Glasses, contacts, or laser?

[MrMungus]

Which one should I get. I might look cool in glasses (mostly for reading).

[tito13kfm]

Laser. Make sure you get a new Blu-Ray one that supports dual-layer burning.

[MrMungus]

Laser. Make sure you get a new Blu-Ray one that supports dual-layer burning.

Hmm...sounds painful.

[gll99]

How old are you?

[MrMungus]

How old are you?

36

[Devanshu]

If it's only for reading, glasses. I wear glasses for things that are far(nearsighted?) and take them off when they're not necessary. I hate contacts...they itch, dry out, and if you forget to take them off you might be in trouble. Reminds me of a nasty story....read ahead at your own risk!


A friend of mine used to wear contacts and she accidently slept with them on one night. Guess what, they dried out. The next morning she woke up not able to open her left eye. She took out the right contact, but when she took out the left, she peeled off a layer of her eye.

[MrMungus]

If it's only for reading, glasses.

Well, for example, my left eye is blurry arm's length from the computer but I think my right is fine. If I get 3" from the computer screen, they're both fine. It's starting to give me headaches, too.

[tito13kfm]

all joking aside, if it's starting to give you headache's you should go to an optometrist (optimologist??) (eye doctor guy) and see what he/she recommends. Just don't go to the one's that are inside of a eye glasses shop. Doctor's pretty much have to tell you what they think will be best for you.

[Devanshu]

Go to an optometrist...it sounds to me like only your left eye needs a lens and maybe a low prescription for your right.

[sitlet]

im 19 now and have been wearing contacts for about 5 years now. i wore glasses for about5 years before that. my dad had the RK done about 10 years ago before laser was popular. thats basically where they take a knife and cut up your eye somehow to make you see perfectly. sounded painful to me. i want to get laser done but i dont have the money too and its not covered on my dads insurance.

[gll99]

At your age see if you qualify for laser surgery. It is not for everyone. Here in Canada it's about $700 to $1000 an eye depending on the clinic.
I wear bifocal reading glasses but the problem is that I need 2 pair, 1 for the computer and 1 for other reading . It's a pain! I don't like them and often misplace them.
btw Tried progressive lenses and they were too narrow of field for me.

[Craig Tucker]

I vote for, continue to stumble around bumping into things

[MrMungus]

all joking aside, if it's starting to give you headache's you should go to an optometrist (optimologist??) (eye doctor guy) and see what he/she recommends. Just don't go to the one's that are inside of a eye glasses shop. Doctor's pretty much have to tell you what they think will be best for you.

Thanks. I think I'm going to next week.

[MrMungus]

not covered on my dads insurance.

Bizarre. Seems like a lifetime of fixing would be cheaper than a lifetime of doctor visits and glasses.

[MrMungus]

I vote for, continue to stumble around bumping into things

I've always done that. Especially on weekends.

[freak_in_cage_10k]

If it's only for reading, glasses.

Well, for example, my left eye is blurry arm's length from the computer but I think my right is fine. If I get 3" from the computer screen, they're both fine. It's starting to give me headaches, too.

hmmmmm, this sounds like an odd situation! plz do the following:

1) when looking with your left eye at the screen, do you find it possible to bring it into focus (eg first thing in the morning when you are not tired?)

2) how about distance vision with your left eye? is it as clear as your right or also blurred??

it is rare to have 1 eye needing a reading prescription and the other eye not!! whats more likely is that your left eye is short sighted (eg need glasses for distance)

however, the fact you are getting headaches suggests your left eye is long sighted!!!! the way to test between the 2 is simply to

3) look in the distance with your left eye and see how vision compares to your right eye!

i wouldn;t reccomend lazer eye surgery, there is little point in blowing $1000 dollars at the age of 36, because you will need reading glasses from the age of about 45 anyway!!!!!

im short sighted (eg need glasses for distance) i wear contacts for sport and just on random days, but glasses when im lazing around!

how do i know this? because im at uni, studying Optometry!

Devanshu- not all ppl get on with contacts! i you have naturally dry eyes then contacts often make it worse! were you fitted with soft or hard lenses (soft you can replace daily/monthly/3 monthly, hard lenses usually last 6months, a year or even 2 years!) hard lenses are more healthy for your eyes, and some ppl experience better vision with them, but they take more getting used to (its v easy to feel them in your eye!!)

your friends situation seems a little extreme, its odd that it dried out so much overnight, i expect she suffered from dry eyes to begin with, + the contacts probably hadn;t been fitted to her correctly in the first place!!!!

[foulplay]

I've worn specs for 32 years! Cannot see myself without them.

[duffyr83]

i preferr glasses only because my eyes dry up with contacts, i hate having to constantly rewite them with drops.

