Thanks again to everyone who commented on progressive lenses. I had my eyes examined this morning. All went well. The doctor told me that, at 52 years of age, I had a free ride for eight to 10 years as far as needing bifocals is concerned. I take that to mean that most people need bifocals at the age of 42 to 44. Until recently, I had no trouble reading with my single-lens glasses. A few months ago, however, I noticed that things were fuzzy up close and got sharper as I moved the book or paper away. Needless to say, this was disturbing, but I have come to grips with the fact that my eyes, like the rest of my body, are aging.
I ordered two sets of glasses (with different types of frame). The first will contain progressive lenses. I was told that there is not much peripheral vision in the reading area of these lenses. Lined bifocals, by contrast, provide more peripheral vision. I decided to get both! I want to have options. I do my reading (usually) in the morning hours, at my desk. I do my computer work in the afternoon and evening. While reading, I'll use whichever pair of glasses gives me the best peripheral vision (so I won't have to move my head from side to side). When I'm done reading for the day and ready to work at the computer, I'll switch to the progressive lenses. Actually, the glasses I currently wear (which are two years old) are fine for the computer, so I could continue to use them for that purpose.
I want a third pair of glasses as well: one with lenses (not bifocals) that turn dark outside. I'll wait until autumn to order them. My insurance turns over on 1 September.
