I can see for miles . (Prescription glasses)

Member Name: eiley123

Product:	Prescription glasses
Date:	08/02/07 (2150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can see , some great styles nowadays ,

Disadvantages: Can be expensive , can be uncomfy , take time to get used to .

MY FIRST PRESCRIPTION SPECTACLES .
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I know there will always be some people ready to have a giggle at speccie four eyes . For children this can be a nightmare and I can only hope that with spectacles being so much more attractive these days that its on its way out . Likewise there will probably still be adults poking fun at adults for wearing glasses . If there is any justice they will be wearing glasses very soon . I am so used to mine now I thought I would share my experiences .

I did not begin needing and wearing spectacles until I was in my late thirties. Initially I only wore them for reading . Like most people I didn't want to wear them but thankfully was past the age of refusing on ridiculous grounds . I needed to see and look in a telephone book without a magnifying glass plus I was starting to get headaches and be a general danger :).

WEARING GLASSES FOR THE FIRST TIME
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Getting used to wearing specs can be a bit of a nightmare , as the eye test can seem if the first one:-

1-Wearing glasses for the first time you think everyone’s looking at you and obviously they aren't .

2-Can be expensive . A complete pair of spectacles can be anything form £60 upwards . My varifocals are usually at least £250 a pair . The eye test averages £27-50 currently .

3-Glasses can be very uncomfortable on the bridge of your nose . If they are go back and have them adjusted . Most good opticians will readjust glasses up to a year after buying .

4-If you get nickel allergy you can get a rash on your face . Try the newer Titanium spectacles . They are a little more expensive but you won't get allergy rashes .

5-They steam up to often . In winter you get on a bus and your specs steam up so much you can't see till you can wipe them .

6-One or two opticians now have computers were if you try on a few pairs of specs they can take your photo and you can get an idea what you will look like . Great if your eyesight is so bad you can't see yourself without your current specs ( me then ). Personally I do this but hate it as I look like a reject from 10 years younger .

7- Try on as many as you want till you feel happy and if none are suitable ask for your prescription and try another retailer .

8-If you can get a good friend to go with you all the better . If it's a genuine friend the advice has got to be more helpful than a sales assistant .

9-Clean you glasses ideally in warm soapy water , dry and polish with the cloth provided . Don't squirt soap directly on the lens however and don't dry with tissue . Tissue will scratch the lens .

10-Follow the opticians recommendation for when to next have your eyes tested . Important as this can vary from person to person . Usually it's every 2 years .

11-If you've not had an eye test before these can seem a bit strange. I always find that I feel as if it's a test and I keep giving the wrong answer . In reality just try and answer as honestly as you can and that will enable the optician to dispense you the correct spectacles prescription .

12-Also the optician when examining the eye itself has to get up very close and some people find this disconcerting the first time . You can usually see all your eye blood vessels reflected round the room , very strange .

Now all the things mentioned , and not mentioned , with regards to the eye test are not done so , to frighten . There is nothing painful or scary about an eye test but it can just seem odd if you've never had one before . I added these points in the hope it may help .

MOVING ON TO VARI-FOCALS
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So there I was mid forties with declining eyesight and finding I needed both spectacles for close work and distance viewing . This left me in a bit of a quandary. At the time I wasn't suitable for contact lenses and didn't want to have to purchase two pairs of glasses . One for reading and one for distance .

It was not the cost that was the issue . It was the inconvenience of having to be taking glasses on and off constantly . My work involves using computer work , completing paper work and reception duties among other things . Two pairs of specs was just not practical .

I did not fancy trying bi-focals as friends who had worn them had encountered many difficulties . The optician mentioned vari-focals and I thought I'd give them a try . The lenses of vari-focals are graduated from your distance lens at the top down to your reading part at the bottom . Some people take ages to get used to them but I have never really had any problems .

You need to have your field of vision checked during you eye test to see if you are suitable for vari-focals . I thought my first pair were a little expensive , but then thinking about it they were cheaper than having to get two ordinary pairs .

When you first wear a pair of vari-focals there are a few tips :-

1-If you are looking at close work , say a book don't bring it up closer to your face . If need be bring it closer to your body and look down through the bottom of your glasses to read .

2-Give yourself time to get used to your first pair . You may not get on with them initially but persevere . Most opticians give you a 28 day money back exchange if you can't get accustomed to vari-focals .

3-Remember to move your head . If you look to the side of your glasses they will look blurred . You need to turn your head when looking to cross the road for example .

4-Likewise remember to move your head up and down when needed .

THE FUTURE
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My optician has kindly informed me I am starting with cataracts . Boo . Still the treatment for these is simple these days and I shall cross that bridge in due course . In the meantime , I am now onto my 5th pair of varifocals . With the ever racing years and my declining eyesight this is inevitable . I'm just so happy vari-focals are available . I'd hate the alternatives and now I'm as blind as a bat without them .

For anyone looking at the prospect of specs I think there are so many great styles , including rimless ones , nowadays , that there really is a pair for everyone and anyone .

Mind you my previous spectacles were rimless ones . They are basically two lenses with a bridge and the arms . They do feel lovely and light , show your eyes more and you don’t see anything distracting ( as with frames ) . The downside was after 13 months the bridge of mine collapsed and they couldn’t be repaired . They had cost £250 so not a cheap alternative .

I usually need mine changing yearly but if you don’t you do need to aim at specs which will last longer . So please bear that in mind with some of the fashion styles . So change so quick . Remember the huge round glasses . I can’t believe I ever wore them but I did . Fashion gets everywhere .

The ones I have just purchased have straight arms and are apparently as in the American style . They are supposed to be more comfy as most of the nerves run behind your ear . This is what my optician tells me anyway . I’ve had them a few weeks now and they are very comfy although despite what the optician said they do slide off occasionally . I have taken them back for adjustments a couple of times and they are a bit better . Oh well back to the drawing board .

Thanks for reading , you only realise how precious your sight is when it starts to go . Look after it and if you are advised to wear glasses go for it . Eiley .
Copyright

P.S - I forgot to mention you can get vari-focal sunglasses , which I love as I can see to read whilst sitting in the sun , and believe it or not vari-focal contact lenses , but quite how they work I don't know.

Summary: Essential for eyesight problems to be corrected and therefore for good health .