My eyes hurt and I get headaches when using a computer more often these days, and things are definitely not as "in focus" as they used to be. I've never had glasses before, so what do I do? Obviously, I need an eye test first, but where do I go for this, my local GP? If I then need glasses, where is best to get them from, I've only heard of specsavers because of their 2for1 adverts on tele.

Total glasses noob RMD please!

Just go anywhere for your eye test, not your GP though. You might get your test fee paid back by your employer too if you use a computer all day.

I need to get my eyes tested too, just one of those things I keep forgetting to do.

Pretty much this. Get your eyes tested, and they'll guide you through the whole process. I go to a local independent optician, as I found Specsavers and the like to be weird, non-caring and overly formal, and now I have a pair of glasses I actually really, really like for the first time in my life.

Boots Opticians, Vision Express, Specsavers, and any number of independent opticians - you're almost bound to have one on your nearest decent sized high street. My eye tests don't take more than 30 mins, I reckon, and my eyes are all kinds of messed up. Remember that you can take your prescription anywhere to get glasses - not just the optician who did your eyes.

Direct Gov money-for-eyetests thing. You might even be able to get some cash towards the glasses themselves.

Cool, I think I'll pop over to Occi Health in a bit (it's sunny outside, any excuse) and see what they can do for me re: freebies. I'll book an eye test for after the weekend. I'm getting headaches often while at work so hopefully reading glasses could fix that. Also, now I'm a beardy slaphead, I think I'd look good in a pair of glasses, anyway.

Generally I tend to use Vision Express for my eye tests and the like, but that's more out of habit than anything else.

It does sound like you might need glasses though, pupil, but the optician will advise you properly there. As mentioned previously, you may find that your employer will pay for the eye test (and one place I worked at would also give you £50 towards the glasses/contact lenses) - ask your HR department.

If you don't like the idea of having glasses and would prefer contact lenses, make sure you mention this when you try to book an appointment at an optician, as you normally need a more thorough test to check your suitability for lenses, as well as a fitting session where you get taught how to fit and remove the lenses.

I can wear contacts, but the small amount of fucking about involved vs simply shoving some specs on my face means I tend to stick to being a speccy four-eyes.

Edit: of course, I hadn't seen your post before hitting Submit on mine, so totally ignore all the above!

contact lenses!?!?!?!



nooooooooo thanks!

please

You know, looking at the rest of you, I would have said you'd be fine with contacts...

Vision Express often put a sandwich board outside if they have same day appointments available as well, but just pop in and they'll make you an appointment.

Just tell them you've never worn glasses so they can give you the OMGn00b treatment.

I've always quite liked the idea of glasses, but last time I had an eye test my vision was 20/10 - can't really get much better than that.

erm...
isn't that inhuman? See something twice the distance away at the same focus?

Ahhh, so that's what it says.

I fell over it.

Only when aroused. He's cock eyed.

No. 20/20 is average vision. 20/10 is twice as good as average.

I thought it was quantitative, not based around a mean.

20/20 means "I can resolve detail at a distance of 20 feet that the average person can resolve at 20 feet" (it's 1 arcminute of angular distance, in practice). 20/10 means "I can see details at 20 feet that an average person needs to be 10 feet away to see".

This also means that if myp's had an iPhone 4, it wouldn't have a Retina Display.

73% and 146% respectively.

Well I still stand by my statement that to be twice as good as average is inhuman then.

Don't fighter pilots in the RAF only need 20/20 or 20/15?

If mypsy woo's going to fly a plane I'm off.

I could read that from about 2ft away without squinting.

I could, but I'm wearing my glasses

I don't get my eye balls tattooed, though!!?!?!

A quick wander over to Occi Health and (if the tests say I need them) they'll give me vouchers for £85 towards glasses for computer use. Sweet deal!

This. I've also noticed that the indies usually have a stricter tolerance in their lenses & rarely offer those stupid fucking coatings that scratch as soon as an oxygen molecule touches them.

I did once decline the offer of anti-glare coating on a pair of glasses I had and it was fucking awful - I always have that coating put on to new lenses now.

Anti glare's good for not making you look like you're as much of a speccy twat in photos as well.

I find decent eyesight is even better.

At least my eyes aren't attached to a mong faced spazzo.

Are your glasses rose-tinted by any chance?

Seeing is believing, so you'd better change your specs.

Me too, but since everyone else in my family wears glasses, that makes me the freak

Poof

No, that isn't what makes you the freak.

Ditto. All it takes is light hitting the lens at a non-perpendicular angle and your glasses become absolutely unusable.

It has been done, though. Google it

A lot of optician places are a massive scam. The eye test thing is basically the same everywhere - it's a proper medical thing after all, so they can't afford to be fucking about - and the charge should be pretty small. It's buying the glasses where they screw you. Get your prescription and then shop around - you can get nice glasses pretty cheaply these days. There's no need to pay £200 for a cheap, mass produced metal frame with 2 minutes' worth of manual adjustments, and unless your eyes are really fucked up, the lenses need not be too bad either.

I do agree in principle, but in reality glasses are one of those things I will spend a fair amount of cash on. They're going to be one of the most noticeable things about my face when I'm out in public, so I don't want them looking shit.

Glasses are a very personal thing really. Takes me ages to pick frames I like. I also find that the sort of frames I think I'd like from looking at them on the shelf or seeing other people with similar ones, end up looking awful when I try them. I'd always wanted fairly thick rimmed black plastic style glasses, but I look a fucking idiot in them.

I once went to Dolland & Aitchinson for specs once, probably about 15 years ago, and they had ways of helping you pick frames that would better suit your kind of face.

Well yeah, but the only difference between a nice-looking pair of glasses for £45 and a nice-looking pair of glasses for £150 is how much of your life you have to waste at work to afford them.

I've seen them...

You wouldn't understand.

Are you saying poor children are less important?

Shame on you.

Pupil, your eye strain could be due to Computer Vision Syndrome. Have you heard of the 20-20-20 rule? It's when you look away from the computer every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This helps your eyes from getting dry, tired and can help with headaches. Here are some more tips to help with CVS: http://ow.ly/3vU9L. Your eye doctor will help you decide if contacts or glasses are best for your needs. (David, VSP)

How come we never summon Holly Willoughby?

I do. I just don't share her on here.

If David is hoping for some custom, he'd better have some impressive equipment to do eye tests over a distance of several thousand miles. Still, the screen use recommendations on that site are pretty reasonable.

My local was great; I went there after getting insulted by arseholes at Specsavers who scoffed when I said I wanted something similar to my existing glasses. I was told they were TWO YEARS OLD and OF COURSE they no longer stocked something so out of fashion. They then tried to say I couldn't take my prescription with me (not legal). D&A staff were lovely. And now it's all gone, eaten up by Boots.

When the wife went to see about getting her eyes lazorred, they wheeled out some frankly awesome kit that does a phenomenally accurate job of mapping your eyes and working out your prescription. It makes all the "Better with A, or better with B?" stuff done in opticians look positively medieval.