I have not worn eyeglasses except sunglasses for many years. Six years ago I got LASIK eye surgery, which corrected my nearsightedness allowing me to see distance clearly. LASIK does nothing for near vision, however, and I’m already starting to notice the effects of age on my ability to stare at a computer screen or read a book. The eye strain is compounded by the fact that one eye is worse than the other, so the brain works harder to focus and compensate. I spend many hours staring at four monitors, and I’m starting to feel the negative effects.

I completed my annual eye exam recently and discussed this issue with the optometrist. He gave me a prescription for computer/reading glasses. The rest of the vision center was closed, so I decided to buy glasses online. It turns out this more difficult than one would think.

Purchasing eyeglasses online is similar to purchasing shoes online. There is a tendency to want to try them on and make sure you have a good fit. I don’t really care about the style of glasses; my priority is the function. I need to have spring-loaded hinges to accommodate my large head. I need adjustable nose pads. I want to avoid frames where a screw holds the lenses in place because the screws eventually come loose and cause the lenses to pop out. 

After doing my Google research I landed on Eyeglasses USA. The buying process brought back memories of this racket where you see one price for the frames with “lenses included.” The problem is the basic lenses are included. If you want anti-scratch coating, that’s extra. If you want blue-blocking, that’s extra. In the end, you still end up spending close to $200 out the door (I don’t have vision insurance.)

I ordered the glasses a few weeks ago, and they just arrived today. I was wondering why it was taking so long, and one reason is that the shipping notice indicated that the glasses had to be cleared “through customs.” What’s this now? I thought this was Glasses USA, but maybe it should be called Glasses Thailand because that’s where the glasses came from. So much for made in the USA.

These glasses do make a difference. I look forward to using them tomorrow to see if I notice a difference.