REALLY Low Cost Glasses - Stock Up

[Broil]

Multifocal Lasik: http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/presby-lasik.htm

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How Multifocal LASIK Works
Multifocal LASIK creates more than one power on the front surface of the eye, which lets you see simultaneously through different zones providing near, intermediate and distance vision.

If you are middle-aged or older and don't have multifocal vision correction, typically you can see clearly at only one distance, such as far.

Many people in this age group need reading glasses or a special "add" in power to create a near reading zone in the glasses they wear ordinarily. These types of glasses are called bifocals. In recent years, an additional zone providing intermediate vision led to creation of trifocals.

Sophisticated technology now enables multiple or progressive zones to be incorporated into artificial lenses to enable "multifocality" or sight at all distances. In the same way, multifocal LASIK provides similar zones by reshaping your eye's clear surface into precise contours that alter the way light rays enter your eye to achieve focus.

Conventional LASIK procedures reshape the eye's surface so that your eyes focus better at near or far ranges, depending on whether you are farsighted or nearsighted. But as your eye ages, it loses flexibility. You no longer can see clearly at all distances simultaneously, even if you do wear conventional glasses or contact lenses or already have had LASIK for a problem like nearsightedness.

For presbyopic eyes, the only currently available FDA-approved LASIK procedure provides monovision. This means one eye is corrected for better distance vision, and the other eye is corrected to enhance near vision. Many people cannot adapt to this kind of sight, which can cause problems like loss of depth perception. ..........

[BlueOwl]

If you need emergency glasses, try making "pinhole glasses".

http://www.ehow.com/how_2050919_make-emergency-eyeglasses.html

This actually works.  I took the foil lid from a coffee can and used a sewing pin to put 2 holes in it.  Sure enough, I can see almost 20/20 thru those little holes.  Things are dark, there is no peripherial vision, and it is NO substitute for glassess/contacts, but it could save your butt in some situtations.  I could read the closed captioning on my 19" tv at 15 feet.  W/o glassess or the pin-hole thing I'd have to be about 5 feet from the tv or closer.

[Xenopus]

The dollar store is a good source of cheap glasses.

[LuaHasFreedom]

Yes, but those are only reading glasses. The glasses we've been talking about are prescription glasses for a lot more severe problems than not being able to see things close up once you're over 40.

[cygnus]

Yes, but those are only reading glasses. The glasses we've been talking about are prescription glasses for a lot more severe problems than not being able to see things close up once you're over 40.

Exactly.  That's why the low prices at Zenni are so helpful.  I just bought three more pairs of prescription glasses from Zenni the other day, now I'm just waiting for them to come in.  They still had the style I bought last year, so I got three more of the same.  Now I have six pair of glasses that I can swap all parts and lenses on to keep them going longer.  :-)

If you need the reading glasses, eBay is a good place to look.  I got cases of a dozen pairs each of three different strengths for my hubby last year for under $50.  So he has some for now, and two stronger levels of magnification in case he needs them later. 

[Katie]

eyebuydirect.com has a buy one get one free through Sunday.  I just ordered two pairs one for reading and one for close work.  It is for single vision lenses only, however, and the glasses must be over $14.99.  Shipping was $4.95.  You can order four pairs if you want and pay for two.  Just remember that they will choose the two cheapest frames as the free ones.

I got the good frames for these, so that I can see if I like them.  Then I'll get my progressive prescription using the one I like best.  Since I have two other pairs from them (I like those frames ok), I'll chose the best one for the expensive prescription.

If you go through the glassyeyes website you can get a 15% discount.  However, I don't think you can combine that with the buy one get one free.  I'll use that for the progressive glasses.  They have discounts for some other companies too.

I just got a new prescription, so I'm hoping these will work for a while.  Since I have an astigmatism and different vision in each eye, I'm glad I can get cheap reading glasses through them.