Gransnetters share the difficulties they have experienced as their eyesight has deteriorated

I have worn glasses since I was 8. I had laser eye surgery almost 20 years ago and since then my distance vision is fine.

However I am quite short sighted and wear glasses, mostly perched on the end of my nose, to see anything I need to read etc.

I haven’t used a special light for crafting but do find I need a good brightness to help me see.

I haven’t needed a new prescription for my specs on my last two visits to the opticians so hopefully my vision won’t deteriorate too rapidly as I age.

I have been short sighted since being a teenager. In December 2001, had flashing lights and blurred vision after a few days went to optician and had a detached retina. Repaired that night, sadly the hole was too big and op had to be redone the following Wednesday. I then developed cataract in that eye, side effect of second op, was done in 2007. Had both eyes done to balance sight. 2013 I had a detached retina in other eye, this time I knew what to look for ! So hole was very small, a lot smaller than they normally see in fact. Since then I have had to had eyes lasered due to build up of something on lens. I’m am 56. There is a history of detached retina in the family.

This is a bit of a saga!
I became short-sighted at the age of 12 and was the only person in my family to need glasses.
My prescription got worse as I reached my 20's so I wore hard contact lenses. Then I scratched my cornea putting one in and was in agony. That put me off them.
Returned to glasses after trying soft lenses because I couldn't remove them - hated poking around in my eyes.
Had cataract surgery at age 61 in order to get prescription lenses and do away with glasses altogether. However the reading lens in the left eye didn't work for me because of the astigmatism in that eye so I still need reading glasses. Laser treatment might remove it but my optician put me off it.
A few months after my cataract surgery I noticed that the vision in my right eye was a bit hazy. It turned out I have a pseudo macular hole (whatever that is) in the retina of my right eye. The specialist said it is unlikely to get worse and I manage OK.
2 years after the cataract surgery I noticed cloudy vision in the left eye. It turned out that the lens implanted was defective and was "calcified" so it had to be replaced. Many others had the same problem and the manufacturers paid for the second op.
I was very fortunate to get the defective lens replaced using my natural lens capsule or the surgery would have been more complicated. I chose a simpler lens to reduce the risk of not being able to re-use the natural lens capsule.
My main issue now is that when I wake up in the morning it takes a while for my eyes to focus on distance. Maybe it is due to dry eye and the film of tear fluid isn't replaced properly overnight. Would be interested to know if anyone else has this problem.

About 15 years ago I was told that I had dry AMD in both eyes. Was referred to Consultant who said there was nothing that could be done & that I would eventually lose my central vision. There is still nothing that can be done for dry AMD. A few years later I had lines bending & lots of disturbances in my vision in my right eye. Saw a different Consultant who was really excellent & told me that I had wet AMD & had to have injections in my eye to stop the bleed that was causing the damage to the Macula. The damage was halted after several injections as it was caught early. There is no cure for wet AMD either. After a couple more years wet AMD was diagnosed in my left eye. More injections into the eye & the damage has eased but sight in that eye is much worse. I think because the Hospital changed the medication that they gave. I now have very bad cataract in that eye & am waiting for a removal operation on the cataract. Sight in the left eye is just a blur. I have to have the print on my laptop & ipad large & to read need a bright white light behind me. Would like to have a decent light but can only afford a cheap one. TV is hard to watch, colouring now looks like a 6 year old has done it. Reading hurts my shoulders as I have hold the book at an angle to read with my better right eye. Dreading anything happening to my 'good' eye again. At 75 I guess this is just to be expected though! I wear dark glasses over my prescription glasses when out in sunshine as I cannot see properly. Have difficulty seeing buses coming & reading the destination boards. Crossing roads is a nightmare. It could be worse though, I could lose my sight completely as others have at least I still have my 'good' eye for now!

i have had to wear glasses since i was at school, i have to wear them all the time now , but i am not sure if its getting worse as i get older or not.

I had good eyesight up until I hit 40.After that I was was struggling to read.Had to give in and get glasses for close up things...reading,phone,computer etc.My distance sight is still pretty good.I am 64 now.

