At the moment I am getting by with specs as I have not yet been supplied lenses I can tolerate for long periods.
When I have the lenses in I can wear a pair of reading glasses, but when I have my distance specs on I end up with two pairs perched on my nose to read, and get some strange glances as well!
I have been told by my optician that bifocals are not an option due to high strengh of prescription.
Has anyone found a way around this, I have just been left in limbo.
Thanks,
Fordy
KC and Reading vision
Moderators: Anne Klepacz, John Smith, Sweet
- Lynn White
- Optometrist

- Posts: 1398
- Joined: Sat 12 Mar 2005 8:00 pm
- Location: Leighton Buzzard
Re: KC and Reading vision
Fordy,
If you know your prescription (spectacles) email or pm me with it and I will see what is available
Lynn
If you know your prescription (spectacles) email or pm me with it and I will see what is available
Lynn
Lynn White MSc FCOptom
Optometrist Contact Lens Fitter
Clinical Director, UltraVision
email: lynn.white@lwvc.co.uk
Optometrist Contact Lens Fitter
Clinical Director, UltraVision
email: lynn.white@lwvc.co.uk
- Andrew MacLean
- Moderator

- Posts: 7703
- Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Other
- Location: Scotland
Re: KC and Reading vision
My approach is to carry two pairs of glasses; one for ordinary or distance vision, and one for reading. I change them when I need to read and I change them back when I do not.
My work involves a fair bit of reading in public, and the pantomime of changing glasses is sometimes amusing. Sometimes I get muddled and have the glasses I need in my hand and the ones I do not need on my face. Somebody suggested that I invest in those string things but I rejected the proposal on the grounds that I am too young.
I know it's not a high tech solution, but it works for me (most of the time)
Andrew
My work involves a fair bit of reading in public, and the pantomime of changing glasses is sometimes amusing. Sometimes I get muddled and have the glasses I need in my hand and the ones I do not need on my face. Somebody suggested that I invest in those string things but I rejected the proposal on the grounds that I am too young.
I know it's not a high tech solution, but it works for me (most of the time)
Andrew
Andrew MacLean
-
Loopy-Lou
- Forum Stalwart

- Posts: 578
- Joined: Mon 20 Apr 2009 9:04 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
Re: KC and Reading vision
Ah Andrew you're getting glasses mixed up reminded me of a conference I attended 20 yrs ago in Montreal and the health minister spoke in French and English.
We had earphones for simultaneous translation but I kept putting them on when he was speaking English and taking them off when he was speaking French - and I don't speak French which he knew! He noticed what was happening and was so amused by my inability to put them on at the right moment he told everyone [in French and English]
We had earphones for simultaneous translation but I kept putting them on when he was speaking English and taking them off when he was speaking French - and I don't speak French which he knew! He noticed what was happening and was so amused by my inability to put them on at the right moment he told everyone [in French and English]
- Fordy
- Contributor

- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sat 09 May 2009 9:40 am
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Contact lenses
Re: KC and Reading vision
Andrew,
The problem I have is that reading specs alone will not correct the KC enough to allow me to read, so two pairs of specs are needed, does that make sense?
The problem I have is that reading specs alone will not correct the KC enough to allow me to read, so two pairs of specs are needed, does that make sense?
- Andrew MacLean
- Moderator

- Posts: 7703
- Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Other
- Location: Scotland
Re: KC and Reading vision
I'd find the same with over- the- counter or supermarket Reading glasses. My optometrist makes them up for me with good Zeiss lenses that correct for astigmatism as well as my presbyopia.
Andrew
Andrew
Andrew MacLean
- Lynn White
- Optometrist

- Posts: 1398
- Joined: Sat 12 Mar 2005 8:00 pm
- Location: Leighton Buzzard
Re: KC and Reading vision
Hang on here......
Fordy... what Andrew means is a prescription pair of reading glasses - NOT over the counter reading ones. In other words, The optometrist starts with your distance prescription and then reduces the power until you can read properly. You can then read with them, but not see in the distance - hence the two pairs. NOT wearing an "over the counter" pair on top of your distance pair.
Lynn
Fordy... what Andrew means is a prescription pair of reading glasses - NOT over the counter reading ones. In other words, The optometrist starts with your distance prescription and then reduces the power until you can read properly. You can then read with them, but not see in the distance - hence the two pairs. NOT wearing an "over the counter" pair on top of your distance pair.
Lynn
Lynn White MSc FCOptom
Optometrist Contact Lens Fitter
Clinical Director, UltraVision
email: lynn.white@lwvc.co.uk
Optometrist Contact Lens Fitter
Clinical Director, UltraVision
email: lynn.white@lwvc.co.uk
- Andrew MacLean
- Moderator

- Posts: 7703
- Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Other
- Location: Scotland
Re: KC and Reading vision
Exactly; that was what I was trying to say. "Prescription Reading Glasses"
When I was much younger than I am now, it was not possible to go to the supermarket and pick up a pair of reading glasses and people used to become all sentimental when they spoke about the 'good old days' when you could turn up at Woolworths and get a pair of glasses off the shelf.
Then the government bowed to pressure from retailers and allowed the sale of non-prescription reading glasses again. I tried them, but quite frankly they were worse than useless for me, unless I had my lenses in.
Nowadays, I get reading glasses and distance vision glasses, both on prescription. In a rare moment genius I even managed to have them dispensed in different looking frames. Imagine how muddled I would get if my two pairs of specs looked exactly the same (actually, I have three pairs; the last being prescription sunglasses).
Thanks Lynn for making clear what I failed to articulate.
Andrew
When I was much younger than I am now, it was not possible to go to the supermarket and pick up a pair of reading glasses and people used to become all sentimental when they spoke about the 'good old days' when you could turn up at Woolworths and get a pair of glasses off the shelf.
Then the government bowed to pressure from retailers and allowed the sale of non-prescription reading glasses again. I tried them, but quite frankly they were worse than useless for me, unless I had my lenses in.
Nowadays, I get reading glasses and distance vision glasses, both on prescription. In a rare moment genius I even managed to have them dispensed in different looking frames. Imagine how muddled I would get if my two pairs of specs looked exactly the same (actually, I have three pairs; the last being prescription sunglasses).
Thanks Lynn for making clear what I failed to articulate.
Andrew
Andrew MacLean
- Fordy
- Contributor

- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sat 09 May 2009 9:40 am
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Contact lenses
Re: KC and Reading vision
Andrew/ Lynn,
Thanks for you help and advice.
So that means contact lenses, reading glasses to go with lenses,distance glasses and prescription reading glasses.
So much for traveling light.
Hey ho
Thanks for you help and advice.
So that means contact lenses, reading glasses to go with lenses,distance glasses and prescription reading glasses.
So much for traveling light.
Hey ho
- Andrew MacLean
- Moderator

- Posts: 7703
- Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Other
- Location: Scotland
Return to “General Discussion Forum”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 63 guests