held it in that area, similar to the blind spot one has normally in the eye. It only took about a week for it to stop bothering me. I think the brain does something to adjust to these types of things, it makes things more normal.
For future consideration, this might be useful. I thought I would be financially frugal and just get a pair of single vision goggles for riding my motorcycle. Bad idea, I could barely read the speedometer. I keep them for a spare in the car, and one day when my glasses broke, I had to use them. Same problem, it was very difficult to read the speedometer.
I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
I was steered towards progressive lenses and found the same irritating issues. I switched to regular bi-focals and have little to no problems. I did move my monitors to allow me to have the correct distance from me, but other than that the bifocals serve me well.
Creative Spelling Copyright (2002). May use without Persimmons
All progressive lenses aren't created equal. I have a fairly strong prescription and a friend suggested that I get the new Digital Free-form progressives, which are more expensive but have the widest possible viewing angle with low distortion. Another poster also mentioned a good hint - the 'stylish' narrow vertical height frames are no good for progressives. I have found having a higher frame height (say about 40 mm for my head) is much better, and there are plenty of stylish frames in this height.
With that said, I have progressives and am thinking of going back to my eye doctor to get a pair of glasses especially for computer use.
I am 57, I have used reading glasses for about 10 years, then switched to progressive (+2.75 to +0.75 on my right eye, +2.0 to 0 on my left) about three years ago.
I really love these glasses but have found like you that they are not at all suitable for my standard 3-monitor working setup:
Progressive lenses work by having a fairly large sweet spot (i.e. focus area) over the top half of the lenses, optimized for distance vision, then a much smaller bottom area which is optimized for (book) reading, i.e. with a focus distance of 30+ cm or about a foot. It is important to note that this lower area is significantly narrower than the distance-vision part!
The big problem is everything in between, i.e. the progressive part! When you blend two different lenses, the transition area will be very narrow, i.e. the area of good focus is shaped like a top-heavy timing glass with a narrow waist.
This will severely limit your normal sidewise focusing ability, and the narrowest slice seems to be close to the 60-100 cm distances typical of multi-monitor setups.
The only good solution I've found is to have a pair of dedicated programming glasses in the +1.75 to +2.25 range.
BTW, what I'm really waiting for is improved soft replacement lenses which hook into my eye muscles so that I can focus the same I did when I was younger, but the first generation of these only provide about +1.0 of adjustable focus range, and that is not enough to read fine print, or in my case: Detailed orienteering maps.
Terje
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"
Progressive lenses are a financial boon for opticians, but do not provide a sufficient field of view for any kind of close work-- conventional bi or tri-focal lenses will be much more satisfactory for you. I traded my progressive lenses in on the advice of an ophthalmologist.
My optician actually steered me away from the progressive lenses when I told her I did a lot of both reading and computer work. I now have trifocals (besides being old I am also nearsighted); the lowest part works for reading and the middle part is perfect for the computer. (And I need the top part for driving, walking, and everything else). I also requested that the lower two sections be made as large as possible; they are each about 1/4 the height of the lens, with the top part being the upper half of the lens.
Apparently, as you have discovered, the progressive lenses actually have a very small region that is focused properly at any given distance. If they don't work for you, go back to the eye doctor, explain what's wrong with them, and see if you can get lenses that actually work for you.
how does bad vision work with 3d ? Solution?
Your optometrist made a mistake. Go back and get reading glasses only. Progressive lenses were brought out to hide the line in bifocals. You don't need bifocals! Functionally they were always a mistake. They cost more, that's why he sold them to you.
Dick
From personal experience, bifocals with the line and and the reading areas as wide at possible across the bottom of the lenses work exceptionally well for computer plus desk work. It's best to measure from your eyes to the monitors and your eyes to the desk top (the physical desk top, not the computer's). Give these measurements to the optometrist and you will have a perfect pair of glasses for your work. Progressive lenses, as you have observed, provide only a small area to correct your vision. In fact, if you can accept the bifocal line concept, bifocal glasses with a line offer much, much more precise vision.
I used reading glasses for almost 10 years until I started to develop some astigmatism. So my optometrist also suggested progressives. They drove me crazy, and they were useless for screen work. So I have two pairs of bifocals. One is for general use, the other for screen work. The computer glasses focus at about arm's length in the upper portion, and keyboard distance in the lower portion.