I also have glaucoma since a eyesight test at 40 , but since the n the last two yrs the doctors are always getting back me back to hospital for more tests! Which I feel frustrated with . Some drops in eye have caused I irertation to one eye , and have been told another op , ! Very distressing , cataract done in one one , but still can’t drive , and will not anymore .sorry about incorrect words spelt wrong !

I was short sighted and used wear contact lenses / glasses. In the last few years I find it hard to read small writing on the labels. My prescription changed significantly. I no longer need glasses to drive but I do for reading small writings.

I have had wet AMD for about 4 years now.
It is just in my lady eye at present.
I was then diagnosed with something else which I can't remember the name of.
I had lazer treatment for that and it was successful but the AMD is worse now.
I have stopped the injections as thte can go on for life and still don't cure, only contain.
Ifit starts in my right eye I will resume them to keep as much sight as I can.
My life is definitely restricted now, I trip more and often miss the cup/glass when pouring.

Left eye, not lady eye!!

I have struggled with my eyesight since I was two years old, I had a squint and had too wear strong glasses and patches to strengthen each eye. I am shortsighted with astigmatism and my glasses are a very strong prescription, the difficulties I have had over the years has been awful. When I was 21 I was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma which is cancer of the eye it started as a freckle on my right eye and eventually grew and developed into cancer, I had surgery to remove half of my iris then when I was 24 there was a recurrence and this time the melanoma had wrapped itself around the globe and I developed glaucoma and a cataract too I then had to have my whole eye removed and now have a artificial eye. This has really been difficult having too adjust to having one eye and having poor eyesight in the remaining eye, I now have no depth perception and fall or trip quite regular which is horrible so life can be a struggle at times.

i am awaiting an appointment because eye centr(no names) thinks i have glaucoma in my left eye. i must say i cannot see things clearly now.things are a lot more fuzzy... i do wear glasses for long sight. and glasses for reading which do help. but my eyes are always sore from reading too much..am not sure a bright light would help as i have mild epilespsy....but would be willing to explore more ,as my eyes are important in the voluntary work that i do. and i really love reading....

It's quite amazing the number of people on here who've had eye problems from a young age!
I was 8 when I started wearing glasses due to astigmatism in both my eyes; this I continued to do up to the present day. However, at my last eye exam, (now aged 70), I was told of bad cataracts developing in both of my eyes and I was referred to a specialist. The outcome of this was the removal of the cataracts over an 12 week period; a quick and non-painful procedure, which made the most enormous difference to my sight. Colours became much brighter, I could drive at night with no problem and my glasses prescription had to be adjusted.
So much of my daily work takes place on a computer, plus I love to read, so I value my sight every day.

I am long sighted which seems to get worse with age.
The biggest problem for me is grocery shopping. I can not read the price labels without my glasses so I am continually putting on and taking off my glasses. No more quick trips to the supermarket.

I suffer with dry ichy eyes and use eye drops daily, the blower in the car makes them worse which is a nuisance when it needs to be on. I also need glasses for reading but I don't always carry them with me hence sometimes I struggle when out and about shopping and I can't read the small print...

I first noticed I couldn't see very well when I was studying for exams aged about 21. Eventually I was told I had Keratconus and had to wear hard contact lenses to correct this. The contact lenses irritated my eyes greatly. I gave up with the contact lenses and later developed Blephaospasm. The Blepharospasm did not respond to botox injections so I can no longer drive. I have not heard about Serious Readers and how their lights can help with eye strain, although I suspect the light would be too bright for my eyes .

I am 64 and have always had issues since a child having a lazy eye I was mimicked for having a, large plaster of one lens of my glasses but learnt to cope and adapt. Now I am facing new challenges having been diagnosed with cataracts but not badly enough to warrant removal but I find it impacts n my reading pleasure. Everything now appears blurred after a while and have to stop for a few hours before trying again upto now no one has come up with solutions to make things any easier.

