the slow transition to bifocals

[tanyalynn]

After doing a bit of googling, it appears that my arms are not getting shorter, and most likely bifocals are in my future.

For a while now, I've been noticing that the default distance I hold reading material from my face results in blurriness, and I need to hold books just a bit farther away. When I take my glasses off (near-sighted & astigmatism, since my mid teens) I can see things closer, and together, that seems to mean that bifocals are in my future.

Anyone care to share how this has gone for you? How long from when you first noticed things starting to change to when you felt you needed a new prescription that accommodated this? That's probably my biggest question, along with whether there's anything I can do to slow this process.

It doesn't seem like a good sign that this started at 34 for me--am I wrong in guessing that the earlier this starts, the more severe it will ultimately be?

[Aubergine68]

I can't answer your questions, but I'm 41, very nearsighted ( -8) and some astigmatism. Just noticing the same symptoms as you describe in recent months. My optometrist recently told me that it is progressing in the direction of bifocals, but is not severe enough yet to warrant me getting bifocals. I may pay for another test next year because it feels as though the vision changes are happening fast.

I'm also noticing that I experience carsickness, even while I am driving, which is unusual for me. I'm wondering if this is a vision issue.

[tanyalynn]

Carsickness is no fun, and while driving seems both odd and potentially debilitating. That seems worthy of bringing up with your doc; I remember in my teens, I went in to the optometrist a couple times and ended up with very weak prescriptions before my eyes changed enough to get a pair of glasses that the doc thought I needed--but I was having eye strain and headaches before that, and they went away with that final prescription.