bifocals and computer ?

[dipbait]

Just got my first bifocals They have a progressive lens. I cannot use them with the computer. I can read a newspaper , read my watch, cel phone... but they are useless on the monitor. Do any of you other progressive lens users have this problem?

 

[Buckeye67]

I got my first pair of progressive lens glasses a few months ago. It took wearing them nonstop for a week or so before I really got used to them, particularly having to turn my whole head instead of being able to just look through a different part of my glasses lenses. I haven't noticed any issues with computer screens, although more often than not I end up taking the glasses off while I'm sitting here.

Most of the time I wear multi-focal contact lenses though. They're the heat.

 

[Sid Post]

Just got my first bifocals They have a progressive lens. I cannot use them with the computer. I can read a newspaper , read my watch, cel phone... but they are useless on the monitor. Do any of you other progressive lens users have this problem?

I wear progressive's. Once I got used to them, I didn't really notice anything different before or after the new eye glasses.

I suspect what you are noticing is an issue of a low quality monitor. I must use business grade LCD's for the better brightness, clarity, and contrast. The consumer grade LCD panels are worthless in most cases for my personal use because I cannot tell some characters and numbers apart, and miss interpret a lot of characters. When I send an email to the printer from one of these monitors, it looks like it was written by someone who flunked out of grade school.

Try your new glasses with a really good monitor and see if things improve.

 

[spinscan]

I have been using progressive lenses for many years. My job requires that I stare at a computer for 8 hours a day so I have quite a bit of experience with this. What I eventually did was get my optometrist to fix me up with come computer glasses.

I wish I had done this years sooner. These lenses have a range of approximately 2 to 8 feet and there is no comparison compared to using my regular progressives. I use these for everything except for driving, playing golf, etc. when you need to see clearly out to infinity.

I would highly recommend trying this.

 

[Katdaddy]

I got my first pair of progressive lens glasses a few months ago. It took wearing them nonstop for a week or so before I really got used to them, particularly having to turn my whole head instead of being able to just look through a different part of my glasses lenses. I haven't noticed any issues with computer screens, although more often than not I end up taking the glasses off while I'm sitting here.

Most of the time I wear multi-focal contact lenses though. They're the heat.

They do take some getting used to. I haven't noticed any issues.

 

[NorCalMtn2]

You need a separate pair of computer glasses. No matter what kind of bifocals you have, you're going to be slightly tilting your head back to look at the monitor and it's not going to be comfortable.

 

[5.56]

It's all focal distance, you need to have your monitor at the same distance as your newspaper, watch etc.

I'm a licensed Optician, I deal with this all day.

With a progressive lens, head tilt is everything. As you tilt your head the lens gets progressively stronger, hence the name.

Find a comfortable position(head tilt) and re-postion your monitor so everything is clear. Due to the lens being molded with no lines, you will need to track with your head as you read as well. If that doesn't work, it is possible you need slightly higher add power at near.

As a last resort, you can adjust your PC's font to large

Good Luck.

 

[MSgt]

I'm another one who has separate readers for when on the computer rather than use my progressives. I've found that I even prefer the readers for lengthy reading. Though progressives are readers at the bottom I have never found them comfortable for extended reading.

 

[fugawee]

if your using Firefox or Internet Explorer
you can enlarge the screen easily by
holding the Control key and pressing the + or -
to go bigger or smaller.
(convenient even for temporary to read the fine print or something)

For other programs,you can change the default
font size in Control Panel.

 

[Last Visible Canary]

bifocals and progressives are generally designed for near and far distances as said above. As you get older, your eyes are less able to accommodate for the area's in between. Computer screens are generally at an 'intermediate' distance, a full arms length instead of the half an arms length that most people use to read newspapers and books.

If you like the progressives, you can get pc multifocals that have a distance and intermediate prescription, that way you can look up from your computer and still see whats around you.

