Are there any "over the glasses" reading glasses?

I was at the ophthalmologist’s yesterday. He thought my solution wasn’t bad.

I wear bifocals (also with a correction for the astigmatism) for normal work. I use a special pair of RX glasses for sitting at the computer.

I have yet a fourth pair of Rx glasses for the piano.

When I recently took a course at the local high school, I had the computer at my desk and a slide show displayed on a wall screen. It was look up, look down, switch glasses, get a head ache and a stiff neck.

Let me know what you discover.

I have a Macbook air that I can see with my regular bifocals if I put it on a cushion on my lap, but I can’t really see the keyboard well enough to type.

How about these clip-on reading lenses?

@thorninmud Those might work actually. I was hoping for something that I could put around my neck so I wouldn’t lose them, but if I can’t find something, these could work.

You clip these on over your regular bifocals/ That seems odd.

My sister’s boyfriend is an ophthalmologist. That is, he does eye exams and sells glasses of all kinds. He had an interesting “rest-on” plastic lens that sits inside your current eyeglasses, and instead of bows this has stubby little “wings” that rest on the bows of whatever glasses you’re wearing. So they’re held in place by gravity and by their placement between your current glasses and your face. Very lightweight, and since there’s no unfolding as with regular glasses, you just drop them in place when you want them, and pick them out when you don’t.

Unfortunately I haven’t seen them anywhere else, so I’ll have to find out where he gets them (and what they’re called).

An ophthalmologist is an MD. There are also optometrists and opticians.

My ophthalmologist examines eyes for glaucoma, mac. degeneration, cataracts, hardening of the arteries; his technicians do the eye glasses RX. My guy saw me on Tues. and today did seven cataract surgeries.

@CWOTUS; Do find out; they sound interesting.

@gailcalled It’s an old technology as clip on sunglasses used to be popular. I don’t like them as the clips were always a pain in the butt. In terms of clipping over the bifocals, yes it is odd. But I was working at the computer today and realizing that the print was so small that only way to see the print was to lift my head up, and that was uncomfortable after an hour. Sucks to get old.

I decided to crash my optometrist’s clinic this Friday and ask her opinion. I’ll post what she says.

I bet she tells you, trifocals. That is where I’m headed. The added intermediate range in the lens may give you what you are looking for, @Rarebear.

@Rarebear: …lift my head up…sucks…old.

That is why I keep a pair of computer glasses next to the computer and a spare in my purse. I used old frames so having them made wasn’t very expensive. And the RX does seem to be able to stay the same for years.

Personally, I get seasick with graduated bifocals and cannot imagine the merry dance I would have to do in order to use trifocals.

We are eagerly awaiting @Rarebear‘s research.

@gailcalled I had the seasick problem with progressives when I first got them, but over the last 10 years I’ve done pretty well. It works fine when I’m typing or reading a book, but when i’m reading a computer screen it’s a problem. I’ll let you other old farts know what she says.

@Rarebear: What about a stronger light bulb and a slightly larger font?

Thank you, @Rarebear. Like my husband says, “Getting old sucks, but it sure beats the alternative.” I hope I live long enough and have enough eyesight left to read your reply. ; – )

@gailcalled Normally I just enlarge the computer screen font by the usual methods. But our new computer system has embedded windows in windows with lots of drop down menus that would screw with the formatting if I did that.

Okay, got the answer. No good options for me. Trifocals aren’t an option as the engage point will be too high. Best option would be to have two sets of glasses—one for regular use, and one for computer use.

I talked to her about the diopter add with the flip downs, and we went through different adds with my eyes. The problem is my right eye likes +0.75 and my left eye likes +1.25. I’m going to compromise and try the +1.00 flip down and see how it goes.

Two pairs of glasses is still better than three, so count your blessings that you don’t play the piano.

Do you look through the eyepiece of the telescope without your glasses?

@gailcalled I play the piano.

No, I use my glasses when I look through a telescope eyepiece, but I usually don’t use eyepieces as I’m using a computer laptop.

Okay, ordered the glasses @thorninmud linked to. I’ll let you know how they go.

Got the glasses. They’re really REALLY dorky looking. But they work.

Funny, I was just wondering this AM how that worked out.

If it’s any comfort, I betcha doctors aren’t held to the same standards of chic that apply to the rest of us. Hell, I grew up in a world where doctors wore those round reflectors on a headband. Seeing a doctor using technological enhancements seems fitting.

@Rarebear: Thanks for the research and the results. Let us know again what you think in two weeks, after the novelty wears off.

Now, how are you going to keep from losing them? I just tracked down a pair of glasses, missing for a while, in a spot where I had previously looked (in its case, to make it more embarrassing).

Afterthought: How did you choose the diopter strength? There are four choices at
at @thorninmud‘s site.

Use one of those lasso lariat/neck cord thingie and remove them at the computer whenever you standup. I’m curious to see if they work for you, @Rarebear. It sounds like it could be a solution.

@gailcalled I will probably lose them. That’s why I bought two.
I picked the diopter after going to the optomotrist and trying out a bunch of different diopters in front of a computer screen. This is just a “tide me over” until I can get in to see her with a formal appointment in 3 weeks.

@Rarebear: Report back, please.

@gailcalled, tell @Rarebear I said I wish him well with the new readers. Apparently, he can’t see my comments.

@bkcunningham : WHAT’D YOU JUST SAY?

LOL

@bkcunningham The lariat trick wouldn’t work for these puppies as they are clip on. What I do is just flip them up and walk around with flipped up reading lenses. Dorky as hell, but I don’t give a crap. I’m still having trouble as they’re not exact, but my optometry appointment is in 3 weeks so I’ll just suck it up until then.

Okay, switched my avatar so you can see what the clip ons look like when they’re on.

^^That certainly gave me a headache simply by a brief look.

Update. I got a new prescription and they work great. Problem solved.

Mono, bi, tri, graduated, line, glasses over glasses?

I just saw these. Has anyone heard any reviews about the Superfocus glasses?

Do you mean clip-on glasses like LightMag from T’aime Optics?