Does everyone eventually need to wear glasses?

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  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
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    Wow :o Thanks everybody! This has been an eye opening thread ;) I will get a proper eye exam soon if nothing else but to have a baseline for future reference. I cherish my vision every single day and never take it for granted. I suppose one day glasses might be in everyone’s future, mine included B) I appreciate everyone’s insights and anecdotes, thank you for sharing! :)
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
    edited April 2019
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    tbright1965 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    I'd say everyone with "normal" vision will eventually become far sighted. On the flip side, some *near sighted* people find their close vision improves with age. I'm the former. Hubs is the latter. I got my first readers at about 40, but only "wanted" them in the dark. At about 47 I noticed I wore them more. Now I wear them most of the time. My far vision is still perfect. (And hubs has started taking off his glasses to read.)


    Not everybody can tolerate monovision.

    My eye doctor said studies show only about 5% of the population has issues with it. Before I had monovision correction surgery they had me wear a contact to simulate the results of the surgery to make sure there was no problem.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    tbright1965 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    I'd say everyone with "normal" vision will eventually become far sighted. On the flip side, some *near sighted* people find their close vision improves with age. I'm the former. Hubs is the latter. I got my first readers at about 40, but only "wanted" them in the dark. At about 47 I noticed I wore them more. Now I wear them most of the time. My far vision is still perfect. (And hubs has started taking off his glasses to read.)


    Not everybody can tolerate monovision.

    My eye doctor said studies show only about 5% of the population has issues with it. Before I had monovision correction surgery they had me wear a contact to simulate the results of the surgery to make sure there was no problem.

    I tried it with contacts and couldn't stand it. I'd rather correct for distance and wear readers than have somewhat sucky distance vision and somewhat sucky up close vision.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,984 Member
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    Yes, almost everybody eventually needs reading glasses.

    Long distance is often fine for life but nearly everyone around 50ish starts needing reading glasses.

    Although my husband is 59 and he hasn't yet.
  • grinning_chick
    grinning_chick Posts: 765 Member
    edited April 2019
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    Everyone loses lens accommodation as part of the normal human aging process - the ability of your lens to ball/stretch to focus the image of an up close to arms length object on your retina properly. It is because your lens hardens, making it too rigid to do so.

    It is called presbyopia. Google can provide tons of information on etiology, treatment, etc.

    It can be permanently surgically corrected, but it ain't cheap and it is invasive. Plus only one of IIRC, 2 or 3, surgical methods have been approved in the US to date for actual lens (i.e., closest to restoring to pre-presbyopia vision functionally and structurally) replacement.

    ETA: 40 years old is the average a lot of resources cite for onset for, but it can happen younger or much older. Mine started at 37. Also, it can be a very rapid vs. gradual/slow process. I needed readers within six months of first noticing I could no longer read fine print like I always could. Neither of my parents needed readers until their late 50s/early 60s.
  • dukeingram
    dukeingram Posts: 50 Member
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    My vision improved as I got older. I use to have to wear glasses while driving at night. Haven't had to wear glasses anytime the past 8 years now.
  • dogWalkerTX
    dogWalkerTX Posts: 49 Member
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    Nope. The world just starts using smaller fonts as you age.

    Seriously, Dr. Dean Edell once said that you can usually guess a person's age over 40 within a few months by looking at how their near vision deteriorates.
  • dogWalkerTX
    dogWalkerTX Posts: 49 Member
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    dukeingram wrote: »
    My vision improved as I got older. I use to have to wear glasses while driving at night. Haven't had to wear glasses anytime the past 8 years now.

    Could it be that as your near vision worsened it "evened out" your distant vision?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    monkeefan1974 wrote: »
    I’ll be 45 years old this year and I’ve never needed glasses, my vision is still good both up close and far. I haven’t had a check up at an optometrist’s office before simply because I haven’t needed to. My doc does a simple eye exam with an eye chart at my yearly physical and everything has been normal so far. My father got reading glasses when he was a bit younger than me but still only needs them for reading and he’ll be 75 (mother died younger than me but never had glasses) I notice a lot of people my age hold printed material out at arms length to read it and it seems like so many people wear glasses or contacts these days I was just wondering if it’s an inevitable fact that everyone needs glasses eventually (readers or otherwise) or does anyone know anybody who is significantly elderly and still has good vision? I guess eventually I’ll get a complete eye exam just in case but wondered if glasses are definitely in my future at some point simply due to aging? Does nutrition or exercise make any difference? Just curious B)

    I would say the vast majority of people will at some point at least need readers. As you age, things deteriorate, including your eyesight.

    I am very near sited (-8 in each eye) and have worn glasses since I was 12. I've just recently needed readers (over the past year). A lot of people are in denial about needing readers too...hence people holding out a piece of paper at arms length to read it. My wife is pretty much in denial even though she's tried my readers on and can read much easier. Personally, I don't see what the big deal is.

    I'd also recommend a full eye exam at least every couple of years even if your eyesight is good. An eye exam is not just about your current vision, it can detect a lot of things that you're not going to be able to detect on your own...same reason people should have an annual physical even if they feel physically fine.
  • bobsburgersfan
    bobsburgersfan Posts: 6,307 Member
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    Apart from knowing that vision can be affected by certain diseases like diabetes, I've never heard about any specific nutrition plan that would make a huge difference to your vision. I've had glasses since 2nd or 3rd grade and have had annual checkups all my life, and diet and exercise have never come up. Maybe I'm wrong, but if you could actually change or improve your vision just with nutrition and exercise, I think I would have heard about it from an eye doctor at some point.

    Congrats on getting to 45 with no vision issues! I'm 43 and I've definitely seen a change in my near vision in the last few years. Ugh. You may eventually need reading glasses, but if your vision has remained perfect for this long, that may be all you ever need.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I got my first reading glasses last year. I was 55.

    That was after I had retired. I got them because I was spending too much time asking my kids to help read the nutrition facts labels. These are 1.25 power readers. I recently renewed my driver's license without use of vision aids.

    The simple fact is that if you live long enough, you'll develop presbyopia and need vision aids.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Pro tip, bifocals won’t help with under sink plumbing.

    https://allaboutvision.com/over40/work_bifocals.htm

    A plumber can ask for Double D lens that come in bifocal or trifocal.

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