so I'm a little concerned about wearing glasses

[Neverhoodian]

It's not so bad being dependent on glasses (I should know, having worn them regularly for 11 years now). Your vision is going to deteriorate with age anyway, so it might be best to get used to it now.

Besides, glasses are considered a fashion statement nowadays. Just consider them as "eye bling."

 

[Simca]

I've never really understood why laser eye surgery isn't more popular, tbh.

People waste thousands and thousands of dollars on all sorts of incredibly stupid purchases (to name an example: massive TV sets) when you can vastly improve your own body for just a couple thousand - 20/20 (or better) vision, never having to clean glasses, getting a FULL field of view only possible previously with massive, dorky square glasses.

 

[Rush Syks]

Well in England a pair of glasses will set you back about £100-200, depending on where you go. I usually go through a pair every two years or so, but then I'm fussy and I cant stand to have scratched lenses.

Lets say I'll live to 80 or so, and take 20 years off for childhood/teenagerdom when glasses are inexpensive. 60 years of spending say £150 every two years will cost me around £4500, whereas the average cost of laser eye surgery is around £1000 per eye (it can cost around double that in special cases though) so in the long run I'd probably end up saving money by getting laser eye surgery.

Of course I haven't taken into account senior citizen discounts on glasses. They could probably even it out a bit I guess.

Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your eyes probably won't stay the same for that long. Normally, your eyes stay the same from 25 to around 50 and then your vision gets worse again due to aging, so you'll be needing glasses again. Just sayin'.

To the thread opener: When I was a teenager I always tried to keep my glasses as long as possible to prevent my eyes from getting worse. But that simply doesn't work, your eyes will be getting worse depending on your genetic disposition mostly, even sitting in front of the computer or reading a lot is not seen as such a big factor anymore, according to recent studies.

You'll only have stressed out eyes and headaches if you don't use your glasses. But they obviously should fit you well, finding the right configuration took me three iterations over 4 years.

 

[ninjaRiv]

I've never really understood why laser eye surgery isn't more popular, tbh.

People waste thousands and thousands of dollars on all sorts of incredibly stupid purchases (to name an example: massive TV sets) when you can vastly improve your own body for just a couple thousand - 20/20 (or better) vision, never having to clean glasses, getting a FULL field of view only possible previously with massive, dorky square glasses.

... because "couple thousand" is "couple thousand." That's a lot of money and I don't think many people are spending "thousands and thousands" on useless shit.

I also hear that laser surgery is risky and the benefits don't last that long. It's also a couple thousand per eye, isn't it?

 

[Loop Stricken]

As a twentysomething in the Midlands, I also really should get me some glasses. Alas, I look like a massive twat when I wear them.

 

[Yopaz]

Your eyes are the way they are for physical reasons. Your eyes wont improve or stop getting worse just because you don't wear glasses. Given your age I would guess they are about to become stable though. Once your eyes get stable they wont change for a long while and then that is because your muscles (dont remember the English name for these muscles) weaken and wont be able to bend the lense as much as they did and you get problem focusing on things close to you.

In short, wear glasses, it makes your life easier and you're already depndent on them.

 

[mattaui]

You'll reach a stable point where your eyesight won't get any worse, so you might as well just get used to your glasses. I've been wearing glasses since I was 12, I'm 36 now, but my prescription hasn't really changed much in the last 15 years.

I've tried contacts, but they really bothered my eyes if I was anywhere dry or dusty. Since I lived out in far west Texas for a few years, I pretty much had to give them up, and I decided I liked my glasses better anyway. So much more convenient.

 

[WanderingFool]

the thing I'm worried about is the nagging feeling that if I wear my glasses too much my eyes will adjust to it and become dependant on them and well...I don't want that,

so my question is does that happen? can wearing glasses too much render your eyes more dependant on them than they originally were?

If you need glasses, your eyesight isnt going to get better. Wear them, it will make your life easier.

 

[Tanakh]

Yes but what else can you do?

Tons of things actually, just off the top of my head you could:

- Have surgery.

- Use acupuncture.

- Follow an homeopathic treatment.

- Start the Bates method, a good intro to it would be The Art of Seeing by Huxley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Seeing).

- Use contacts.

Each of those have people for which it has worked, but also have their risks. As a guy with 10 degrees of myopic and a couple of astigmatism I am however quite happy with glasses unless I need to do some manual work outside, then it's contacts, but I learnt a lot out of the alternative medicine methods suggested above; also I am legally disabled due the myopic stuff, so can park anywhere

Edit: I also use glasses when i need to appear more professional/smarter/mature for work. Humans are curious creatures, works almost every time.
Finally, you might want to start a carotene and other nutrients diet, it will help on your eyes health on the long run.

-snip-

Sup m8t

 

[Extra-Ordinary]

Think of it as augmented vision

My brain immediately went to Adam Jenson's sunglasses when I read that.
Except my glasses aren't drilled into my temples.

 

[DoPo]

I've never really understood why laser eye surgery isn't more popular, tbh.