I am very nearsighted, my husband just started wearing reading glasses in the last few years. You probably need to get single vision lenses just to use on the computer. That's what we both do, although I wear bifocals at work to teach and he uses progressives when not at the computer. He experimented with the reading glasses at the drug store to find the best diopter for screen distance, and for quite a while could use drug store reading glasses. It's best to have big lenses, so his last pair he had made instead of off the rack because there were only small lenses on the rack. He uses two monitors also. His lens size is 27mm ht and 48mm wide to see both monitors without moving his head. Be sure to measure the distance from your eyes to the monitor and use that to test lenses in the store, or tell the optometrist to get you a pair of single vision for that distance. Good Luck
yes, sort of like bifocals. Although, a quick google search shows other kinds of contacts with other ways of having multiple prescriptions in one. I haven't used them though.
"Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it." - George Santayana
I have astigmatism, have worn glasses for 50 years, and am a software developer who spends uncounted hours at the computer, all day, every day.
1. Contacts are a non-starter.
2. Wear progressives when you drive, so you can see the dashboard.
3. For books, get reading glasses that are calibrated to your normal reading distance.
4. For computers, get reading glasses that are calibrated to your normal monitor distance and resolution. I do this by finding a book that approximates my preferred font size and screen resolution when held up at my monitor distance, and bringing that book to the eye exam. Then I view a sentence from the book after the tech approximates a lens correction, and tell them whether it works for me. Rinse and repeat until they get it right.
You have to explain these things to the optometrist/opthamologist during your eye exam, lest they cut corners and not fit your computer readers properly.
Get the prescriptions on paper, including the pupillary distance, which they often won't write down unless you remind them.
3 pairs of glasses every time you need a prescription update gets expensive. I have to renew mine once a year nowadays. Unless you have lots of cash, I recommend going to an online vendor. I use http://www.zennioptical.com/ but there are others as well. Super cheap, and I have found them to be reliable and have good quality.
I use progressive lenses and have no problems with them for anything from driving to working with two 21" monitors to reading ebooks or regular books. If the glasses do not work out for you go back to the optometrist and have her/him fix it. Glasses are like shoes, they need to fit and work right.
As I need reading glasses too, I have found out that for coding they are a detriment. Chuck the glasses at work and the Ipads and digital readers all together and just use glasses to read print. That will help your eyes.
I have several comments:
1. If you have side to side problems, there is something wrong with the lens. There isn't supposed to be any difference side to side. If your vendor can't fix it, go someplace else.
2. I find that my progressives are OK to use with LCDs for a while, but not with analog monitors. If you are still using analog monitors, get rid of them.
3. For long term use, I have some fixed glasses that are just for the computer distance (which is not the same as the reading distance). I keep a pair at work and a pair at home. At least for me, the computer prescription doesn't change much; so, the frames actually wear out before the lenses need changing.
4. If you need progressives, it is probably unreasonable to expect a bargain basement chain supplier to supply decent lenses. There is definitely a quality difference in lenses.
An engineer who ran for Congress. http://herbrobinson.us
I asked my optometrist to prescribe me glasses specifically for computer work. I went from painful eye strain and 2-day headaches to ease and speed in looking at my screen. So, note the distance to your monitors and ask for glasses that make focusing at that distance effortless. I ordered mine online and got nerdy fashion and great lenses too.
I have used progressive lenses for a long time and I spends hours on the computer daily. When I first got them I thought they were terrible for everything, not just for computers. I was talking to my real estate person and he shared his experience with the lenses. He at first had the same opinion as I had. They just didn't work. He then told me someone suggested he try a high quality lens. He used Zeiss lenses and they worked well for him. I got a pair and while expensive they worked like I thought progressive lenses should. I tried Crizal lenses and they worked well too. Try a quality lens and see how they work for you. Progressives, when they work for you, are just so much better that wearing bi or try focals. I also tried custom computer glasses with an intermediate focal length too. Too much of a hassle.
I just retired from 30 years in IT, the last 12-15 years wearing progressives. The first two weeks was weird, for sure. After that, it's all good. Reading, driving, computer screens, TV, everything better. Peripheral vision improved to where driving is safer, backing up is not an issue any more.
You sound like you have a good optometrist. Work with him. I complained for the first weeks. My doc said give it 4-6 weeks. He was right.
Mike
Coke-bottes: think lenses generally used by far-sighted people who need glasses to see in focus up close.