Have reluctantly worn glasses for short sight since 8 when after discovering I was short sighted not a dunce did very well at school. Always wore them in class , for TV and catching buses but after being teased by a friend in the classroom not a lot. My mother gave me her old winged glasses even tho much more short sighted than me and then went to round National Health glasses which once having had the plastic cover taken off the frame were gold rimmed and vaguely reminiscent of John Lennon specs. Tried and failed miserably with little hard contacts which end in the bin- they hurt. Realised had to wear them at work constantly as as a student nurse served up tomatoes instead of plums for pudding -such polite patients in those days and when a nursing officer asked me the name of a patient right at the bottom of the ward only knew her name by remembering she had a red dressing gown on. Eventually got really expensive contact lenses supposed to last a year but I stretched to 2 years -luckily as a nurse had to have short nails which helped not to rip them. Then it was monthly use followed and still used by me daily use lenses. An older lady optician advised , like herself, to try short sighted contact in dominant right eye and more long sighted contact in left, when became long sighted. After persisting with the discomfort of headaches for 3 weeks it worked and still does for me. This cuts out wearing ready specs over them for close up stuff. Always have back up glasses -giving the last but one pair to charity. Recently the left eye became much less short sighted so tho vision had improved had to buy new glasses. Very expensive and no help apart from free sight test. I enquired and was told that it would cost more to replace the lense in old glasses then get new pair. This time decided to get all singing and dancing glasses which are varifocal, transitional(for sun protection ) and anti glare coating for driving at night. I can see better still with no glasses or contacts for reading small print even today. ?

The number of times I search for my distance glasses, only to find them on top of my head while wearing my reading glasses ?. I should try bifocals!

I first started noticing my eyesight wasn't as clear was in my mid-forties, and was prescribed bifocal glasses. They made everything look so sharp and clear, I was delighted.

Since then I have had two-yearly eye tests, and occasionally need a new prescription of varifocal lenses. I mainly need the glasses for reading, distances aren't much of a problem luckily.

I do tend to use my laptop frequently, which doesn't help and I have noticed that text can become blurry after a while.
I hadn't heart of 'Serious Readers', but intend to look at the website.

I have trouble reading small print and reading in poor light.I do wear glasses for reading which are fine but I hate the fact that when I am shopping I have to get my glasses out to read the prices or sizes on clothes.It makes me feel old and I am only 57 but I feel old and embarrassed when I have to keep getting glasses out.I do find I can see so much better in bright daylight. I would love to be able to read again with perfect sight.

I'm in my early 60s and first started wearing glasses for reading when I was 20 and at university. In the last few years, I've noticed I can't see small print at all in books, on labels and such like, so have to reach for my glasses, and my long-distance vision, which was always excellent, has deteriorated, albeit slowly. My peripheral vision is always good, though, when tested.

I had perfect vision until about my early 50’s. Now I’m 64 I still hate wearing glasses for reading. I find now that I can’t read the prices on anything in shops, and saying to everyone I’m sure the writing on the packets is getting smaller. I’ve noticed when on holiday in a bright country I am able to see much clearer. I may consider lazer surgery if they do get any worse

I needed glasses at age 8 years. As I couldn't see the blackboard from the back of the class. Once I got my first job after college I saved up and purchased contact lenses. They suited me until at my first pregnancy then couldn't get on with them. Now I an 62 and diabetic Boots the chemist ask me every 6 months for a free eye check up as I has issue they though I has glucoma. But after 18 months if the "dot" test at the eye hospital have now been discharged.

I've been wearing reading glasses since my 30's. Now 61 I have vitreous posterior detachment in both eyes which I can only describe as like a windscreen wiper going across the eye. I wear varifocal glasses all day but at night I find my old reading glasses better to use. No idea why this is. I also find I can see better in the far distance in daylight without any glasses. I recently had a horrendous 3 hour drive in the dark and pouring rain which quite unnerved me as I couldn't see very well at all, am hoping it was just that weather conditions were really bad, and not that my eyes are worsening