People waste thousands and thousands of dollars on all sorts of incredibly stupid purchases (to name an example: massive TV sets) when you can vastly improve your own body for just a couple thousand - 20/20 (or better) vision, never having to clean glasses, getting a FULL field of view only possible previously with massive, dorky square glasses.

... because "couple thousand" is "couple thousand." That's a lot of money and I don't think many people are spending "thousands and thousands" on useless shit.

I also hear that laser surgery is risky and the benefits don't last that long. It's also a couple thousand per eye, isn't it?

It depends where you are and what currency you're talking about. You're in the UK, so it's safe bet you're working in pounds, in which case, as far as I know, a lot of surgeries are less than 2k per eye. I don't doubt there are places that do it for that much but I think it's not that wide spread. My friend who had his surgery paid £1250 per eye, if I remember correctly (or £1450) and had the operation it in...umm, Manchester or Birmingham - one or the other, I forget. At any rate, it was quite a good clinic. And from his research, prices could start at something like 700 or 900 but a thousand something was more common and also got you into more reliable clinics.

But other than that, you're correct - it is a lot of money. You could, if you wish, try having a surgery somewhere abroad - prices could be as low as £300 or so, however, it's, you know - abroad. Whether or not you're willing to go the extra length (literally) is up to you.

But apart from that it's a sizeable portion of money. And glasses do work - have done so for quite a while now, so people could generally be happy with them. I am happy with mine. If I had a couple thousands lying around, I would probably use them on something else myself. Yeah, I am thinking of eventually getting the laser surgery but it's not a priority.

 

[Nickolai77]

When i last had an eye test i explained to the optician that i only wore my glasses when necessary to preserve what vision i had, but he told me that now i'm in my twenties i shouldn't expect any further vision deterioration glasses or no glasses. So i don't think wearing glasses will alter the OP's vision if he's my age.

But, to be on the safe side i'd recommend only using the glasses when you strictly need to wear them- and it may be worth going back to the optician and saying that you feel your short field vision has been adversely affected, because that doesn't seem right to me.

 

[Combustion Kevin]

I'm blind to one eye, so if the other goes bad I get to wear a monocle.

 

[ninjaRiv]

It depends where you are and what currency you're talking about. You're in the UK, so it's safe bet you're working in pounds, in which case, as far as I know, a lot of surgeries are less than 2k per eye. I don't doubt there are places that do it for that much but I think it's not that wide spread. My friend who had his surgery paid £1250 per eye, if I remember correctly (or £1450) and had the operation it in...umm, Manchester or Birmingham - one or the other, I forget. At any rate, it was quite a good clinic. And from his research, prices could start at something like 700 or 900 but a thousand something was more common and also got you into more reliable clinics.

But other than that, you're correct - it is a lot of money. You could, if you wish, try having a surgery somewhere abroad - prices could be as low as £300 or so, however, it's, you know - abroad. Whether or not you're willing to go the extra length (literally) is up to you.

But apart from that it's a sizeable portion of money. And glasses do work - have done so for quite a while now, so people could generally be happy with them. I am happy with mine. If I had a couple thousands lying around, I would probably use them on something else myself. Yeah, I am thinking of eventually getting the laser surgery but it's not a priority.

Well, that's still a lot of money. And the cheaper the place, the higher the risk in most cases.

Personally, I'm fine with glasses. I barely notice them unless they slip too far down my nose, which isn't often. I can understand the appeal of laser eye surgery but I don't think it's worth the risks involved. The risks are minor, mind, but I don't feel it's a very good option when glasses are perfectly suitable when you give them a chance. Not to everyone, I understand; not everyone likes wearing glasses.

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

Short answer yes, but if you need glasses you need glasses. It's worse to strain your eyes then getting used to glasses.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

I'm wearing glasses since I was six and lemme tell you: when things get blurry on close range, take them off.

I'm pretty much blind (-5 and -5.5), yet I must take my glasses off when I need to do things that require a close look. Otherwise it'd be unnecessary strain for the eyes.

I am 7.5 and 8.

I literally cannot see anything without my glasses/contacts.

I can't function at all without them. I even need them for reading/using the computer. Everything.

Just wear em man.

 

[DoPo]

Well, that's still a lot of money. And the cheaper the place, the higher the risk in most cases.

My sentiments exactly.

Personally, I'm fine with glasses. I barely notice them unless they slip too far down my nose, which isn't often. I can understand the appeal of laser eye surgery but I don't think it's worth the risks involved. The risks are minor, mind, but I don't feel it's a very good option when glasses are perfectly suitable when you give them a chance. Not to everyone, I understand; not everyone likes wearing glasses.

I don't mind either but since laser surgery is getting more and more reliable and affordable, I might one day zap myself. As I said, not really a priority - right now I can happily spend a couple of grand elsewhere, however, at some point in the future, I'll probably do it. It's not really that I don't like the glasses or anything similar, I just think that if I have the option, I can just go for it. My father wore contact lenses for a very long time (he's wearing glasses now for...well, he has his reasons), my uncle also wears contacts, and I think if laser surgery wasn't around, I would have probably done the same. Just because "Why not?"