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Monovision contact lenses


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I have had monovision since 1967 and love it. Last year I had both cataracts removed and monovision lenses installed. My distance eye is 20/20 however I am having PRK done on my reading eye this afternoon simply because I am tired of messing with contacts. It does take a little time initially for your brain to get used to seeing distance out of one eye and closeup out of the other but once you have your brain trained for that, you never think about it. If I need clearer vision when sewing or quilting, I just put on a pair of reading glasses - no big deal - but my reading glasses have been adjusted to see closeup out of both eyes which helps tremendously. I don't know what your alternatives are, but for me it was wearing glasses and vision is never as clear with glasses. I would recommend it.

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My two eye are so different. I Have worn the monovision forever, but I also have bifocals to wear over them for close work. Love them! Good Luck! I also wear the disposable contacts. Ask for a pair to try. My doc offers a free pair to try! Good Luck!

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My husband had monovision done with his laser surgery 4-5 years ago and loves it. However, when he had it done he was still playing regularly in a band so he had his close up eye set to the distance he kept his song book (he's a drummer) instead of where he would normally be reading. I'm rolling my eyes here because I would have stopped him if I would have known he was doing that. Anyhow, sure enough, he only plays in the band sometimes now, but he is reading all the time. Guess who has to wear reading glasses? I guess what I'm saying is have your distance set to what you are going to be doing the most. Not only do most people read books and newspapers, but also, mail, menus, instructions, etc.

Contact lenses will be easy to change, but his surgery is permanent. Just makes me shake my head every time I think about it.

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I wear one contact in my left eye for about 15 yr. My eye doc said not everybody can do it. My brain just takes over and I read with my left eye and see distance with my right eye. My DH tried it and couldn't wrap his brain around it. Just try it for awhile and see how you do. Your eye doc should be able to get you a sample to try it out on. I didn't have too much trouble getting used to it. I love it! I can easily read phone books and distance too.

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I have contacts now and am needing to get a new prescription.

I sort of did this mono-vision thing without realizing it years ago. I'd been conked on the head and was vertically cross-eyed. My brain adapted and when looking down, it would basically shut one eye off.

I'm seriously considering this. I don't mind wearing glasses when I quilt, but it would sure be nice not to have to wear them when I'm trying to read, etc.

Thanks everyone!!!

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I did this on my own. I am nearsighted and don't need anything to read, but can't see clearly across the room. I hated glasses because they never fit right. But with contacts, I couldn't see to read or do close work, so I was very frustrated. My BIL who is a surgeon told me he wore only one contact because he struggled with the same problem and he was very happy with his results. So I tried it several years ago. After changing from the right eye to the left eye, I knew this was the solution. So if you don't have good results with one eye, its worth trying the other eye. I don't have special lenses.

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Guest Linda S

When I had my lasik surgery done about ten years ago, they set me up for monovision. It took me a while to figure out whether or not it was working -- I was the equivalent of 20/1400 in one eye and 20/1650 in the other. Lasik surgeries back then didn't give you clearvision as instantly as they do now. After about two weeks, I realized it wouldn't work for me and went in to have the other eye adjusted. Both eyes are now 20/15. I wear reading glasses, but it beats being blind any day!

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Originally posted by DoryJM

So for those of you with the monovision contacts, when you wear glasses for close up (like quilting and sewing, I assume) do you have to have prescription lenses or can you wear drugstore glasses?

Dory, I wear mono vision contacts, but only when I'm underwater!:P

Seriously, I wear mono contacts for scuba diving to save the cost of a custom-ground mask lens - and it works! I leave them in between dives - I can fill out my logbook and read the fish ID books without a problem, although I suspect my close vision is better with my glasses....

I say give it a try - what's the downside?;)

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Love them, love them, love them. I went into glasses about 1 1/2 yrs ago and hated wearing them, reading sucked because you had to get your head just right with the bifocal, felt like I was behind a window and so I decided to try contacts. Fell in love with them from the get go. It only took me a couple days to adjust and now I don't even notice anything, hate taking them out.

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I tried monovision contacts and it didn't work for me. Next we tried modified monovision and I had one bifocal contact and one regular contact and that worked very well. I wanted the close vision to be better and went to two bifocal contacts and it is working, also. There are always trade offs and with two bifocal contacts my distance vision isn't as good as it was with the modified monovision, and I still need drugstore peepers to see close and thread a needle, but I'm happy with the arrangement.

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I have used monovision contacts for years and love it. I hated the glasses. I was teaching at the time I had to give in and wear glasses. I was constantly looking up and down in the classroom and the bifocals would kill me. My eyes were constantly trying to focus. With the contacts that wasn't a problem. It took about 2 weeks for my brain to adjust but it has been great.

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I have worn these for many many years and they are better by far than wearing glasses. The only thing you need to be aware of is your depth perception is affected so get used to parking and judging distances a little different. Found that out when I pulled right up to my daughters car and tapped her bumper! Now that I am used to it, no problem.

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Hi Dori,

I hope this works out for you, it is wonderful! And, I don't know if this would suit you or not, but I do monovision, and the lens I wear is a bifocal lens. That way, i can see fine up close w my uncorrected eye, and the corrected eye covers the middle and far distance.

This has worked great for me for several years. I think you will know after a week or so whether it would be comfortable for you. Someone described it as "climbing the stairs standing still"! I knew in about 3 days that I would be fine. Good luck, and et us know how it goes. They should be able to give you one lens to try this out with, before you invest in a new box of lenses.

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