Bi-focals: have a half-circle shaped area in the bottom of each lens at a different power (for reading) while the rest of the lens is set for regular viewing
Progressive: has the regular lens gradually change to reading power so you don't have the tell-tale line (and power jump) associated with bi-focals.
What you describe is great for all but computer work. With progressive, you end and with terminals at some desktop height, and your text at keyboard height, progressives will cause your neck muscles and your eyes to constantly adjust. At the end of the day, fatigue and eye strain.
With fixed lenses, (optimized for 20 inch focus), I found my 8 hour shift painless, and very comforting, versus using bifocals or progressive lenses. I keep one pair of glasses for the computer work, and a second "transition lenses" for reading a book, or normal vision such as walking or driving.
I'm extremely myopic and briefly tried progressive lenses. Like you, they drove me nuts because so little of the visual field was in focus at any given time. I dumped them quickly and went back to straight distance lenses. I don't actually need glasses for reading fine print, so for medium distance (I keep my computer monitors at the back of my very large desk) I just slide my glasses down my nose to adjust the correction. It's not perfect but it's still better than progressive lenses. (I have poor eyesight but very good visual acuity.)
wg
I used progressives for a year. They were very difficult for me because need glasses for reading and mid-distance. When I went back a year later to get my eyes checked my eye doctor explicitly advised against using progressives because I do a lot of work at the computer (about hours a day). I went back to regular bifocals and they work much better.
Yep. I spent a year with the new computer and reading heavily before needing glasses.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Progressive lenses make sense only if you need them for distance and for near. Go to the local drugstore and buy cheap reading glasses. While there choose the least corrective glasses that you still can read with, then they should work for the slightly longer distance that a monitor requires.
There are a whole range of lenses on the market designed for just what you want. They are generally known as office lenses but they have a variety of names. Shamir do the office Zeiss do the business, Nikon do the Online and so on but they all work the same way in as much that they are designed to give you comfortable reading and to waken off at the top so that you can see the monitor comfortably they correct poture as well as vision. the other alternative is an occupational progressive. this is a progressive lens where the priority is given over to the reading. in a conventional progressive lens it is a distance lens with a reading facility. an occupational progressive is a reading lens with a distance facility. with these lenses you will have to look through the very top of the lens for the distance vision. THIS LENS IS NOT SUITABLE FOR DRIVING
I hope theses coments are of some help
Peter Sanders FBDO dispensing optician UK
At work (in the markets) I use 5 monitors arrayed in a horizontally in a semicircle about 24" away at the same level as my eyes. I am slightly far-sighted and, more relevantly, presbyopic (that is, my lenses have stiffened with age, with a limited ability to re-focus as task distances change). Hence, the call for bifocals, now progressive, corrective lenses. I was unhappy using my everyday progressive lenses at work, so my optometrist-wife fit me with progressive lenses with a "distant" field that is optimized for a 20" - 40" range. She calls these "interview" or "conversation" lenses. They are unsuitable for life away from the desk, but are indispensable to me during the 8-10 hours I spend looking at screens in front of me and a notebook on m desk. In reading through the many comments on your question, I'm reminded of the importance of ensuring that the progressives are properly fitted (including frame-adjustment). Ill-fitting progressives are a nightmare. Your doc should take the time to be sure that they are working for you. The other thing that struck me, reading through the remarks, is the range of thoughtfulness that Slashdot readers have given to the question, with many excellent observations. And many poor ones. To those who believe that your eye care professional is out to fleece you, I ask only that you avoid visiting my wife. Her 45 minute exams are designed to ensure complete eye health, not only an optimum refraction. The segment of her patient population that you represent are a constant drain on her practice. The fewer stories I have to listen to at dinner about the patient who comes in with a corneal lesion because they've been ordering contacts online for two or three years without a check-up the better.
I have five pairs of glasses and that is because as one's eyes age the lenses lose their ability to adjust for distances. Progressives are fine for general wearing about and one gets used to turning one's head rather than one's eyes to the side as the distortion in a progressive is bad in corners. I suggest a pair of purpose built single vision eyeglasses for a desktop computer optimized for a certain distance so measure where you want to be and get them made for that specific use. A desktop and laptop use might require a different distance. With a laptop, it is a decent compromise to have a progressive pair for that as one looks down to the keyboard and out to the screen but everyone's eyes are different at accommodation. Like I said, I have literally 5 pairs as I am a graphic intensive user and I demand that it be right for a dozen hours a day.make sure to get coated non reflective lenses. Hint..Costco is a cheap place to get lenses.
