It’s great to see you Bowser! It’s been a long time. Hope all is well.

Rob

I always thought it would be about blurry vision but for me it is all about light. My eyes are still clear in very bright light or with back light. In normal light I must have glasses to read or do close work.

I don’t need glasses to drive or do routine stuff and I can still pass a driver eye exam.

The retina one is the only thing I have to pay about $25 more for.

Vision is something that can be quantified, so I get a little less queasy recommending self-diagnosis than I would most other areas of the body. There are vision tests available online that you can self-administer with a modicum of confidence, and it’s possible your opthamologist is using a professional version of one that Rob could take himself.

Talked to my Dad this morning about it, and he repeatedly recomended the amsler grid, which is pretty much what it sounds like:

First thing your friend should do is get an amsler grid on Google. Looking at the dot in the middle of the grid, the lines should be straight each way. If they appear wavy or distorted it means you probably have a serious problem with macular degeneration.

(follow-up email)

I’m almost 50 and am just now starting to use cheap readers for things with fine print. I also have one of those big magnifying lenses attached to a light that I use all the time, especially when reading old maps or pulling a splinter.

An old practice of mine while reading is everytime I turn a page, I focus on something far away for a moment. I find that helps reduce eye strain. Otherwise, after fifteen minutes of reading, everything far away is blurry until my eyes adjust.

But in your case sweetum’s..I am willing to make an exception…:)

On a personal note…I am myopic…blinder than a bat …been wearing glasses since second grade.

Yeah, go see an eye doctor. Anybody who’s made it to 48 without needing glasses has nothing to complain about! I’m in bifocals.

It’s caused by the lens getting stiffer so it is progressively harder for the eye muscles to deform it to focus on nearby objects. At infinity, the relaxed lens can still focus fine, so distant objects are sharp. My distance vision is fine. A quick and dirty test for presbyopia is look at a dim object through a telescope or binoculars, if you can use the focussing mechanism to compensate for your inability to focus, that is, if you can still focus to a sharp image in dim light, you probably don’t have some other vision problem. I don’t need my specs when I’m observing, but I can no longer read my star charts under red light without them.

The reason you can still see in bright light is that in sunlight, your pupil contracts, like stopping down a lens diaphragm, so you’re only using the central, best-figured part of the lens. This is why all optical systems are sharper at long focal lengths, you’re using less of the lens so you’re using less of its imperfections. But go to a doctor, presbyopia will get worse with time and its not worth the risk of losing your vision to save a few bucks if you have some other problem as well.

My symptoms were the same as yours, difficulty seeing fine detail in dim light, forcing myself to focus and squint with text I used to be able to read easily, and an inability to work on consumer electronics because the raised lettering identifying sockets and wires is always black on black, and the fittings placed in the back where it is always poorly illuminated. Sometimes even a flashlight doesn’t help. (Why don’t these jerks ever put white lettering on a black background? Do they think only young dudes buy their shit?)

What is really frustrating is that if you get close enough to read, you can’t focus, and if you step back so you can focus, you’re too far from the lettering to read it. AAAARGGGH.

Get them checked, and be grateful if its only your eyes. Other systems will start shutting down as time goes bye. Count on it.