If your okay with lined multifocals, you can also get trifocals where the top part of the magnifying segment is a lower power for the intermediate distance. These can be nice if you really want to keep your peripheral vision, it allows you to use the corners of your glasses when you look around instead of having to move your head.

If you don't want to pay as much money and don't mind having an extra pair, you could get an intermediate prescription from your doctor and then order a single vision pair just for wearing when on the computer. I wouldn't suggest any kind of multifocal from this company, but (as a licensed optician as well) I'd put my money behind zenni optical for single visions. super cheap even with a/r, so much so that you can buy multiple sets to keep at each computer and a set to carry in a shirt pocket for less that a single pair from a retail store.




without going through further steps to see if there are other issues at play such as computer glare, screen type etc, it's probably a distance issue.

 

[tiguy7]

I solved the problem with a pair of Zeiss Scopz shooting glasses. They have a 3 position height adjustable nose piece. I move the glasses up when at the computer, riding a bicycle, or shooting a long gun. I move the glasses down when watching TV in bed. The rest of the time the glasses are in the middle position. These sell for around $100 with plano lenses. Your favorite Optician, Optometrist, or Occulist can install the variable focus lenses. I had variable tint added also.

 

[T.K.C.]

I wear bi-focals & have no problem using the computer.

 

[combs6136]

When i went to tri-focals that solved the problem....Just look at the screen thru the middle...........carl

 

[mwerner]

I went to "computer specs" some time ago... Good investment. I was doing a lot of gaming at the time, mostly military sims, and tilting my head to use the bifocals was causing me a lot of pain.

 

[Cougar Allen]

If you ask your optometrist he can give you a prescription for computer glasses, but depending on your eyes you might be able to use drugstore reading glasses just as well. Try them out at the distance you want to be from the computer screen -- at arm's length, for most people. Your reading prescription is for closer distances, your distance prescription is for too far away, and although progressive lenses have the right focal length for a small part of the lens, it's too narrow to use without constantly moving your head. You want something a little weaker than the diopter you use for reading, and you want it in front of your eyes because you don't look down at the computer screen like you do at a book.

It's also possible to get trifocals or progressives with a big middle portion and a narrow bottom and top for reading and looking at people while you're at the computer, without having to change glasses.

 

[dipbait]

Good information everyone. Im still getting use to the progressives, but for the computer I a using drug store readers.

 

[5.56]

I you want, PM me your RX and I'll tell you exactly what you'll need for the intermediate RX. Should you decide to go with over the counter readers.

Your intermediate RX(computer RX) will be half of your prescribed addition power algebraically added to you sphere power.


Your full reading power will be too strong for computer use.

 

[dipbait]

I you want, PM me your RX and I'll tell you exactly what you'll need for the intermediate RX. Should you decide to go with over the counter readers.

Your intermediate RX(computer RX) will be half of your prescribed addition power algebraically added to you sphere power.


Your full reading power will be too strong for computer use.

Thanks, but its not necessary . Im going back to the optician soon to have some adjustments made [they keep slipping down my nose] and I ll bring it up then.

 

[Sid Post]

It's all focal distance, you need to have your monitor at the same distance as your newspaper, watch etc.

I'm a licensed Optician, I deal with this all day.

With a progressive lens, head tilt is everything. As you tilt your head the lens gets progressively stronger, hence the name.

Find a comfortable position(head tilt) and re-postion your monitor so everything is clear. Due to the lens being molded with no lines, you will need to track with your head as you read as well. If that doesn't work, it is possible you need slightly higher add power at near.

As a last resort, you can adjust your PC's font to large

Good Luck.

Good stuff. I never understood why my team mates pushed their monitors so far back. I sit on the front edge of my chair and have the LCD's at the front edge of the desk ... a smidge further then when I hold a newspaper or magazine.

 

[stitchawl]

I used to use Tri-focals but then switched to dedicated computer glasses. MUCH more comfortable! I no longer have to keep my head locked into one posture.

Stitchawl.