Hi,
I was talked into progressives as well and they are terrible for reading and computing. The only thing they are good for is driving or watching TV. I found the focal point to be too small and ineffective. I have 1 pair of progressives for general use/distance, progressive sun glasses but I have several pair of NV (Near Vision) glasses. Since this is expensive I generally get the progressives from the eye doctor than I go to EYEBUYDIRECT, punch in my prescription, make sure it contains my PD (Pupilary Distance) and NV(Near vision correction). Some eye doctors refuse to give patients their PD because they don't want them to buy glasses online. If this happens, take your prescription which you have a right to access, go to another doctor or try to measure it yourself. I always have 2 or three pairs of reading glasses because most of what I do requires computer work. I also prefer to tint them yellow to minimize harmful blue light. I hope this helps.
Besides coding I play keyboard, and need to have good peripheral vision at arm's length. So just buy glasses designed to focus at that distance. Make sure to tell the optometrist that you need an RX specifically for the distance your interested in. He can also give you a long-distance RX, and since you have glasses dedicated to monitor viewing your long-distance glasses could either be bifocals or they could be only for distance, which would also give you good peripheral vision at distance.
When I aged into needing bifocals, I didn't like the idea of a line in my glasses. I guess it was a vanity thing.
For the past three years, my vision hadn't changed enough to warrant purchasing a new pair of glasses. Yet, to see my computer screens (side by side), I had to adjust the magnification to 125%. That screwed up my ability to design websites; people just didn't see the way I did.
This time around, I measured the distance from my nose to the screen. I took that measurement to my eye doctor and she came up with an amazing, in my mind, solution. She used the distance I provided and calculated a prescription that allows me to see my desk work and my computer screen in the same pair of glasses. The new pair works great, except when I walk away from my computer screen. In other words, the new pair doesn't work to see clearly beyond the target focal length.
The bifocal allows me to read my phone and tablet at the proper distance. Whereas, the progressive lenses didn't provide the same luxury with the same level of comfort.
Yes, it's a pain switching between my glasses, but my eyes strain less and gives me less headaches.
I hope this helps.
I was very near sighted all my life, till I lens replacement surgery. Now I can drive without glasses, but have a bit of uncorrected astigmatism, so opted for tri-focals. With my tri-focals I have perfect vision at distance and have the middle lens for the monitor and the speedometer in the car, and the bottom lens makes reading a pleasure! Blended lenses are a compromise for those vanity won't let them admit to anyone they are over 40!!
I have progressive lenses made in Australia that work great with a wide field of view . But i cant get them made in the UK, Lost art ???
I am in a similar situation as you, but progressives work fine for me. It took me all of 10 minutes to get used to progressives, but from what I've gathered anecdotally I am the exception. Many colleagues hate them, and others took much longer to get used to them.
It sounds like you're ready to switch back to straight reading glasses. Keep the progressives, they are handy for driving. The dashboard is always in focus. That use case might work for you since the dashboard sits much lower in your field of view than the 19" monitors at work.
After I developed presbyopia and had a hard time reading, I tried reading glasses. I soon realized it is much easier to just wear glasses all the time, so I was fitted for progressives with no correction in the upper half of the lenses. I couldn't stand wearing them for the first few days but I gradually become very comfortable with the glasses and eventually hardly noticed them. I think the brain is quite adaptable in this regard. Now I never take them off. I also have a pair of sunglasses with the same proscription.
I sit about 2 feet back from a 30" Dell. The top of my head is a couple of inches below the top of the monitor. With little or no head movement, everything on the screen is in sharp focus.
Progressive lenses take the prize for most useless invention (apologies to Mr. Franklin). To use the reading portion of the lens, you have to cock back your head uncomfortably or put the reading matter down on our chest. It's far easier to just switch glasses when you need to. For computer viewing, they're completely useless. For distance vision, I need very strong corrective lenses (approx. -5.0 left and -4.0 right). Progressive lenses are made by simply adding approximately +2.0 to the reading portion of the lens. So I just added +2.0 to my prescription ordered full lenses with -3.0 left and -2.0 right, resulting in a focal length of about 2 feet, perfect for computer viewing, which is what I got them for, but I'm finding that they are fine for almost everything I do in life, which generally involves focusing on things at roughly arms length. I have a pair with the original prescription specifically for distance vision, but the only time I use them is for driving, and occasionally for watching seminars.
