Janalyn have you had an eye exam recently? LOL-unfortunately age does catch up with us and affect our vision-to which I can attest! I think when you and I met a few years ago I was wearing bifocals? My vision was at its worst that summer and I immediately went to my old boss (an Opthalmologist)and ended up getting cataract surgery and was happy to gather up all my glasses and donate them to the SEE International group that my boss belongs to (doing free surgeries in 3rd world countries). My boss has been doing Lasix surgery for years with great successes and new lasers & techniques coming out all the time-and the results are instantaneous!....Good Luck!.....Pat

Secondhand info...........3 friends and my S in L have had the surgery-they all need reading glasses.

Janalyn I too have been wearing contact lenses since the early '70's and they have served me very well, except in windy weather when my eyes feel 'gritty'. I can still read better without them, as long as I hold the book at the end of my nose but I know my optician would like to flog me specs for reading . . . do you find your arms are not always long enough when reading the newspaper? I don't think laser surgery has taken off in the UK (too expensive and no National Health funding?) but my DD tells me that a friend (29 yrs) has been treated successfully and no longer needs glasses. She asks can you stomach the smell of singeing eye-balls?

Have been wearing contacts since 1960 and reading glasses for the past 10 years. I keep my contacts on,and then just go to the dollar store and get those magnifying glasses you see everywhere. They work beautifully and it's no big deal.I have a pair in every room. The clearest vision of all is taking out my contacts and putting the book right up in my face but that's only convenient at night before I go to bed.

Been wearing contacts for nigh on 20 years now and love them. However, I have recently broken down and got reading glasses for reading with my contact lenses in, but don't need them all the time. Just sometimes and not always for the same thing. I guess my eyes are going through some type of change. My twin sis (who lives in CA) had the LASIKS done and loves it. But she still needs reading glasses for small print. She loves having no contacts though. My mum had the LASIKS done right when it came out and loves it as well. She wears reading glasses as well. My plan is to have LASIKS in 2006 and 2007. (Have to save up for it a bit.)

Another nearsighted person here. Got my first glasses in fourth grade. I am so very nearsighted that anything from six inches onward is blurry. I go to a fantastic retinal specialist and I always ask her about LASIK. She put down her folder and said, "Pam, look at me. I am wearing glasses. I would not let a member of my family have this surgery because while the instant improvements are amazing, we don't know how the results will be 20, 30 or 40 years from the surgery." We compromised........I now wear 30-day soft contact lenses. I put new ones in on the first of the month and toss 'em on the 31st. I swim with them and even waterski with them. What ever you decide, please proceed with caution... you only have two eyes. ~~~~~PAM

I got laser eye surgery 10 years ago, when I was 24. I was extremely near sighted, had been wearing glasses since I had been in grade 3, and had switched to contacts by 12 years old. Then 10 year ago, I got recurring conjunctivitis in my right eye, and couldn't wear contacts anymore. The thought of walking around for the rest of my life with those heavy, headache-inducing, self-esteem shattering glasses was more than I could bear. The eye surgery literally changed my life. Two years ago I had a touch up to my left eye, because once myopic always myopic, the surgery brings your vision back up but does not stop the progression of the condition. Unfortunately, I don't think it helps with shortsightedness.

I had Lasik eye surgery about 5 years ago. I was very nearsighted, and having problems wearing contacts, so I decided to have the surgery. I was 24 at the time, single, and too vain to wear glasses all the time, LOL! I've never regretted having it done; I just had an eye exam 6 months ago and the doctor said my vision in both eyes is perfect. The only problem I've had with it is that my night vision (for driving) is horrible ever since I had the surgery. I guess it's something that does happen occasionally with Lasik. For me it's not an issue since I don't drive at night anyway, but of course for some people it could be a real problem. My cousin's husband also has had the surgery done, and had the same problem I do with night vision. He went back to the doctor, got some drops to put in his eyes at night before he drives, and hasn't had a problem since. My brother and several of my friends have also had the surgery with no problems. I don't think it corrects shortsightedness. Kelly

