Vision and driving

[Anonymous]

I am not 50 years old yet, and I wear multi-focal contact lenses.

Over time, I feel more and more uncomfortable driving because it takes longer to focus eyes on roads and surroundings, especially when changing lanes or turning right/left, and I get double vision. Sometimes, I close one of my eyes so I can see better (for example, when I am checking both sides of the street.)

I go to a reputable optometrist and she says my eyes are quite typical (nearsightness and aging).

I am really wondering what I am experience is normal or not. Could you please share how your eyes are doing as you age while driving?

[Anonymous]

I found starting in my mid-40s I couldn't focus properly with contacts and needed to switch to glasses. It might be something to consider, even if it's a pain.

It's not a mad idea to have an exam with an opthalmologist for a baseline check in middle age. You could raise these concerns and get a read on whether it's normal.

[Anonymous]

It might be your multi focal lenses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It might be your multi focal lenses.

Sorry, failed to finish - recommend trying to drive with your glasses. Or try contacts for near-sightedness only. And make sure your eyes are hydrated.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for these responses. Very helpful. Even when I was younger, it was hard for me to drive with glasses especially when changing lanes. I couldn't tell if a car is in the next lane or two lanes away. I always wondered how people with glasses can drive. I will try eye drops tomorrow and see if it helps. By the way, I can see much better in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Around that time (am now mid '50s, have been wearing multi-focal contacts for years), my eye doc asked me if I wanted to see near or far? When I said "both," the doc told me my expectations were too high.

Am sad, and cannot see well near and far, but do the best I can

[Anonymous]

My night vision has deteriorated so much that it was really scary driving at night. I have astigmatism and I wear contacts in my mid-50's. I was able to improve reading but then my far vision suffered. So I ended up wearing glasses over my contacts at night with a low prescription so I can see far. I figured out that I could use my son's old prescription and be able to drive and see better but it's hard for me to see the control panel and gps screen. My husband thinks I'm crazy but it seems to work!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My night vision has deteriorated so much that it was really scary driving at night. I have astigmatism and I wear contacts in my mid-50's. I was able to improve reading but then my far vision suffered. So I ended up wearing glasses over my contacts at night with a low prescription so I can see far. I figured out that I could use my son's old prescription and be able to drive and see better but it's hard for me to see the control panel and gps screen. My husband thinks I'm crazy but it seems to work!

I got a pair of distance glasses that adjust for the eye with the reading lens so I can see distance. The other side is just clear glass. It's great for road signs, but like you I can't see the screens in the car so I stopped wearing them because i found myself constantly pulling them down to see near. But my night vision is getting worse so I probably need to start using them at night again.

[Anonymous]

I bought some of those gold tinted glasses advertised as good for driving at night. I think it works, less eye strain. I do not have other glasses/contacts, so that detail is an outliner.

[Anonymous]

I have one eye with nearsight and another with farsight. Progressives are not helping with driving so I am the crazy woman who is driving wearing reading glasses with one lense punched out.

57 yrs old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for these responses. Very helpful. Even when I was younger, it was hard for me to drive with glasses especially when changing lanes. I couldn't tell if a car is in the next lane or two lanes away. I always wondered how people with glasses can drive. I will try eye drops tomorrow and see if it helps. By the way, I can see much better in the morning.

Maybe a newer car that alerts you to cars in the next lane would help you.

[Anonymous]

No driving at night for me since age 58. Now depth perception is a problem. Avoid high speed highways, which is really sad. I basically need a driver and I'm not elderly.

[Anonymous]

Has your optometrist done a recent retinal scan? I developed cataracts in both eyes in my late 50s. I was also having problems seeing clearly, especially at night. After cataract surgery, my vision is great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has your optometrist done a recent retinal scan? I developed cataracts in both eyes in my late 50s. I was also having problems seeing clearly, especially at night. After cataract surgery, my vision is great.

An ophthalmologist has and no, no cataracts.