Not blind yet

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Aside from finding grey hairs on my head and chest, I now have another sign of aging, increased eyestrain while reading.

I had my eyes examined a few months ago and my near vision is fine (for the curious, I am near sighted and have 20/30 vision in my right eye and 20/40 in my left, with some very mild astigmatism - this has not changed in more than 25 years).

I have noticed over the past few months that when I read, I need to have the book a little further away from me than I used to. It needs to be further than 12 inches (30cm) from me. If it is closer, I can still read, but I definitely notice increased tension on my eyes, as well, the pages and words take on an unreal flatness. This makes reading in the bathtub, with book propped on my chest, harder since I find myself having to now hold the book a little higher and a little further away - tiring my arms.

Image nabbed from here.

Comments

Barbara said…
It's time for progressive bifocals. You and most people over the age of 45 need them. They make seeing painless once again, while the give you multiple choices for how you view the world.
October 12, 2006 12:40 PM
Mother of Invention said…
Ah, Richard, it's a right of passage into the age of majority! (Yeah, they never told me either it meant that you lose the majority of your senses!) Do arm stretches to put off getting glasses!
October 12, 2006 3:30 PM
Richard said…
barbara: hmmmm ... while I am near-sighted, I rarely wear my glasses, so I am not sure bifocals would be of any use. Another ocntributing factor could be that I stare at a computer monitor most of the day (at 1600x1200 resolution - higher if I could - because I am keen on getting as much info on my display as possible).

MOI: I have felt other effects of aging - such as not liking the winter cold as much as I used to.
October 12, 2006 5:59 PM
Anonymous said…
Oh well,Richard,Im sure you re not the only one.

women,as they reach their 30`s find lots of diffrences compare to their 20`s esp when they bear a child.

what if they reach 40?I`ve just thought of that yest.,coz I decided to take up medical examinations every year,that I dont do before..

do you take some vitamins?me and my family dont,I wonder maybe its time for us to have some?hmmm
October 12, 2006 7:07 PM
Richard said…
ghee: I don't think vitamins are going to help my eyes. It is simply a question of the eyes no longer being as supple as they once were and being able to focus with the same ease.

I do take vitamins from time to time. At my previous job, I used to take large doses of B vitamins because I was persistantly suffering from migraines - they helped somewhat. The real culprit was that the company was very stressful, but I did not notice it. Once I left, my health improved.
October 12, 2006 8:15 PM
tin-tin said…
i am near sighted. yet i need to wear glasses. coz my eyes are like 100 already
October 12, 2006 11:45 PM
Richard said…
tin-tin: but they are happy smiling eyes, which is more important.
October 14, 2006 8:14 AM
buzybee said…
my perfect eye-sight deteriorated gradually 4 years ago since I started to use the PC everyday for long hours at my working place. :(
October 16, 2006 11:20 AM
Just me said…
I've heard of such things happening like with my mother and father. You need super stretch arms. Fortunatly it won't happen to me, I refuse to get old. =o)
October 16, 2006 4:46 PM
Richard said…
bee: tired eyes can be a factor, of course, you are also older than you were 4 years ago. As we get older we start to feel aches and pains and the limitations of our bodies more frequently than when we were younger. This is not to imply that I am consigned to a wheelchair or anything. Part of this has to do with simply getting older, however, I suspect that part of it is changes in perception / awareness as we age.

freckled-one: I commend you for defying to grow old. Now, let us see in 10 years if the rest of your body has followed suit with you. Funny, I hadn't noticed before that old people have really long arms.
October 17, 2006 11:51 AM
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