When I had my last eye exam a few years ago (I need to go again that's why I wanted your comments on the surgery Q), my eye doctor said that no matter how nearsighted your are, you will always be able to read material that is 4 to 6 inches from your face. People with 20/20 vision can't read stuff that close. He said that even when I became shortsighted, I would retain that ability. However, if I had surgery I would lose it. At that time, I thought who cares if I look like Mr. Magoo peering at prices at the grocery story, this was a handy thing to have! I would always be able to thread needles, count the legs on bugs, and pluck my eyebrows -- without the need for corrective lenses. I am now rethinking this. This doctor also said that nearsightedness is not really inherited. You might inherit a predisposition but it depended on the number of books that you read. If I recall correctly, he said that someone who reads over six novels a month would probably require glasses. Heck, I was reading 6 Nancy Drew novels a week when I was a kid. Neither of my kids needs glasses although my daughter is a heavy reader, so I don't know if what he said is true. Insert paragraph break here. [When will this be fixed?!!)My dad had that cataract surgery a few years ago. It was covered under medical insurance and they did replaced lenses in both eyes, even though only one needed it medically. Occasionally, when the light is right, it reflects from his eyes, giving him a Cyborg look effect, or a vampire quality. This doesn't bother me at all, in fact, if I were younger I would have told all my friends that he was related to Lestat or the Terminator. I have to admit that the thought of burning eyeballs makes me hesitate. Thanks for all your comments. PS Is there anyone here who has perfect vision and is a heavy reader? Just envy, just envy....

Lasik surgery won't correct farsightedness (the dreaded reading glasses aka over-40 eyes syndrome) but the results for nearsightedness are spectacular. There are other options, however. I know several people who wear either one contact lense or a 'mismatched' pair. They all said it took some adjustment, but they learned to read very well using the non-dominant eye. I plan to try this in the new year as my insurance is changing and this sort of thing will be covered, yay!

I had Lasik surgery about 5 years ago. While I feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, it is good to be aware that there are some disadvantages. For example, you may or may not be able to wear contacts after the surgery if you still need some correction. I was very nearsighted, and now see 20/30 in my dominant eye and 20/40 in my other eye. I am very happy that I can now function without glasses, though I do still choose to wear glasses for driving, especially at night. You may experience some lasting dryness in your eyes, and if you already have some (many of us do as we get older), it may get a little worse. I had this experience, and now sometimes need eyedrops. Your near vision will actually get worse. Nearsightness partially compensates for loss of vision through presbyopia, the age-related form of farsightedness (not the same as hyperopia, the kind of farsightedness that is related to the shape of the eyeball). Some people can be corrected so that one eye sees best at near objects and one best at distance. It is a compromise; neither will be perfect. Also, not everyone can adjust to this. Most doctors will ask you to wear contacts with this kind of correction for a period of time before the Lasik surgery to find out if you are able to adjust to it. Having said all this, I would do it again. For me, it was definitely worth it.

I've had the Lasix surgery, on one eye only. For quite a few years before that, I wore just one contact, for seeing far. I'm nearsighted, but not to an extreme extreme. I have perfect vision for reading without any correction or sugery. I recommend it! And, one of the above posters is incorrect, eye surgery can correct both farsightedness and nearsightedness. My DH had one eye done year before last so he CAN see to READ without glasses. He's farsighted. I suggest you wear one contact for a while to see how you adjust to that, talk to your eye doctor. If you can adjust to that, you're a great candidate for having the surgery. In we "older" folks, the "one eyed" surgery is very common because had they corrected both eyes so I could see "far", I would then need reading glasses. I found my one contact uncomfortable, too many allergies. Glasses were also uncomfortable because no matter what the frames were made of, I got spots on the sides of my face from them--I did love the graded lense bifocals--they were the nearest thing to true vision I'd ever worn. The only drawback is that in some stores, like Wally World, it's difficult to see clearly what is on a top shelf, at a certain distance, but that's easily fixed by moving closer. Go for it. Oh yes, getting up and feeling crippled, no surgical cure for that yet. Reading that miniscule writing, some of it is SO TINY that no one can read it. Cost wise, the surgery is getting cheaper. From the time I had the surgery, to the time, about two years, my DH had it, the technique had been refined, AND the price had gone down. No, maybe we don't know anything about it 30-50 years down the road. I'll have to live to be 110 to get the 50 years down the road benefits. By then, they'll have figured it out even better.

Two people I work with had the procedure done back in the 90s and they swear by it. Personally, I kind of like my glasses. More often than not, it helps me look like I have an idea of what I'm talking about even when I'm clueless! ;-)

Janalyn, to answer your question about heavy readers who don't need glasses, I am one of those lucky people because I have natural monovision. I believe that is what is being achieved by those who are wearing one contact or having surgery on one eye. I have one very nearsighted eye and one almost perfect eye. They function together to give me nearly perfect vision. I've always been a heavy reader. I'm not sure how reading a lot could affect the eyes. Maybe it is possible that heavy readers would notice changes in their eyes more than people who don't read as much.

I had Lasik surgury done about 4 years ago and am very pleased with it. I had worn corrective lenses (glasses, then contact lenses) since I was 8 years old and am thoroughly enjoying the freedom the surgery gave me. I have to admit, however, that I think my eyesight is changing somewhat; things look a little blurrier nowadays than they did when I had the surgery done. I would definitely do it again, given the same circumstances.