...with a tape measure, and try on all the reading glasses until you find the pair that focuses where you need them to focus. Pay your $2.
When you get up from the computer, take them off.
I'm nearsighted so I don't need glasses to see the screen. I went through a lot of bifocals and trifocals (I'm 67) and tripped going downstairs until I just said screw it I'm getting single vision lenses and taking them off when I read or work close.
I've had an eye doc put together what he called "Office" glasses -- "Varilux" lenses that the far area was way smaller than normal, mid-range larger than normal and near range about the same or a little larger than the normal near range ---- they work great for me -- no more stiff necks, no more dizziness -- so good that I forget I'm wearing any glasses.
As for the cleaning every 10 minutes -- apparently that person hasn't worn glasses very long --- after your breakin period they really don't get in the way of burritos or anything else.
Just remember to use a micro fiber cloth to clean them so you don't leave scratches
If you only need glasses for reading, you do not need progressive lenses. You need reading glasses, which you will only wear when you are reading.
You can just buy an over-the-counter set of glasses ($15) with your prescription. Or you can have a fancier (lighter or more stylish) pair made, but they will be called single-vision lenses (meaning that they have a single correction factor per eye).
Optometrists prefer you to get the most expensive lens option though their shop. Reading glasses are the cheapest. Single visions are the next cheapest. They have a higher profit margin on progressive lenses, multi-focal lenses, bifocals, etc. They also have a nice profit margin on coatings for anti-reflection or transition lenses. (Contact lenses too!)
I recommend you do the following:
1. Visit your optometrist's office and ask for a copy of your eyeglasses prescription. By law (in the US), they must give this to you at the end of the exam. You should always request this, at every visit, as you have paid for it.
2. If you got your lenses at the optometrist, tell them that they simply are not working for you. Usually, if it has been a few weeks to a month, they will remake your lenses in a different option at no cost to you. (This is generally the only advantage of getting your lenses at your optometrist.)
3. Read online about how your prescription works and figure out if you can get by with a simple set of cheap reading glasses. (You can do this if your eyes both require the same diopter correction value.)
4. Go to a drug store and try out cheap reading glasses.
Good luck. Look at the bright side, some people need glasses for both distance and reading!
If you don't get on with them quickly then you are unlikely to. For computer work I would recommend a lens with an ordinary flat focus, especially if you are using multiple monitors at once. - From experience its important that your glasses don't cause eye-strain especially if you are using them for long periods. :)
For me progressives were headache inducing and distracting while working - bifocals just as bad. If you need different lenses for different focuses then multiple pairs of glasses simply work a lot better.
For computer work you can also get special lenses with a blue UV filter that can significantly reduce eye-strain when using LED or LCD monitors for many hours each day.. A position many of us are in..
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Check your optician.
I opted to ask my Optometrist for a prescription optimized for 3 feet for when I use the computer extensively. Wearing bifocals leaves me straining to keep the screen in focus on the distance prescription or getting a cramp in my neck tilting the head back to look through the close vision portion.
Check your optician. Many places run specials where you get one frame free with purchase. A second set of single vision lenses for the computer glasses with no coatings or extras doesn't run very high.
I tossed the progressive lenses for a totally different reason. When on horseback or riding a motorcycle and wearing progressive lenses' anything passing you appears to be veering right in front of you. Also, I found having only small areas truly in focus was a major PITA. Lined bifocals may not be as fashionable as progressive lenses but lined bifocals are much more functional.
Remember, no one requires you to buy spectacles from your optometrist or ophthalmologist. Shop the opticians and find what you want at the best price you can.
NRRPT/RCT
I went through two rounds of cataract correction surgery, so my medical plan allowed me to experiment a bit with replacement lenses. In the end, I found that a larger spread of focal range (top to bottom) suited me better (I think my original corrections were -4 to -3, and settled on -4 to -2). A also found I liked the "digital" layout (small infinity at the top, wide screen-distance, small near distance) over the standard layout (wide infinity, narrow mid, narrow near).