[sitlet]

Bizarre. Seems like a lifetime of fixing would be cheaper than a lifetime of doctor visits and glasses.

well i think its kind of covered. we look into laser about 5 years ago before i went into high school and i think they said they would pay for like 50% or something like that.

[lordsmurf]

Contacts. Laser still new tech, not proven. Ever watch FUTURAMA? Everybody doing it went blind after 40 years.

[Craig Tucker]

Contacts. Laser still new tech, not proven. Ever watch FUTURAMA? Everybody doing it went blind after 40 years.

Well in 40 years we may all have DVDR-itus

[b1tchm4gn3t]

Contacts all the way, I dont have a problem with my eyes getting dry, but I have read that there is a small procedure to do something with the drain thingy in your eyes to slow that down, therefore keeping your eyes more lubricated. Seemed to me it was a simple procedure that only takes minutes at the eye doctors office.

[gmatov]

Here, in SW PA they run ads all the time for 299 per eye.
They bought the machine, they have to push people through it.

My daughter had her eyes done about a year ago. Happy as a lark, and 35 at the time.

She couldn't wear soft disposables, had to get the little glass or hard plastic lenses, couple hundred a pair and get a protien buildup that requires polishing annually, and enzyme cleaners.

Noone really DOES know what the laser surgery may bring, in the long term. Just hope it's not a catastrophy.

You will probably still need reading glasses when you hit your 40's. Typical human's arms shrink, y'know?

Cheers,

George

[pacmania_2001]

I'd go with laser eye treatment.

My mum had it and has never looked back and hasn't had a single problem arise from it.

[shelbyGT]

Contacts (and when I have enough money, laser surgery).

My contacts are the kind that you wear for 30 days straight, never taking them out. Yes, I sleep in them and never take them out for a month at a time. They are designed specially for this reason.


My doctor said that it all has to do with the amount of oxygen the contact lets pass through to the eye. Typical contacts (the 2 week disposable kind) have a rating of around the upper thirties. The 1 month disposable that you never take out have a rating in the 170's. A bit of a difference.


I never know I have them in, they never feel "dry", I don't rewet them... they are the next best thing to not having any corrective lenses.

[VideoTechMan]

Ive worn glasses since the 5th grade....and they have been fine for me all those years. They claim that wearing glasses tends to make your vision worse and weaken your eyes over time, but during my recent eye exam last summer, my prescription hasnt really changed at all, so I couldve kept my old glasses. Thing was is that my old frames were shot...lol was time for some new ones.

Contacts? Forget it. Too chicken to put something like that close to my eyes.

As for laser surgery, ive heard its worked for some....but im too nervous to think on something of those lines right now. Besides, cant afford to lose my eyesight at my young age, Having glasses can sometimes be an inconvienence for me, but they work, and thats what counts.

VTM

[gmatov]

Along the same lines as VTMan, the last time I went to my, and I use the term loosely, "Eye Doctor", he ran me through the machine, I came back a week later, maybe more, got my new bi-focals, left, started wearing them, couldn't see shit.

Went back, told me I was 2 years older, he prescribed an extra 1/4 diopter, because "You'll need it before 2 years is up."

They're crutches in the sense that if you get them to the strength you may actually need, your eyes get lazy, quit focusing, you need stronger the next time. (This is my opinion, our resident Optician, or Optometrist may disagree.)

Regardless, I wear my bi-focals, but for this stuff, sitting 5 feet away from my monitor, I use a pair of China made 1.25 diopter reading glassesz, 1.99 at the local Gabe's discount store.

Have to, I can't see the f'in screen with my prescriptions.

Cheers,

George

[indolikaa]

Glasses. They don't make a contact lens that works for me.

Although I do like Craig's answer...

[adam]

If its just for reading or computer than get glasses. I wear contacts but my eyes get really sore when using the computer too long. Wearing my glasses instead is much more comfortable. I can't believe anyone here would suggest laser corrective surgery just for reading or computer work. That's like using a bazooka to open a door.

If you need better vision in general get yourself glasses and a pair of contacts. You usually get a free pair of glasses when you get contacts anyway, and if not you get one free pair a year with just about any medical insurance plan. If you want an ultimate solution consider Lasic laser surgery but realize that most people who have this get chronic dry eyes. Also there have been alot of horror stories about some of the doctors who do this. I know a lady who had it done and she said they were performing 1 surgery every 20 mins. They started the procedure before the anesthesia kicked in.

For just limited use get glasses, but no you will not look cool in glasses.

As a side note, its amazing how fast your vision degrades once you start using corrective lens/contacts. I squinted but managed without anything up until sophmore year in high school. 6 months after wearing contacts I couldn't live without them.

[indolikaa]

but no you will not look cool in glasses.

Austin Powers would beg to differ.