Gransnetters share the difficulties they have experienced as their eyesight has deteriorated

I was short sighted in junior school and have worn glasses all of my life.

10 years ago my optician noticed a deterioration so I was sent to Moorfields and dry AMD and Fuchs were diagnosed. There is no cure yet for either.

It is only in the last 5-6 years I have noticed much of a difference.

In the house, I have had all white sockets changed to silver coloured ones because I could not see them.

I had the gas heating timer moved from inside the airing cupboard to the wall outside- not ideal but better. I have fitted a small piece of bright paper on the T gauge because I cannot see if it is at 15C or 25C.

I do have a serious problem with the gas boiler because the instructions are written so minutely even with a magnifier it is beyond me.

I now have Alexa x3 to act as timers, alarms, play music, news and weather around the house.

I can no longer read newspapers or magazines so at least I am saving money.

Good lighting is a must.

I try to buy contrasting colours eg white kettle etc on a dark grey worktop.

Having a Smart meter to read gas and electricity meters.

I have not worked out yet how to find a lock for my door key unless it is a bright day.

I am used to where items are on a store shelf but when they are moved around as they are, I complain to the store manager (fruitlessly).

I have never heard of Serious Readers.

I m mid 70 s short sighted from about 11 years old -12 in both eyes also have had torn retinas and start of careracts which won’t be operated on because of the weak retinas oh yes and astigmatism
Get on as good as, with contacts but don’t see as well as I d like to reading doesn’t happen now have to concentrate too hard I am embarrassed I have to ask people the number of the bus I can see it when it’s on top of me but sometimes too late
Felt really old the other week when I couldn’t see the very poor quality screen of the hole in the wall with the sun shining on it a nice chap helped me and didn’t run off with my money

But it could be SO much worse

I am in my mid70s. I was always short sighted, -8.5 in one eye, -5.7 in the other. I began to have trouble with my vision around the age of 60. This was diagnosed as a cataract and over the next five years I had cataracts removed from both eyes. They were replaced with prescription lenses, and I chose to have lens that left me needing glasses for driving and distances but able to read and go about my ordinary life without wearing any aids to vision.

Apart from needing more light to read small print, and my night sight not being as good as it was, I can still thread quite a fine needle without too much trouble.

Compared with my eyesight from the age of 10 to 63, my eye sight is now immeasurably better.