OP doesn't mention how long he's been wearing progressives. It takes a while, up to two weeks, for your eyes to get used to progressives. And you absolutely can not wear any other glasses while you are getting used to progressives. My first 2-3 days with progressives saw me stepping off curbs early and almost eating it on stairs all the time, but after a few days I fell in love with them. The warping on the lower sides is gone, since my eyes don't naturally look there any more, and I can wear them all the time without worrying about not being able to, say, see a street sign then quickly look at my speedometer, without losing focus.
I'm far sighted and wear the glasses all the time, except when sleeping of course, so my eyes don't 'defocus', for lack of a better word.
As an added bonus I've noticed my posture at work has improved, since the glasses force me to look straight ahead with my chin level. I slouch less and find it harder to lean back in my chair with my head tipped back ... all the lazy things you do that trick you into thinking you're more comfortable, but just end up tweaking your back.
Stick with progressives for at least two weeks before you give up on them and do something cumbersome like carry around extra pairs of glasses with you, in addition to whatever's on your face. You'll end up needing a European carry-all to keep track of all your stuff.
That's how we got the IRS.
Same boat here -- had to go to progressives this year. For every day life, they're fine (I'm now typing on a laptop, which is naturally lower and in the closeup vision sweet spot), but they drove me nuts for desktop use (30" and 24" monitor just below eye level, about 30" away). I went back to the optometrist and had single-vision glasses made with those specs, using my old frames. They were expensive because of the anti-reflective coating and high-index material to keep them as light as possible, but so worth it. With my prescription, the rest of the world is somewhat fuzzy but not to the point where I can't identify people from across the room.
Cheap reader glasses won't work for me because I need a negative something or other (diopter, add?).
The optometrist also offered "computer glasses", which have a much more compact area for distance viewing but the cost was as high as progressives ($400 frame and lens) and they couldn't be my every day glasses -- that is, he said I shouldn't drive in them, they'd be a pain at movie theatres, etc.
I had similar issues with my progressive lenses, so at my last appointment, I asked to get two pairs of glasses - one with normal far vision and another pair of reading glasses for up close. (I also had the need to use up $1000 in a flexible spending account that could only be used for vision and dental - my son didn't get braces this year, like I thought he would!). I thought this would be a lot better. I could see all my monitors in focus with my normal glasses, and only when I want to read a book would I switch to my reading glasses. My optomitrist recommened against my choice, but I did it, anyway. While I am happy with my new normal pair of glasses when working on the computer, I am frustrated when using my phone (the iPhone 6 Plus, so it's not a tiny screen). I find myself moving my phone farther away to be able to read it. This happens to me all the time, so it gets very annoying. I think a better choice would have been a pair of progressive lenses for every day use and a separate pair for just the distance to the computer screens, and I'd leave those at work. If I only had the budget for a single pair, I'd go back to the progressive lenses.
> many HDTVs that one might try to use at 1920x1080 do not have clear 1 to 1 pixels as advertised, even with digital input.
In particular they must support RGB444 or YCbCr444. Nearly all video (dvd, bluray, broadcast) is just YCbCr420 so that's all many (most?) TV's are designed to process.
The wikipedia page for chroma subsampling has some examples of text rendered with 420 compared to 444.
I had a similar experience with progressives. After discussing the problem with my optometrist, he tested me for a 24 inch viewing distance, &.wrote me an extra prescription for those lenses. I use them whenever I am working at my desk. If I am wearing my contacts (rarely), I use a pair of the $1.50 reading glasses to create the same effect.
That's why, when I last bought glasses, I bought two pairs: progressives for day-to-day use and single-focus pair for computer use.
Tell your opto that you plan to do this, and he/she will write you two prescriptions, one for each.
And by the way, Zenni in the U.S., and ClearlyContacts in Canada both provide excellent value.
I am in my mid 50's, have been near-sighted since the 3rd grade, and work at the computer about 14 hours a day. I have the exact setup mentioned -- 2 x 19 inch monitors. I usually have about 20 - 30 apps/windows open at a time so just making the fonts bigger isn't really an option. I've been using progressives for about 20 years now. I have 3 separate pairs of glasses for different distance options (desktop/work, laptop/home, and mobile device/driving). I took precise measurements and worked with my optometrist for about 3 years before getting the right combination of distances for most applications. Unfortunately I'm also an avid amateur astronomer with significant astigmatism and I haven't found a good solution for that application. It's taken a lot of time to get used to progressives and optimize for my rather repetitive applications. I think like most anything else you get out of it what you put into it. There isn't a magic bullet when your eyesight is as bad as mine. The original poster doesn't fit that description so I would say they should give both traditional bifocals and progressives a 3 - 6 month try out. Buy cheap frames and put the money into the lenses including and especially into good AR coatings. That's made a huge difference for me, probably bigger than my choice of progressives vs. bifocals.
