Mid-forties Vision Changes

hipchick

When I turned 43 I suddenly needed stronger glasses for reading but I could still see without my glasses on. Now at 46 my vision is very blurry without very bright light on without my glasses on. Is this change in vision common in the mid-forties?

rudeechick

My understanding based on my personal experience and as explained by my ophthalmologist, is that vision (I am nearsighted) often improves slightly in the 40s. My reading (up close) vision, continues to weaken, especially in dim light.

Regardless, get an eye exam for sure.

Sarai

hipchick wrote: »

When I turned 43 I suddenly needed stronger glasses for reading but I could still see without my glasses on. Now at 46 my vision is very blurry without very bright light on without my glasses on. Is this change in vision common in the mid-forties?

I'm 47 and recently started using both reading glasses and my daughter's old prescription glasses for driving... Yes, it's the season of life when everything gets blurry. Being a proofreader, it's rather scary - but at least I can see my monitor and zoom in to make the text bigger as needed!

hipchick

Thanks for your replies. I guess it is the norm. Yes, Rudee good idea to go to the eye doctor. I was actually going to go anyway as I have dry eyes that are getting worse and I think are compounding the vision changes.Since my vision keeps changing so abruptly in the interim (40s to 50s) I am going to buy the cheap glasses in the drugstore for reading!

rudeechick

hipchick wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I guess it is the norm. Yes, Rudee good idea to go to the eye doctor. I was actually going to go anyway as I have dry eyes that are getting worse and I think are compounding the vision changes.Since my vision keeps changing so abruptly in the interim (40s to 50s) I am going to buy the cheap glasses in the drugstore for reading!

My own eye dr refused to sell me prescription reading glasses! He told me to save my money and buy the cheapies instead and he was SO RIGHT. Especially since I need to keep a pair in each room of the house and one in my bag;)

Sarai

hipchick wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I guess it is the norm. Yes, Rudee good idea to go to the eye doctor. I was actually going to go anyway as I have dry eyes that are getting worse and I think are compounding the vision changes.Since my vision keeps changing so abruptly in the interim (40s to 50s) I am going to buy the cheap glasses in the drugstore for reading!

Dry eyes do make it worse - I always keep a bottle of artificial tears nearby. The ones with polyvinyl alcohol seem to work well; I get store- instead of name-brand. (And I use cheap drugstore reading glasses, too.)

hipchick

Sarai my eye doctor told me to use Systane eye drops in individual containers as it is preservative free. I also use Restasis but it is not doing enough. I think because you and I work on computers all day it worsens the dry eyes and in turn our vision. Is your computer setup ergonomic?

anniemae

When I turned about 42, my eyes started to change, after being the same since I was 14 years old.

Mine are a little different. I was always nearsighted. But, now my distance vision is improving. My close-up (reading) vision is still the same. I don't need any glasses to read.

It stinks for me because I wear contacts. So, when I read, the lense is too strong for me. I tried bifocal contacts and I really didn't care for them. Now I wear monovision contacts (one lense corrects distance vision and the other lense corrects near vision). It is a real pain.

Suburbanbushbabe

As we age the cornea hardens as I understand it. For me that means I needed bifocals - been wearing them since my 40's. In some ways my vision has improved, but I need reading correction as well as distance correction. Before the bifocals I was just nearsighted and astigmatic - needing no reading correction.

jeepcurlygurl

I've always been far sighted and never got glasses til I was in my late 30's. I only wear them for reading and working on the computer. Still don't need them for driving or seeing far away.
I get an eye exam every 2 years (because my mother has glaucoma so I need to get mine checked regularly) and my prescription changes every time.
I have never been able to use non-prescription reading glasses because my right eye is worse than my left. I get one pair of superlight glasses from my eye doctor (usually around $100) and cheapie spares online ($25) .

Sarai

hipchick wrote: »

Sarai my eye doctor told me to use Systane eye drops in individual containers as it is preservative free. I also use Restasis but it is not doing enough. I think because you and I work on computers all day it worsens the dry eyes and in turn our vision. Is your computer setup ergonomic?

