Will I definitely nead reading glasses at 40 - Lasik Eye Surgery Message Board

eruiz67 · 08-03-2007, 09:29 AM

I had lasik in June...Was really nearsighted.(8, -7) and ended up undercorrected (-2 in both eyes according to my presc for glasses).....Anyways I can still read up close of course......I am probably going to get an enhancement in 3 months unless there is a miracle and my eyesight gets better........Before lasik I didn't need reading glasses but am thinking after the enhancement it will be invevitable......anyone out there got lasik at this age and didn't need them....I know we can't have the best of both worlds but......I'm thinking of having him undercorrect my undominant eye just very little (blending opposed to monovision where the difference between the eyes is more)....Actually this is what the doctor was going to do in the first place but I really got undercorrected in both eyes....
Anyway.........just waiting to see what happens....Hope I don't end up worse after enhancement.....BUT I don't miss my red burning eyes from wearing contacts all day......

jakem1 · 08-03-2007, 03:43 PM

If both eyes end up plano or 0.00 after your enhancement within a few years of turning 40 you will definitely need reading glasses, but so does 95% of the population over 45 so you won't be alone. The only good thing about myopia (near sitedness) is when you take off your distance glasses you get a few extra year of reading without glasses but eventually end up with bifocals.

You can go for monvision with your enhancement which is trying to get one eye to plano (0.00) and the other to -0.50 for reading. This could buy you 10-15 more years until you need reading glasses.

I have to make the same decision with my ehancement in Nov. Do I go for plano in both eyes and get reading glasses immediately or go for monovision.

eruiz67 · 08-03-2007, 08:59 PM

I will be getting my enhancement (maybe) around the same time so keep me posted.....anyway....If your around my age (40)go with "blending" which is just like mono but a little less of a difference between the eyes so It won't be "too weird".....According to my doctor this is much easier to get used to and you can't even tell the difference.....I wish you the best of luck!!!!!!

jakem1 · 08-04-2007, 05:31 AM

Yes, I may go for blending as I am 45. My date is Nov 12th up in Montreal. I still don't know where my PRK eye will turn out. My Lasik eye stabilized on day 5 at a crappy -1.25. My PRK eye is still "healing" as I am still on a heavy steroid drop regimine in the hope it will turn out maybe -0.50. If that happens, I may just leave the PRK eye alone and it will become my reading eye and I will have the Lasik eye ehnanced all the way to hopefully 0.00. Right now the PRK is blurry -1.00, better in the morning but really lousy as the day progresses.

Genessa · 08-04-2007, 07:56 PM

I had PRK done when I was 40.

The dr recommended he undercorrect one eye and overcorrect the other slightly and I knew it wouldn't "bother" me 'cos I once went a couple of months with just one contact lens in (don't ask

).
One of the reasons he did this was because I told him I was a book-a-holic: I read 2-3 books a week.
He also said that most people need reading glasses starting at around 40 and I would need them sooner or later regardless.

Anyway, it's now 9 years later. To this day, I have to close one eye and "look" with the other (and then repeat) before I can remember which eye is overcorrected and which is undercorrected.
I am just beginning to need reading glasses. When I went for my last eye exam, the doc told me to pick up the "1s" from the discount rack and only use it when necessary. I've used them maybe 3 times, in 7 months or so, only to read fine print in not perfect light.