Reading Glasses 101

Do your eyes feeling strained? Are you having trouble seeing clearly when you’re reading or working on a computer? If so, like millions of men and women, you may need reading glasses. People typically use reading glasses to help lessen the strain on their eyes when they’re reading or doing computer work. They also help you maintain vision in other parts of your life. The following are a few things to consider if you need reading glasses:

As we age, our eyes lose their ability to focus on objects that are close to us, a condition known as Presbyopia, which happens when the lens of the eye loses elasticity, making it more difficult to focus. The crystalline lens can break down, just like any other body part, as we age and it’s not necessarily something you can avoid. People who have Presbyopia usually need reading glasses around age forty or so, but if you read or put a lot of strain on your eyes on a regular basis, you may need them earlier.

Reading glasses are specifically designed for people who have trouble seeing small print clearly but whose eyes are healthy otherwise. They do not work in conjunction with regular corrective lenses so, if you wear contacts, you’ll have to wear the readers in addition to them. If you wear glasses for nearsightedness or farsightedness, you would wear reading glasses instead of your corrective lenses.

Not unlike prescription lenses, reading glasses come in various powers. You’ll need to try on several pairs to find the correct magnification. You can use a Dioper test chart, usually located in the reading glass display area or you might consider bringing a book you would typically read.

One common misconception about reading glasses is that Lasik surgery can eliminate the need for them. Unfortunately, the surgery can’t correct Presbyopia, so if even if you were to undergo Lasik to correct other eye issues, you may still need reading glasses. Lasik is designed to correct vision problems like Myopia or Hyperopia and, in a few rare cases, Astigmatism.

While there are contacts available that may help with Presbyopia, most contact lenses are designed to correct other vision problems. That said, you may need to wear reading glasses even if you have contacts. If you’ve got more than one issue with your vision, consider talking to your ophthalmologist about getting contacts that help with other vision problems and Presbyopia.

If you need reading glasses, it’s not something to panic, or get upset about. Millions of people get them. Go to Wal-Mart, K-Mart or even a book store and ask for “readers”. Find the magnification you need and a style to call your own. Most readers are less than $20 per pair.