How far can you see clearly without glasses?

Question

how close can you see?
Now that i am over 40, I can still see perfectly at a distance, but I cant read small stuff up close without magnifiers

It's kind of funny, My freind at work is just the opposite, He cant read the road signs, or see much of anything at a distance, but he can read the small print of the manuals and schematics that we use, So I drive and he reads the instructions and does the soldering, It all works out!

Answer 1

Before I answer your question it is important to get some terminology right.

Farsighted = Hyperopia.
Nearsighted = Myopia

People can generally have either myopia or hyperopia. After age 40 "PRESBYOPIA" sets in. That is, the near vision becomes difficult. This happens beacuse the eye loses its capacity to increase the lens power for focussing at objects held close to the eye. This loss of accommodation happens to everyone and is a fact of life - a byproduct of aging. This is true for both Hyperopia and Mypoia if you try to read through your distance vision glasses.

Both you and your friend have PRESBYOPIA.

You can see distance vision clearly without glasses. Therefore when you read upclose, because your ability to accommodate has been lost (PRESBYOPIA), you will now need reading glasses. Drug store glasses - about +1.25 D may be fine initially. By age 45 or more, you may need upto +2.50 D.

Your friend is nearsighted i.e he has myopia. With glasses he can see distance vision clearly. However, if he were to read upclose without removing his distance vision glasses, he too will have trouble reading upclose, just like you. He too has Presbyopia. The difference is that he can remove his distance vision glasses and then his nearsightedness will allow him to read upclose. So he will not need reading glasses if he reads upclose without his distance vision glasses.

Answer 2

Okay, this is going to sound bizarre but it happened to me. I am extremely myopic (near or short sighted) like 90% blind. I broke my glasses and for some reason (don't remember why) couldn't get another pair for like 6 -9 months. Two things I did without really even thinking about it were: 1.)force myself to focus on the television screen without being five inches away and from about 10-15 feet on the couch; 2.)started eating raw carrots every day. Every once in a while I go on a fave raw vegetable kick. In any case, when I finally DID get to an optometrist, he gave me the whole eye exam and looked at my old one and said, "Somehow, you've improved your eyesight! Your old prescription is too strong for you!" This worked for me, but then weird things like this always work for me. I have no idea if this would work for you, but I don't think it can hurt. In any case, I'd call (anonymously) an eye doc and ask them what to do.

Answer 3

Without glasses (I wear contacts) I can see really clearly about a foot away. I see things perfectly close up.

Answer 4

It sounds like you are far sighted.

I am very near sighted. I wear contact lens but without them or glasses, I can only see clear about six or eight inches away. So I need them at all times.

Answer 5

I'm 41 and have worn glasses since i was 12. up close i see perfect. without glasses i can see about 8-9 inches from my face after that it all gets blurry. i wear contacts most of the time. with them in i can't see up close anymore!

Answer 6

You, my friend, are far sighted. If you were to go to an eye doctor, you probably would be told to buy a pair of readers. If you're not that far over 40, a +1.50 to +1.75 would work. The higher the number on readers means the closer you would have to hold your reading material. Lower powers, you can hold material farther away.

Answer 7

I'm near sighted so I can see pretty good without my glasses close-up. Looking farther than 12 inches is pushing it. My eyes suck.

~El-Matto

Answer 8

Naturally Improve Your Vision 20/20 : http://Eye.ClearVisionExercise.com

Answer 9

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Answer 10

You are far sighted. I am extremely nearsighted. I cannot see street signs, etc, unless I am within maybe 8 feet of them. I am considering lasik surgery.