Computer progressive contact lenses for playing the harp in orchestra?

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

Has anyone tried “computer progressive” contact lenses for playing the harp, especially in an orchestra? They are supposed to allow you to see up close, mid-distance and distance (just like when you were younger).

[sara-cutler]

I’ve been wearing them for several months and they are the best thing since sliced bread. They do say, however, that some brains can’t adjust as easily to them as others, so you’ll need to try them yourself to see.

[carl-swanson]

If they are anything like progressive bifocal eyeglasses I would hate them. I tried the progressive eyeglasses last year when I needed new glasses. I went back to the optical shop 2 hours after getting them and insisted they give me old fashioned bifocals, with a line between the two prescriptions. With the progressive eyeglasses, you can only look straight forward and basically have to move your head around to get the different distances in focus. So they severely restrict your eye movement. If the progressive contacts operate the same way, I would think that would be awful for playing the harp.

[HFLINN]

I wear “straight-top 35s” for playing the harp. These are a. custom bifocal where the prescription for the reading portion is calculated by measuring the distance from the bridge of your nose to your music stand. The “35” refers to the fact that the reading portion is extra wide so that you can move your eyes back and forth to the music stand and not your head. The upper part of the bifocal is your regular distance prescription. If you ask for them to be made in the thinnest lens possible they look very nice and the line is almost invisible.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

Dear Heather, That’s amazing! I had requested exactly that type of thing several years ago, and when my bifocals arrived, they were set up with only a tiny fraction for reading, and all the rest was for distance, which was not at all suitable. When I asked them to re-make the glasses, they told me that it was impossible. (Hundreds of dollars down the drain.) But now, it’s a moot point anyway. I got my computer progressive glasses, and I love them. I have been using them in the orchestra for about a week now, and I can see everything clearly. The distance part is at the top, exactly where the conductor looms into view, and the middle part is for the music. I can see the strings much better now, as well. I have “prism” in the lenses, since my eyes don’t look straight ahead and I used to get double vision if I didn’t blink often enough.

[sherry-lenox]

Elizabeth, I am so impressed to learn that your prism computer progressives are working for you! I had bilateral cataract surgery almost three years ago, and the improved vision in each of my eyes has seemed to make my focused vision worse, which naturally makes reading music and seeing strings exponentially more difficult as well. I wear trifocals with different prism correction in each lense, and i could not care less what they look like if I could see well myself! Are there any particular requests/recommendations you made to your ophthalmologist/ optometrist to get your successful result? Have you ever been told that if you blink away your doyble vision your eyes are actually constantly in a state of muscle strain?

[kimberly-rowe]

My situation is the same as Carl’s. I tried progressives (are regular progressives different from “computer progressives”?) and couldn’t even play. Since I try NOT to move my head back and forth a lot, they did not work at all for me. I can’t believe I’m saying this on a public forum, but I just succumbed to …ahem….bifocals, complete with the line. So far they’ve been working for practice, and I’ll be trying them out with a conductor this week. I don’t really need anything to see the conductor, but I don’t like having to peer over my harp glasses so I’m hoping this will work.

[Sylvia]

I’ve used bifocals for a long time…no problem looking from music to strings to conductor, etc….so I think you’re worrying unnecessarily maybe. Like Carl, I once tried progressive lenses. They were dangerous….made a blur right in front of me when I walked, and I had to tip my head to see distance. I took them back the same day!

[Sylvia]

I think trifocals are the same as progressives? with near, mid, and far ranges? I thought of that after I had written the previous message. Anyway, the trifocals are what did not work for me.

[laurie-rasmussen]

I’ve had multi-focal contact lenses for a a few weeks now and I love them! I was having the same issues in orchestra, mostly having trouble reading the music but the strings were out of focus, too. My distance vision doesn’t need much correction. I tried several types of contacts, including the monovision approach, which didn’t work for me. These multi-focal lenses give me clear vision at every focal distance. There is a very slight compromise in distance vision in low light but not enough to matter. I’m very happy with them.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I looked this up, and discovered that there are several different types of progressive lenses. I suspect that mine may be the premium type, since I can see the conductor and my music so well. Here is the article I found: http://vision.about.com/od/eyeglasses/tp/Progressive_Lenses.htm

[susan-ash]

I wanted to use glasses instead of contacts, and do not care for progressives. Trying all the currently popular style frames, I found I looked out below the bottom of the frames when looking at the higher strings. The solution is perfect….I took an old pair of large framed glasses from the 1990’s, and had bifocals put in them. Had to specifically ask for what they called “executive” bifocals, that cover completely the bottom third of the lens. Yes, the glasses are large for today’s style, but I can see the music on the stand and my strings. Besides when large frames make a come back I’ll be on the leading edge.

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