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Progressive lenses can be cut with different ranges of focal distances. For in-home office work you need lenses cut for a focal range of 1' to 5' with a pupil height focal distance of 2'. This allows you to look down and focus on your keyboard and look straight ahead to read the screen.
Normal progressive lenses are cut for the wrong range of focal distances [1.5' to infinity]. You need to specifically request a different range of focal distances
My advice is to get 2 sets of progressive glasses. One for outside and reading (far and near) and another for inside and reading (medium and near).
The second ones are called "indoor" or "workspace" lenses and do have other properties that distinguishes these from "outdoor" lenses. A good optometrician knows about these, else look it up on the Internet.
In any case, it's not possible to have a single "fits-all-situations" solution (long, medium and close range). A cheaper solution (as others pointed out) is to use fixed under-corrected far-sight lenses for computer work, e.g. old glasses you may find in a dusty cupboard from the times when your far-sight was better.
Method for buying "workspace" glasses: When you visit your optometrist, bring along a small newspaper (tabloid size). Sit down. Rip off some pages and place them on the table to the right and the left, close and not so close. Hold the newspaper in front of you with your arms stretched out (but not too much). Top should be a bit higher than your head. In addition, move the newspaper you are holding from from left to right, down and up (you got two large LCD monitors + two laptops). You must be able to read the tiny newspaper print in all these situations: front, left, right, down (laptops) plus the ones that are spread over the table, without straining your neck (!!). In addition, you must be able to read larger (but not just huge) text (e.g. brand names of expensive frames) that is further away in the shop. If you can't do all of that, refuse to accept a solution that the person is suggesting to you. Simple simulation of workspace conditions, isn't it ?
You also need a third pair for close-up repair/bricolage work if you are into this sort of work....
I haven't tried contacts for years (when I was a teenager), so I don't remember. Thanks for the advice, though, I will explore the options more carefully next time I go in for a new prescription.
.: Semper Absurda
1. I had a similar problem with my first pair of progressive glasses.
I got more used to them by putting them on as soon as I woke up, and keeping them on till I went to bed.
However:
2. I got another set of glasses a year later, and described the problem to the optician. He made the reading area wider. Now I
don't have to "ping pong" to read a line of text. I also use these new glasses to read both of my computer monitors. I do have to
move my head from the 25" monitor to the 27" monitor for the little text to be clear, but can see both at once for other stuff.
In short: describe the problem to the optician and get a new pair.
This is especially important as you get older. Half the problem with elders failing to use computers is they can not read the screen. And be sure to keep your computer glasses near the computer, and don't wear them for driving, running, or even hiking. You may need a pair of "distance" glasses for that.
Your prescription may vary. If you're 18 years old with good vision, you don't need any glasses at all.
I18N == Intergalacticization
For my own situation (nearsighted, just a bit older), I asked about bifocals, and my eye doctor recommended a not very tall lens so I could look below it (outside the lens) to get a "bifocal" effect in that sense. That is the approach he uses for himself. So, for reading stuff close, I'm not looking through the distance-optimized lens, but I don't have to take off the glasses to see things close up because there is room to look below them, where you generally hold stuff to read anyway. I had such a pair made a Zenni Optical (cheap), and they work well in that sense. So, depending on your exact situation and prescription, you might ask about that option. If you go with someplace like Zenni, be sure to ask your eye doctor for your inter-pupal distance (although you can try to figure it out yourself, but maybe less accurately).
I also asked for a second prescription optimized for the distance to screens I use with my treadmill workstation, which is a somewhat weaker prescription (about half). Those lenses are taller because they need to cover a wider area, and I don't need to look that close when I'm working with that setup (now that I can touch type). Again, I've been pretty happy with them for that situation. Note that the distance I asked for is different (further) than a normal computer glasses prescription, which is generally for a laptop or monitor that is closer to you when sitting at a desk than displays are for a treadmill desk.
I agree with you the coatings are a good idea.
A 21st century issue: the irony of technologies of abundance in the hands of those still thinking in terms of scarcity.