What is wrong with my eyesight?

Sounds like you may just need bifocal contacts. Welcome to the club. Or just wear your glasses.

I have progressive glasses that pick up the difference between a book (low) and a computer screen (center) and distance (top.)

I agree with with a multiple lenses. I wear a pair of trifocals and have since I was 52.

Welcome to a club friend.

Sigh. I was so hoping this was not the case.

whimper

Ain’t getting old fun? Welcome to the reading glasses set.

@ETpro It beats the hell out of the alternative.

@WestRiverrat Amen to that, brother. :-)

Actually, after years of wearing ever more powerful reading glasses, I sit here reading the computer screen just fine and can even read a book while taking the T and in low light. My wife brings me stuff to read for her because the fine print is too much for her reading glasses. But all this is thanks to screwed up cataract surgery. I can also see at a distance. They gave me one lens that’s close focus and one that’s focused on distant objects. Somehow, my brain figured out how to decode all this and let me see fine up close and at a distance.

I wore bifocals for decades plus years. Then about three years ago I had cataract surgery, even though I did not have cataracts. My eye doctor said it would help my vision. It did! Now I do not need glasses at all and never wear any. My vision is almost perfect. Surprised me! I am now 80 years old. A very good surgeon did the work of putting in the new lenses. I would suggest you pick the surgeon very, very carefully. Pick one who does this operation frequently, and talk with a few of his/her patients who had this done. Good planning facilitates success!

Could be cataracts.

@Rarebear At my last eye exam, my doctor mentioned I had cataracts showing. He said they were not “large” and that they did not need attention at the moment.

@Hawaii_Jake That’s what’s causing the double images. That was my first symptom.

I use two separate pairs of glasses. Whether I’m reading or at the computer, I want the whole lens.

Before my cataract surgeries a year ago, I used three. Now I don’t need glasses for distance. That’s been an immense blessing: I can see movies, go to the opera, watch DVDs on the big living room screen, and drive without wearing glasses. And the prescriptions I have for the other two uses are much lower. I can even get by with glasses from the drugstore.

Sounds like everyone nailed it. I have friends that literally wear three different glasses on occasion all at once. One low one on top etc becuase they refuse to adjust to bi tri or progressives.

But a possibility bc I have astigmatism in both of my eyes and am the occasional contact wearer. Soft recently switched to dailies dry eye. The doc said mine wasn’t bad enough to need a script like restasis ( sic) but he recommended drops and of course staying hydrated.

The problem is the surface of the eye has ridges grooves and bumps our fluid is supposed gloss over these otherwise vision gets blurry or has problem focusing. I think when you blink its somewhat similar to windshield wiper the fluid gets wiped away hut is supposed to be fully back and non blurry after 2–3 seconds. You could experiment with blinking and fluid intake to see if this might be contributing to your problem.

I’ve had astigmatism and am quite satisfied with progressive lenses. Did not find the adjustment hard at all. One doctor misdiagnosed me with keratoconus at one point which is distortions in the cornea. They can cause that double image or blurriness. You might get a topographic lens exam for that.

1) I use non-progressive bifocals for most of the day.
2) I have sunglasses with the same script.

3) I keep special piano glasses at the piano for glancing from the keyboard to the music stand.

4) I keep computer glasses at the computer for glancing from the keyboard to the screen.

5)I keep glasses with the long distance part of my script only in bed for watching TV and being able to read the closed captions while lying down. The bifocal bit gets in the way.

I too am both nearsighted and astigmatic.

So that’s five pairs. I need a special mule to carry them all. MIlo refuses to wear the panniers.

@gailcalled I like your light hand on the keyboard these days. Your pain medicines become you.

^^^ Tell my nurses. I could use some more.

The only time I experienced this ‘ghost’ sensation (I called it double vision), was when I was developing cataracts—the wonderful side effect of Prednisone. Once I had the surgery, the double vision went away in the one eye. Unfortunately, without corrective lens in my glasses, the other still experiences the double vision. My implant shifted due to scar tissue and repositioned itself. I wear my glass when I read to eliminate the double vision.
I hope the eye doctor can fix your problem—good luck.

I have worn progressives for about 5 years now. I also have an astigmatism with a cyl script of -0.50 (right)/-0.75 (left) and I am dreadfully myopic with a -2.50/-2.75 prescription with an add of +2.00 for both eyes. I have worn glasses since the age of 19 should have been wearing glasses a lot sooner than that. I would say that the progressives are a good way to go unless you are lying in bed watching TV, then the reading Rx gets in the way sometimes. So far, so good for me.