When you reach the point that you have cataracts removed, an intraocular lens is placed in the eye. As someone VERY nearsighted my whole life, it was miraculous. I could even drive & never needed glasses. Reading, however, was another story. It was the cheap readers for me. Incidentally, there are now intraocular lenses available for people who are very nearsighted, but not needing cataract removal.

I have myopia and astigmatism in both eyes. I wear glasses, which I hate when it rains. I remember trying contact lenses, but when the eye doctor fitted them I kept blinking too much and he quickly lost patience with me. Wearing contact lenses felt like grit in my eyes, a feeling I didn't like at all, so I stayed with glasses. When i can affort it, I will go for the laser surgery for sure.

Frances...I'm like you...my doctors in the old days used to admonish me for not wearing my glasses to read. My current opthamologist congratulates me for being able to accomplish what everyone is spending a lot of money to do. Janalyn...I have friends who now wear just one contact to accomplish what you need to do...one eye reads the other sees distance. This can also be accomplished with biflocal lenses.

My friend from Kansas has gone through laser vision correction and he's doing well right now. He told me to check www.my2020.com and see what they offer, then the offer is good. I'll be in Kansas a week from now for a business trip and I'll also undergo surgery so that I'll stop wearing these glasses of mine.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lasik-1

I've needed glasses for near-sightedness since fourth grade, diagnosed because I couldn't read the "film strip." (remember those?) Switched to the torture device of hard contacts in seventh grade, then to soft lenses.. In my late twenties, my eyes began to get so dry, compounded by working at a computer, that I pretty much gave up on contacts and mostly wear glasses. LASIK is usually contraindicated for dry eye folks, and my vision is perfectly correctable with glasses so I won't have it. For years I've taken my glasses off to read, but only in the past year do I actually notice my close-up vision deteriorating a bit.

To answer the original question--my understanding is that you can't get total corrrection both near & far sightedness in the same eye. I'm not an eye surgeon, though--check with your doc!

I am farsighted and had cataract surgery on one eye this fall because I was beginning to have trouble with near vision. It came out well and I can read with no glasses but can't see the tv or anything clearly around my house without glasses on. I have lenses in my "new" glasses that are supposed to "adjust" somehow (like old tri-focals)? but I cannot get used to the damn things-I have gotten so I can watch tv and knit with them on but still wear my "old" ones to drive. I cannot see to read with them no matter where I move my eyes or place my book! I am very tired of the on and off business but that's what I have to do...sigh...

Call me the usual Italian but IÂve always thought that women wearing
thich-black-square-rimmed spectacles,(and reading a book) are sexy in a terrific way:)

grelobe

A bit of science here.

Most of the focussing of the light into the eye is done by the cornea. The lens does the fine adjustment to get the image precisely onto the retina.

Shortsightedness (what you in the states I think call near-sightedness - anyway, where things close look fine, but the world in general is blurred) is caused when the cornea doesn't do a great job of the coarse focussing. Glasses, contacts or laser surgery all do the same job - they modify the focussing done by the cornea to make it more accurate, so that the lens just does it's adjustment job.

Longsightedness (reading a book at arms length!) tends to happen with age. It's caused by the fact that the muscles which adjust the lens are starting to get worn out, and can't do the job as flexibly - they can still adjust, but not to the limits they used to be able to. So, you need reading glasses or varifocals. Again, you're readjusting the general focus, so that the lens can use what adjustment it's got left to do the fine work.

The problem is that these two jobs are being done in different directions - one is tending to adjust the focus from it's natural place behind the retina to hit the retina accurately, the other is tending to adjust the focus from it's natural place in front of the retina.

So you can correct one - either by glasses, contact lenses or laser surgery - but only at the expense of the other.

And the problem you have, Janalyn, is that the age-related problem of needing reading glasses just gets worse. Even if you could correct it with laser, it could only be a temporary palliative.

Reading glasses on a chain (or the plastic ones in each room as suggested) are really the only solution, if you don't want to wear varifocal glasses.

Tedious, but there you go.

For some people there is a possible solution. You can correct one eye for near vision and one for far vision. Apparently the age-related deterioration stablizes at some point, I think in the mid-60's, at least this is what my opthalmologist told me.

The caveat is that not everyone can tolerate this. Many people can never adapt to it. For this reason, an eye doctor will have the patient wear contacts that simulate this condition for a period of weeks before getting the surgery. If a person can adapt to this, then he is a candidate for the near/far correction. It is of course a compromise.

I am actually one of the people who can tolerate it, but I decided against it. Instead, I got the correction for near vision in both eyes. Apparently people who are as near-sighted as I was usually don't get extremely farsighted. It's the silver lining to the cloud of a lifetime of walking into walls.

Rosefolly