I wear glasses for near-sightedness (-5.50 in each eye) and now that I'm older I can't read with them. I have to take my glasses off to read close-up. I wanted to try reading glasses first, before I made the committment to bifocals, since they will cost me about $500. Anyway, I went to the local optical store and tried the various readers. +100 was blurry, so I kept increasing the power, but I still couldn't see. The girl who worked there didn't know what that meant <eye roll>

I went to my eye doctor, and he said I needed the lowest power, either +.50 or +.75. I could see well with both. He didn't have any premade readers in that prescription, so he suggested I try online; otherwise I'd have to get a pair made. My +.75 readers came today and...I can't see. Blurry. However, if I put them on top of my regular glasses, I can see (read) great! Obviously, wearing two pairs of glasses at the same time wasn't quite the look I was going for :D Can someone explain how this is all supposed to work?

Thanks!undefined

Your prescription indicates that you need to hold your reading material about 8-10 inches away (without your glasses on)--wearing just the +0.50 or +0.75 readers means holding the material even closer--you're better off with no glasses than with the "off the rack" readers. (you may want to reconsider your choice in eye doctors--if he really told you this)

Ben Franklin noticed the same thing--wearing two pairs of glasses wasn't the "look he was going for". So he put two pairs of glasses into one pair of frames--and called them--ta da! Bifocals.

If you want reading glasses with the kind of prescription you have, do the math

-5.50 +(+.75) = -4.75

This is not a power that you would find on the rack ever, anywhere, anytime, anyway.

However, you might have a really old pair of glasses around that just might be close--you know, those big, round, red "Sally Jesse Raphael" glasses.

BTW, you didn't mention if you wear contact lenses. If you do, then wearing your contacts with the "off the rack" readers should work (see the math above).

Thanks for the explanation! I didn't know too much about presbyopia, because, well, I didn't have it before :rolleyes: If I'm understanding correctly, the pre-made readers are not for nearsighted people; they're for people with normal vision who now can't see well up close. So why wasn't I informed? Both places where I inquired about readers knew I was nearsighted. It was so hard to say "those are not for you?"

I guess I'm off to get bifocals. I can still read without my glasses, but it gets a bit tiring after a while, and I thought inexpensive readers would be a good first step. I know I can get readers made, but I can't really justify the cost, when bifocals are more useful.

(And yes, the readers work great with my contacts)

Thanks again for your help :)