I've always been too cheap to try the preservative-free drops, since the regular ones work... I did try Systane and Refresh and didn't notice a difference between them and the store-brand. Maybe because I use them so often!

What constitutes an ergonomic setup for the eyes? I always thought that was just for arms/back.

Spiralli

I was using Systane and DH uses Refresh tears. I switched to "homeopathic" Similasan Dry Eye Relief and I really like those drops best. They are expensive though, for the small bottle you get.

My eye probs in my early 40's ended up being cataracts in both eyes. Had both lenses replaced and I don't need glasses or contacts for distance or reading. So some good came of that. I'm loving not needing glasses at all but eventually I may need glasses since I got cataracts at a relatively young age.

VTmom

I always had pretty good vision until I was about 42 or 43 when I initially became farsighted. The problem I had with just using reading glasses, was that I found anything that was even a small distance away (e.g. my wristwatch) was blurry. So I was constantly pulling my glasses off and on. I just caved and got bifocals (actually, progressive lens) - they're wonderful - I can see everything at every distance. I have some correction everywhere. Even though my eyesight isn't horrible, nothing is very clear without them. I tried to go the contact route for vanity's sake (I think I look better glasses-free), but none of the alternatives worked for me, so I've just stuck with the glasses.

Robin-in-FL

Well pre-lasik I was nearsighted enough that I actually couldn't read at any sort of normal distance, LOL. Had clear vision only within a couple of inches from eyes.

So I got the eye surgery for that, and now in my 40s I notice that I cannot see things that are very close to my eyes. Like closer than 6 or 8 inches. And at every distance it's very slightly off. Which I think is the normal changes from age. I do wish there was some prescription that would just work for all of that, not bi-focal. I guess curls2grow's prescription of completely new parts in my eyes would work, LOL.

Science fiction but technology advances every day - how long do you think until they can just grow new lenses in labs so that we could have a long term fix for older eyes, like I got the long-term fix for nearsightedness?

OBB

VTmom wrote: »

I always had pretty good vision until I was about 42 or 43 when I initially became farsighted. The problem I had with just using reading glasses, was that I found anything that was even a small distance away (e.g. my wristwatch) was blurry. So I was constantly pulling my glasses off and on. I just caved and got bifocals (actually, progressive lens) - they're wonderful - I can see everything at every distance. I have some correction everywhere. Even though my eyesight isn't horrible, nothing is very clear without them. I tried to go the contact route for vanity's sake (I think I look better glasses-free), but none of the alternatives worked for me, so I've just stuck with the glasses.

same here. this past year ive had to start taking off my glasses to read up close. thinking about bifocals soon.

mandyv

I'm going to guess it's absolutely common. Eyes wear out just like everything else and tasks become a little harder.

My reading vision got blurry around 41, 42 and now I can hardly read without glasses (50). I see like a hawk long distance though.

I wonder if our vision getting blurry with age is nature's way of saying "You really don't need to see those pore and wrinkles all that well." My skin looks better without my glasses.

VTmom

mandyv wrote: »

I wonder if our vision getting blurry with age is nature's way of saying "You really don't need to see those pore and wrinkles all that well." My skin looks better without my glasses.

ha...ITA! :joker:

Curly_Cajun_Femme

Dont forget vision changes in the 40's can also be a symptom and indicate the onset Type II diabetes. My husband was having visual changes and itchy skin, so I pulled out my blood sugar monitoring supplies and checked his sugar. It was 460, almost 3 times above high normal. When we got to the ER 30 minutes later, his blood sugar was fast approaching 500. He was given several injections of insulin. He is now on meds and diet, his vision has improved dramatically and no more itchy skin.
What happens is sugars attach to the optic nerve and vascular supply thus disrupting the signals sent to the brain.

Ammycin

Getting blurry in your vision, check pressure in the eye. Ophthalmologist can prescribe beta-blockers group of medicines. If pressure in the eye put Betoptic eye drops in which helps to lower internal eye pressure and reduces the risk of optic nerve damage and vision loss. I have purchased Betoptic 0.5% solution for my eye pressure. It is also used to treat open-angle glaucoma.